Wiki
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Release Date
16 June 1995
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Length
30 tracks
HIStory - Past, Present And Future - Book I (usually shortened to HIStory) is the ninth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995. It was Jackson's fifth album released through Epic Records, and the first released on his label MJJ Productions. The album was Jackson's first studio album since his 1991 album Dangerous nearly four years prior. HIStory consists of two discs: the first, HIStory Begins, is a greatest hits compilation; the second, HIStory Continues, comprises new material written and produced by Jackson and collaborators. The themes include environmental awareness, isolation, greed, suicide, injustice, and Jackson's conflicts with the media.
HIStory attracted some controversy. Jackson rerecorded some lyrics in "They Don't Care About Us" after he was accused of antisemitism, and contributor R. Kelly was accused of having plagiarized one of the album's songs, "You Are Not Alone", leading to its banning on Belgian radio.
HIStory debuted at number one in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, France and the United Kingdom, and charted in the top ten in Spain, India and Mexico. By 1997 it had been certified six times platinum in Europe, making it the best-selling album of the year in the combined European market. The album received generally positive reviews and was nominated for five Grammy Awards, winning one for Best Music Video – Short Form for "Scream".
Six singles and one promotional single were released from HIStory: "Scream/Childhood", "You Are Not Alone", "Earth Song", "This Time Around", "They Don't Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow", with "Smile" being released for promotional purposes only. "Earth Song", "They Don't Care About Us" and "Stranger in Moscow" peaked in the top ten in multiple countries, but were less successful within the United States. The greatest hits disc was reissued as a single disc on November 13, 2001, under the title Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I and had sold four million copies worldwide by 2010. The second disc was released separately in some European countries in 2011. As of 2010, HIStory has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and is the best selling multiple-disc release, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
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