''King of Pop'' is a
compilation album by American singer and recording artist
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, released in commemoration of his 50th birthday in 2008. The album title comes from the
honorific title Jackson himself acquired approximately 20 years earlier.
The track listing of the album differs significantly across countries because fans in each country where
Sony BMG operated national offices were allowed to vote on which songs would appear on that country's edition of the album. The initial pool of songs, which also differed across countries, were selected from Jackson's back catalogue and also included a new "megamix" of five songs from the ''
Thriller'' album that was created by
Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins (born December 15, 1972) is an American songwriter, record producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop and dance productions, including his multi-platinum, multi-million selling production of " It's Like That" by Ameri ...
. "
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...
" is the only song to appear on all versions of the album.
''King of Pop'' has been released in a total of 28 versions; it has not been released in North America. The album's launch was made public on June 20, 2008, with the official announcement of the Australian version. The first version actually released was in Netherlands and in Germany/Switzerland on August 22, 2008. The final release was China's edition on December 18, 2009, following Jackson's death.
Background
Prior to the release of ''King of Pop'', Jackson issued the double-disc album ''
Thriller 25
''Thriller 25'' is the 25th anniversary edition reissue of American singer Michael Jackson's sixth studio album ''Thriller'' (1982). The original album has sold 70 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of all time. ''Thrille ...
'', a 25th anniversary edition of ''
Thriller''. It was a commercial success, having done particularly well as a
re-issue
In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions.
Reasons for reissue
New audio formats
Re ...
, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe. It reached number two in the US, number three in the UK and top 10 on over 30 national charts.
In the US, ''Thriller 25'' was just 14,000 copies short of reaching the peak position, selling 166,000 copies. It was ineligible for the
''Billboard'' 200 chart as a re-release, but entered atop the
Pop Catalog chart, where it stayed for 10 non-consecutive weeks and had the best sales on that chart since December 1996.
A few months afterward, Sony announced the release of regional editions of the ''King of Pop'' compilation, in celebration of Jackson's 50th birthday. The album's title is a reference to the same title Jackson acquired approximately 20 years ago and was also co produced by Jamaican born student and song-writer Dontae Matthews, from Spanish Town, Jamaica.
The name "King of Pop" came when actress and friend
Elizabeth Taylor presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award at the 1989 Soul Train Awards, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul".
[Jackson, Michael. ''HIStory'' booklet. Sony BMG. p 3] MTV, VH1, FOX, and Jackson's record label began marketing Jackson as the "King of Pop" to coincide with the release of ''
Dangerous'' and the music video for "
Black or White
"Black or White" is a single by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it w ...
", the album's first single.
Versions
Argentina
On November 11, the Argentine version of the compilation was released. It contains 2 bonus tracks: the song "
Come Together
"Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and was also released as a single coupled with " Somethi ...
" (which is featured in ''
Moonwalker
''Moonwalker'' is a 1988 American experimental anthology musical film starring Michael Jackson. Rather than featuring one continuous narrative, the film expresses the influence of fandom and innocence through a collection of short films about J ...
'' and also the ''
HIStory
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
'' album, released in 1995) and a radio edit of the Megamix of the ''
Thriller'' album. Two tracks on the album, "Billie Jean" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" were incorrectly named as "Billy Jean" and "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough".
#"
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...
" - 4:53
#"
Beat It" - 4:18
#"
Black or White
"Black or White" is a single by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it w ...
" - 4:15
#"
Bad" - 4:07
#"
Heal the World
"Heal the World" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). It was released on November 23, 1992 as the fifth single from the album. It was written and composed by Jackson ...
"
(7" Edit) - 4:32
#"
Human Nature
Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...
" - 4:05
#"
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album '' Off the Wall'' (1979). It was t ...
"
(7" Edit) - 3:59
#"
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, '' Bad'' (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics add ...
" - 4:18
#"
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released on February 6, 1988, as the fourth single from Jackson ...
" - 5:18
#"
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a 1987 duet ballad by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, and was the first single released from his seventh album, '' Bad''. The song was written by Jackson, and co-produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The pre ...
" - 4:12
#"
Come Together
"Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and was also released as a single coupled with " Somethi ...
"
''(Bonus Track)'' - 4:02
#"
Thriller Megamix"
(Radio Edit) ''(Bonus Track)'' - 4:07
Australia
The Australian version was announced by
Sony BMG Australia on June 20, 2008, and was released on Jackson's birthday. Starting on June 21, 2008, Australian fans had three weeks to vote for their 30 favourite tracks for the album; made up of Jackson's prior material.
Each fan could choose five songs from the pool; made up of all the tracks from ''
Off the Wall'', ''
Thriller'' (2001 special edition, including "Carousel"), ''
Bad'' (2001 special edition), ''
Dangerous'', ''
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'', ''
Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', ''
Invincible
Invincible may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism
* ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane
...
'' and the track "For All Time" from ''
Thriller 25
''Thriller 25'' is the 25th anniversary edition reissue of American singer Michael Jackson's sixth studio album ''Thriller'' (1982). The original album has sold 70 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of all time. ''Thrille ...
''. The pool of songs also included seven from Jackson's time in
The Jackson 5/The Jacksons. These songs were "
Blame It on the Boogie
"Blame It on the Boogie" is a song released in 1978 by English singer-songwriter Mick Jackson. It has been covered by numerous other artists, including The Jacksons. The song was performed on ''Musikladen'' (January 1979), ''Aplauso'' (February ...
", "
Can You Feel It", "
ABC", "
I Want You Back
"I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...
", "
I'll Be There" and "
Ben
Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right.
Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, ...
".
''King of Pop'' was released in two editions: The first was a limited edition
digipak
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
...
that featured the names of selected voters, messages left by the fans and a fold-out poster that follows Jackson through his musical career; The second edition was a standard release of the album without the poster.
This is the only version of the album to contain the single ''
You Can't Win''. This Australia version contains the full nine-minute version of ''Thriller Megamix'' instead of the radio edit commonly found on other versions. The standard release contains the top 30 with a few bonus tracks, while the digipack release contains the top 20 with more archival tracks, subtitled "From The Closet".
Disc 1:
#"Billie Jean"
#"Man in the Mirror"
#"Smooth Criminal"
#"Beat It"
#"Thriller"
#"They Don't Care About Us"
#"Who Is It"
#"Black or White"
#"You Rock My World"
#"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin
#"The Way You Make Me Feel"
#"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
#"Dirty Diana"
#"Blood on the Dance Floor"
#"Rock with You"
#"Stranger in Moscow"
#"Remember the Time"
Disc 2:
#"Will You Be There"
#"Give In to Me"
#"You Are Not Alone"
#”Bad”
#”Earth Song”
#”Speechless”
#”Human Nature”
#”Heal The World”
#”Dangerous”
#”Blame It On The Boogie”
#”Ghosts”
#”Off The Wall”
#”Butterflies”
#”Say Say Say” (bonus track)
#”Scream” (bonus track)
#”Thriller Megamix” (bonus track)
From The Closet (digipack only, “Bad” to “Butterflies” have been excluded):
#"Say Say Say"
#"Scream"
#"State of Shock"
#"Got the Hots"
#"You Can't Win"
#"Fall Again"
#"Sunset Driver"
#"Someone Put Your Hand Out"
#"In the Back"
#"We Are the World"
#"One More Chance"
#"Thriller
Megamix
A megamix is a remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. It often features various artists. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. It is ...
"
Austria
On July 20, the Austrian version of the double disc compilation was announced; it was released on Jackson's birthday. The pool list fans got to choose from contained 100 tracks.
This is the only version of the album to contain the single "ABC", which is the earliest song on any version of the album.
Disc 1
#"
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released on February 6, 1988, as the fourth single from Jackson ...
" - 5:19
#"
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, '' Bad'' (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics add ...
" - 4:11
#"
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...
" - 4:53
#"
The Way You Make Me Feel
"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 9, 1987, as the third single from his seventh studio album, '' Bad''. It was written and composed by Jackson, and pro ...
" - 4:58
#"
Black or White
"Black or White" is a single by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it w ...
" - 4:16
#"
Remember the Time
"Remember the Time" is a 1992 single by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on January 14, 1992, as the second single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous''. The song was written and co ...
" - 3:59
#"
You Are Not Alone
"You Are Not Alone" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It was released on August 15, 1995, as the second single from the album.
An R&B ballad, "You ...
"
(Single Version) - 4:55
#"
Human Nature
Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...
" - 4:05
#"
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album '' Thriller'' (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It wa ...
"
(Single Version) - 4:17
#"
They Don't Care About Us
"They Don't Care About Us" is a song by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released in April 16, 1996 as the fifth single from his ninth album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It is a protest song and remains o ...
"
(LP Edit) - 4:09
#"
Dirty Diana
"Dirty Diana" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It is the ninth track on Jackson's seventh studio album, '' Bad'' (1987). The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988, as the fifth single from the album. It pre ...
" - 4:41
#"We've Had Enough" - 5:45
#"
Give In to Me
"Give In to Me" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson, released as the seventh single from his eight studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Released in February 1993, the song peaked at number one in New Zealand for four consecu ...
