The Essential Michael Jackson

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".

The Essential Michael Jackson
Greatest hits album by Michael Jackson
Released	July 19, 2005 (2005-07-19)
Recorded	1969–2003
Length	78:56 (North American disc 1) 78:50 (North American disc 2) 33:07 (3.0 disc) 77:42 (International disc 1) 77:24 (International disc 2)
Label	Epic Legacy Sony BMG
Producer	Michael Jackson various
Michael Jackson chronology
The Ultimate Collection (2004) The Essential Michael Jackson (2005) Visionary: The Video Singles (2006)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[2]

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]

Impact of album after death

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 9× Platinum in Australia 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]

Track listing

North American version

Disc one

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

• Tracks 1-3 performed by The Jackson 5.
• Tracks 7-9 and 14 performed by The Jacksons.

Disc two

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

American limited-edition 3.0 bonus disc

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"	Michael Jackson, Moore, Swedien, Riley	Dangerous	5:38
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

European and international version

Disc one

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

• Tracks 1-3 performed by The Jackson 5.
• Tracks 7-8 and 13 performed by The Jacksons.

Disc two

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

Japanese version

Disc one

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

• Tracks 1-3 performed by The Jackson 5.
• Tracks 7-8 and 13 performed by The Jacksons.

Disc two

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

Qobuz.com Studio Masters (digital version; 24bit/96kHz)

Disc one

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

• Tracks 1-3 performed by The Jackson 5.
• Tracks 7-9 and 14 performed by The Jacksons.

Disc two

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

• All attempted recreation of single edits are restored to actual single versions on digital edition with the exception of "Off the Wall", which is a further edit of UK 7" remix and "Will You Be There", which is a radio edit with newly added string intro. Both versions are exclusive to this release.
• "Enjoy Yourself", "Blame It on the Boogie", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", and "Black or White" are restored to their album length on the digital edition.
• The uncut version of "The Lady in My Life" was announced on Legacy Recordings' website to be released on 2008's 3.0 edition bonus disc, but eventually omitted for unknown reasons. However, this version is previously available on the 2002 compilation The Songs of Rod Temperton, which has become a much sought-after item among Jackson collectors upon release, despite the fact that the version on the compilation is an inferior tape transfer with heavy, irreparable distortion due to tape degradation.
• A UK-exclusive edition of this compilation was renamed as The Hits (with the same font as the five-album box set The Collection) and given a colorized version of the cover in 2009.

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for The Essential Michael Jackson Chart (2005–2023) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[12] 8 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] 4 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] 1 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[15] 4 Czech Albums (IFPI)[16] 3 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[17] 6 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 19 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 1 French Albums (SNEP)[20] 81 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 10 Greek Albums (IFPI)[22] 20 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[23] 1 Irish Albums (IRMA)[24] 1 Italian Albums (FIMI)[25] 5 Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)[26] 1 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] 1 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[28] 3 Polish Albums (ZPAV)[29] 5 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[30] 3 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[31] 23 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 3 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 2 UK Albums (OCC)[34] 1 US Billboard 200[35] 31 US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)[36] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for The Essential Michael Jackson Chart (2005) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[37] 69 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] 58 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[39] 37 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 52 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 87 UK Albums (OCC)[42] 88 Chart (2009) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[43] 8 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[44] 22 UK Albums (OCC)[45] 12 US Billboard Comprehensive Albums[46] 22 Chart (2010) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[47] 63 US Billboard 200[48] 112 Chart (2014) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[49] 93 Chart (2015) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[50] 81 US Billboard 200[51] 174 Chart (2016) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[52] 77 Australian Catalogue Album Chart[53] 10 Chart (2017) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[54] 96 US Billboard 200[55] 126 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[56] 73 Chart (2018) Position US Billboard 200[57] 105 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[58] 51 Chart (2019) Position US Billboard 200[59] 101 Chart (2020) Position US Billboard 200[60] 149 Chart (2021) Position US Billboard 200[61] 163 Chart (2022) Position US Billboard 200[62] 145 Chart (2023) Position UK Albums (OCC)[63] 25 US Billboard 200[64] 141 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[65] 86 Chart (2024) Position UK Albums (OCC)[66] 16 US Billboard 200[67] 130 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[68] 44 Decade-end charts Decade-end chart performance for The Essential Michael Jackson Chart (2000–2009) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[69] 76 Chart (2010–2019) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[70] 80

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for The Essential Michael Jackson

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
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. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one albums of 2009 (Australia)
• List of number-one albums of 2009 (Mexico)
• List of number-one albums from the 2000s (UK)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 2009 (UK)