Essential Michael Jackson CD

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.

International version of his 2005 double-disc collection features the same amount of tracks as the US edition but removes two tracks ('Dangerous' and 'Enjoy Yourself') and replaces them with two others: 'Earth Song' and 'They Don't Care About Us'. This 38-track collection includes hits and album tracks spanning over three decades of classic songs ranging from his time in the Jackson 5 to his multi-platinum albums such as Bad, Dangerous, Thriller, and Invincible. Sony.Uncut (p.119) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]his is magical pop."