Older is the third solo studio album by George Michael, released in Europe on 13 May 1996 through Virgin Records and Aegean and one day later in the United States. The American release was the very first album released by DreamWorks Records. It was his first album since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – the five-and-a-half-year gap was due to the controversial legal battle that Michael experienced with his record company. Michael dedicated three years to the recording of Older, and the album found him exploring new musical territories in a more serious fashion compared to his previous work. At the time of release, the album was a huge commercial hit, particularly in Europe, but was received in America with a lukewarm critical approval.[1] In the UK, the album was particularly notable for producing six top three hit singles in a two-year span, creating a record still unsurpassed.[2] The high sales of the album presaged a re-issue of the album under the name of Older & Upper 18 months after its original release.[3] To date, Older has sold around 8 million copies worldwide.