Michael Jackson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Michael Jackson wasnt merely the biggest pop star of his era, shaping the sound and style of the 70s and 80s; he was one of the defining stars of the 20th century, a musician who changed the contours of American culture. A preternaturally gifted singer and dancer, Jackson first rose to stardom in 1969 as the 11-year-old frontman for his familys band, the Jackson 5. As remarkable a run as the Jackson 5 had -- at the dawn of the 70s, each of their first four singles went to number one and they stayed near the top of the charts for the next five years -- it all served as a preamble to Jacksons solo career. Off the Wall, the dazzling 1979 album co-produced by Quincy Jones, announced Jackson as a mature talent, and the singles "Dont Stop til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" turned it into a blockbuster. Despite its success, Jackson believed Off the Wall was pigeonholed as an R&B; record. Determined to break through this glass ceiling, he reunited with Jones to create Thriller, the 1982 album that shattered every music record on the books. Thriller was designed to appeal to every audience and its diversity was evident by its guests: he enlisted Eddie Van Halen to play guitar on the hard rock of "Beat It" while inviting Paul McCartney to duet on the chipper soft pop tune "The Girl Is Mine." Jackson also expanded the horizons of soul and dance music, producing pioneering masterpieces like "Billie Jean." This single provided Thriller with its 1983 breakthrough, thanks in part to its groundbreaking music video, which became the first clip from a black artist to enter steady rotation on the fledgling MTV. Jacksons smashing of the networks racial barriers was only one aspect of Thrillers unprecedented crossover. Seven of its nine songs were Top 10 hits, it earned eight Grammy awards, and topped the Billboard charts for 37 weeks, matching its American success internationally to become the biggest-selling album of all time, earning 32 platinum certifications in the US and moving over 100 million albums worldwide. Such a phenomenal triumph pushed Jackson into the stratosphere and Bad -- the eagerly-anticipated 1987 sequel to Thriller, co-produced once again with Quincy Jones -- kept him there, generating five number one singles on the Billboard charts and selling 30 million copies internationally, two thirds of which were outside of the US. Jackson parted ways with Jones for 1991s Dangerous, another global blockbuster. HIStory, a 1995 double-disc set that paired a disc of hits with a new album, produced a couple of international number one singles. Invincible, his 2001 album, turned out to be his last. Health problems culminated in his untimely death in the summer of 2009, but at that point Jacksons legend was safe: he stood alongside Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Miles Davis, and Bob Dylan as one of the musicians that created the sound of America in the 20th century. Such heights came from modest beginnings. Michael was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958, the fifth son of Katherine and Joe Jackson. His mother was a Jehovahs Witness and his father a former boxer-turned-steelworker who played guitar on the side. Harboring aspirations of musical stardom, Joe shepherded his sons into a musical act around 1962. At that point, it was just the three eldest children -- Tito, Jackie, and Jermaine -- but Michael joined them in 1964 and soon dominated the group. Stealing moves from James Brown and Jackie Wilson, Michael became the epicenter of the Jackson 5 as they earned accolades at local talent shows and went on to play soul clubs throughout the Midwest, working their way toward the east coast in 1967 where they won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater. Returning to Gary, the group cut a pair of singles for the local imprint Steeltown in 1968 -- "(Im A) Big Boy," "We Dont Have to Be Over 21" -- but their big break arrived when they opened for Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers at Chicagos Regal Theater. Impressed, Taylor brought them to the attention of Berry Gordy, Jr., who signed the group to Motown in March of 1969 and then sent them out to Los Angeles, where he helped mastermind their national launch. "I Want You Back," a song written and produced by Motowns new crew the Corporation, saw release in October 1968 when Michael Jackson was just 11 years old. By January 1970, "I Want You Back" rocketed to number one on both the pop and R&B; charts, and the Jackson 5 became a sensation, crossing over from R&B; to AM pop radio with ease. Two more hits followed --" ABC" and "The Love You Save," both exuberant bubblegum soul -- before "Ill Be There" revealed Michaels facility with ballads. All three of these sequels went to number one and, striking while the iron was hot, Motown spun Michael off into a solo act. His first solo single, "Got to Be There," arrived at the end of 1971, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100, and then a cover of Bobby Days chestnut "Rockin Robin" peaked at two in early 1972. Later that year, "Ben," the title theme ballad to an exploitation movie about a killer rat, earned Jackson his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (he would lose). Not long afterward, the careers of both Michael and the Jackson 5 slowed, victims of shifting tastes, adolescence, and creative battles with their label. One last hit for Motown arrived in 1974 -- "Dancing Machine," a single that brought the group in line with the disco explosion -- before the group departed Motown for Epic in 1975. With the new label came a new name, along with a slight lineup change: Jermaine stayed at Motown to pursue a solo career and younger brother Randy took his place. Following a pair of albums produced by Philly soul mainstays Gamble & Huff, Michael emerged as the groups creative director on 1978s Destiny, co-writing their 1979 smash "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" with Randy. By that point, Michael had already made a considerable solo impression by starring as the Scarecrow in The Wiz, Sidney Lumets 1978 musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. Working on the soundtrack -- a record highlighted by his duet with Diana Ross on "Ease on Down the Road" -- he met producer Quincy Jones, a titan of jazz and pop in the 50s and 60s who had yet to score a smash in the 70s. The pair hit it off and decided to work on Jacksons next solo endeavor, but first the Jackson 5 released Destiny, which raised the profile of both the band and Michael himself. All this was preamble to Off the Wall, the 1979 album that definitively established Michael Jackson as a force of his own. Collaborating with producer Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton, Jackson consciously attempted to appeal to multiple audiences with Off the Wall, turning the album into a dazzling showcase of all his different sounds and skills. Anchored by a pair of number one hits -- the incandescent "Dont Stop til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" -- the record turned into a smash, peaking at four on the Billboard 200, selling millions of copies as it raked in awards, but losing the grand prize of Album of the Year at the Grammys, leaving Jackson with the lingering impression that he needed to cross over into the pop mainstream with greater force. Before he could do that, he had to complete one more Jackson 5 album: 1980s Triumph, a record with three hit singles ("Lovely One," "This Place Hotel," "Can You Feel It") whose title seemed to allude to Michaels solo success and certainly benefitted from his heightened stardom. After Triumph, Jackson reunited with producer Jones and songwriter Temperton to create the sequel to Off the Wall, crafting a record that deliberately hit every mark in the musical mainstream. Paul McCartney was brought in to underscore Michaels soft rock leanings, Eddie Van Halen pushed Jackson into metallic hard rock, and the remainder of the album glided from disco to pop to soul in an effortless display of his range. "The Girl Is Mine," the first single from Thriller, didnt suggest its adventure -- Jackson played it safe by releasing the McCartney duet as the albums lead -- but the second single, "Billie Jean," forged ahead into new, unnamable territory. "Billie Jean" was a pop explosion, topping the charts in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada. Some of its success can no doubt be credited to its striking music video, the first to break the fledgling MTVs then-unspoken racial barrier; after Jackson, the network began playing more black acts. Some of the singles success is due to his sensational performance on Motowns 25th Anniversary Special in 1983, a performance aired on May 16, 1983 where Jackson unveiled his signature moonwalk dance -- a move that made it appear as if he was gliding backward -- and announced himself to the world as a mature talent. "Beat It," accompanied by