Got to Be There was the solo debut album by then-adolescent Michael Jackson, released on Motown Records, January 24, 1972. It includes the song of the same name, which was released in the fall of 1971 as Jackson's debut solo single.
Album information
Motown released Jackson's solo album around the same time that another famous brother from a famous family was doing the same: Donny Osmond, who was hitting with songs like "Sweet & Innocent" and "Puppy Love". Jackson's and Osmond's debut efforts almost paralleled each other, as Jackson scored a hit with the title track and "Rockin' Robin", which like Osmond's "Puppy Love", was a remake of an old '50s rock song. The album also included covers of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and Carole King's "You've Got a Friend".
Reception
The album peaked at number fourteen on the US pop albums chart and number three on the US R&B album chart when it was released.
Rolling Stone (12/7/72, p.68) - "..slick, artful and every bit as good as the regular Jackson 5 product...a sweetly touching voice...innocence and utter professionalism...fascinating and finally irresistible.."
Track listing
1. "Ain't No Sunshine" (Withers) (originally performed by Bill Withers) – 4:09
2. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" (Ware/Ross) – 3:01
3. "Girl Don't Take Your Love From Me" (Hutch) – 3:46
4. "In Our Small Way" (Verdi/Yarian) – 3:34
5. "Got to Be There" (Willensky) – 3:23
6. "Rockin' Robin" (Thomas) (originally performed by Bobby Day) – 2:31
7. "Wings of My Love" (Corporation) – 3:32
8. "Maria (You Were the Only One)" (Brown/Glover/Gordy/Story) – 3:41
9. "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) (originally performed by The Supremes) – 2:51
10. "You've Got a Friend" (King) (originally performed by Carole King) – 4:53
Released January 24, 1972
Recorded 1971
Genre R&B, soul, pop/rock
Length 35:11
Label Motown
Producer Hal Davis, Willie Hutch
2- Ben (1972)
Ben was the second full-length solo album by American singer Michael Jackson, released in August 1972, seven months after his debut Got to Be There. The title track "Ben" was a million-seller hit single and Jackson's first US #1.
Track listing
1. "Ben" (Black/Scharf) – 2:44
2. "The Greatest Show on Earth" (Larson/Marcellino) – 2:48
3. "People Make the World Go Round" (Bell/Creed) (as originally performed by The Stylistics) – 3:15
4. "We've Got a Good Thing Going" (The Corporation) – 2:59
5. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (Adams/Hampton) (as originally performed by The Heartbeats) – 2:59
6. "My Girl" (Robinson/White) (as originally performed by The Temptations) – 3:08
7. "What Goes Around Comes Around" (Levinsky/Stokes/Meyers/Weatherspoon) – 3:33
8. "In Our Small Way" (Verdi/Yarian) – 3:39
9. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" (Cosby/Moy/Wonder) (as originally performed by Stevie Wonder) – 3:21
10. "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" (as originally performed by Brenda Holloway) (Gordy) – 2:39
Released August 4, 1972
Recorded 1971–1972
Genre R&B, soul, pop/rock
Length 31:15
Label Motown
Producer Hal Davis
3- Music & Me (Michael Jackson album)
Music & Me was the third solo album by American singer Michael Jackson, released in 1973 on the Motown label.
Album information
The album was released during a difficult transition period the young singer was experiencing due to vocal changes and a changing music landscape. Having been influenced by fellow Motown label mates such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Jackson had expressed an opinion on having material he wrote to be featured on an album with Motown. However, the label failed to allow him that option.
Despite the cover of Jackson strumming an acoustic guitar, the singer did not play any instrument on the album and soon expressed his frustrations to his father, Joe Jackson, who later helped negotiate Michael and his brothers off their Motown contract in protest.
Since Jackson was on a world tour with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, promotion on this album was limited and only one song, the Stevie Wonder cover, "With a Child's Heart", was released as a single. Jackson took two years to work on a follow-up album that focused on his maturing voice which became, Forever, Michael.
Track listing
1. "With a Child's Heart" (Basemore/Cosby/Moy) (as originally performed by Stevie Wonder) – 3:29
2. "Up Again" (Perren/Yarian) – 2:50
3. "All the Things You Are" (Hammerstein/Kern) – 2:59
4. "Happy" (A Theme from Lady Sings the Blues) (Legrand/Robinson) – 3:25
5. "Too Young" (Lippman/Dee) – 3:38
6. "Doggin' Around" (Agree) (as originally performed by Jackie Wilson) – 2:52
7. "Johnny Raven" (Page) – 3:33
8. "Euphoria" (Ware/Hilliard) – 2:50
9. "Morning Glow" (Schwartz) – 3:37
10. "Music and Me" (Cannon/Fenceton/Larson/Marcellino) – 2:38
Released April 13, 1973
Recorded 1971-1973
Genre R&B, soul, pop/rock[1]
Length 31:51
Label Motown
Producer Hal Davis
4- Forever, Michael (1975)
Forever Michael is an album by American singer Michael Jackson, released by the Motown label in 1975.
Album information
The album was Jackson's fourth as a solo artist and would end up being his final album released with Motown before he and his brothers (The Jackson 5) left for CBS Records a year later. This album displayed a change in musical style for the eighteen-year-old, who adopted a smoother soul sound that would be a catalyst for later solo records on Epic.
Most of the tracks were recorded in 1974, and the album was originally set to be released that year. However, because of demand from the Jackson 5's huge hit "Dancing Machine", production on Jackson's album was delayed until the hype from that song died down.
The album helped return Jackson to the top 40 with the Holland brothers' (Eddie and Brian) "Just a Little Bit of You". In 1981, Jackson's "One Day in Your Life" was released as part of the compilation album One Day in Your Life to benefit from Jackson's Epic success. The title track went to number one in the UK, becoming the 6th best-selling single of 1981 in the UK.
