The Essential Michael Jackson | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | July 19, 2005 | |||
Recorded | 1969–2003 | |||
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Michael Jackson chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.7/10 [2] |
The Essential Michael Jackson is a greatest hits compilation album by American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on July 19, 2005, by Sony Music's catalog division Legacy Recordings as part of The Essential series. The two-disc compilation features thirty-eight hit songs by Michael Jackson, from his days at Motown Records with The Jackson 5 in the late 1960s and early 1970s to his 2001 hit "You Rock My World".
On August 26, 2008, The Essential Michael Jackson 3.0 was released in the United States as a limited edition containing an additional disc of seven songs performed by Jackson. [3] A re-titled release in the United Kingdom was released on September 5, 2005 as The Hits. As of 2021, the album was certified 5× platinum in the United States for over 2.5 million copies sold. Worldwide, the compilation has sold an estimated 6 million copies. [4]
Following Jackson's death on June 25, the album sold 102,000 units in the US on the chart week ending July 1, 2009. [5] The following week the album sold 125,000 units in the US on the chart week ending July 8, 2009 and was the third biggest-selling album of the week. [6] In the UK, where the album had peaked at number two in 2005, it reached number one for seven consecutive weeks from the weeks ending July 11, 2009 to August 22, 2009, dethroning Jackson's own album, Number Ones , which topped the chart the week ending July 4, 2009. [7]
The album has been certified 5× platinum in the United States and 6× Platinum in the United Kingdom with worldwide sales estimated around 6 million copies. [4]
As of November 30, 2024, the album reached a new milestone by remaining on the Billboard 200 chart for 500 consecutive weeks. This is Jackson's second album to achieve this feat right after his album Thriller, which holds the record for 653 weeks on the chart. [8] [9] [10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Want You Back" | The Corporation (Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Berry Gordy, Deke Richards) | Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 (1969) | 2:58 |
2. | "ABC" | The Corporation | ABC (1970) | 2:58 |
3. | "The Love You Save" | The Corporation | ABC | 3:05 |
4. | "Got to Be There" | Elliot Willensky | Got to Be There (1972) | 3:25 |
5. | "Rockin' Robin" | Leon Rene (under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas) | Got to Be There | 2:32 |
6. | "Ben" | Walter Scharf, Don Black | Ben (1972) | 2:46 |
7. | "Enjoy Yourself" (edit of alternative version) | Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff | The Jacksons (1976) | 3:24 |
8. | "Blame It on the Boogie" (edited version) | Michael G. Jackson-Clark, David Jackson-Rich, Hans Kampschroer, Elmar Krohn, Thomas Meyer | Destiny (1978) | 3:30 |
9. | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (7" version) | Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson | Destiny | 3:46 |
10. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (original 12" edit) | Michael Jackson | Off the Wall (1979) | 5:50 |
11. | "Rock with You" (7" remix) | Rod Temperton | Off the Wall | 3:23 |
12. | "Off the Wall" (attempted recreation of US 7" remix) | Temperton | Off the Wall | 3:46 |
13. | "She's Out of My Life" | Tom Bahler | Off the Wall | 3:37 |
14. | "Can You Feel It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson | Triumph (1980) | 3:50 |
15. | "The Girl Is Mine" (duet with Paul McCartney) | Michael Jackson | Thriller (1982) | 3:42 |
16. | "Billie Jean" | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:54 |
17. | "Beat It" | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:18 |
18. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (attempted recreation of 7" version) | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:17 |
19. | "Human Nature" (attempted recreation of 7" remix) | Steve Porcaro, John Bettis | Thriller | 3:45 |
20. | "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" | James Ingram, Quincy Jones | Thriller | 3:59 |
21. | "Thriller" (radio edit) | Temperton | Thriller | 5:12 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bad" (7" single mix) | Michael Jackson | Bad (1987) | 4:06 |
2. | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (radio edit) (duet with Siedah Garrett) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:11 |
3. | "Leave Me Alone" | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:39 |
4. | "The Way You Make Me Feel" (attempted recreation of 7" remix) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:26 |
5. | "Man in the Mirror" | Siedah Garrett, Glen Ballard | Bad | 5:18 |
6. | "Dirty Diana" (single edit) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:40 |
7. | "Another Part of Me" (7" version) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 3:46 |
8. | "Smooth Criminal" (album version #3) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:17 |
9. | "Black or White" (single version) | Michael Jackson; rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell | Dangerous (1991) | 3:21 |
10. | "Heal the World" | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 6:24 |
11. | "Remember the Time" | Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle | Dangerous | 3:59 |
12. | "In the Closet" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Riley | Dangerous | 4:48 |
13. | "Who Is It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 3:59 |
14. | "Will You Be There" (radio edit) | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 3:40 |
15. | "Dangerous" | Michael Jackson, Bottrell, Riley | Dangerous | 6:59 |
16. | "You Are Not Alone" (album edit) | R. Kelly | HIStory (1995) | 4:55 |
17. | "You Rock My World" (album edit) | Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora Payne | Invincible (2001) | 5:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Can't Get Outta the Rain" (single version) | Michael Jackson, Jones | "The Girl Is Mine" single (1982) | 4:06 |
2. | "Say Say Say" (duet with Paul McCartney) | Michael Jackson, McCartney | Pipes of Peace (1983) | 3:55 |
3. | "Jam" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Moore, Swedien, Riley | Dangerous | 4:08 |
4. | "They Don't Care About Us" | Michael Jackson | HIStory | 4:44 |
5. | "Blood on the Dance Floor" | Michael Jackson, Riley | Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997) | 4:15 |
6. | "Stranger in Moscow" | Michael Jackson | HIStory | 5:45 |
7. | "Butterflies" | Andre Harris, Marsha Ambrosius | Invincible | 4:40 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Want You Back" | The Corporation (Perren, Mizell, Gordy, Deke Richards) | Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 | 2:58 |
2. | "ABC" | The Corporation | ABC | 2:58 |
3. | "The Love You Save" | The Corporation | ABC | 3:05 |
4. | "Got to Be There" | Willensky | Got to Be There | 3:25 |
5. | "Rockin' Robin" | Rene (under the pseudonym J. Thomas) | Got to Be There | 2:32 |
6. | "Ben" | Walter Scharf, Don Black | Ben | 2:46 |
7. | "Blame It on the Boogie" (edited version) | Jackson-Clark, Jackson-Rich, Kampschroer, Krohn, Meyer | Destiny | 3:30 |
8. | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (7" version) | Michael Jackson, R. Jackson | Destiny | 3:46 |
9. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson | Off the Wall | 3:56 |
10. | "Off the Wall" (attempted recreation of US 7" remix) | Temperton | Off the Wall | 3:46 |
11. | "Rock with You" (7" remix) | Temperton | Off the Wall | 3:23 |
12. | "She's Out of My Life" | Bahler | Off the Wall | 3:37 |
13. | "Can You Feel It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Jackie Jackson | Triumph | 3:50 |
14. | "The Girl Is Mine" (duet with Paul McCartney) | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 3:41 |
15. | "Billie Jean" | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:55 |
16. | "Beat It" | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:18 |
17. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (attempted recreation of 7" version) | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:17 |
18. | "Human Nature" (attempted recreation of 7" remix) | Porcaro, Bettis | Thriller | 3:45 |
19. | "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" | Ingram, Jones | Thriller | 3:58 |
20. | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (radio edit) (duet with Siedah Garrett) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:11 |
21. | "Thriller" (radio edit) | Temperton | Thriller | 5:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bad" (7" single mix) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:06 |