an equally cinematic video, turned into an equally huge smash on MTV and helped push Thriller into the stratosphere. "Wanna Be Startin Somethin," "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" kept Thriller at number one and its last single was an extravaganza, with Jackson letting director John Landis turn the song into a short musical horror film. By the time the album wrapped up its two-year run on the charts, it had racked up 37 weeks at number one and sold 29 million copies, becoming the biggest-selling album ever. Even as Thriller was something of a pop perpetual motion machine, selling records of its own accord, Jackson worked hard. He once again teamed with Paul McCartney, singing "Say Say Say" for McCartneys 1983 album Pipes of Peace, and he reunited with the Jackson 5 for 1984s Victory, supporting the album with an international tour. Prior to its launch, Jackson suffered a serious accident while filming a Pepsi commercial designed to accompany the tour. During the shoot, pyrotechnics burned Jacksons head, sending him to the hospital with second degree burns to his scalp; as he recovered, he started using pain killers for the first time. Jackson earned accolades for his philanthropic work, especially his collaboration with Lionel Richie on the 1985 charity single "We Are the World," but along with these positive notes, wild stories began to circulate in the tabloids. Some further bad press accompanied his acquisition of the Lennon and McCartney songwriting catalog in 1985, a move that severed his partnership with Paul McCartney. Jackson also flirted with becoming a movie star, working with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 3D film Captain Eo, shown only at Disneys IMAX theaters starting in 1986. Once this appeared, he started work on the task of following up Thriller. Working once again with Quincy Jones, Jackson refined the Thriller template for 1987s Bad. Like Thriller, the first single was an adult contemporary number -- "I Just Cant Stop Loving You," a duet with then unknown Siedah Garrett -- before it cranked out hits: "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana" all reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1987 and 1988, with "Another Part of Me" just missing the Top 10 and "Smooth Criminal" peaking at seven. Bad didnt dominate the charts in other countries but its singles reached the Top 10 internationally with some regularity, aided in part with a globe-spanning tour -- the first solo tour of Michael Jacksons career. The Bad World Tour broke records across the globe and in its wake, he started calling himself "The King of Pop," a nickname that was something of a retort to Elvis Presley being known as "The King of Rock & Roll." Once the tour wrapped up, Jackson returned to his new home -- a Santa Ynez ranch that he purchased in March of 1988 and renamed Neverland, playing up his Peter Pan fixation Jackson renewed his deal with Sony -- the corporation that purchased Epic/CBS -- in 1991 and then set to work on his next album. This time, he decided to part ways with Quincy Jones, choosing to work with a variety of collaborators, chief among them Teddy Riley, who helped usher Michael into the realm of New Jack Swing. "Black or White," the albums first video, caused some controversy, which helped generate initial press and sales and sent the single to number one. "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet" also made it into the Billboard Top 10 in early 1992, but subsequent singles "Jam" and "Heal the World" stalled in the low 20s, while "Who Is It" made it to 14. Jacksons period of massive success was starting to end and, as it did, Jackson entered a rough personal period. In 1993, a 13-year-old boy accused Jackson of molestation. Over the next two years, the case played out in public and in the justice system, eventually settling out of court for undisclosed terms in 1995; no charges were ever filed. During all this, Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in May of 1994; their marriage lasted just 19 months. Jackson rebooted his career in 1995 with HIStory: Past, Present & Future, Book 1, a double-disc set divided into an album of hits and an album of new material. Preceded by a double-A-sided single containing the ballad "Childhood" and "Scream," a duet with his sister Janet, the album underperformed compared to its predecessors but still generated big hits, highlighted by "You Are Not Alone," the first single to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The subsequent singles "They Dont Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow" underperformed in the U.S. but were Top 10 singles in the U.K., and HIStory also did well in other global international markets, aided in part by the lengthy accompanying global tour. In 1997, Jackson followed HIStory with Blood on the Dance Floor, an album that topped the U.K. charts but only reached 24 in the U.S. By that point, Jackson had married his nurse, Debbie Rowe, who would soon become to the mother of two children: Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. Over the next couple of years, Jackson raised his family and performed at charitable events, starting work on a comeback planned for 2001. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo act that year (the Jackson 5 had previously been inducted) and he staged two major 30th Anniversary concerts in September 2001 to kick off the promo campaign for his new album, Invincible. Produced in large part by Rodney Jerkins, Invincible consciously evoked Off the Wall with its single "You Rock My World," which reached 10 prior to the albums October release. Invincible entered the charts at number one in the U.S. and U.K., but it didnt have staying power and never generated another hit single. Soon, music took a backseat to Jacksons personal life. He had a third child, Prince Michael Jackson II in 2002, but the birth was overshadowed by erratic public appearances and legal problems, including an arrest in November 2003 for child molestation; in June of 2005 he was acquitted on all counts. As the case played out, Sony released the first-ever single-disc collection of Jacksons peak, Number Ones, in 2003; it had a new song, "One More Chance." Over the next few years, many catalog releases materialized: the 2004 box set The Ultimate Collection, the 2006 double-disc set The Essential Michael Jackson, a collectors box called Visionary in 2006, and his catalog saw deluxe reissues in 2008. Jackson planned a major comeback for 2009 with a major tour called This Is It featuring a long run of shows at Londons O2 Arena. As he was in the midst of rehearsals in Los Angeles, he collapsed at home on the afternoon of June 25, 2009. Rushed to the UCLA Medical Center, Jackson was pronounced dead of a cardiac arrest at the age of 50. An extensive investigation later named his death a homicide due to prescription drugs; Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. It didnt take long for posthumous releases to begin to hit the shelves. Motown released The Remix Suite in October of 2009, and then a film documenting the 2009 concert rehearsals was released as This Is It, along with a soundtrack. Next came a DVD set called Vision, and 2010 brought Michael, a collection of outtakes, most dating from Invincible. In 2012, the 25th anniversary of Bad brought an expanded reissue of the 1987 album. Epic released Xscape in 2014, a record where L.A. Reid and Timbaland reworked demos recorded between Thriller and Invincible. Preceded by the single "Love Never Felt So Good" -- an electronic duet with Justin Timberlake that went to The Top 10 -- Xscape earned Gold certification. In 2016, Off the Wall received a deluxe reissue highlighted by an accompanying documentary directed by Spike Lee. Scream, a loosely Halloween-themed compilation, followed in 2017. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 35 Title: Got to Be There Released: 1971 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ain’t No Sunshine (04:12) 2 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 3 Girl Don’t Take Your Love From Me (03:50) 4 In Our Small Way (03:40) 5 Got to Be There (03:24) 6 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 7 Wings of My Love (03:24) 8 Maria (You Were the Only One) (03:42) 9 Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone (02:53) 10 You’ve Got a Friend (04:52) |