Track listing
1. "We're Almost There" (Holland/Holland) – 3:42
2. "Take Me Back" (Holland/Holland) – 3:24
3. "One Day in Your Life" (Armand/Brown) – 4:15
4. "Cinderella Stay Awhile" (Sutton) – 3:08
5. "We've Got Forever" (Willensky) – 3:10
6. "Just a Little Bit of You" (Holland/Holland) – 3:10
7. "You Are There" (Brown/Meitzenheimer/Yarian) – 3:21
8. "Dapper Dan" (freestyle) – 3:11
9. "Dear Michael" (Davis/Willensky) – 2:35
10. "I'll Come Home to You" (Perren/Yarian) – 3:02
Released January 16, 1975
Recorded 1974
Genre R&B, soul, pop/rock[1]
Length 33:08
Label Motown
Producer Edward Holland, Jr., Brian Holland, Hal Davis
5- Off the Wall (1979)
Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by pop musician Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records. The album follows Jackson's critically well received theatrical performance in The Wiz. While working on the film project, Jackson and Quincy Jones became friends. Jones agreed to work with Jackson on his next studio album Off the Wall. Recording sessions took place between December 1978 and June 1979 at Allen Zentz Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California. Jackson collaborated with a number of other writers and performers such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Rod Temperton. Jackson wrote several of the songs himself, including the lead single, "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".
The record was a departure from Jackson's previous work for Motown. Several critics observed that Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads. Jackson received positive reviews for his vocal performance on the record. The record gained positive reviews and won the singer his first Grammy Awards since the early 1970s. With Off the Wall, Jackson became the first artist to have four singles peak inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album was a commercial success, to date it is certified for 7× Multi-Platinum in the US and has sold 20 million copies worldwide.
On October 16, 2001, a special edition reissue of Off the Wall was released by Sony Records. Recent reviews by Allmusic and Blender have continued to praise Off the Wall for its appeal in the 21st century. In 2003, the album was ranked number 68 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The National Association of Recording Merchandisers listed it at number 80 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. In 2008, Off the Wall was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Background
Starting in 1972, Michael Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben. These were released as part of The Jackson 5 franchise, and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben" and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The Jackson 5's sales, however, began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input.[3] Although the group scored several top 40 hits, including the top five disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", The Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.[3] The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, first joining the Philadelphia International Records division and then Epic Records.[3] As a result of legal proceedings, the group was renamed The Jacksons.[4] After the name change, the band continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984. From 1976 to 1984, Jackson was the lead songwriter of the group, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It".[5]
In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz.[6] The musical scores were arranged by Quincy Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce the singer's solo album Off the Wall.[7] Jackson was dedicated to the role, and watched videotapes of gazelles, cheetahs and panthers in order to learn graceful movements for his part.[8] Jones recalled working with Jackson as one of his favorite experiences from The Wiz, and spoke of Jackson's dedication to his role, comparing his acting style to Sammy Davis, Jr.[8] Critics panned The Wiz upon its October 1978 release.[9][10] Jackson's performance as the Scarecrow was one of the only positively reviewed elements of the film, with critics noting that Jackson possessed "genuine acting talent" and "provided the only genuinely memorable moments."[11][12] Of the results of the film, Jackson stated: "I don't think it could have been any better, I really don't".[13] In 1980, Jackson stated that his time working on The Wiz was "my greatest experience so far...I'll never forget that".[12]
In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty surgery was not a complete success, and Jackson complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and other subsequent operations.[14]
Production
When Jackson began the Off the Wall project he was not sure what he wanted as the final result. However he did not want another record that sounded like The Jacksons. He wanted more creative freedom, something he had not been allowed on prior albums.[15] Jones and Jackson jointly produced Off the Wall, whose songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.[16] All sessions took place at Los Angeles County-based recording studios. Rhythm tracks and vocals were recorded at Allen Zentz Recording, the horn section's contributions took place at Westlake Audio, and string instrumentation was recorded at Cherokee Studios in West Hollywood. Following the initial sessions, audio mixing was handled by Grammy-winning engineer Bruce Swedien at Westlake Audio, after which the original tapes went to the A&M Recording Studio, also located in L.A., for mastering.[17] Swedien would later mix the recording sessions for Jackson's next album and his most well-known work, 1982's Thriller.[17] Jones recalled that, at first, he found Jackson to be very introverted, shy and non-assertive.[18]
"She's out of My Life" was written by Jones three years prior, Jackson heard and enjoyed it, Jones allowed him to use it on the record.[16] Jones called in Rod Temperton to write three songs. The intention was for Jackson and Jones to select one of his song's, but Jackson, liking them all, included all of them in the final cut.[16] Jackson stayed up all night to learn the lyrics to these song's instead of singing from a sheet. He finished the vocals to these three Temperton song's in two recording sections.[16] Temperton took a different approach to his song writing after spending some time researching the background to Jackson's music style. Temperton mixed his traditional harmony segments with the idea of adding shorter note melodies to suit Jackson's aggressive style.[16] Jackson wrote "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" after humming a melody in his kitchen.[19] After listening to hundreds of songs, Jackson and Jones decided upon a batch to record.[19] In hindsight, Jones believed they took a lot of risks in the production of Off the Wall and the final choice of album tracks.[16]
Attention was also paid to the album cover, which shows Jackson smiling, wearing a tuxedo and trademark socks. His manager stated, "The tuxedo was the overall plan for the Off the Wall project and package. The tuxedo was our idea, the socks were Michael'".[20]
Music and vocals
Music critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Stephen Holden observed that Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads.[21][22] Prominent examples include the ballad "She's out of My Life", and the two disco tunes "Workin' Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor".[21] "I Can't Help It" is a jazz piece.[20] "She's out of My Life" and "It's the Falling in Love" are melodic pop ballads.[19] The end of the former song showed an "emotional" Jackson crying as the track concluded.[20] Of the song R&B writer Nelson George proclaimed, "[It] became a Jackson signature similar to the way "My Life" served Frank Sinatra. The vulnerability, verging on fragility that would become embedded in Michael's persona found, perhaps, it's richest expression in this wistful ballad".[7] "Rock With You" is a romantic, mid-tempo song.[19]
With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[21] At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbered tenor is extraordinary beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[23] John Randall Taraborrelli expressed the opinion that Jackson sing's with "sexy falsetto" vocals in "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".[19]
Critical reception