2. | "The Way You Make Me Feel" (attempted recreation of 7" remix) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:26 |
3. | "Man in the Mirror" | Garrett, Ballard | Bad | 5:18 |
4. | "Dirty Diana" (single edit) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:40 |
5. | "Another Part of Me" (7" version) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 3:46 |
6. | "Smooth Criminal" (album version #3) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:17 |
7. | "Leave Me Alone" | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:39 |
8. | "Black or White" (single version) | Michael Jackson; rap lyrics by Bottrell | Dangerous | 3:21 |
9. | "Remember the Time" | Michael Jackson, Riley, Belle | Dangerous | 3:59 |
10. | "In the Closet" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Riley | Dangerous | 4:48 |
11. | "Who Is It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 3:59 |
12. | "Heal the World" | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 6:24 |
13. | "Will You Be There" (radio edit) | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 3:40 |
14. | "You Are Not Alone" (LP edit) | R. Kelly | HIStory | 4:55 |
15. | "Earth Song" (radio edit) | Michael Jackson | HIStory | 5:02 |
16. | "They Don't Care About Us" | Michael Jackson | HIStory | 4:44 |
17. | "You Rock My World" (album edit) | Jackson, Jerkins, Jerkins III, Daniels, Payne | Invincible | 5:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Want You Back" | The Corporation (Perren, Mizell, Gordy, Richards) | Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 | 2:58 |
2. | "ABC" | The Corporation | ABC | 2:58 |
3. | "The Love You Save" | The Corporation | ABC | 3:05 |
4. | "Got to Be There" | Willensky | Got to Be There | 3:25 |
5. | "Rockin' Robin" | Rene (under the pseudonym J. Thomas) | Got to Be There | 2:32 |
6. | "Ben" | Scharf, Black | Ben | 2:46 |
7. | "Blame It on the Boogie" (edited version) | Jackson-Clark, Jackson-Rich, Kampschroer, Krohn, Meyer | Destiny | 3:30 |
8. | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (7" version) | Michael Jackson, R. Jackson | Destiny | 3:46 |
9. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson | Off the Wall | 3:56 |
10. | "Off the Wall" (attempted recreation of US 7" remix) | Temperton | Off the Wall | 3:46 |
11. | "Rock with You" (7" remix) | Temperton | Off the Wall | 3:23 |
12. | "She's Out of My Life" | Bahler | Off the Wall | 3:37 |
13. | "Can You Feel It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, J. Jackson | Triumph | 3:50 |
14. | "The Girl Is Mine" (duet with Paul McCartney) | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 3:41 |
15. | "Billie Jean" | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:55 |
16. | "Beat It" | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:18 |
17. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (attempted recreation of 7" version) | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 4:17 |
18. | "Human Nature" (attempted recreation of 7" remix) | Porcaro, Bettis | Thriller | 3:45 |
19. | "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" | Ingram, Jones | Thriller | 3:58 |
20. | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (radio edit) (duet with Siedah Garrett) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:11 |
21. | "Thriller" (radio edit) | Temperton | Thriller | 5:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bad" (7" single mix) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:06 |
2. | "The Way You Make Me Feel" (attempted recreation of 7" remix) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:26 |
3. | "Man in the Mirror" | Garrett, Ballard | Bad | 5:18 |
4. | "Dirty Diana" (single edit) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:40 |
5. | "Another Part of Me" (7" version) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 3:46 |
6. | "Smooth Criminal" (album version #3) | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:17 |
7. | "Leave Me Alone" | Michael Jackson | Bad | 4:39 |
8. | "Black or White" (single version) | Michael Jackson; rap lyrics by Bottrell | Dangerous | 3:21 |
9. | "Remember the Time" | Michael Jackson, Riley, Belle | Dangerous | 3:59 |
10. | "In the Closet" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Riley | Dangerous | 4:48 |