| Got to Be There : Allmusic album Review : Riding high on the wild success of the Jackson 5, Motown ringleader Berry Gordy assembled every single notable production team member and songwriter in his arsenal to contribute to the solo debut of the J5s boy wonder, Michael. By the time Got to Be There was released, much had changed in the Jackson dynamic, none the least Michaels voice. But this album launched three chart singles: a cover of the bubblegum classic "Rockin Robin," Leon Wares "I Wanna Be Where You Are," and the title track. As a cohesive album, Got to Be There is wildly erratic, and his covers of "Youve Got a Friend" and "Aint No Sunshine" show Jacksons versatility as a singer. It was a world away from the politically charged sound of Marvin Gayes Whats Going On and the introspection that would later grace some of the best works of Stevie Wonder. But Got to Be There kept Gordy as king of the sound of young America -- at least for a few months longer. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 35 Title: Ben Released: 1972-08-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ben (02:46) 2 Greatest Show on Earth (02:50) 3 People Make the World Go ’Round (03:16) 4 Weve Got a Good Thing Going (03:04) 5 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (03:01) 6 My Girl (03:10) 7 What Goes Around Comes Around (03:34) 8 In Our Small Way (03:40) 9 Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (03:22) 10 You Can Cry on My Shoulder (02:39) |
| Ben : Allmusic album Review : Although having just entered his teens, pop prodigy Michael Jacksons star was still very much on the ascent, circa his second full-length release, Ben (1972). This LP should not be confused with the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack from the Phil Karlson-directed "thriller" of the same name, and while blessed with an undeniable visual presence, Jackson was otherwise not involved in the creature feature. Like much of the Motown empire at the time, the title tracks multimedia exposure, coupled with strong crossover appeal, insured that "Ben" scored the artist his first Pop Singles chart-topper. Yet one interesting shift was the lack of participation from the Motown hitmaking machine known collectively as "the Corporation". While the aggregate had dominated most of the Jackson Fives early recordings and contributed their fair share to Jacksons debut, Got to Be There (1971), besides the title track, the only other cut to bear their unmistakable smooth production style is the practically perfunctory midtempo "Weve Got a Good Thing Going." The catchy "Greatest Show on Earth" has a cinematic quality that stands out thanks to an excellent arrangement from James Anthony Carmichael -- one of several he scored for the project. While not a cover in the traditional sense, "People Make the World Go Round" was actually released within a few weeks of the Stylistics more familiar hit. Although the reading heard here is equally impassioned, the emotive impact could arguably be greater thanks to the optimism infused with innocence in Jacksons vocals. "Everybodys Somebodys Fool" owes greatly to the Heartbeats doo wop version, as opposed to Jimmy Scotts earlier classic. Jackson is obviously quite familiar with the formers phrasing while adding an age-defying maturity of his own. Returning back to his Hitsville roots, "My Girl" is updated with a funkier rhythm. The vocalist responds in kind with his own soulful lead that soars over the freshly syncopated chorus. The score includes some call-and-response interaction similar to what he and his brothers had displayed on the Jackson Fives selections "Nobody" and "The Love You Save," among countless others. "What Goes Around Comes Around" is one of Bens better deep cuts with the vibrant melody perfectly matched to the artists youthful voice. Of lesser note is the hopelessly dated "message" in the filler track "In Our Small Way." Luckily, a pair of winners conclude the effort with the propulsive and funky "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Da Day" -- which was co-written by Stevie Wonder -- and the Berry Gordy-penned midtempo "You Can Cry on My Shoulder." Ben -- along with rest of Michael Jacksons recordings for Motown, can be found as part of the excellent and thoroughly annotative three-disc Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection (2009). | ||
 | Album: 3 of 35 Title: Music & Me Released: 1973-04-13 Tracks: 14 Duration: 45:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 2 Johnny Raven (03:34) 3 Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (03:22) 4 Happy (Love Theme From “Lady Sings the Blues”) (03:25) 5 Too Young (03:36) 6 Up Again (02:49) 7 With a Child’s Heart (03:32) 8 Ain’t No Sunshine (04:12) 9 Euphoria (02:50) 10 Morning Glow (03:35) 11 Music and Me (02:38) 12 All the Things You Are, Are Mine (02:58) 13 Cinderella Stay Awhile (03:11) 14 We’ve Got Forever (03:13) |
| Music & Me : Allmusic album Review : The extraordinary talents of Michael Jackson are evident on this compilation set featuring his first-ever charted single "Got to Be There." Though he was a juvenile at the time, his sound was far from it -- Jackson soars with control and conviction. There could not have been a more appropriate song to showcase Jacksons vocal ability. Jackson injects a calmness even as he steps into his high notes. The Billboard R&B and pop charts received the single at number four. The teeny-boppin single "Rockin Robin" presents him in a playful, anxious mode. It showed at number two on both charts. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" displays him in a constant, urgent rhythm -- an early taste of what was to come from the worlds greatest entertainer. It fared at number two and 15 on the Billboard R&B and pop charts, respectively. Much could be said of every selection but that would be redundant, because the child prodigy shines on all. The remarkable aspect of this compilation is that Jackson was very much an adolescent housing a sound so intriguing and refreshing. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 35 Title: Forever, Michael Released: 1975 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We’re Almost There (03:46) 2 Take Me Back (03:26) 3 One Day in Your Life (04:16) 4 Cinderella Stay Awhile (03:11) 5 We’ve Got Forever (03:13) 6 Just a Little Bit of You (03:13) 7 You Are There (03:23) 8 Dapper-Dan (03:12) 9 Dear Michael (02:37) 10 I’ll Come Home to You (03:05) |
| Forever, Michael : Allmusic album Review : Michael Jacksons fourth and final new studio album for Motown came nearly two years after its predecessor, Music and Me. It was a more mature effort for the 16-year-old singer but lacked the contemporary dance style that had given Jackson and his brothers a career rebirth with "Dancing Machine" the year before. The album did spawn two minor chart singles, "Were Almost There" and "Just a Little Bit of You" (both produced by Brian Holland of the Holland-Dozier-Holland production team), and a third track, "One Day in Your Life," would chart as a reissue six years later. But though Jackson sang appealingly, the arrangements were noticeably similar to many older Motown charts, and there was little here to hint that, four years hence, on his next solo album, Off the Wall, Jackson would emerge as a major star. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 35 Title: Off the Wall Released: 1979-08-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (06:05) 2 Rock With You (03:40) 3 Workin’ Day and Night (05:13) 4 Get on the Floor (04:39) 5 Off the Wall (04:06) 6 Girlfriend (03:04) 7 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 8 I Can’t Help It (04:29) 9 It’s the Falling in Love (03:48) 10 Burn This Disco Out (03:41) |
| Off the Wall : Allmusic album Review : Michael Jackson had recorded solo prior to the release of Off the Wall in 1979, but this was his breakthrough, the album that established him as an artist of astonishing talent and a bright star in his own right. This was a visionary album, a record that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable, but not the primary focus -- it was part of a colorful tapestry of lush ballads and strings, smooth soul and pop, soft rock, and alluring funk. Its roots hearken back to the Jacksons huge mid-70s hit "Dancing Machine," but this is an enormously fresh record, one that remains vibrant and giddily exciting years after its release. This is certainly due to Jacksons emergence as a blindingly gifted vocalist, equally skilled with overwrought ballads as "Shes Out of My Life" as driving dancefloor shakers as "Working Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor," where his asides are as gripping as his delivery on the verses. Its also due to the brilliant songwriting, an intoxicating blend of strong melodies, rhythmic hooks, and indelible construction. Most of all, its success is due to the sound constructed by Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, a dazzling array of disco beats, funk guitars, clean mainstream pop, and unashamed (and therefore affecting) schmaltz that is utterly thrilling in its utter joy. This is highly professional, highly crafted music, and its details are evident, but the overall effect is nothing but pure pleasure. Jackson and Jones expanded this approach on the blockbuster Thriller, often with equally stunning results, but they never bettered it. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 35 Title: The Best of Michael Jackson Released: 1980-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Got to Be There (03:25) 2 Ben (02:46) 3 With a Child’s Heart (03:34) 4 Happy (love theme from Lady Sings the Blues) (03:23) 5 One Day in Your Life (04:17) 6 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 7 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 8 We’re Almost There (03:43) 9 Morning Glow (03:35) 10 Music and Me (02:38) |