Off the Wall was hailed as a major breakthrough for Jackson, while receiving critical recognition, along with praises, from major music publications. In a 1979 review of the album, Rolling Stone magazine contributor Stephen Holden praised Jackson's maturity and transition from his early Motown material, while calling the album a "slick, sophisticated R&B-pop showcase with a definite disco slant". Holden went on to compare Jackson to Stevie Wonder, another Motown performer who began recording at a young age and gained critical acclaim for his transition.[22]
Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a positive (A−) grade believing that Off the Wall was "the dance groove of the year" and the album presented Jackson as a grown up.[24] In a review for Melody Maker Phil McNeill expressed the opinion that in Off the Wall Jackson sounded comfortable, confident and in control. He believed "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" had a "classy" introduction and that it was the best song on the album. He also praised "Rock With You", describing it as "masterful". The reviewer concurred with a college that Jackson was "probably the best singer in the world right now in terms of style and technique".[2]
In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[25] That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").[25] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[26][25] In particular, Jackson was angry that he had won only a single Grammy Award at the 1980 Grammys, a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough".[27] Jackson stated that "It was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year and it can never happen again".[28]
Release, singles and commercial reception
Writer, journalist and biographer John Randall Taraborrelli stated, "Fans and industry peers alike were left with their months agape when Off the Wall was issued to the public. Fans proclaimed that they hadn't heard him sing with such joy and abandon since the early Jackson 5 days".[20]
On July 28, 1979, Off the Wall's first single, "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", was released. It peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK.[29][25] On November 3, 1979 the second single from the album, "Rock with You" was released, again it peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.[30] In February, the album's title track was released as a single and went to number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a top 10 hit in four countries.[31] "She's out of My Life", reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April.[32] Thus Off the Wall became the first album to generate four US top 10 hits.[25]
Today, Off the Wall is certified 7× Multi-Platinum in the US for shipments of seven million units and sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[33][34][35] The album's success lead to the start of a 9-year partnership between Jackson and Jones, their next collaboration would be Thriller, which is the worlds best selling album.[36]
Contemporary appeal
“ …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. ”
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic, [21]
On October 16, 2001, a special edition reissue of Off the Wall was released by Sony Records.[21] The material found strong praise from critics more than 20 years after the original release. Allmusic gave the record a five star review, praising the record's disco-tinged funk and mainstream pop blend, along with Jackson's songwriting and Jones' crafty production.[21] The publication believed, "[Off the Wall] is an enormously fresh record, one that remains vibrant and giddily exciting years after its release".[21]
In recent years Blender gave the record a full five star review stating that it was, "A blockbuster party LP that looked beyond funk to the future of dance music, and beyond soul ballads to the future of heart-tuggers—in fact, beyond R&B to color-blind pop. Hence, the forgivable Wings cover".[37]
In 2003, the album was ranked number 68 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[38] The National Association of Recording Merchandisers listed it at number 80 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time.[39] In 2004, Nelson George wrote of Jackson and his music, "the argument for his greatness in the recording studio begins with his arrangements of "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough". The layers of percussion and the stacks of backing vocals, both artfully choreographed to create drama and ecstasy on the dance floor, still rock parties in the 21st century".[7] In 2008, Off the Wall was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[40]
Sales
Country Certification Shipments/Sales
Australia 4× Platinum [41] 280,000 [41]
Brazil Gold [42] 60,000 [42]
Canada Platinum [43] 100,000 [43]
France 2× Platinum [44] 400,000 [44]
UK Platinum [45] 300,000 [45]
USA 7× Multi-Platinum [34] 7,000,000 [34]
Worldwide — 20,000,000 [33]
Track listing
1. "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" (Michael Jackson) – 6:05
2. "Rock with You" (Rod Temperton) – 3:40
3. "Workin' Day and Night" (Jackson) – 5:14
4. "Get on the Floor" (Jackson, Louis Johnson) – 4:39
5. "Off the Wall" (Temperton) – 4:06
6. "Girlfriend" (Paul McCartney) – 3:05
7. "She's out of My Life" (Tom Bahler) – 3:38
8. "I Can't Help It" (Susaye Greene, Stevie Wonder) – 4:28
9. "It's the Falling in Love" (David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager) – 3:48
10. "Burn This Disco Out" (Temperton) – 3:40
2001 Special Edition
1. Quincy Jones Interview 1 - 0:37
2. Introduction to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" demo - 0:13
3. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (Original Demo from 1978) - 4:48
4. Quincy Jones Interview 2 - 0:30
5. Introduction to "Workin' Day and Night" demo - 0:10
6. "Workin' Day and Night" (Original Demo from 1978) - 4:19
7. Quincy Jones Interview 3 - 0:48
8. Rod Temperton Interview - 4:57
9. Quincy Jones Interview - 1:32
Personnel
* Michael Boddicker – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
* Larry Carlton – guitar
* George Duke – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
* David Foster – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
* Gary Grant – trumpet, flügelhorn
* Marlo Henderson – guitar
* Jerry Hey – trumpet, flügelhorn
* Kim Hutchcroft – saxophone, flute, trumpet, flügelhorn
* Michael Jackson – lead vocals, background vocals, producer
* Louis Johnson – bass guitar
* Quincy Jones – producer
* Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
* Steve Porcaro – keyboards, synthesizers, programming
* William Reichenbach – trombone
* John Robinson – drums
* Bruce Swedien – recording engineer
* Phil Upchurch – guitar
* Bobby Watson – bass guitar
* Wah Wah Watson – guitar
* David Williams – guitar
* Larry Williams – saxophone, flute
Horn and string arrangements by Jerry Hey and performed by The Seawind Horns, Ben Wright, Johnny Mandel.
Released August 10, 1979
Recorded December 4, 1978 – June 3, 1979
Allen Zentz Recording
Westlake Audio
Cherokee Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre R&B, club/dance, disco, dance-pop, funk, urban, pop/rock[1]
Length 42:16 (Original LP)
60:17 (Special edition)
Label Epic
EK-35745
Producer Michael Jackson
Quincy Jones
6- Thriller (1982)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson and the best-selling album of all time. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall, including funk, disco, soul, soft rock, R&B and pop. However, Thriller's lyrics deal with generally darker themes, including paranoia and the supernatural.
With a production budget of $750,000, recording sessions took place between April and November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Assisted by producer Quincy Jones, Jackson wrote four of Thriller's nine tracks. Following the release of the album's first single "The Girl Is Mine", some observers assumed Thriller would only be a minor hit record. With the release of the second single "Billie Jean", the album topped the charts in many countries. At its peak, the album was selling a million copies a week worldwide. In just over a year, Thriller became—and currently remains—the best-selling album of all time. Sales are estimated to be between 100–109 million copies sold worldwide. Seven of the album's nine songs were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammys. Despite numerous five-star reviews, Thriller was not universally praised.
