Veteran Nigerian musician Sir Shina Peters, has stirred debate after asserting that his legacy in show business surpasses that of the late global pop icon Michael Jackson. Speaking on The Honest Bunch podcast earlier this week, Peters said, “The only thing you can show for show-biz at the end of the day is how many evergreens you have produced. To my credit, I have four evergreens. Even Michael Jackson has just two: Off the Wall and Thriller.”  

Peters explained that by “evergreens” he means songs or albums that remain timeless and widely beloved over decades, irrespective of global sales. In the podcast episode, he expressed pride in his contributions to Nigeria’s music scene and lamented what he sees as a decline in quality among newer artists.  

His comments were captured on Instagram where he shared the podcast link and reiterated his viewpoint to fans.  

Peters’ claim has sparked strong reactions online. Some fans applauded his confidence and legacy in the Afro-Jùjú genre, a style he helped pioneer by melding West African rhythms with funk and electronic instrumentation. Others criticised the comparison to Michael Jackson, arguing that Jackson’s global reach and commercial sales remain unmatched.  

Sir Shina Peters rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s with hits like Ace (1989) and Shinamania (1990), which reshaped Juju music into faster, more dance-oriented forms. Meanwhile, Michael Jackson, known as the “King of Pop,” released Thriller (1982), the best-­selling album of all time, along with other massive hits like Bad and Dangerous.  

By making the bold comparison, Peters has sparked renewed conversations about how success is measured in music, globally vs locally, commercial sales vs cultural longevity. The debate underscores how legacies are shaped differently in African music industries compared to international metrics.

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