HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released in 1995. It is Jackson's first album on his record label MJJ Productions. The album has two discs. The first disc "HIStory Begins" is a 'greatest hits' of fifteen popular singles Jackson had released from his previous albums. The second disc "HIStory Continues" is fifteen new songs. Two of them are Jackson's versions of songs that have already been made by people. The album has sold 25 million copies around the world. It is the best selling album with more than one disc. On November 13 2001, the first disc was released again on its own as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I. It has sold 4 million copies.

Singles

Six singles were released around the world from the second disc. The first single "Scream" was a duet with Jackson's sister Janet Jackson. It reached number one in New Zealand, Italy, and Spain.

The second single "You Are Not Alone" was written and produced by R. Kelly. It was the first song ever to go straight to number one in the Billboard Hot 100.

The third single "Earth Song" did not reach the Billboard Hot 100. However, it is Jackson's best selling single in the United Kingdom. It was number one there for six weeks.

The sixth single was "Stranger in Moscow". It reached number one in Italy and Spain.

The fourth single, "This Time Around", had The Notorious B.I.G. rapping in it.

"They Don't Care About Us" was released on March 31, 1996. It was number one in Germany for three weeks.

"Stranger in Moscow" was the last single released from the album. It was the least successful single in the United States.

Reviews

Rolling Stone gave the album four stars out of five. The Seattle Times gave the second disc of HIStory a bad review.

Track listing

Disc one: HIStory Begins/Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I

1. "Billie Jean" (Single version) (from Thriller, 1982) (Michael Jackson) - 4:54
2. "The Way You Make Me Feel" (Album version #2) (from Bad, 1987) (Jackson) - 4:58
3. "Black or White" (from Dangerous, 1991) (Jackson and Bill Bottrell) - 4:16
4. "Rock with You" (Album version #2) (from Off the Wall, 1979) (Rod Temperton) - 3:40
5. "She's Out of My Life" (from Off the Wall) (Tom Bahler) - 3:38
6. "Bad" (7" single mix) (from Bad) (Jackson) - 4:07
7. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (7" edit) (from Bad) (Jackson) - 4:13
8. "Man in the Mirror" (from Bad) (Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard) - 5:19
9. "Thriller" (from Thriller) (Temperton) - 5:58
10. "Beat It" (from Thriller) (Jackson) - 4:18
11. "The Girl Is Mine" (duet with Paul McCartney) (from Thriller) - 3:42
12. "Remember the Time" (from Dangerous) (Teddy Riley, Jackson, and Bernard Belle) - 4:00
13. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (from Off the Wall) (Jackson) - 6:06
14. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (from Thriller) (Jackson) - 6:03
15. "Heal the World" (from Dangerous) (Jackson) - 6:25

Disc two: HIStory Continues

1. "Scream" (duet with Janet Jackson) (James Harris III, Terry Lewis, M. Jackson, and J. Jackson) - 4:38
2. "They Don't Care About Us" (M. Jackson) - 4:44
3. "Stranger in Moscow" (M. Jackson) - 5:44
4. "This Time Around" (M. Jackson, Dallas Austin, Swedien, Rene, and Christopher Wallace) - 4:21
5. "Earth Song" (M. Jackson) - 6:48
6. "D.S." (M. Jackson) - 4:49
7. "Money" (M. Jackson) - 4:42
8. "Come Together" (John Lennon and Paul McCartney) - 4:03
9. "You Are Not Alone" (R. Kelly) - 5:45
10. "Childhood" (M. Jackson) - 4:28
11. "Tabloid Junkie" (M. Jackson, Harris III, and Lewis) - 4:33
12. "2 Bad" (M. Jackson, Swedien, Rene, and Austin) - 4:50
13. "HIStory" (M. Jackson, Harris III, and Lewis) - 6:38
14. "Little Susie / Pie Jesu" (M. Jackson) - 6:15
15. "Smile" (John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons, and Charlie Chaplin) - 4:56

Tour

Jackson did the HIStory World Tour to promote the album. It was Jackson's last tour.