Thriller cemented Jackson's status as one of the predominant pop stars of the late 20th century, and enabled him to break down racial barriers via his appearances on MTV and meetings with President Ronald Reagan at the White House. The album was one of the first to use music videos as successful promotional tools—the videos for Thriller, "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" all received regular rotation on MTV. In 2001, a special edition issue of the album was released, which contains additional audio interviews, a demo recording and the song "Someone In the Dark", which was a Grammy-winning track from the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook.[9] In 2008, the album was reissued again as Thriller 25, containing re-mixes that feature contemporary artists, a previously unreleased song and a DVD.
Thriller ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003, and was listed by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in their Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Thriller was preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry, as it was deemed "culturally significant."
Released November 30, 1982
Recorded April 14 – November 8, 1982
Westlake Recording Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre R&B, dance, dance-pop, urban, pop/rock, funk[1]
Length 42:19
Label Epic
EK-38112
Producer Michael Jackson
Background
Jackson's previous album Off the Wall (1979) was a critical success and received generally favorable reviews.[10][11] It was also a commercial success, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide.[12] The years between Off the Wall and Thriller were a transitional period for the singer, a time of increasing independence and struggles with his family. When Jackson turned 21 in August 1979, he fired his father Joseph Jackson as his manager and replaced him with John Branca.[13] Jackson confided in Branca that he wanted to be "the biggest star in show business" and "the wealthiest". The singer was upset about what he perceived to be the under-performance of Off the Wall, stating, "It was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year and it can never happen again."[14] He also felt undervalued by the music industry; in 1980 when Jackson asked the publicist of Rolling Stone if they would be interested in doing a cover story on him, the publicist declined, to which Jackson responded, "I've been told over and over that black people on the cover of magazines doesn't sell copies ... Just wait. Someday those magazines are going to be begging me for an interview. Maybe I'll give them one. And maybe I won't."[14]
In 1973, Jackson's father began a secret affair with a woman 20 years younger than him; the couple had a child in secret. In 1980, Joseph Jackson told his family of the affair and child. Jackson, already angry with his father over his childhood abuse, felt so betrayed that he fell out with Joseph Jackson for many years.[15] The period saw the singer become deeply unhappy; Jackson explained, "Even at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room sometimes and cry. It's so hard to make friends ... I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming home."[16]
Recording
Jackson reunited with Off the Wall producer Quincy Jones to record his sixth studio album. The pair worked together on 300 songs, nine of which were eventually included.[17] Thriller was recorded between April and November of 1982, with a production budget of $750,000. Several members of the band Toto were also involved in the album's recording and production.[17] Jackson wrote four songs for the record: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney), "Beat It" and "Billie Jean".[18] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write these songs on paper. Instead, he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[19][20]
The relationship between Jackson and Jones became strained during the album's recording. Jackson spent much of his time rehearsing dance steps alone.[20] When the album's nine songs were completed, both Jones and Jackson were unhappy with the result and remixed every song, spending a week on each.[20] Jones believed that "Billie Jean" was not strong enough to be included on the record, but Jackson disagreed and kept it. Jones told Jackson that Thriller would be unlikely to sell successfully like Off the Wall had, because the market had since weakened. In response, Jackson threatened to cancel the album's release.[17]
In one interview, Jackson said that he was inspired to create an album where "every song was a killer" and focused the basis of Thriller as to ask, "Why can't every one be like a hit song?".[21] Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton gave detailed accounts of what occurred for the 2001 reissue of the album. Jones discussed "Billie Jean" and why it was so personal to Jackson, who struggled to deal with a number of obsessed fans. Jones wanted the long introduction on the song to be shortened; however, Jackson insisted it remain because it made him want to dance.[18] Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes and spent weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It", a song Jackson wrote and played drums on. Eventually, they found Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van Halen.[18][20]
When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he originally wanted to call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man" but settled on "Thriller" because he felt the name had merchandising potential.[20] Always wanting a notable person to recite the closing lyrics, Temperton brought in actor Vincent Price, who completed his part in just two takes. Temperton wrote the spoken portion in a taxi on the way to the recording studio. Jones and Temperton said that some recordings were left off the final cut because they did not have the "edginess" of other album tracks.[18]
Music
"Thriller"
Play sound
Excerpt of the album's title track, and one of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984. Jackson utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger in his work.[22]
"Human Nature"
Play sound
"Human Nature", a top ten hit single in the US. It is the most notable ballad on the album, praised for its moody, introspective lyrics and sound.
"Billie Jean"
Play sound
"Billie Jean", a number one hit single in many countries. The song was written and co-produced by Jackson. The track mixed uptempo funk and disco with the somber themes of paranoia and obsession.
