History: Past, Present, & Future Songs Ranked
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book IĀ is the ninth studio album by American singerĀ Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995. It was the fifth Jackson album released throughĀ Epic Records, and the first on his label MJJ Productions. It comprises two discs:Ā HIStory Begins, aĀ greatest hits compilation, andĀ HIStory Continues, comprising new material written and produced by Jackson and collaborators. The album includes appearances byĀ Janet Jackson,Ā Shaquille OāNeal,Ā SlashĀ andĀ the Notorious B.I.G.Ā The genres spanĀ R&B,Ā pop,Ā hip hop, elements ofĀ hard rockĀ andĀ funk rock. The themes includeĀ environmental awareness,Ā isolation,Ā greed,Ā suicide,Ā injustice, and Jacksonās conflicts and common-ground with the media. In August 2018, it was certifiedĀ 8Ć platinumĀ by theĀ Recording Industry Association of AmericaĀ (RIAA). It was nominated for fiveĀ Grammy AwardsĀ at theĀ 1996 Grammy Awards, includingĀ Album of the Year, winningĀ Best Music VideoĀ ā Short FormĀ for āScreamā. Jackson won anĀ American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male ArtistĀ at theĀ 1996 American Music Awards. Here are all of History: Past, Present, & Future songs ranked.
Relive the music of the one and only āKing of Popā. Click below and enjoy his most memorable songs.
10. Bad
āThis another song that is a little overproduced and noisey, but the message is whatās important. Jackson again speaks to his accusers, letting them know they haventā won:āLook whoās standing if you please/Though you tried to bring me to my knees/Too bad too bad about itā The song appears in Jacksonās short film āGhostsā
9. Smile
āJackson is huge fan of Charlie Chaplin, so it only makes sense for him to cover a Chaplin penned song. He does it beautifully, it may be his best vocal performance ever. And after the anger and sadness of the album, he leaves you on a high note: reminding you to just āsmile, when your heart is breaking/ smile even though itās achingā āSmile, whatās the use of crying /Youāll find that life is still worthwhile /If youāll just Smileāā
8. Tabloid Junkie
āHere Jackson vents his anger at the press that continually twists celebrities stories just to make a buck. āItās slander/With the words you use/Youāre a parasite in black and white/Do anything for newsā The song is catchy and has an interesting drum percussion sound that is not a drum, but actually Jackson beat boxing. Not his best work, but catchy enough to listen to.ā
See more:Ā Michael Jackson Albums Ranked
7. Stranger in Moscow
āQuite possibly Michaelās best song EVER. The song is melancholy and shows the sadness he felt after the allegations, āSwift and sudden fall from grace/ sunny days seemed far awayā. Michael has said that he wrote the song in a hotel room in Moscow, while listening to the screams of fans below, but realizing that he was completely alone: thus āhow does it feel when youāre alone,and itās cold inside?ā it feels like a āstanger in moscowā. This (or earth song) is probably my favorite MJ song of all time.ā
6. Come Together
āJackson is self-proclaimed Beatles fan and this cover is definately one of the best Beatles covers ever done. The song was recorded much before most of the other material on the album, and in fact a video of Jackson performing the song appears on the Moonwalker video Jackson released. The song is a good cover, and gives the listener a break from Jacksonās anger in the album.ā
5. Scream
āThe album starts with a duet between Michael and his sister Janet. Itās obviously a push by the record company to cash in on the superstardom of these two, and as a result itās a little overproduced and noisey. But the message is true to the tone of the album and lyrics likeā
See more:Ā Michael Jackson Songs Ranked
4. Childhood
āThis is a nice ballad, all about his childhood and how hard it was for him to be famous at 6yrs old in the late 60s, has great lyrics.ā
3. History
āThe title song, is not terribly impressive. News clips are scattered throughout the song and get a bit distracting. Itās a nice thought but borders on cheesy, but then again, Jackson likes cheesy. The chorus is beautiful- the smooth vocals and harmony you expect from MJ.ā
2. Earth Song
āIn History, we find the magnificent anthem Earth Song, which is not only a mind-boggling epic of a song, it is quite simply the most stunningly beautiful and impassioned plea for the planet that I have ever heard.ā
1. They Donāt Care About Us
āThis song is much better on the production front, smooth background vocals and strings compliment the driving beat well. The lyrics are clearly meant to cause controversy and grab attention, because Michael loves attention- and there is no better way to get attention than by causing controvsey. The song is one of my favorites of MJs, and was very successful in some parts of the world- including Brazil where the video was filmed.ā