 | Album: 7 of 35 Title: One Day in Your Life Released: 1981 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 One Day in Your Life (04:16) 2 Don’t Say Goodbye Again (03:24) 3 Youre My Best Friend, My Love (03:25) 4 Take Me Back (03:26) 5 We’ve Got Forever (03:13) 6 It’s Too Late to Change the Time (03:58) 7 You Are There (03:23) 8 Dear Michael (02:37) 9 I’ll Come Home to You (03:05) 10 Make Tonight All Mine (03:18) |
| One Day in Your Life : Allmusic album Review : Although Michael Jackson had long since moved on to Epic, Motown got a quick cash boost in the early 80s by issuing some tracks cut in 1975. The title song even came close to making the R&B; Top 40 and reached the middle of the pop charts. Jackson was so hot at that point that anything with his name on it would sell something. But its hardly first-class material, and it truly paled beside the material that Quincy Jones was producing at that point. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 35 Title: Thriller Released: 1982-12-01 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:12:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (06:03) 2 Baby Be Mine (04:20) 3 The Girl Is Mine (03:42) 4 Thriller (05:57) 5 Beat It (04:18) 6 Billie Jean (04:54) 7 Human Nature (04:06) 8 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (03:59) 9 The Lady in My Life (04:58) 10 Quincy Jones Interview, Part I (02:18) 11 Someone in the Dark (04:48) 12 Quincy Jones Interview, Part II (02:04) 13 Billie Jean (home demo from 1981) (02:20) 14 Quincy Jones Interview, Part III (03:10) 15 Rod Temperton Interview, Part I (04:02) 16 Quincy Jones Interview, Part IV (01:32) 17 Voice Over Session From “Thriller” (02:52) 18 Rod Temperton Interview, Part II (01:56) 19 Quincy Jones Interview, Part V (02:01) 20 Carousel (01:49) 21 Quincy Jones Interview, Part VI (01:17) |
| Thriller : Allmusic album Review : Off the Wall was a massive success, spawning four Top Ten hits (two of them number ones), but nothing could have prepared Michael Jackson for Thriller. Nobody could have prepared anybody for the success of Thriller, since the magnitude of its success was simply unimaginable -- an album that sold 40 million copies in its initial chart run, with seven of its nine tracks reaching the Top Ten (for the record, the terrific "Baby Be Mine" and the pretty good ballad "The Lady in My Life" are not like the others). This was a record that had something for everybody, building on the basic blueprint of Off the Wall by adding harder funk, hard rock, softer ballads, and smoother soul -- expanding the approach to have something for every audience. That alone would have given the album a good shot at a huge audience, but it also arrived precisely when MTV was reaching its ascendancy, and Jackson helped the network by being not just its first superstar, but first black star as much as the network helped him. This all would have made it a success (and its success, in turn, served as a new standard for success), but it stayed on the charts, turning out singles, for nearly two years because it was really, really good. True, it wasnt as tight as Off the Wall -- and the ridiculous, late-night house-of-horrors title track is the prime culprit, arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its momentum -- but those one or two cuts dont detract from a phenomenal set of music. Its calculated, to be sure, but the chutzpah of those calculations (before this, nobody would even have thought to bring in metal virtuoso Eddie Van Halen to play on a disco cut) is outdone by their success. This is where a song as gentle and lovely as "Human Nature" coexists comfortably with the tough, scared "Beat It," the sweet schmaltz of the Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine," and the frizzy funk of "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." And, although this is an undeniably fun record, the paranoia is already creeping in, manifesting itself in the records two best songs: "Billie Jean," where a woman claims Michael is the father of her child, and the delirious "Wanna Be Startin Something," the freshest funk on the album, but the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded. These give the record its anchor and are part of the reason why the record is more than just a phenomenon. The other reason, of course, is that much of this is just simply great music. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 35 Title: 14 Greatest Hits With the Jackson 5 Released: 1983 Tracks: 14 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ben (?) 2 Rockin Robin (?) 3 Never Can Say Goodbye (?) 4 Dancing Machine (?) 5 Were Almost There (?) 6 Just a Little Bit of You (?) 7 One Day in Your Life (?) 8 Got to Be There (?) 9 Ill Be There (?) 10 ABC (?) 11 The Love You Save (?) 12 Oh How Happy (?) 13 I Wanna Be Where You Are (?) 14 I Want You Back (?) |
 | Album: 10 of 35 Title: Great Songs and Performances That Inspired the Motown 25th Anniversary Television Special Released: 1983 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Want You Back (02:58) 2 The Love You Save (03:04) 3 I’ll Be There (03:57) 4 A B C (02:58) 5 Rockin Robin (02:33) 6 Maybe Tomorrow (04:41) 7 Got to Be There (03:24) 8 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:58) 9 Ben (02:46) 10 Dancing Machine (03:17) |
 | Album: 11 of 35 Title: Farewell My Summer Love Released: 1984-05-15 Tracks: 9 Duration: 31:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Let It Get You Down (03:03) 2 You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me (03:30) 3 Melodie (03:24) 4 Touch the One You Love (02:47) 5 Girl You’re So Together (03:11) 6 Farewell My Summer Love (04:23) 7 Call on Me (03:39) 8 Here I Am (Come and Take Me) (02:56) 9 To Make My Father Proud (04:04) |
| Farewell My Summer Love : Allmusic album Review : Once more, Motown pulled a marketing ploy with Michael Jackson material they had in the vault. This time, they remixed it and convinced some people it was a new track. Its a testament to Jacksons appeal at the time that the song actually cracked both the R&B; and Pop Top 40, although it didnt get out of the high thirties on either side. This was another incident in Motowns long history that does not rank as one of their better moments. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 35 Title: Anthology Released: 1986 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:47:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Got to Be There (03:24) 2 Maria (You Were the Only One) (03:42) 3 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 4 Ain’t No Sunshine (04:12) 5 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 6 Girl Don’t Take Your Love From Me (03:50) 7 Ben (02:46) 8 People Make the World Go ’Round (03:16) 9 Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (03:22) 10 Weve Got a Good Thing Going (03:04) 11 When I Come of Age (02:39) 12 I Want You Back (02:58) 13 Whos Lovin You (04:22) 14 Darling Dear (02:38) 15 Never Can Say Goodbye (03:00) 16 Maybe Tomorrow (04:29) 1 With a Child’s Heart (03:32) 2 Happy (Love Theme From “Lady Sings the Blues”) (03:25) 3 Morning Glow (03:38) 4 Music and Me (02:38) 5 We’re Almost There (03:46) 6 Just a Little Bit of You (03:13) 7 Dear Michael (02:37) 8 I’ll Come Home to You (03:05) 9 If N I Was God (03:05) 10 Whos Looking for a Lover (02:51) 11 One Day in Your Life (04:16) 12 Youre My Best Friend, My Love (03:25) 13 It’s Too Late to Change the Time (03:58) 14 Call on Me (03:39) 15 Melodie (03:23) 16 Farewell My Summer Love (03:43) |
| Anthology : Allmusic album Review : When a teenage Michael Jackson was known primarily for his membership in the Jackson 5, rock critics tended to dismiss him as bubblegum. But even at his most waifish, the pre-Thriller, pre-Quincy Jones Jackson could be soulful. Spanning 1971-1975, this two-CD set shows how inviting some of Jacksons early solo recordings were. Major hits like "Ben" (his oddly poignant ode to a rat), "I Wanna Be Where You Are," and "Got to Be There" are included, along with noteworthy album tracks like Bill Withers "Aint No Sunshine" and the standard "All the Things You Are." Anyone who doubted that he was a serious R&B/pop singer should have examined Jacksons moving version of the Philly soul classic "People Make the World Go Round" (which is heard with different lyrics than on the Stylistics much better-known version). The package also contains a handful of Jackson 5 hits, including "Never Can Say Goodbye" and the infectious "Dancing Machine." To be sure, Jacksons solo albums of the early to mid-70s had their share of filler, something this package isnt devoid of either. But thankfully, Anthology has a lot more pluses than minuses. For an introductory overview of Jacksons early accomplishments on his own, Anthology is the most logical choice. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 35 Title: Got to Be There / Ben Released: 1986-07 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:03:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ain’t No Sunshine (04:12) 2 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 3 Girl Don’t Take Your Love From Me (03:50) 4 In Our Small Way (03:40) 5 Got to Be There (03:24) 6 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 7 Wings of My Love (03:24) 8 Maria (You Were the Only One) (03:42) 9 Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone (02:53) 10 You’ve Got a Friend (04:52) 11 Ben (02:46) 12 Greatest Show on Earth (02:50) 13 People Make the World Go Round (03:16) 14 Weve Got a Good Thing Going (03:04) 15 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (03:01) 16 My Girl (03:10) 17 What Goes Around Comes Around (03:34) 18 Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day (03:22) 19 You Can Cry on My Shoulder (02:39) |