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According to Steve Huey of Allmusic, Thriller refined the strengths of Jackson's previous album Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[23] Notable tracks include the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature", and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[23][6][1][5] "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was written a few years prior to 1982 and has a similar sound to the material on Off The Wall. The song is accompanied by a bass and percussion background and the song's centerpiece, a climaxing Swahili chant, gave the song an international flavor.[24] "The Girl Is Mine" tells of two friends' fight over a woman, arguing over who loves her more and concludes with a spoken rap.[24][20]
Despite the light pop flavour of these two records, Thriller, more so than Off the Wall, displayed foreshadowings of the contradictory thematic elements that would come to characterize Jackson's later work.[25] With Thriller, Jackson would begin his association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[5] This is evident on the songs "Billie Jean", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Thriller".[1] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers; in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossips and the media.[23][5] In the former song, Jones had Jackson sing vocal overdubs through a six-foot-long cardboard tube, and brought in jazz saxophonist Tom Scott to play a rare instrument, the lyricon, a wind-controlled analog synthesizer. Bassist Louis Johnson ran through his part on a Yamaha bass guitar. The song opens with a long bass-and-drums introduction.[26] In the song "Thriller", sound effects such as creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard.[20]
The anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece.[23][27] Jackson later said of "Beat It", "the point is no one has to be the tough guy, you can walk away from a fight and still be a man. You don't have to die to prove you're a man".[24] "Human Nature" is moody and introspective, as conveyed in lyrics such as, "Looking out, across the morning, the City's heart begins to beat, reaching out, I touch her shoulder, I'm dreaming of the street".[24]
By the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[10] Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbered tenor is extraordinary beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[11] With the release of Thriller, Jackson could sing low—down to a basso low C—but he preferred to sing higher because pop tenors have more range to create style.[28] Rolling Stone were of the opinion that Jackson was now singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[5] "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", credited to James Ingram and Quincy Jones, and "Lady in My Life" by Rod Temperton, both gave the album a stronger R&B direction; the latter song was described as "the closest Jackson has come to crooning a sexy, soulful ballad after his Motown years" by Taraborrelli.[24] The singer had already adopted a "vocal hiccup" which he continued to implement in Thriller. The purpose of the hiccup—somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping—is to help promote a certain emotion; be it excitement, sadness or fear.[29]
Release and reception
Thriller was released on November 30, 1982, and sold one million copies worldwide per week at its peak.[28] Seven singles were released from the album, including "The Girl Is Mine"—which was seen as a poor choice for the lead release and led some to believe that the album would be a disappointment, and to suggestions that Jackson was bowing to a white audience.[24] "The Girl Is Mine" was followed by the hit single "Billie Jean", which made Thriller a chart-topper.[30][31] Success continued with the single "Beat It", which featured guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather.[32] The title track "Thriller" was released as a single and also became a hit internationally.[24]
Thriller was mostly well received by critics. A four-star Rolling Stone review by Christopher Connelly described it as "a zesty LP" with a "harrowing, dark message". Despite the positive response, the title track came under strong criticism. Rolling Stone expressed a negative sentiment, criticising its "degenerat[ion] into silly camp". The magazine expressed confusion at the use of Vincent Price over Count Floyd for the track's concluding rap.[5] The New York Times gave a positive review of the album, and dedicated a large amount of its coverage to the song "Human Nature". They described it as the most "striking" song on the record, and wrote, "this is a haunting, brooding ballad by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis with an irresistible chorus and it should be an enormous hit". Concluding their review The New York Times added; "there are other hits here, too, lots of them. Best of all, with a pervasive confidence infusing the album as a whole, Thriller suggests that Mr. Jackson's evolution as an artist is far from finished".[8]
Robert Christgau published a positive (A−) graded overview of the album a few days before its release. He acknowledged that there were "fillers" on the record but still labeled it "almost classic". He expressed the opinion that "Beat It" was the album's best track, calling it "the triumph and the thriller", but criticized "The Girl Is Mine" as "Michael's worst idea since 'Ben'". He was of the opinion that the collaboration did not work well, but still praised it for "getting interracial love on the radio".[2] A year after the album's release, Time summed up the three main singles from the album, saying, "The pulse of America and much of the rest of the world moves irregularly, beating in time to the tough strut of "Billie Jean", the asphalt aria of "Beat It", the supremely cool chills of "Thriller".[28] Conversely, in a Melody Maker review, Paolo Hewitt stated "[t]his is not a good LP"; in his opinion there were only "two songs worthy of mention". "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was praised as an "exciting", "uptempo electro-funk song", as was "Billie Jean". Hewitt's stance was that as a whole, the album could only be described as "bland", particularly the closing tracks. He summed up: "Jackson seems to have lost his talent for turning gross into gold".[3]
The album won Jackson a record-breaking seven Grammy Awards in 1984, including Album of the Year. The eighth Grammy went to Bruce Swedien.[33][34] That same year, Jackson won eight American Music Awards, the Special Award of Merit and three MTV Video Music Awards.[35] Thriller was recognized as the world's best-selling album on February 7, 1984, when it was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records.[36] It is one of only three albums to remain in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for a full year, and spent 37 weeks at number one out of the 80 consecutive weeks it was in the top ten. The album was also the first of three to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles, and was the only album to be the best-seller of two years (1983–1984) in the US. On March 6, 2009, Thriller was certified 28x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least 28 million copies in the US giving it Double Diamond Award status there.[37][38] The album topped the charts in many countries, sold 3.7 million copies in the UK,[38][39] and went 14x Platinum in Australia.[40] Still popular today, Thriller sells an estimated 130,000 copies in the US per year; it reached number two in the US Catalog charts in February 2003 and number 39 in the UK in March 2007.[35] The album is cited as having sold between 47 and 109 million copies worldwide; the Guinness Book of World Records lists Thriller as having sold 65 million copies as of 2007
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Michael Jackson, except where noted.
# Title Length
1. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" 6:02
2. "Baby Be Mine" (Rod Temperton) 4:20
3. "The Girl Is Mine" 3:42
4. "Thriller" (Temperton) 5:57
5. "Beat It" 4:19
6. "Billie Jean" 4:54
7. "Human Nature" (John Bettis, Steve Porcaro) 4:05
8. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (James Ingram, Quincy Jones) 3:58
9. "The Lady in My Life" (Temperton) 4:59
2001 Special Edition
# Title Length
10. "Interview with Quincy Jones #1" 2:18
11. "Someone in the Dark (previously unreleased)" (Bergman/Bergman/Temperton) 4:48
12. "Interview with Quincy Jones #2" 2:04
13. "Billie Jean (Demo) (previously unavailable)" (Jackson) 2:20
14. "Interview with Quincy Jones #3" 3:10
15. "Interview with Rod Temperton #1" 4:02
16. "Interview with Quincy Jones #4" 1:32
17. "Voice-Over Session from "Thriller" (previously unreleased)" (Temperton) 2:52
18. "Interview with Rod Temperton #2" 1:56
19. "Interview with Quincy Jones #5" 2:01
20. "Carousel (previously unreleased)" (Sembello/D. Freeman) 1:49
21. "Interview with Quincy Jones #6" 1:17
Thriller - Michael Jackson
7- Bad (1987)
Bad is the seventh studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records. The record was released nearly five years after his last studio album. 20 years after its release, the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, and shipped 8 million units in the United States. Bad is the first, and currently only album ever to feature five Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles.[3]
This album also saw Jackson have even more freedom over his album than he did with the two previous albums, Off the Wall and the world's best selling album of all time, Thriller, as he wrote and composed 9 of the album's 11 tracks, and co-wrote and produced another; "Man in the Mirror". This album also saw the squeaky clean pop idol turn "Bad" as he went through a surprising new image change.