11. | "Who Is It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 3:59 |
12. | "Heal the World" | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 6:24 |
13. | "Will You Be There" (radio edit) | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 3:40 |
14. | "You Are Not Alone" (album edit) | R. Kelly | HIStory | 4:55 |
15. | "Blood on the Dance Floor" | Michael Jackson, Riley | Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix | 4:15 |
16. | "One More Chance" | R. Kelly | Number Ones (2003) | 3:49 |
17. | "You Rock My World" (album edit) | Michael Jackson, Jerkins, Jerkins III, Daniels, Payne | Invincible | 5:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Want You Back" | The Corporation (Perren, Mizell, Gordy, Richards) | 2:58 |
2. | "ABC" | The Corporation | 2:58 |
3. | "The Love You Save" | The Corporation | 3:04 |
4. | "Got to Be There" | Willensky | 3:23 |
5. | "Rockin' Robin" | Rene | 2:32 |
6. | "Ben" | Scharf, Black | 2:46 |
7. | "Enjoy Yourself" | Gamble, Huff | 3:25 |
8. | "Blame It on the Boogie" | Jackson-Clark, Jackson-Rich, Kampschroer, Krohn, Meyer | 3:30 |
9. | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (7" version) | Michael Jackson, R. Jackson | 3:46 |
10. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" | Michael Jackson | 6:04 |
11. | "Rock with You" (7" remix) | Temperton | 3:23 |
12. | "Off the Wall" (UK 7" remix – edited version) | Temperton | 3:46 |
13. | "She's Out of My Life" | Bahler | 3:37 |
14. | "Can You Feel It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, J. Jackson | 3:50 |
15. | "The Girl Is Mine" (duet with Paul McCartney) | Michael Jackson | 3:42 |
16. | "Billie Jean" | Michael Jackson | 4:56 |
17. | "Beat It" | Michael Jackson | 4:19 |
18. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (7" version) | Michael Jackson | 4:20 |
19. | "Human Nature" (7" remix) | Porcaro, Bettis | 3:47 |
20. | "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" | Ingram, Jones | 3:59 |
21. | "Thriller" (radio edit) | Temperton | 5:12 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Bad" (7" single mix) | Michael Jackson | 4:06 |
2. | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (radio edit) (duet with Siedah Garrett) | Michael Jackson | 4:11 |
3. | "Leave Me Alone" | Michael Jackson | 4:39 |
4. | "The Way You Make Me Feel" (7" remix) | Michael Jackson | 4:26 |
5. | "Man in the Mirror" | Garrett, Ballard | 5:18 |
6. | "Dirty Diana" (single edit) | Michael Jackson | 4:40 |
7. | "Another Part of Me" (7" version) | Michael Jackson | 3:46 |
8. | "Smooth Criminal" (album version #3) | Michael Jackson | 4:17 |
9. | "Black or White" | Michael Jackson; rap lyrics by Bottrell | 4:16 |
10. | "Heal the World" | Michael Jackson | 6:24 |
11. | "Remember the Time" | Michael Jackson, Riley, Belle | 3:59 |
12. | "In the Closet" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson, Riley | 4:48 |
13. | "Who Is It" (7" edit) | Michael Jackson | 3:59 |
14. | "Will You Be There" (radio edit with string intro) | Michael Jackson | 3:40 |
15. | "Dangerous" | Michael Jackson, Bottrell, Riley | 6:59 |
16. | "You Are Not Alone" (album edit) | R. Kelly | 4:55 |
17. | "You Rock My World" (album edit) | Michael Jackson, Jerkins, Jerkins III, Daniels, Payne | 5:08 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [71] | 9× Platinum | 630,000‡ |
Belgium (BRMA) [72] | Gold | 25,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [73] | 3× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [74] | Gold | 20,290 [74] |
France (SNEP) [75] | 2× Gold | 200,000* |
Hungary (MAHASZ) [76] | Gold | 5,000^ |
Ireland (IRMA) [77] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [78] sales since 2009 | Platinum | 60,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [79] | Gold | 100,000^ |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [80] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [81] | 4× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [82] | Gold | 30,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [83] | 6× Platinum | 1,800,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [84] | 5× Platinum | 2,500,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Europe (IFPI) [85] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000* |
Worldwide | — | 6,000,000 [4] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |