Michael Jackson - Number Ones

By the time all 18 of these singles existed, Michael Jackson's catalogue had seen a rejumbling multiple times over by format, radio, and revisionism. What's notable here is less the selection than the arc it traces: from late 70s disco-soul autonomy through stadium pop dominance and into the fractured final phase of his recording life. One small but telling detail sits in 'Human Nature': the song almost didn't make Thriller; Jackson initially passed on it until Quincy Jones pushed him to reconsider after a late-night playback. Jackson rewrote the phrasing overnight, tapering from smoothened demo girth to wispy nocturne. That instinct for restraint, often overlooked beside the spectacle, runs right through this pleasing collection.

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