The album continued its success in the late '80s and won 2 Grammys, one for Best Music Video - Short Form for Leave Me Alone and one for Best Engineered Album - Non Classical won by Bruce Swedien & Humberto Gatica.[4].Bad was also ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 listed by VH1[5]. It was ranked number 202 on the Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Recording
Jackson began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons. Recording took place between November 1986 and July 9, 1987[7] (except for "Another Part of Me" which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986). Jackson wrote a reported sixty songs for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set. Longtime producer Quincy Jones cut these down to a ten-track single LP. The CD release also contained a bonus 11th track, "Leave Me Alone".
Jackson wrote nine of the eleven tracks himself. Terry Britten (writer of Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It") and Graham Lyle wrote "Just Good Friends". Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote "Man in the Mirror". Stevie Wonder sings co-lead vocal on "Just Good Friends", and Steve Stevens contributes the guitar solo for "Dirty Diana".
However while recording the tracks for Bad, there was some debate between Jackson and Jones on which songs would be put on the album. For example, they both had a hard time deciding on either "Streetwalker" or Another Part of Me (which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986) to be put on the album. Jackson wanted "Streetwalker", wheras Jones wanted "Another Part of Me". Ultimately, it was decided by Michael's manager Frank Dileo. According to Quincy Jones from "Bad: Special Edition", there was a meeting between the three. In the meeting, Jackson played "Streetwalker" first, and Dileo was not impressed. But Dileo started to dance when "Another Part of Me" came on. This is what eventually put "Another Part of Me" onto the album.
"Bad" was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and Prince. A rivalry had developed between the two over the years, and Jackson's plan was to leak stories to the media about rising tensions between himself and Prince, culminating in the release of the song. Prince turned down the project, explaining to Jones that the song "would be a hit without (him) on it". Years later, Prince (jokingly) explained his reason for declining was over either artist singing the song's "your butt is mine" lyric.
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" was supposed to feature a famous female singer. Reportedly Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston all turned down the offer, before Jones chose R&B singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett.
[edit] Reception
By the time Jackson released this album, sales of its predecessor, Thriller, had already reached forty million, raising expectations for Bad. Bad became the first of Jackson's albums to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 where it remained for the next six consecutive weeks. The RIAA certified Bad for having sold eight million copies in the U.S. alone.[8] In the U.K, the album sold 500,000 copies in just five days and is currently certified 13x platinum, for sales of 3.9 million making it Jackson's biggest-selling album in the UK. Globally, it's Jackson's overall third best-selling recording, behind "Thriller" and "Dangerous", with 30 million copies sold.[9]
Jackson set another record with this album, becoming the first - and currently, only artist to have five songs to hit number-one from one album.[10] In July 2006, it was announced by the The Official UK Charts Company that Bad was the ninth biggest selling album in British history.[11] It turned out to be the last collaborative effort by Jackson and Jones, as Jackson moved on to write and produce more of his own records, particularly with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Rodney Jerkins.
Rolling Stone stated that "even without a milestone recording like "Billie Jean", Bad is still a better record than Thriller."[12] The magazine further went on to say that the "filler" content in Bad - including songs such as "Speed Demon", "Dirty Diana" and "Liberian Girl" - is written by Jackson himself, making Bad "richer, sexier and better than Thriller's forgettables."[12]
Despite the records success, in a poll of 23,000 US citizens, released by Rolling Stone, Jackson won "worst album" for Bad and "worst single" for "Bad". TIME gave the opinion that the singer was suffering a backlash in certain parts of the US. The publication suggested that the singer's media image was triggering the poll, not the music.[13]
In 2001, a special edition was released with three new songs and a new booklet containing lyrics and never-before-seen photos.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[14]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Michael Jackson, except where noted.
# Title Length
1. "Bad" 4:07
2. "The Way You Make Me Feel" 4:58
3. "Speed Demon" 4:03
4. "Liberian Girl" 3:53
5. "Just Good Friends" (Terry Britten, Graham Lyle, duet with Stevie Wonder) 4:08
6. "Another Part of Me" 3:54
7. "Man in the Mirror" (Glen Ballard, Siedah Garrett) 5:19
8. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (duet with Siedah Garrett) 4:13
9. "Dirty Diana" 4:40
10. "Smooth Criminal" 4:17
1988 CD issue
# Title Length
11. "Leave Me Alone" 4:38
2001 Special Edition [15]
# Title Length
12. "Interview with Quincy Jones #1" 4:03
13. "Streetwalker (previously unreleased)" 5:49
14. "Interview with Quincy Jones #2" 2:53
15. "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu (spanish version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You") (previously unavailable)" (Jackson, Rubén Blades) 4:05
16. "Interview with Quincy Jones #3" 2:30
17. "Spoken intro to "Fly Away"" 0:08
18. "Fly Away (previously unreleased)" 3:26
Re-issues of Bad feature a number of changes when compared to the original 1987 release:[16]
* "Bad" has a modified horn arrangement.
* "The Way You Make Me Feel" has richer vocalizations and background vocals.
* "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" omits Jackson's spoken intro.
* "Dirty Diana" is replaced with the 7-inch edit of the song.
* "Smooth Criminal" omits the dramatic breathing within the intro.
Singles
1. July 1987 - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" U.S. #1 / UK #1
2. September 1987 - "Bad" U.S. #1 / UK #3
3. November 1987 - "The Way You Make Me Feel" U.S. #1 / UK #3
4. January 1988 - "Man in the Mirror" U.S. #1 / UK #21
5. April 1988 - "Dirty Diana" U.S. #1 / UK #4
6. July 1988 - "Another Part of Me" U.S. #11 / UK #15
7. September 1988 - "Smooth Criminal" U.S. #7 / UK #8
8. January 1989 - "Leave Me Alone" UK #2
9. June 1989 - "Liberian Girl" UK #13[17]
Released August 31, 1987
Recorded 1985 – 1987
Genre R&B, dance-pop, urban, Pop rock[1]
Length 48:16 (Original release)
71:12 (Special Edition)
Label Epic
EK-40600
Producer Michael Jackson,
8- Dangerous (1991)
Dangerous is the eighth album by Michael Jackson, released on November 26, 1991. It became his second to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, where it spent the next four consecutive weeks. In the space of 17 years, the record has sold over 32 million copies worldwide, with 7 million shipments in the United States alone, making it a faster selling album than his previous record Bad. The album won one Grammy for Best Engineered Album - and is the most successful New Jack Swing album of all time
Project
According to the sleeve notes on the later remastered edition of the album, recording sessions began in Los Angeles, California at Ocean Way/Record One Studio 2 on June 25, 1990. The sessions ended at Larrabee North and Ocean Way Studio on October 29, 1991, being the most extensive recording project of Jackson's career at the time (over 16 months compared to the usual 6 spent for his previous three studio albums).
