Number Ones

Performer: Michael Jackson
Engineer: Micha Prince
Producer: Quincy Jones; R. Kelly; Michael Jackson; The Jacksons; Dave Foster; Dr. Freeze; Rodney Jerkins; Bill Bottrell; David Foster; Quincy Jones; R. Kelly; Michael Jackson; The Jacksons
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Michael Jackson (vocals, background vocals); Siedah Garrett (vocals); Donnie Lyle (guitar). Audio Mixer: Serban Ghenea. Photographers: Stephen Harvey; Dick Zimmerman; Sam Emerson. Since Michael Jackson botched his first hits collection by pairing it with a new album of material in a double-disc set, making it considerably less attractive for those legions of listeners who want just a single disc of hits, it's both inevitable and welcome that he attempted another compilation a few years later. This second collection, Number Ones, was released in the wake of the 2000 blockbuster Beatles 1, which rewrote the rules of modern-day hits collections from major artists, since it not only contained a generous, representative cross section of hits, it had a specific focus and did gangbuster business. An avalanche of similar-minded compilations by other titans followed, notably Elvis' 30 #1 Hits and the Rolling Stones' Forty Licks, and MJ's Number Ones is part of that wave. For some artists, sticking to number one hits isn't a bad way to make a collection -- the Beatles are a perfect example, actually, since even if 1 didn't contain such seminal items as "Strawberry Fields Forever," it still offered a full, representative portrait of their career. Jackson doesn't fare so well by the number one rule. First of all, he doesn't strictly follow the number one rule, leaving behind the number one hit duet "Say Say Say" with Paul McCartney, substituting a 1981 live version of "Ben" for the original hit, adding "Break of Dawn," an Invincible album cut never released as a single, and including "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," and "Earth Song," none of which hit number one, and the latter wasn't even released as a single in the U.S. (there is, of course, the requisite previously unreleased song, the OK slow jam "One More Chance"). Then, there's the fact that Thriller changed the business, inaugurating the era of the blockbuster album that rode the charts for years, spinning off hit singles every quarter. Thriller generated tons of hits -- six of its nine tracks hit the charts, but only two of them hit number one. Its successor, Bad, had seven of its 11 songs hit the charts (one other, the CD bonus cut "Leave Me Alone," was a staple on MTV), and of those, five peaked at number one. So, by sticking to number ones, and adding "Smooth Criminal," this collection skews very heavily toward Bad, at times playing like an expanded reissue with bonus tracks. This may be a fairly accurate reading of chart positions, but it doesn't result in a particularly representative collection, since the brilliant Off the Wall is granted only two songs, leaving behind such charting hits as "Off the Wall" and "She's Out of My Life" (both gold singles, mind you), and Thriller is represented by only three tracks, with such defining songs as "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "Human Nature," "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)," and "The Girl Is Mine" being left behind. These two albums are the core of Jackson's legacy, and it simply feels wrong that Number Ones gives them short shrift. Dangerous also is neglected, providing just one selection, when on the whole it had far more memorable songs than HIStory or Invincible. But these problems are inherent with any collection that concentrates just on the charts, not the music that got the songs on the charts in the first place. And while Number Ones contains enough of the big songs to recommend it for those listeners who are looking just for a cross section of the biggest hits from Jackson's career, it is also true that the perfect Michael Jackson hits collection has yet to be assembled. Maybe next time, particularly if he's granted an entry into Sony's generally excellent The Essentials series. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine The 1990s may not have been kind to Michael Jackson on a commercial level, due to fickle music tastes and assorted personal controversies, but NUMBER ONES reinforces Jackson's place in pop culture history. Unlike its preceding compilation, HIStory, this anthology trims the fat, although occasionally going overboard in leaving off certified chart-toppers like the Paul McCartney duet "Say Say Say" in lieu of lesser-known, latter-day fare like "Earth Song." That said, casual fans of the Gloved One will still feast on plenty, ranging from dance classics like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" from 1979's stellar OFF THE WALL to the singles that powered the industry-shifting THRILLER and BAD. Among the hits featured here are "Beat It," (with its tour de force Eddie Van Halen solo), the scathing "Dirty Diana" (with Steve Stevens substituting for Van Halen), and catchy title cuts from the aforementioned albums. Meanwhile, Alien Ant Farm fans get to reacquaint themselves with the original "Smooth Criminal," and R. Kelly fans get to experience Jacko croon "One More Chance," the single new song that was penned and produced by Kelly.

In the spotlight since the age of four, Michael Jackson rose to fame as the lead vocalist for the Jackson Five. In the late 1970s, Jackson embarked on a solo career as a young adult with the Quincy Jones-produced OFF THE WALL. With one hit album under his belt, Jackson proceeded to bring R&B to a whole new audience with his massive THRILLER release--one of the top-selling pop albums of all time--and his innovative videos, not only broke an unspoken color barrier, but began to dominate the newly founded MTV network. Although his personal life would become the ultimate fodder for the tabloids, the self-proclaimed "King of Pop" remained one of the most successful and influential recording stars worldwide until his sudden death in 2009 at 50.

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