Number Ones
Encyclopedia
Number Ones is a single-disc greatest hits
album of singer-songwriter
Michael Jackson
released by Sony Music worldwide on November 17, 2003 (and one day later in the United States
). It was Jackson's first proper compilation album with Sony, after the release of HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995 (and after the re-release of that album as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I a single-CD, only-hits edition in 2001).The album included Jackson singles that reportedly reached #1 in charts around the world.
Number Ones was successful around the world, originally reaching #1 in the UK and #13 in the United States. It proved to be an enduring catalog seller, eventually returning to the top spot in the UK and US charts in 2009 after Jackson's sudden death
. It stayed as the number one selling album in the United States for six non consecutive weeks and for twenty-seventh week on the Top Pop Catalog Albums
chart. but as a 'catalog' title, Number Ones was excluded from the Billboard 200 denying Jackson a seventh solo No.1 album on the chart. The rules preventing titles older than 18 months to chart in the Billboard 200 were subsequently changed in the fall of 2009 due to the posthumous success of Jackson and The Beatles
re-mastered re-releases.
At the 2009 American Music Awards
, Number Ones claimed two awards - Favorite Rock/Pop Album and Favorite Soul/Rhythm and Blues Album.
Overall, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, with 4,138,600 of those being sold in the U.S.
Top 10 hits): three from Off the Wall
, five from Thriller
, four from Bad
and three from Dangerous. The versions of those songs were included exactly as they appeared on the original albums, whereas Number Ones included radio edits, single versions and new edits. Number Ones also offered singles from the second disc of HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, plus the title track from Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix and "You Rock My World
", the hit single from Invincible. The album also included two bonus tracks: "Break of Dawn
" (a song from Invincible that Jackson planned to release as a single) and the new, previously unreleased single, "One More Chance
", which became his final hit single during his lifetime.The beat-heavy ballad “One More Chance” was recorded exclusively for this collection.
As well as including most of Jackson's international #1 hits, the compilation included one new track: "One More Chance
", which was written for Jackson by R. Kelly
. The U.S. release also included another track, a live rendition of "Ben
".
There were four covers for the Number Ones album: a shot from the "Bad" music video, a shot from the "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
" music video, one where he is suspended on his toes (supposedly from the Thriller era), and the final cover shows him holding his signature fedora, in the midst of a kick (from the Dangerous era).
I Dreamed a Dream
and Taylor Swift's
Fearless
. The next week, the album sold 330,000 copies. The album was not allowed to chart on the Billboard 200, but entered the Comprehensive chart at #1. In the UK, the album re-entered the UK charts at #1.
In New Zealand, Number Ones re-entered the chart following Jackson's death at #38, climbing to #4 the following week. It then reached #1 the next week. The album was also certified 4x Platinum, shipping over 60,000 copies.
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album of singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
released by Sony Music worldwide on November 17, 2003 (and one day later in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It was Jackson's first proper compilation album with Sony, after the release of HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995 (and after the re-release of that album as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I a single-CD, only-hits edition in 2001).The album included Jackson singles that reportedly reached #1 in charts around the world.
Number Ones was successful around the world, originally reaching #1 in the UK and #13 in the United States. It proved to be an enduring catalog seller, eventually returning to the top spot in the UK and US charts in 2009 after Jackson's sudden death
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
. It stayed as the number one selling album in the United States for six non consecutive weeks and for twenty-seventh week on the Top Pop Catalog Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums is a fifty-position weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine which ranks the best selling catalog titles, regardless of genre. Billboard defines a catalog title as one that is more than eighteen months old and that has fallen below position 100 on the Billboard 200...
chart. but as a 'catalog' title, Number Ones was excluded from the Billboard 200 denying Jackson a seventh solo No.1 album on the chart. The rules preventing titles older than 18 months to chart in the Billboard 200 were subsequently changed in the fall of 2009 due to the posthumous success of Jackson and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
re-mastered re-releases.
At the 2009 American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, Number Ones claimed two awards - Favorite Rock/Pop Album and Favorite Soul/Rhythm and Blues Album.
Overall, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide, with 4,138,600 of those being sold in the U.S.
Background
In 2003, Sony released Number Ones, which was different from Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I in several ways. The latter sold over 5 million copies, comprised fifteen singles (fourteen of them Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
Top 10 hits): three from Off the Wall
Off the Wall (album)
Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to...