In March 1991, Jackson signed a 15 year, 6 album deal to Sony Music. The press reported that Sony actually handed over $1 billion to Jackson, but that was not the case. At the time, Sony estimated that if the albums Jackson released under the new contract sold at the same level they currently sold, it would generate over $1 billion in profits for them. Additionally, Jackson was awarded the highest royalty rate in the business. By the time the contract expired in March 2006, Michael would have been paid $45 million from Sony ($1 million a year, plus $5 million per album delivered). This does not include money he would have also earned from sales of albums, singles, videos etc. Under this contract, Jackson is estimated to have earned $175 million from album sales alone.
At this point, Dangerous was already in the making, under the producing talents of (Quincy Jones recommended) 22 year old New Jack Swing inventor Teddy Riley and Grammy-winner Bill Bottrell. The previous album, Bad, was Jackson's last designed for the LP industry, conforming to the usual 10-song within 50-minute format, whereas Dangerous was a 77-minute, 14-track compilation, which almost dared the capacity of early Nineties compact discs. Consequently, the record was released as a double album in vinyl.
The album was initially released in a large box with a picture of Jackson's eyes, which folded open to reveal the normal cover (painted by pop surrealist Mark Ryden), in pop-up card, with the CD and booklet in the bottom. Dangerous was greatly anticipated, as shown by an incident at the Los Angeles International Airport, where a group of armed robbers stole 30,000 copies before its official release
Music awards
American Music Awards:
* Best Pop/Rock Album, "Dangerous"
* Best Soul/R&B Single, "Remember The Time"
* Special International Artist Award for record sales and humanitarian efforts around the world
BMI Awards:
* Two of the Most Performed Songs of the Year, "Black or White" and "Remember The Time"
Grammy Awards: Living Legend Award Guinness Book Of World Records:
* 25th Silver Anniversary Entertainer of the Year Award
* Outstanding Music Video, "Black or White"
Soul Train Awards:
* Best R&B Single, "Remember The Time"
* Best R&B Album, "Dangerous"
World Music Awards:
* Best Selling American Artist
* World's Best Selling Pop Artis
Track listing
Dangerous
# Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Jam" René Moore, Bruce Swedien, Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley 5:39
2. "Why You Wanna Trip on Me" Riley, Bernard Belle 5:24
3. "In the Closet" Jackson, Riley, rap lyrics by Vashawn 6:31
4. "She Drives Me Wild" Jackson, Riley, rap lyrics by Aquil Davidson 3:41
5. "Remember the Time" Riley, Jackson, Belle 4:00
6. "Can't Let Her Get Away" Jackson, Riley 4:58
7. "Heal the World" Jackson 6:24
8. "Black or White" (feat. Slash on guitar) Jackson, rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell 4:15
9. "Who Is It" Jackson 6:34
10. "Give In to Me" (feat. Slash on guitar) Jackson, Bottrell 5:29
11. "Will You Be There" Jackson 7:40
12. "Keep the Faith" Glen Ballard, Siedah Garrett, Jackson 5:57
13. "Gone Too Soon" Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan 3:26
14. "Dangerous" Jackson, Bottrell, Riley 6:59
[edit] Singles
1. October 1991 - "Black or White" U.S. #1 / UK #1
2. January 1992 - "Remember the Time" U.S. #3 / UK #3
3. April 1992 - "In the Closet" U.S. #6 / UK #8
4. July 1992 (U.S.); September 1992 (UK) - "Jam" U.S. #26 / UK #12
5. August 1992 (Europe); February 1993 (U.S.) - "Who Is It" U.S. #14 / UK #10
6. October 1992 - "Heal the World" U.S. #27 / UK #2
7. February 1993 - "Give In to Me" UK #2 (Europe only single)
8. May 1993 - "Will You Be There" U.S. #7 / UK #8
9. November 1993 - "Gone Too Soon" UK #33 (UK only single)
Released November 26, 1991
Recorded June 25, 1990 - October 29, 1991
Genre R&B, club/dance, dance-pop, urban, Pop rock, new jack swing[1]
Length 76:58
Label Epic
EK-45400
Producer Michael Jackson
Teddy Riley
Bill Bottrell
| Michael Jackson Black Or White Live Best Performance 1991 1992 MJ |
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9- HIStory (1995) (one disc greatest hits album, one disc new studio album)
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (often abbreviated to HIStory) is a double album by Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995, and is Jackson's ninth album. The first disc, named "HIStory Begins" consists of a selection of Jackson's greatest hits from the singer's past fifteen years, while the second, named "HIStory Continues" features new songs, with the exception of "Come Together", which was recorded in 1987.
HIStory has been cited as the best-selling multiple disc album ever released, with worldwide sales of 20 million (40 million in terms of units). It is the top grossing album of Jackson's career behind Thriller. The album won one Grammy for Best Music Video - Short Form for Scream. The first disc of greatest hits was reissued in 2001 as a single disc under the name Greatest Hits: HIStory, Vol. 1.