 | Album: 14 of 35 Title: The Michael Jackson Mix Released: 1987 Tracks: 4 Duration: 1:25:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love Mix 1 (23:06) 2 Love Mix 2 (20:14) 1 Dance Mix 1 (21:11) 2 Dance Mix 2 (21:01) |
 | Album: 15 of 35 Title: Bad Released: 1987-08-25 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:11:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bad (04:07) 2 The Way You Make Me Feel (04:58) 3 Speed Demon (04:01) 4 Liberian Girl (03:52) 5 Just Good Friends (04:07) 6 Another Part of Me (03:54) 7 Man in the Mirror (05:19) 8 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (04:12) 9 Dirty Diana (04:41) 10 Smooth Criminal (04:17) 11 Leave Me Alone (04:40) 12 [interview] (04:03) 13 Streetwalker (05:49) 14 [interview] (02:53) 15 Todo mi amor eres tu (I Just Can’t Stop Loving You) (04:05) 16 [interview] (02:30) 17 [introduction to Fly Away] (00:08) 18 Fly Away (03:26) |
| Bad : Allmusic album Review : The downside to a success like Thriller is that its nearly impossible to follow, but Michael Jackson approached Bad much the same way he approached Thriller -- take the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward. This meant that he moved deeper into hard rock, deeper into schmaltzy adult contemporary, deeper into hard dance -- essentially taking each portion of Thriller to an extreme, while increasing the quotient of immaculate studiocraft. He wound up with a sleeker, slicker Thriller, which isnt a bad thing, but its not a rousing success, either. For one thing, the material just isnt as good. Look at the singles: only three can stand alongside album tracks from its predecessor ("Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "I Just Cant Stop Loving You"), another is simply OK ("Smooth Criminal"), with the other two showcasing Jackson at his worst (the saccharine "Man in the Mirror," the misogynistic "Dirty Diana"). Then, there are the album tracks themselves, something that virtually didnt exist on Thriller but bog down Bad not just because theyre bad, but because they reveal that Jacksons state of the art is not hip. And they constitute a near-fatal dead spot on the record -- songs three through six, from "Speed Demon" to "Another Part of Me," a sequence thats utterly faceless, lacking memorable hooks and melodies, even when Stevie Wonder steps in for "Just Good Friends," relying on nothing but studiocraft. Part of the joy of Off the Wall and Thriller was that craft was enhanced with tremendous songs, performances, and fresh, vivacious beats. For this dreadful stretch, everything is mechanical, and while the album rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and panache, it still makes Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends it. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 35 Title: The Motown Years...His Greatest Hits Released: 1988 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:06:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Want You Back (02:59) 2 The Love You Save (03:03) 3 ABC (02:58) 4 Ill Be There (03:57) 5 I Found That Girl (03:08) 6 Mamas Pearl (03:03) 7 Sugar Daddy (02:31) 8 Maybe Tomorrow (04:40) 9 Never Can Say Goodbye (02:58) 10 Farewell My Summer Love (04:21) 11 Ben (03:45) 12 Little Bitty Pretty One (02:45) 13 Lookin Through the Windows (03:36) 14 Corner of the Sky (03:30) 15 Love Is Here and Now Youre Gone (02:51) 16 I Am Love (07:27) 17 Get It Together (02:47) 18 I Was Made to Love Her (03:20) 19 Lonely Teardrops (02:41) |
 | Album: 17 of 35 Title: The Original Soul of Michael Jackson Released: 1988 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Twenty-Five Miles (03:30) 2 Dancing Machine (03:52) 3 It’s Too Late to Change the Time (03:49) 4 Melodie (03:19) 5 Ain’t No Sunshine (03:08) 6 Doggin’ Around (02:23) 7 Got to Be There (03:24) 8 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 9 If I Don’t Love You This Way (03:28) 10 You’ve Got a Friend (04:38) 11 Forever Came Today (05:53) |
 | Album: 18 of 35 Title: 18 Greatest Hits Released: 1988 Tracks: 18 Duration: 59:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One Day in Your Life (04:16) 2 Lookin’ Through the Windows (03:33) 3 Got to Be There (03:24) 4 Doctor My Eyes (03:12) 5 Ben (02:46) 6 A B C (02:58) 7 We’re Almost There (03:46) 8 Skywriter (03:10) 9 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 10 Happy (Love Theme From “Lady Sings the Blues”) (03:25) 11 Ain’t No Sunshine (03:53) 12 I’ll Be There (03:57) 13 I Want You Back (02:58) 14 The Love You Save (03:04) 15 Weve Got a Good Thing Going (03:04) 16 Mama’s Pearl (03:12) 17 Never Can Say Goodbye (03:00) 18 Hallelujah Day (02:47) |
 | Album: 19 of 35 Title: Instrumental Version Collection Released: 1988-11-21 Tracks: 7 Duration: 35:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Billie Jean (instrumental version) (06:19) 2 Thriller (05:57) 3 Bad (dub version) (04:06) 4 The Way You Make Me Feel (dub version) (05:07) 5 Man in the Mirror (05:06) 6 Dirty Diana (04:42) 7 Another Part of Me (03:48) |
 | Album: 20 of 35 Title: Dangerous Released: 1991-11-25 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jam (05:39) 2 Why You Wanna Trip on Me (05:24) 3 In the Closet (06:32) 4 She Drives Me Wild (03:41) 5 Remember the Time (04:00) 6 Can’t Let Her Get Away (05:00) 7 Heal the World (06:25) 1 Black or White (04:16) 2 Who Is It (06:35) 3 Give In to Me (05:29) 4 Will You Be There (07:39) 5 Keep the Faith (05:57) 6 Gone Too Soon (03:22) 7 Dangerous (06:59) |
| Dangerous : Allmusic album Review : Despite the success of Bad, it was hard not to view it as a bit of a letdown, since it presented a cleaner, colder, calculated version of Thriller -- something that delivered what it should on the surface, but wound up offering less in the long run. So, it was time for a change-up, something even a superstar as huge as Michael Jackson realized, so he left Quincy Jones behind, hired Guy mastermind Teddy Riley as the main producer, and worked with a variety of other producers, arrangers, and writers, most notably Bruce Swedien and Bill Bottrell. The end result of this is a much sharper, harder, riskier album than Bad, one that has its eyes on the street, even if its heart gets middle-class soft on "Heal the World." The shift in direction and change of collaborators has liberated Jackson, and hes written a set of songs that is considerably stronger than Bad, often approaching the consistency of Off the Wall and Thriller. If it is hardly as effervescent or joyous as either of those records, chalk it up to his suffocating stardom, which results in a set of songs without much real emotional center, either in their substance or performance. But, theres a lot to be said for professional craftsmanship at its peak, and Dangerous has plenty of that, not just on such fine singles as "In the Closet," "Remember the Time," or the blistering "Jam," but on album tracks like "Why You Wanna Trip on Me." No, its not perfect -- it has a terrible cover, a couple of slow spots, and suffers from CD-era ailments of the early 90s, such as its overly long running time and its deadening Q Sound production, which sounds like somebody forgot to take the Surround Sound button off. Even so, Dangerous captures Jackson at a near-peak, delivering an album that would have ruled the pop charts surely and smoothly if it had arrived just a year earlier. But it didnt -- it arrived along with grunge, which changed the rules of the game nearly as much as Thriller itself. Consequently, its the rare multi-platinum, number one album that qualifies as a nearly forgotten, underappreciated record. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 35 Title: Tour Souvenir Pack Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Off the Wall (04:06) 2 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 3 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (03:59) 1 Thriller (04:38) 2 Beat It (04:18) 3 Billie Jean (04:53) 1 Bad (04:08) 2 Dirty Diana (04:42) 3 Smooth Criminal (04:10) 1 Dangerous (07:00) 2 Remember the Time (04:00) 3 Black or White (03:23) |
 | Album: 22 of 35 Title: Motowns Greatest Hits Released: 1992-02-17 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:07:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Want You Back (Pwl remix) (04:08) 2 Doctor My Eyes (03:12) 3 One Day in Your Life (04:11) 4 Lookin’ Through the Windows (03:38) 5 Got to Be There (03:24) 6 I’ll Be There (03:57) 7 The Love You Save (03:04) 8 A B C (02:58) 9 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 10 Happy (Love Theme From “Lady Sings the Blues”) (03:25) 11 Ben (02:46) 12 Never Can Say Goodbye (03:00) 13 Farewell My Summer Love (03:42) 14 I Want You Back (02:58) 15 Mama’s Pearl (03:12) 16 Ain’t No Sunshine (03:53) 17 Girl Youre So Together (03:13) 18 Hallelujah Day (02:47) 19 Skywriter (03:10) 20 We’re Almost There (03:43) |
 | Album: 23 of 35 Title: Motown Legends Released: 1993-11-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 2 Got to Be There (03:24) 3 Maria (You Were the Only One) (03:42) 4 Youve Got a Friend (04:56) 5 Girl Don’t Take Your Love From Me (03:50) 6 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 7 Dont Let It Get You Down (03:00) 8 Weve Got Forever (03:14) 9 My Girl (03:10) 10 Cinderella Stay Awhile (03:11) 11 I Like You the Way You Are (Dont Change Your Love) (02:57) |
 | Album: 24 of 35 Title: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Released: 1995-05-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:11:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Billie Jean (04:54) 2 The Way You Make Me Feel (04:58) 3 Black or White (04:16) 4 Rock With You (03:40) 5 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 6 Bad (04:07) 7 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (04:12) 8 Man in the Mirror (05:19) 9 Thriller (05:57) 10 Beat It (04:18) 11 The Girl Is Mine (03:42) 12 Remember the Time (04:00) 13 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (06:05) 14 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (06:03) 15 Heal the World (06:25) |
| HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I : Allmusic album Review : Michael Jacksons double-disc HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I is a monumental achievement of ego. Titled "HIStory Begins," the first disc is a collection of his post-Motown hits, featuring some of the greatest music in pop history, including "Billie Jean," "Dont Stop Til You Get Enough," "Beat It," and "Rock with You." It leaves some hits out -- including the number ones "Say Say Say" and "Dirty Diana" -- yet its filled with enough prime material to be thoroughly intoxicating. That cant be said for the second disc, called "HIStory Continues" and consisting entirely of new material -- which also happens to be the first material he released since being accused of child molestation. "HIStory Continues" is easily the most personal album Jackson has recorded. References to the scandal permeate almost every song, creating a thick atmosphere of paranoia. If Jacksons music had been the equal of Thriller or Bad, the nervous, vindictive lyrics wouldnt have been quite as overbearing. However, "HIStory Continues" reiterates musical ideas Jackson had been exploring since Bad. Jackson certainly tries to stay contemporary, yet he has a tendency to smooth out all of his rougher musical edges with show-biz schmaltz. Occasionally, Jackson produces some well-crafted pop that ranks with his best material: R. Kellys "You Are Not Alone" is seductive, "Scream" improves on the slamming beats of his earlier single "Jam," and "Stranger in Moscow" is one of his most haunting ballads. Nevertheless, "HIStory Continues" stands as his weakest album since the mid-70s. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 35 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Michael Jackson Released: 2000-11-21 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Got to Be There (03:24) 2 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 3 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 4 People Make the World Go ’Round (03:16) 5 With a Childs Heart (03:35) 6 Happy (Love Theme From "Lady Sings the Blues") (03:28) 7 Ben (02:46) 8 Were Almost There (03:46) 9 Just a Little Bit of You (03:14) 10 One Day in Your Life (04:19) 11 Music and Me (02:38) |
 | Album: 26 of 35 Title: Classic Michael Jackson: The Universal Masters Collection Released: 2001 Tracks: 15 Duration: 48:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One Day in Your Life (04:16) 2 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 3 People Make the World Go Round (03:14) 4 Happy (03:22) 5 With a Childs Heart (03:28) 6 Music and Me (02:36) 7 Got to Be There (03:24) 8 Ben (02:46) 9 Were Almost There (03:43) 10 Just a Little Bit of You (03:11) 11 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:58) 12 In Our Small Way (03:39) 13 My Girl (03:10) 14 Dapper-Dan (03:10) 15 Weve Got a Good Thing Going (03:04) |
 | Album: 27 of 35 Title: Invincible Released: 2001-10-29 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Unbreakable (06:26) 2 Heartbreaker (05:10) 3 Invincible (04:46) 4 Break of Dawn (05:32) 5 Heaven Can Wait (04:50) 6 You Rock My World (05:39) 7 Butterflies (04:40) 8 Speechless (03:19) 9 2000 Watts (04:25) 10 You Are My Life (04:34) 11 Privacy (05:05) 12 Don’t Walk Away (04:25) 13 Cry (05:01) 14 The Lost Children (04:00) 15 Whatever Happens (04:56) 16 Threatened (04:19) |
| Invincible : Allmusic album Review : Lets get the clichéd bad joke out of the way to begin with: at the time Michael Jackson released Invincible in the fall of 2001, he hardly seemed "invincible" -- it was more wishful thinking than anything else, since he hadnt really had a genuine hit in ten years, and even that paled in comparison to his total domination of the 80s. That lack of commercial success, combined with a fading reputation as a trailblazer, a truly ugly public scandal, and swirling rumors about his diminishing finances, along with a huge wait between albums (by teaming his Dangerous follow-up with a hits collection, it wound up being overlooked, despite a gaudy publicity push), resulted in Jackson being deep down in the hole, needing to surge back out with a record that not only proved his talents, but his staying power. So, faced with a make-or-break record, what did Jackson do to save his career? What he did since Dangerous, take a turn toward the street and craft a hard-driving, hard-polished urban soul album, heavy on the dance numbers and sweetened by lugubrious ballads. Its a proven formula for commercial success, but it not only didnt push his music forward, it made his reach seem rather timid when compared to the wildly rich, all-encompassing musical vision of Thriller and Bad. Here, hes reined in by a desire to prove himself, so he keeps his focus sharp and narrow, essentially creating a sparkly, post-hip-hop update of Off the Wall. Its not as good as that sounds, because the infectious joy and layered craft of that masterpiece have been replaced with a dogged, near-maniacal desire to craft something hip enough for the clubs and melodic enough for mainstream radio, thereby confirming his self-proclaimed status as the King of Pop (a really terrible title, btw). Since he was exceptionally talented and smart enough to surround himself with first-rate collaborators, this does pay off on occasion, even when it feels a little too calculated or when it feels a little padded. Ultimately, the record runs too long, losing steam halfway through, as it turns to a series of rants about "Privacy" or a deadly stretch of uncomfortably treacly, sub-"Man in the Mirror" songs about "The Lost Children," or when he says that he cant change the world by himself on "Cry." Fortunately, Jackson was clever enough to front-load this record, loading the first seven songs with really good, edgy dance numbers -- even the opening "Unbreakable" isnt sunk by the creepy resurrection of Biggie Smalls -- and lovely ballads, highlighted by "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" with its Bacharach-styled horns. Even if these are too self-conscious and a little mechanical (which they are), they still have a spark and sound better than anything Jackson had done since Dangerous. Thats not enough to make Invincible the comeback Jackson needed -- he really would have had to have an album that sounded free instead of constrained for that to work -- but it does offer a reminder that he could really craft good pop. If only he had been fueled, not constrained, by his obsessions, this could have been really interesting. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 35 Title: Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume 1 Released: 2001-11-12 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:11:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Billie Jean (04:54) 2 The Way You Make Me Feel (04:58) 3 Black or White (04:16) 4 Rock With You (03:40) 5 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 6 Bad (04:07) 7 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (04:12) 8 Man in the Mirror (05:19) 9 Thriller (05:57) 10 Beat It (04:18) 11 The Girl Is Mine (03:42) 12 Remember the Time (04:00) 13 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (06:05) 14 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (06:03) 15 Heal the World (06:25) |
 | Album: 29 of 35 Title: Love Songs Released: 2002-01-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Who’s Lovin’ You (04:01) 2 A Fool for You (04:34) 3 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (03:01) 4 Got to Be There (03:24) 5 We’re Almost There (03:46) 6 Weve Got a Good Thing Going (03:04) 7 Maybe Tomorrow (03:29) 8 Call on Me (03:23) 9 You Are There (03:23) 10 One Day in Your Life (04:16) 11 If I Don’t Love You This Way (03:28) 12 Wings of My Love (03:24) 13 I’ll Come Home to You (03:05) 14 Ill Be There (04:05) |
 | Album: 30 of 35 Title: Number Ones Released: 2003-11-17 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:19:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (03:56) 2 Rock With You (03:40) 3 Billie Jean (04:54) 4 Beat It (04:18) 5 Thriller (05:12) 6 Human Nature (04:06) 7 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (04:12) 8 Bad (04:07) 9 The Way You Make Me Feel (04:58) 10 Dirty Diana (04:41) 11 Smooth Criminal (04:17) 12 Black or White (03:21) 13 You Are Not Alone (04:34) 14 Earth Song (05:01) 15 Blood on the Dance Floor (04:13) 16 You Rock My World (04:26) 17 Break of Dawn (05:32) 18 One More Chance (03:49) |
| Number Ones : Allmusic album Review : Since Michael Jackson botched his first hits collection by pairing it with a new album of material in a double-disc set, making it considerably less attractive for those legions of listeners who want just a single disc of hits, its both inevitable and welcome that he attempted another compilation a few years later. This second collection, Number Ones, was released in the wake of the 2000 blockbuster Beatles 1, which rewrote the rules of modern-day hits collections from major artists, since it not only contained a generous, representative cross section of hits, it had a specific focus and did gangbuster business. An avalanche of similar-minded compilations by other titans followed, notably Elvis 30 #1 Hits and the Rolling Stones Forty Licks, and MJs Number Ones is part of that wave. For some artists, sticking to number one hits isnt a bad way to make a collection -- the Beatles are a perfect example, actually, since even if 1 didnt contain such seminal items as "Strawberry Fields Forever," it still offered a full, representative portrait of their career. Jackson doesnt fare so well by the number one rule. First of all, he doesnt strictly follow the number one rule, leaving behind the number one hit duet "Say Say Say" with Paul McCartney, substituting a 1981 live version of "Ben" for the original hit, adding "Break of Dawn," an Invincible album cut never released as a single, and including "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," and "Earth Song," none of which hit number one, and the latter wasnt even released as a single in the U.S. (there is, of course, the requisite previously unreleased song, the OK slow jam "One More Chance"). Then, theres the fact that Thriller changed the business, inaugurating the era of the blockbuster album that rode the charts for years, spinning off hit singles every quarter. Thriller generated tons of hits -- six of its nine tracks hit the charts, but only two of them hit number one. Its successor, Bad, had seven of its 11 songs hit the charts (one other, the CD bonus cut "Leave Me Alone," was a staple on MTV), and of those, five peaked at number one. So, by sticking to number ones, and adding "Smooth Criminal," this collection skews very heavily toward Bad, at times playing like an expanded reissue with bonus tracks. This may be a fairly accurate reading of chart positions, but it doesnt result in a particularly representative collection, since the brilliant Off the Wall is granted only two songs, leaving behind such charting hits as "Off the Wall" and "Shes Out of My Life" (both gold singles, mind you), and Thriller is represented by only three tracks, with such defining songs as "Wanna Be Startin Somethin," "Human Nature," "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)," and "The Girl Is Mine" being left behind. These two albums are the core of Jacksons legacy, and it simply feels wrong that Number Ones gives them short shrift. Dangerous also is neglected, providing just one selection, when on the whole it had far more memorable songs than HIStory or Invincible. But these problems are inherent with any collection that concentrates just on the charts, not the music that got the songs on the charts in the first place. And while Number Ones contains enough of the big songs to recommend it for those listeners who are looking just for a cross section of the biggest hits from Jacksons career, it is also true that the perfect Michael Jackson hits collection has yet to be assembled. Maybe next time, particularly if hes granted an entry into Sonys generally excellent The Essentials series. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 35 Title: The Jacksons Story Released: 2004 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:13:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want You Back (02:58) 2 A B C (02:58) 3 The Love You Save (03:04) 4 I’ll Be There (03:57) 5 Mamas Pearl (03:10) 6 Never Can Say Goodbye (03:00) 7 Got to Be There (03:24) 8 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 9 Ben (02:46) 10 Dancing Machine (02:37) 11 Lets Get Serious (03:36) 12 Enjoy Yourself (03:24) 13 Show You the Way to Go (05:29) 14 Blame It on the Boogie (03:32) 15 Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) (03:45) 16 Lovely One (03:45) 17 This Place Hotel (04:50) 18 Can You Feel It (03:52) 19 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (06:05) 20 Billie Jean (04:54) |
| The Jacksons Story : Allmusic album Review : For the first time on a single-disc compilation, Hip Os The Jacksons Story combines both the groups Motown and Epic singles along with solo hits by Michael and Jermaine. Spanning 1969-1983, the program begins with early-70s J5 chart-toppers like "I Want You Back," "Ill Be There," and "ABC," then delves into Michaels initial solo records of the same era: "Ben," "Rockin Robin," and "Got to Be There." By 1976, the Jacksons had severed their long relationship with Motown and switched to Epic, reflected here by seven noteworthy tunes, including "Enjoy Yourself" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)." When the group changed record companies, Jermaine, who was married to the daughter of Motown honcho Berry Gordy, remained and was rewarded with his first solo hit in 1980s "Lets Get Serious." The disc wraps up with two songs that represent the beginning of Michaels solo career in earnest with 1979s "Dont Stop Til You Get Enough" and the massive hit "Billie Jean," released four years later. Though its not as comprehensive as 1995s 21-track Ultimate Collection, The Jacksons Story holds together well and still offers a decent selection of the bands career highlights. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 35 Title: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2004-11-16 Tracks: 57 Duration: 4:22:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want You Back (02:58) 2 A B C (02:58) 3 I’ll Be There (03:58) 4 Got to Be There (03:24) 5 I Wanna Be Where You Are (02:59) 6 Ben (02:46) 7 Dancing Machine (02:37) 8 Enjoy Yourself (03:40) 9 Ease On Down the Road (03:19) 10 You Can’t Win (07:18) 11 Shake a Body (early demo) (02:08) 12 Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) (03:45) 13 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (06:05) 14 Rock With You (03:40) 15 Off the Wall (04:06) 16 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 17 Sunset Driver (demo) (04:03) 18 Lovely One (04:52) 19 This Place Hotel (05:44) 1 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (06:03) 2 The Girl Is Mine (03:42) 3 Thriller (05:57) 4 Beat It (04:18) 5 Billie Jean (04:54) 6 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (demo) (03:47) 7 Someone in the Dark (04:55) 8 State of Shock (04:30) 9 Scared of the Moon (demo) (04:42) 10 We Are the World (demo) (05:20) 11 We Are Here to Change the World (02:53) 1 Bad (04:07) 2 The Way You Make Me Feel (04:58) 3 Man in the Mirror (05:19) 4 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (04:12) 5 Dirty Diana (04:41) 6 Smooth Criminal (04:17) 7 Cheater (demo) (05:09) 8 Dangerous (early version) (06:40) 9 Monkey Business (05:45) 10 Jam (05:39) 11 Remember the Time (04:00) 12 Black or White (04:16) 13 Who Is It (IHS mix) (07:57) 14 Someone Put Your Hand Out (05:25) 1 You Are Not Alone (extended version) (06:02) 2 Stranger in Moscow (05:44) 3 Childhood (04:28) 4 On the Line (04:53) 5 Blood on the Dance Floor (04:13) 6 Fall Again (demo) (04:23) 7 In the Back (04:31) 8 Unbreakable (06:26) 9 You Rock My World (05:08) 10 Butterflies (04:40) 11 Beautiful Girl (demo) (04:04) 12 The Way You Love Me (04:30) 13 We’ve Had Enough (05:45) |
