Phelps is 6-for-6 with two races remaining. His latest gold tied Australian Ian Thorpe's record from the 2001 worlds in Japan.
But Phelps failed to set a world record for the first time in five nights.
"I'm definitely starting to feel it (fatigue)," he said. "I've got to get some food and some sleep, and hopefully tomorrow I'll run off adrenaline. I need to come back and do two solid races.
"
Still, it was another dominating night for the United States.
The Americans won four of the six finals, including 1-2 finishes in the men's 100 fly and men's 50 freestyle. They have a leading 31 medals, including 17 gold with one night remaining.
Australia is second with 17 medals and seven golds.
As the two-time defending champion and world record holder, Crocker was the one guy who could've stopped Phelps' gold rush. But it didn't happen.
Crocker was first at the turn, with Phelps third _ the first time in four individual races that he didn't zoom to the lead. But he sure came home hard.
"Ian has more speed than I do.
I know that he goes out hard and I wanted to close that gap," Phelps said.
He caught Crocker in the final furious strokes _ touching in 50.77 seconds and joining his rival as the only men to break the 51-second barrier.
Crocker hit the wall in 50.82. Albert Subirats of Venezuela took the bronze.
"It's never quite the race you want," Crocker said.
Phelps had never beaten Crocker at worlds _ taking silver behind him in 2003 and 2005. In between, Phelps denied Olympic gold to Crocker in Athens by four-hundredths of a second.
"That's how I won the Olympic medal," Phelps said. "You have to nail the finish as best you can. I actually thought I botched the finish, but it ended up being good enough.
"
Crocker swam over to Phelps in lane six and shook his hand. On the podium later, Crocker looked a bit glum while accepting the silver medal.
Phelps had a grin plastered on his face during yet another victory stroll as Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" blared.
He whipped a stuffed penguin into the stands and a young woman excitedly scooped it up.
American teenager Kate Ziegler overtook Laure Manaudou of France on the final lap to defend her title in the 800 freestyle.
Manaudou was under American Janet Evans' 17-year-old world record through 400 meters before falling off the pace, with Ziegler nearly matching her stroke-for-stroke.
The women were dead-even after 550 meters and traded the lead twice more before Ziegler came home first in 8 minutes, 18.52 seconds _ the second-fastest time ever. Manaudou, the 200 and 400 free champion here, took the silver in 8:18.
80.
American Hayley Peirsol earned the bronze.
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