Spectrum #15: Order these Michael Jackson albums by release — the solution

The Spectrum puzzle from August 29, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, earliest to latest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.

The puzzle

Order these Michael Jackson albums by release, earliest at the top and latest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:

1. Invincible
2. Off the Wall
3. Dangerous
4. Thriller
5. Bad
6. HIStory

Nothing was in its place; Invincible opened 5 places from home.

The walkthrough

The ends first. Off the Wall is the earliest of the six at 1979 and Invincible the latest at 2001. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.

Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between HIStory (1995) and Invincible (2001) — 6 years apart. Everything above that line belongs on the earliest side and everything below it on the latest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.

The closest call. Off the Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982) are only 3 years apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.

The answer

Previous: Spectrum #14 (Fri, Aug 28) · Next: Spectrum #16 (Sun, Aug 30)

About Spectrum

Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.