 | Album: 33 of 35 Title: The Essential Michael Jackson Released: 2005-07-05 Tracks: 45 Duration: 3:10:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want You Back (02:58) 2 A B C (02:58) 3 The Love You Save (03:04) 4 Got to Be There (03:24) 5 Rockin’ Robin (02:33) 6 Ben (02:46) 7 Enjoy Yourself (03:21) 8 Blame It on the Boogie (03:32) 9 Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) (03:45) 10 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (05:51) 11 Rock With You (03:23) 12 Off the Wall (03:46) 13 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 14 Can You Feel It (03:50) 15 The Girl Is Mine (03:42) 16 Billie Jean (04:54) 17 Beat It (04:18) 18 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (04:20) 19 Human Nature (03:45) 20 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (03:59) 21 Thriller (05:12) 1 Bad (04:07) 2 I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (04:12) 3 Leave Me Alone (04:40) 4 The Way You Make Me Feel (04:26) 5 Man in the Mirror (05:19) 6 Dirty Diana (04:41) 7 Another Part of Me (03:46) 8 Smooth Criminal (04:17) 9 Black or White (03:21) 10 Heal the World (06:25) 11 Remember the Time (04:00) 12 In the Closet (04:48) 13 Who Is It (03:59) 14 Will You Be There (03:40) 15 Dangerous (06:59) 16 You Are Not Alone (04:56) 17 You Rock My World (05:08) 1 Can’t Get Outta the Rain (04:06) 2 Say, Say, Say (03:56) 3 Jam (05:39) 4 They Don’t Care About Us (04:44) 5 Blood on the Dance Floor (04:13) 6 Stranger in Moscow (05:44) 7 Butterflies (04:40) |
| The Essential Michael Jackson : Allmusic album Review : There are several Michael Jackson greatest-hits compilations out there, each one its own take on what should be the definitive portrait of the gloved ones career. The Ultimate Collection, The Essential Collection (different from the one here), and Number Ones have all surfaced in 2003 and 2004, and HIStory a few years prior. Each one of these collections, while commendable in its attempt to thoroughly document Jacksons accomplishments, has fallen woefully short in one aspect or another. This has finally been rectified with this installment of Sonys outstanding Essential collection. Starting with his campaign with his brothers in the Jackson 5, this two-disc set tours through every important single and every important fan favorite short of including his duet with Paul McCartney on "Say Say Say" (the Beatle does, however, make an appearance here on "The Girl Is Mine"). From Off the Wall to Dangerous, its all here in one concise package, making it the ideal reference point from which exploration into his deeper catalog can begin. While die-hard fans will already have every single song contained herein and may be weary to purchase another greatest-hits compilation short of a greatest-hits compilation including his backing vocals on Rockwells "Somebodys Watching Me," this may be the only one fans and casual listeners will ever have to purchase to get their fill of the King of Pops magic. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 35 Title: Michael Released: 2010-12-13 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hold My Hand (03:33) 2 Hollywood Tonight (04:31) 3 Keep Your Head Up (04:51) 4 (I Like) The Way You Love Me (04:34) 5 Monster (05:06) 6 Best of Joy (03:03) 7 Breaking News (04:14) 8 (I Can’t Make It) Another Day (03:55) 9 Behind the Mask (05:02) 10 Much Too Soon (02:48) |
| Michael : Allmusic album Review : As the first excavation of Michael Jackson’s vaults, Michael carries the weight of expectation it cannot possibly bear to support. After Jackson split with Quincy Jones following 1987’s Bad, he had a revolving door on his studio, letting in all major producers for a track or three, sometimes selecting these songs for a finished album, sometimes not. Michael rounds up ten of these leftovers, relying heavily on cuts he was tinkering with in the years after Invincible, but apart from cameos by Akon and 50 Cent, there’s precious little here that sounds modern. Perhaps it’s the heavy presence of Teddy Riley, but much of this recalls the cacophonic clutter of Dangerous, heavy on rhythms but not melody, so desperate for relevance that every overdub is overworked. Tellingly, the exceptions to the rule are the oldest tunes here -- “Behind the Mask” and “Much Too Soon,” both dating back to Thriller, and “(I Like) The Way You Love Me,” an outtake first aired on the 2004 box The Ultimate Collection and reworked somewhat extensively here. Much of this has likely been tweaked extensively to prep it for release, but it’s impossible to discern exactly what overdubs were added after Jackson’s death, particularly because this so heavily recalls his last decade of released records, right down to the recurring theme of MJ’s persecution, which sounds quite bizarre in the wake of his passing. That and Akon’s self-aggrandizing salvo to the opening “Hold My Hand” are the only ghoulish touches here: Michael is often tacky but considering how garish Jackson’s taste could be, it winds up seeming almost respectful. At the very least, the album doesn’t tarnish his legacy, although it adds nothing to it either. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 35 Title: XSCAPE Released: 2014-05-09 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love Never Felt So Good (03:54) 2 Chicago (04:05) 3 Loving You (03:15) 4 A Place With No Name (05:35) 5 Slave to the Rhythm (04:15) 6 Do You Know Where Your Children Are (04:36) 7 Blue Gangsta (04:14) 8 Xscape (04:05) 9 Love Never Felt So Good (original version) (03:19) 10 Chicago (original version) (04:43) 11 Loving You (original version) (03:02) 12 A Place With No Name (original version) (04:55) 13 Slave to the Rhythm (original version) (04:35) 14 Do You Know Where Your Children Are (original version) (04:39) 15 Blue Gangsta (original version) (04:16) 16 Xscape (original version) (05:44) 17 Love Never Felt So Good (04:05) |
| XSCAPE : Allmusic album Review : Underneath it all, underneath all the keyboards and programmed rhythms designed to bring the music on Xscape into the 21st century, is this simple fact: the lead single, "Love Never Felt So Good," was co-written by Paul Anka, a superstar of another era who never quite made his presence known in the new millennium. Jackson didnt care. MJ loved old show biz and songcraft in equal measure and that love can be heard on "Love Never Felt So Good," along with the other seven songs on XSCAPE. Only the second major posthumous release in his catalog -- he passed in 2009 on the eve of an orchestrated comeback -- Xscape delves deep into that past, excavating songs that have been languishing in the vaults for various reasons since at least 1983 or perhaps later. Exact dates arent published because Xscape isnt meant to be an archival release, its designed to push Jackson back onto the charts, which means "Love Never Felt So Good" is constructed as a duet with Justin Timberlake, who is as eager as a puppy to sing with his idol. That hes not really trading lines with MJ doesnt matter; his presence is endorsement, ensuring chart attention which it might not have received. The deluxe edition of Xscape contains the original demos of the eight songs on this album -- its a short record by any measure -- and, ultimately, these are fascinating in a way the finished tracks arent; these spare voice and keyboard sketches are nevertheless full-bodied, so its possible to imagine how the songs wouldve fit on Bad, Dangerous, or Invincible. Often, the demos reveal how strong Jacksons songwriting is -- theyre so flexible, they could withstand any number of arrangements, which is why "Love Never Felt So Good" is so instructive. In its original voice-and-piano arrangement its possible to hear its glitzy show biz roots via Anka, but the production -- supervised by L.A. Reid and Timbaland -- is clever, accentuating Off the Wall while being spare and clean enough to sound modern. This is especially true of the version of "Love," which is a duet with Justin Timberlake -- the show biz kid is happy to create an illusion -- but the entire affair is savvier than 2010s Michael, which was caught between the twilight of sentiment and commerce. Xscape considers Jacksons legacy quite carefully, deciding to emphasize the splashy soul and diluted disco of Off the Wall over the triumphant Thriller or any of the calculated records that followed in its wake. If he had lived, Jackson likely wouldnt have followed this path -- everything from Bad and beyond showed he was acutely aware of pop trends, often to his detriment (hed hold himself back instead of engage) -- but thats also the appeal of Xscape. Timbaland and Reid evoke the Michael Jackson we all love and miss, finding songs that are worthy and giving them arrangements that are simultaneously nostalgic and modern. Its a difficult trick to pull off but they largely succeed, so Xscape is a worthy and memorable coda to Jacksons career. | ||