Recording
Recording started in September 1994 and would carry through the early spring of 1995. Jackson wrote the majority of the songs attacking the press for "scandalizing" him and gave messages to fans to not "feed into the tabloids". One of the songs included "Scream", a duet between Michael and sister Janet, who had agreed to do a duet with her brother after she felt that she "had made it to the top" and she didn't fear that she'd "had to ride Michael's coattails". Other songs that attacked the tabloids included "Tabloid Junkie" and "This Time Around". The Michael and Janet duet was the first of several tunes Jackson produced with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ("2 Bad", "HIStory", "Tabloid Junkie") but not without additional help from the likes of Dallas Austin ("This Time Around"), R. Kelly (the lone ballad, "You Are Not Alone"), Charles Chaplin ("Smile") and Jackson himself ("They Don't Care About Us", "Earth Song", "Stranger in Moscow", "D.S.", "Money", "Little Susie" with Jackson-arranged variation of Maurice Duruflé's Requiem as prelude). Jackson, in fact, dominated the production of the album though not fully incorporating serious issues into his music including racism, the ecology and his own personal travails ("D.S.", in particular, was an attack on the district attorney of Jackson's case, Thomas Sneddon, in which he is heard singing in the chorus despite the lyrics reading "Dom Sheldon", possibly used to escape a lawsuit). Like on previous albums, Jackson wanted to feature guest stars. Other than his sister Janet, rapper The Notorious B.I.G. put down a rap verse in "This Time Around", soul group Boyz II Men sung background vocals on "HIStory" and basketball star and sometime rapper Shaquille O'Neal put down a verse on "2 Bad". While fourteen of the songs were new recordings, Jackson included an older recording of his cover of The Beatles' "Come Together", which he had recorded during the Bad era. The version included on the album is an early fade of the original version.
HIStory was originally to be called "Decade", which would include several previous Jackson hits and several new songs from the later part of his career. This was shelved and HIStory was eventually expanded into a two-disc set.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Michael Jackson, except where noted.
HIStory Begins (Disc 1)
# Title Writer(s) Featured artist Length
1. "Billie Jean" 4:54
2. "The Way You Make Me Feel" 4:57
3. "Black or White" Jackson; Bill Bottrell 4:15
4. "Rock with You" Rod Temperton 3:40
5. "She's out of My Life" Tom Bahler 3:38
6. "Bad" 4:07
7. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" duet with Siedah Garrett 4:12
8. "Man in the Mirror" Glen Ballard; Siedah Garrett 5:19
9. "Thriller" Temperton 5:57
10. "Beat It" 4:18
11. "The Girl is Mine" duet with Paul McCartney 3:41
12. "Remember the Time" Teddy Riley; Jackson; Bernard Belle 4:00
13. "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" 6:02
14. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" 6:02
15. "Heal the World" 6:24
HIStory Continues (Disc 2)
# Title Writer(s) Featured artist Length
1. "Scream" Harris; Lewis; Jackson; Jackson duet with Janet Jackson 4:38
2. "They Don't Care About Us" 4:44
3. "Stranger In Moscow" 5:44
4. "This Time Around" Rene Moore; Dallas Austin; Bruce Swedien; Jackson; Wallace rap by The Notorious B.I.G. 4:20
5. "Earth Song" 6:46
6. "D.S." Guitarsolo by Slash 4:49
7. "Money" 4:41
8. "Come Together" Lennon/McCartney 4:02
9. "You Are Not Alone" R. Kelly 5:45
10. "Childhood (Theme from "Free Willy 2")" 4:28
11. "Tabloid Junkie" Harris; Lewis; Jackson 4:32
12. "2 Bad" Harris; Lewis; Jackson; O'Neal Rap by Shaquille O'Neal 4:49
13. "HIStory" Harris; Lewis; Jackson 6:37
14. "Little Susie" 6:13
15. "Smile" Chaplin 4:56
Released June 20, 1995
Recorded 1978–1995
Genre R&B, dance, dance-pop, urban, Pop rock, new jack swing, funk[1]
Length Disc one: 71:38
Disc two: 77:07
Label Epic
EK-59000
Producer Michael Jackson,
James Harris,
Janet Jackson, Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, David Foster, Bill Bottrell, R. Kelly,
Teddy Riley
10- Invincible (2001)
Invincible is the tenth and final studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released by Epic Records on October 30, 2001, six years after Jackson's 1995 double disc studio album HIStory, and the first featuring all new tracks since Dangerous in 1991. The album art, an image of Jackson's face, is available in five different colors - red, green, orange, blue and silver. To date, Invincible has sold 8 million copies worldwide.
Production
The album was to be the first release featuring all new tracks since Dangerous in 1991.[2] In addition to production being handled by contemporary artists such as Rodney Jerkins, R. Kelly and former Jodeci member DeVante Swing, Hip Hop producer Dr. Dre was asked to produce, but declined.[3]
Track listing
Invincible
# Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Unbreakable" (Featuring The Notorious B.I.G.; background vocals by Brandy Norwood) Jackson, Daniels, Jerkis, Payne, Smith, Wallace 6:26
2. "Heartbreaker" Jackson, Jerkins, Jerkins III, Daniels, Mischke, Gregg 5:09
3. "Invincible" Jackson, Daniels, Gregg, Jerkins, Jerkins 4:46
4. "Break of Dawn" Jackson, Dr. Freeze 5:32
5. "Heaven Can Wait" Jackson, Riley, Heard, Smith, Beal, Laues, Quiller 4:49
6. "You Rock My World" (Introductory skit featuring Chris Tucker) Jackson, Daniels, Jerkins, Jerkins, Payne 5:39
7. "Butterflies" (Featuring Marsha Ambrosius) Harris, Ambrosius 4:40
8. "Speechless" Jackson 3:18
9. "2000 Watts" Jackson, Riley, Gibson, Henson 4:24
10. "You Are My Life" Jackson, Babyface, Sager, McClain 4:33
11. "Privacy" (Guitarsolo by Slash) Jackson, Belle, Daniels, Jerkins, Jerkins 5:05
12. "Don't Walk Away" Jackson, Riley, Stites, Vertelney 4:24
13. "Cry" (also titled Cry (We Can Change The World)) R. Kelly 5:00
14. "The Lost Children" Jackson 4:00
15. "Whatever Happens" (Guitar by Carlos Santana) Jackson, Riley, Quay, Williams 4:56
16. "Threatened" (contains snippets from Rod Serling) Jackson, Jerkins, Jerkins III, Daniels 4:18
77:08
Released October 30, 2001
Recorded October 1997 – June 2001
Genre Contemporary R&B, Pop Rock, dance-pop, adult contemporary, urban[1]
Length 77:08
Label Epic
EK-69400
Producer Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Teddy Riley, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, R. Kelly, Dr. Freeze
source
http://en.wikipedia.org
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