The Essential Michael Jackson

A magnetic force has surrounded Michael Jackson since the tender age of six following him up to unimaginable icon status! This is the first collection to take you through ALL of Michael's career, from the Jackson 5 on Motown to his Off the Wall breakthrough to Thriller to Dangerous, 37 badder-than-bad hits from the unforgettable King of Pop! Laudir De Oliveira (drums, congas, percussion); Ed Green, John Robinson (drums); Paulinho Da Costa, Randy Jackson , Richard Heath (percussion);James Ingram, Jim Gilstrap, Paulette McWilliams, Mortinette Jenkins, Augie Johnson (background vocals); David Paich, Jerry Hey, Jimmy Smith , Kim Hutchcroft, Larry Carlton, Larry Williams, Steve Porcaro, Teddy Riley. Recording information: 1969 - 1999. Ensemble: The SeawindHorns. The title might sound like hyperbole, but this two-disc collection is, in fact, a pretty fair summation of Michael Jackson's career up to 2005. Of course, it's impossible for two discs to hold every hit single Michael Jackson has ever had, but THE ESSENTIAL MICHAEL JACKSON starts with the Jackson Five's debut single, "I Want You Back, " and ends 38 tracks later with the 2001 comeback attempt "You Rock My World. " In between is a chronological overview of some of the most significant pop music in the last three decades of the 20th century, climaxing with about two-thirds of THRILLER and half of OFF THE WALL, the album that in retrospect sounds even fresher and more exciting than its blockbuster follow-up. Disc Two starts in 1987 with eight tracks from the underrated BAD, and its second half does the listener the handy service of compressing the second act of Michael Jackson's life story (a time when the tabloid headlines were overshadowing his increasingly formulaic music) into nine entirely respectable, if not earth-shattering, singles. Reviews: Uncut (p. 119) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]his is magical pop. "

Track Listing

• Disc 1
• • 1 i want you back
  • 2 abc
  • 3 love you save, the
  • 4 got to be there
  • 5 rockin' robin
  • 6 ben
  • 7 enjoy yourself
  • 8 blame it on the boogie
  • 9 shake your body (down to the ground)
  • 10 don't stop 'til you get enough
  • 11 rock with you
  • 12 off the wall
  • 13 she's out of my life
  • 14 can you feel it
  • 15 girl is mine, the
  • 16 billie jean
  • 17 beat it
  • 18 wanna be startin' somethin'
  • 19 human nature
  • 20 p.y.t. (pretty young thing)
  • 21 thriller
• Disc 2
• • 1 bad
  • 2 i just can't stop loving you
  • 3 leave me alone
  • 4 way you make me feel, the
  • 5 man in the mirror
  • 6 dirty diana
  • 7 another part of me
  • 8 smooth criminal
  • 9 black or white
  • 10 heal the world
  • 11 remember the time
  • 12 in the closet
  • 13 who is it
  • 14 will you be there
  • 15 dangerous
  • 16 you are not alone
  • 17 you rock my world