The Ultimate Collection (commonly abbreviated as TUC) is a compilation album box set 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 box set itself was rather Sony Music's project, as even though Michael did approve it, he had no involvement in working on it or choosing songs whatsoever. The Ultimate Collection was rather a contract obligation; as the label cut promotion for Invincible in 2002 due to struggles with creative control, Michael decided to protest and leave the label, "owing" them one more release (Number Ones).
| “ | 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. | ” |
In the years leading to his death, Jackson seems to have been dissatisfied with the release, as some of the previously unreleased songs featured would go on to be worked on once again (e.g. "Beautiful Girl", "The Way You Love Me").
Contents[]
The set includes 4 CDs of Michael's greatest hits and previously unreleased songs. These focus more on the tracks released through Epic Records rather than Motown. The 5th disc included the first physical release of Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour, which was originally only aired exclusively by HBO in 1992.
The set includes a large booklet, featuring recording dates for each track and personnel behind them, rare pictures of Michael, and a rundown of his history alongside a timeline of events.
Track list[]
| Disc 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "I Want You Back" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "ABC" | 2:57 |
| 3. | "I'll Be There" | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Got to Be There" | 3:22 |
| 5. | "I Wanna Be Where You Are" | 2:56 |
| 6. | "Ben" | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Dancing Machine" | 2:36 |
| 8. | "Enjoy Yourself" | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Ease On Down the Road" (featuring Diana Ross) | 3:18 |
| 10. | "You Can't Win" | 7:17 |
| 11. | "Shake a Body (Demo)" | 2:08 |
| 12. | "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" | 3:44 |
| 13. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" | 6:03 |
| 14. | "Rock with You" | 3:39 |
| 15. | "Rock with You" | 3:39 |
| 16. | "She's Out of My Life" | 3:37 |
| 17. | "Sunset Driver" | 4:02 |
| 18. | "Lovely One" | 4:49 |
| 19. | "This Place Hotel" | 5:44 |
| Total length: | 1:00:48 | |
| Disc 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" | 6:02 |
| 2. | "The Girl Is Mine" (featuring Paul McCartney) | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Thriller" | 5:57 |
| 4. | "Beat It" | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Billie Jean" | 4:52 |
| 6. | "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (Demo)" | 3:46 |
| 7. | "Someone in the Dark" | 4:54 |
| 8. | "State of Shock" (featuring Mick Jagger) | 4:29 |
| 9. | "Scared of the Moon" | 4:41 |
| 10. | "We Are the World (Demo)" | 5:19 |
| 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" | 4:57 |
| 3. | "Man in the Mirror" | 5:18 |
| 4. | "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (featuring Siedah Garrett) | 4:12 |
| 5. | "Dirty Diana" | 4:40 |
| 6. | "Smooth Criminal" | 4:17 |
| 7. | "Cheater" | 5:08 |
| 8. | "Dangerous (Demo)" | 6:39 |
| 9. | "Monkey Business" | 5:44 |
| 10. | "Jam" | 5:39 |
| 11. | "Remember the Time" | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Black or White" | 4:16 |
| 13. | "Who Is It (IHS Mix)" | 7:56 |
| 14. | "Someone Put Your Hand Out" | 5:25 |
| Total length: | 1:01:06 | |
| Disc 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "You Are Not Alone" | 6:01 |
| 2. | "Stranger in Moscow" | 5:44 |
| 3. | "Childhood (Theme From Free Willy 2)" | 4:27 |
| 4. | "On the Line" | 4:52 |
| 5. | "Blood on the Dance Floor" | 4:12 |
| 6. | "Fall Again" | 4:22 |
| 7. | "In the Back" | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Unbreakable" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.) | 6:25 |
| 9. | "You Rock My World" | 5:08 |
| 10. | "Butterflies" | 4:39 |
| 11. | "Beautiful Girl" | 4:03 |
| 12. | "The Way You Love Me" | 4:29 |
| 13. | "We've Had Enough" | 5:45 |
| Total length: | 1:02:28 | |
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 |
Promotional singles[]
September 14, 2004
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, in total 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 |
Controversy[]
In 2017, the entire album has been pulled from streaming for unknown reasons.[1] This caused fans a lot of confusion and frustration. It's often assumed the reason is so the Michael Jackson Estate can put the demos and outtakes on future anniversary reissues of Michael's albums, similarly to what was done with Thriller 40. The box set can still be bought through the official Michael Jackson store for US $59.98.[2]
The songs themselves, while not available on streaming services, can be still purchased through iTunes under The Ultimate Fan Extras Collection.[3]
Gallery[]
