The Essential Michael Jackson

The 2CD The Essential Michael Jackson takes you on a journey from budding star, to iconic legend and allows you to immerse yourself in the musical and emotional development of each track defining the story of a global superstar.

Michael Jackson needs no introduction, as part of the Jackson 5 he helped make up a remarkable musical family and one of the biggest pop phenomenons of the early 70s. The Jacksons' infectious brand of funky soul and now iconic stage presence reached out globally and made them and Michael international stars.

As the success of the band grew, Michael branched out with his own solo career first launching with "Got to be There" and then "Rockin' Robin". The momentum started to grow with the release of more successful singles and, as the hype surrounding the Jackson 5 slowed down towards the late 70s, Michael continued to develop and grow as an artist. With the release of Off the Wall, an immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads, Michael cemented his place as a global star. The 1980s were a career-defining period with his instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power Michael Jackson was unstoppable. The 1982 album Thriller became the biggest selling album of all time and combined his musical genius with an exceptional and ahead of its time music video epic. Bad (1987) was released with enormous public anticipation and spawned another succession of hit singles with "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man in the Mirror."

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Bad [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING

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Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller

The Biggest Album Ever just got bigger. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller celebrates this ground-breaking album with 7 bonus tracks, six of which are previously unreleased. The new tracks include exclusive remixes from Kanye West, Fergie, will.i.am and Akon along with a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions, "For All Time," newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson. Also included is a BONUS DVD with new, digitally restored versions of the three videos from the album as well as the Michael Jackson's groundbreaking performance of "Billie Jean" on the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC May 16, 1983).

Also included in all versions of the release is a new personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release.

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ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SPECIAL EDITION]

Given the pace of Michael Jackson's post-Thriller release schedule, it's striking that Off the Wall appeared between two albums with his brothers, Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980), on which the twentysomething phenomenon was also fully engaged. Aided by richly detailed but not overdone production, Off the Wall redefined how much Michael might do.

Tracks like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Rock with You," the title cut (all Top 10 singles), and "Burn this Disco Out" not only consolidated his dance-floor power, but showed just how soulful and varied his vocals could get on uptempo material. Artistic role models like James Brown and Jackie Wilson echo through the mixes, but these were Jackson's leaps forward. The addition of pure pop confection--Paul McCartney's "Girlfriend," Stevie Wonder's "I Can't Help It"--further fleshed out the star's young-adult persona and helped make Off the Wall among the most fondly remembered of all his solo work. This special edition features two magic home demos and entertaining, insightful interviews of producer Quincy Jones and "Rock with You" composer Rod Temperton. --Rickey Wright

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