The Ultimate Collection (commonly abbreviated as TUC) is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released through Epic Records on November 16, 2004. The release sold 57,000 copies alone and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2013.
Background[]
The Ultimate Collection box set was more so a Sony Music project, as even though Jackson did approve it, he wasn't involved in production or song choosing whatsoever. The track list was put together by engineer Matt Forger and others on behalf of Legacy Recordings. The lack of input from Jackson was especially due to his then-ongoing struggles with court.
| “ | I remember going through a hundred tapes - some with Michael's voice, some without. The best were chosen for this project, which covered his entire career. We wanted Michael to be more involved, but he was very busy with other commitments. He reviewed what had been assembled and gave final approval to the project. | ” |
Despite of his approval, Jackson seems to have been dissatisfied with The Ultimate Collection in later years, not having given it much thought when signing off on it; he continued working on some of the previously unreleased outtakes in the years leading up to his death, including "Beautiful Girl" and "The Way You Love Me".
Contents[]
The box set includes four CDs of Jackson's greatest hits and previously unreleased songs. The fifth disc includes the first physical release of Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour, which was originally aired exclusively by HBO in 1992.
The set includes a large booklet, which features recording dates for each track and personnel behind them, rare pictures of Jackson, and a rundown of his history, alongside a timeline of events.
Controversy[]
In 2018, the album was removed from streaming platforms for unknown reasons, which caused fans confusion and frustration.[1] It is often assumed, that the reason is so the Michael Jackson Estate can re-release the demos and outtakes on future anniversary reissues of Jackson's albums, in the likes of Thriller 40. The box set can still be purchased through the official Michael Jackson store for $55.98 USD,[2] and the songs can also still be purchased on iTunes separately under The Ultimate Fan Extras Collection.[3]
Promotional singles[]
September 14, 2004
Spotify[]
Track list[]
| Disc 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "I Want You Back" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "ABC" | 2:57 |
| 3. | "I'll Be There" | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Got to Be There" | 3:23 |
| 5. | "I Wanna Be Where You Are" | 2:59 |
| 6. | "Ben" | 2:44 |
| 7. | "Dancing Machine" (single version) | 2:37 |
| 8. | "Enjoy Yourself" (alternate version) | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Ease on Down the Road" (featuring Diana Ross) | 3:19 |
| 10. | "You Can't Win" (alternate version) | 7:18 |
| 11. | "Shake a Body (Demo)" | 2:09 |
| 12. | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (single edit) | 3:44 |
| 13. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" | 6:04 |
| 14. | "Rock with You" (album version #2) | 3:39 |
| 15. | "Off the Wall" | 4:06 |
| 16. | "She's Out of My Life" | 3:38 |
| 17. | "Sunset Driver" | 4:03 |
| 18. | "Lovely One" | 4:50 |
| 19. | "This Place Hotel" | 5:44 |
| Total length: | 70:48 | |
| Disc 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" | 6:03 |
| 2. | "The Girl Is Mine" (featuring Paul McCartney) | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Thriller" | 5:58 |
| 4. | "Beat It" | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Billie Jean" | 4:53 |
| 6. | "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (demo) | 3:46 |
| 7. | "Someone in the Dark" (opening version) | 4:54 |
| 8. | "State of Shock" (featuring Mick Jagger) | 4:30 |
| 9. | "Scared of the Moon" | 4:41 |
| 10. | "We Are the World" (demo) | 5:20 |
| 11. | "We Are Here to Change the World" | 2:53 |
| Total length: | 48:18 | |
| Disc 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Bad" | 4:07 |
| 2. | "The Way You Make Me Feel" (album version #2) | 4:58 |
| 3. | "Man in the Mirror" | 5:20 |
| 4. | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (featuring Siedah Garrett) (radio edit) | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Dirty Diana" (album version #2) | 4:41 |
| 6. | "Smooth Criminal" (album version #3) | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Cheater" | 5:09 |
| 8. | "Dangerous" (early version) | 6:40 |
| 9. | "Monkey Business" | 5:46 |
| 10. | "Jam" (featuring Heavy D) | 5:39 |
| 11. | "Remember the Time" | 4:00 |
| 12. | "Black or White" | 4:16 |
| 13. | "Who Is It" (IHS Mix) | 7:57 |
| 14. | "Someone Put Your Hand Out" | 5:25 |
| Total length: | 71:06 | |
| Disc 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "You Are Not Alone" (extended version) | 6:03 |
| 2. | "Stranger in Moscow" | 5:44 |
| 3. | "Childhood" (theme from Free Willy 2) | 4:28 |
| 4. | "On the Line" | 4:53 |
| 5. | "Blood on the Dance Floor" | 4:12 |
| 6. | "Fall Again" | 4:22 |
| 7. | "In the Back" | 4:31 |
| 8. | "Unbreakable" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.) | 6:26 |
| 9. | "You Rock My World" (album edit) | 5:09 |
| 10. | "Butterflies" | 4:40 |
| 11. | "Beautiful Girl" | 4:03 |
| 12. | "The Way You Love Me" | 4:30 |
| 13. | "We've Had Enough" | 5:45 |
| Total length: | 62:28 | |
Limited Japanese Edition Bonus Tracks[]
| Disc 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "Blame It on the Boogie" | 3:34 |
| Disc 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 6. | "Human Nature" | 4:05 |
| Disc 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 3. | "Another Part of Me" | 3:55 |
| 13. | "Heal the World" | 6:25 |
| Disc 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 12. | "One More Chance" | 3:49 |
Cut songs[]
Highlights From The Ultimate Collection[]
Highlights From the Ultimate Collection artwork
Highlights From The Ultimate Collection is a mini-compilation CD consisting of three, some more notable songs from each disc of The Ultimate Collection, for a total of twelve tracks. The release took place only in Europe and was rather a promotional disc.
| Standard edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "I Want You Back" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Rock with You" | 3:40 |
| 3. | "She's Out of My Life" | 3:37 |
| 4. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" | 6:03 |
| 5. | "Billie Jean" | 4:53 |
| 6. | "Scared of the Moon" | 4:41 |
| 7. | "Bad" | 4:07 |
| 8. | "Man in the Mirror" | 5:19 |
| 9. | "Cheater" | 5:09 |
| 10. | "You Are Not Alone" | 6:01 |
| 11. | "Beautiful Girl" | 4:03 |
| 12. | "We've Had Enough" | 5:45 |
Gallery[]