, five from Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
, four from Bad
Bad (album)
Bad is the seventh studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album...
and three from Dangerous. The versions of those songs were included exactly as they appeared on the original albums, whereas Number Ones included radio edits, single versions and new edits. Number Ones also offered singles from the second disc of HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, plus the title track from Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix and "You Rock My World
You Rock My World
"You Rock My World" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his tenth, and final, studio album Invincible . The song was released as the lead single from the album in August 2001 by Epic Records. The lyrics pertain to being in love and trying to gain a woman's affection...
", the hit single from Invincible. The album also included two bonus tracks: "Break of Dawn
Break of Dawn (song)
"Break of Dawn" is an English language song written by Fredrik Kempe and performed by Swedish singer Eric Saade. It was released on 10 June 2010. It peaked the number 45 on the Swedish Singles Chart. It also appears in his debut album Masquerade. The song is a love ballad. It is about a broken...
" (a song from Invincible that Jackson planned to release as a single) and the new, previously unreleased single, "One More Chance
One More Chance (Michael Jackson song)
"One More Chance" is a song written by R. Kelly for Michael Jackson and used on his Number Ones compilation album. It was released as a single on November 20, 2003, reaching #83 in the U.S., #5 in the UK and reaching #1 in Venezuela, Moldova and Turkey....
", which became his final hit single during his lifetime.The beat-heavy ballad “One More Chance” was recorded exclusively for this collection.
As well as including most of Jackson's international #1 hits, the compilation included one new track: "One More Chance
One More Chance (Michael Jackson song)
"One More Chance" is a song written by R. Kelly for Michael Jackson and used on his Number Ones compilation album. It was released as a single on November 20, 2003, reaching #83 in the U.S., #5 in the UK and reaching #1 in Venezuela, Moldova and Turkey....
", which was written for Jackson by R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
. The U.S. release also included another track, a live rendition of "Ben
Ben (song)
"Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop...
".
There were four covers for the Number Ones album: a shot from the "Bad" music video, a shot from the "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 28, 1979, the song is the first single from Jackson's fifth studio album, entitled Off the Wall. Written by Jackson, it is in the key of B major and in common time...
" music video, one where he is suspended on his toes (supposedly from the Thriller era), and the final cover shows him holding his signature fedora, in the midst of a kick (from the Dangerous era).
Track listings
The songs included on each international version and format are summarised below, sortable using the position within an edition.| Song | American CD | European/ Australian/ Canadian CD |
DVD | DVD (China Version) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 28, 1979, the song is the first single from Jackson's fifth studio album, entitled Off the Wall. Written by Jackson, it is in the key of B major and in common time... |
1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Rock with You | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Billie Jean Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and... |
3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Beat It Beat It "Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his... |
4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Thriller Thriller (song) "Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records... |
5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Human Nature Human Nature (Michael Jackson song) "Human Nature" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written and composed by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the fifth single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Initially, Porcaro had recorded a rough demo of the song on a... |
6 | |||
| I Just Can't Stop Loving You I Just Can't Stop Loving You "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular ballad by singer Michael Jackson featuring a duet with Siedah Garrett. He created "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu", a spanish version of the song. Written and composed by Jackson, it was originally intended to be a duet between Jackson and his woman of choice:... (featuring Siedah Garrett Siedah Garrett Siedah Garrett is an American songwriter and singer.-Biography:She appeared as a contestant on Password Plus in 1980.She performed "One Man Woman" on Quincy Jones' Grammy-Award winning "Back on the Block."... ) |
6 | 7 | ||
| Bad | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Smooth Criminal Smooth Criminal "Smooth Criminal" is the seventh single from Michael Jackson's 1987 Bad album. The song contains a fast-paced beat intertwined with Jackson's lyrics about a woman named Annie, who has been attacked in her apartment by a "smooth" assailant. It was released as a single on October 24, 1988 and peaked... |
8 | 11 | 9 | |
| The Way You Make Me Feel The Way You Make Me Feel "The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released by Epic Records in November 1987, it was the third single from Jackson's seventh studio album Bad. Written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones , the song is credited as being a pop and R&B... |
9 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Man in the Mirror Man in the Mirror "Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and... |
10 | 8 | 7 | |
| Dirty Diana Dirty Diana "Dirty Diana" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson that is featured on Jackson's seventh studio album, Bad. The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988 as the fifth single from Bad. The song presented a harder rock sound similar to that of "Beat It" from... |
11 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| Black or White | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| You Are Not Alone You Are Not Alone "You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The R&B ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and... |
13 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
| Earth Song Earth Song "Earth Song" is the third single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It is the fifth song on the second disc of the album. It is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues, gospel and opera. Jackson had a long-standing history of releasing socially conscious... |
14 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
| Blood on the Dance Floor Blood on the Dance Floor (song) "Blood on the Dance Floor" is a song by Michael Jackson. The song was released as the first single from the remix album, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Jackson and Teddy Riley created the track in time for the 1991 release of Dangerous. However, it did not appear on that record and... |
15 | 14 | ||
| You Rock My World You Rock My World "You Rock My World" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his tenth, and final, studio album Invincible . The song was released as the lead single from the album in August 2001 by Epic Records. The lyrics pertain to being in love and trying to gain a woman's affection... |
15 | 16 | 15 | 12 |
| Break of Dawn Break of Dawn (song) "Break of Dawn" is an English language song written by Fredrik Kempe and performed by Swedish singer Eric Saade. It was released on 10 June 2010. It peaked the number 45 on the Swedish Singles Chart. It also appears in his debut album Masquerade. The song is a love ballad. It is about a broken... |
16 | 17 | ||
| One More Chance One More Chance (Michael Jackson song) "One More Chance" is a song written by R. Kelly for Michael Jackson and used on his Number Ones compilation album. It was released as a single on November 20, 2003, reaching #83 in the U.S., #5 in the UK and reaching #1 in Venezuela, Moldova and Turkey.... |
17 | 18 | ||
| Ben (Live) Ben (song) "Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop... |
18 |
International version
US version
Certifications
| Country | Peak | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Top 100 Albums Chart | 3x Platinum | 3,000,000 | |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... Albums Chart |
13 | 3x Platinum | 4,614,917 |
| U.S. Comprehensive Albums Chart | 1 | ||
| U.K Top 75 Albums Chart | 1 | 6x Platinum | 2,000,000+ |
| Australian ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Albums Chart |
2 | 5x Platinum | 350,000 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 11 | Gold | 15,000 |
| Argentine Albums Chart | Gold | 20,000 | |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 1 | ||
| German Media Control Albums Chart | 2 | Gold | 100,000+ |
| Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Albums Chart |
6 | Platinum | 250,000 |
| Mexican AMPROFON AMPROFON Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas is a non-profit organization integrated by multinational and national record companies in Mexico. Established on April 3, 1963, it groups phonographic companies that represent more than 70 percent of the market in Mexico... Albums Chart |
6 | Gold | 75,000 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart | 1 | 4x Platinum | 60,000 |
| Polish Albums Chart | 2 | ||
| Russian Albums Chart | 2x platinum | 45,000 | |
| Spanish PROMUSICAE PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... Albums Chart |
52 | Gold | 50,000 |
| Switzerland IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... Top 100 Albums Chart |
9 | Gold | 20,000 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Rank |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
33 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
39 |
| UK Albums Chart | 73 |
| Chart (2010) | Rank |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 76 |
2009
Number Ones sold 108,000 units in the US on the chart week ending July 1, 2009 following Jackson's death and was the biggest selling album of the week. Number Ones was 2009's third biggest-selling album, with 2.36 million according to SoundScan behind Susan Boyle'sSusan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
I Dreamed a Dream
I Dreamed a Dream (album)
I Dreamed a Dream is the debut album from Scottish singer Susan Boyle. It was released on 23 November 2009 by Syco Music in the United Kingdom, and by Columbia Records in the United States one day later. In the standard edition, 11 out of the 12 songs that appear on the album are cover songs, plus...
and Taylor Swift's
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
Fearless
Fearless (Taylor Swift album)
Fearless has been well-received by music professionals, with many praising Swift for her introspective lyrics, as well as her mature sound. According to the music review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an...
. The next week, the album sold 330,000 copies. The album was not allowed to chart on the Billboard 200, but entered the Comprehensive chart at #1. In the UK, the album re-entered the UK charts at #1.
In New Zealand, Number Ones re-entered the chart following Jackson's death at #38, climbing to #4 the following week. It then reached #1 the next week. The album was also certified 4x Platinum, shipping over 60,000 copies.
See also
- Top selling singles and albums in Ireland 2003Top selling singles and albums in Ireland 2003This is a list of the top selling singles and top sellings albums in Ireland in 2003.- Top selling singles :# "We've Got the World" - Mickey Joe Harte# "Where is the Love?" - The Black Eyed Peas# "In Da Club" - 50 Cent# "Ignition" - R...
- Number Ones DVD
- http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Hits-HIStory-Vol-1/dp/B000058T7B