" - 5:30
#"
Will You Be There
"Will You Be There" is a song by Michael Jackson which was released as a single on June 28, 1993. The song is the eighth single from the 1991 album '' Dangerous''. The song gained recognition for its appearance on the soundtrack to the film '' ...
"
(Radio Edit) - 3:39
#"
Heal the World
"Heal the World" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). It was released on November 23, 1992 as the fifth single from the album. It was written and composed by Jackson ...
"
(7" Edit) - 4:32
#"Got the Hots" - 4:27
Disc 2
#"
ABC" - 2:57
#"
Can You Feel It" - 5:58
#"
Say Say Say
"Say Say Say" is a song written and performed by English musician Paul McCartney and American musician Michael Jackson, released in October 1983 as the lead single to McCartney's 1983 album ''Pipes of Peace''. Produced by George Martin, the son ...
" - 3:58
#"
Thriller"
(Single Version) - 5:12
#"
Bad" - 4:07
#"
Who Is It"
(7" Edit) - 4:00
#"
Earth Song
"Earth Song" is a song written and performed by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson for his ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It was released on November 27, 1995, by Epic Records as the third ...
"
(Radio Edit) - 5:02
#"
Beat It" - 4:18
#"
Rock with You
"Rock with You" was written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It was first offered to Karen Carpenter, while she was working on her first solo album, but she turned it down. It was released on November 3, 1979, by Epic Records as ...
"
(Single Version) - 3:23
#"
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a 1987 duet ballad by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, and was the first single released from his seventh album, '' Bad''. The song was written by Jackson, and co-produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The pre ...
" - 4:12
#"
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album '' We Are the World''. Wi ...
" (Demo) - 5:20
#"
Stranger in Moscow" - 5:22
#"
You Rock My World
"You Rock My World" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his tenth and final studio album, ''Invincible'' (2001). It was released as the lead single from the album on August 22, 2001, by Epic Records.
"You Rock My World" peaked at ...
" - 5:09
#"
Scream
Scream may refer to:
*Screaming, a loud vocalization
Amusement rides
* Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany
* Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England
* Scream! (roller coaster), at ...
" - 4:40
#"
Ghosts" - 5:08
#"Thriller Megamix"
(Radio Edit) - 4:07
Belgium
On July 26, it was announced that the double disc album would be released August 25. Fans could vote for their 5 favorite tracks from a pool of 124, on the web site of the Belgian newspaper
Het Nieuwsblad. This is the only version of the album to contain the single "
Girlfriend
A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved.
In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the in ...
" while "
Black or White
"Black or White" is a single by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it w ...
" is not present at all.
Disc 1
#"Billie Jean"
#"Beat It"
#"Bad"
#"Blood on the Dance Floor"
#"Say Say Say"
#"Can You Feel It"
#"Blame It on the Boogie"
#"Another Part of Me"
#"Baby Be Mine"
#"2 Bad"
#"Dangerous"
#"Dirty Diana"
#"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
#"Earth Song"
#"Childhood"
#"Beautiful Girl"
#"Come Together"
#"Butterflies"
#"Break of Dawn"
#"Cry"
Disc 2
#"Heal the World"
#"Ghosts"
#"Burn This Disco Out"
#"Can't Let Her Get Away"
#"I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
#"Thriller"
#"Give In to Me"
#"HIStory"
#"Smooth Criminal"
#"Human Nature"
#"Remember the Time"
#"Liberian Girl"
#"Scream"
#"D.S."
#"Girlfriend"
#"Jam"
#"Rock with You"
#"Man in the Mirror"
#"For All Time"
#"Don't Walk Away"
Brazil
The Brazilian edition was released on October 17.
This is the only version of the album to contain the single "
The Girl Is Mine 2008" while "
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, '' Bad'' (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics add ...
" is not present at all.
China
On December 18, 2009, China version named "Michael Jackson King Of Pop The China Collection" released by Sony Music China.
Different from the other versions, Fans in China were not given the opportunity to vote for songs included in China's version, and this version was not released in 2008 to celebrate Michael Jackson's birthday, but after his death in late 2009. The songs in China's version were a selection from the Hong Kong Version with the exclusion of ''
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, '' Bad'' (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics add ...
'', ''
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album '' Off the Wall'' (1979). It was t ...
'', and ''
Blood on the Dance Floor Blood on the Dance Floor may refer to:
*'' Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', a 1997 album by Michael Jackson
** "Blood on the Dance Floor" (song), a 1997 song by Michael Jackson from the album
*Blood on the Dance Floor (band)
Bl ...
''.
Spine of slipcase incorrectly mentions the title as "King Of Pop - The Hong Kong Collection".
Finland
The Finnish edition was released on October 1.
France
"King of Pop - The French Fans' Selection" was released on December 12.
Germany & Switzerland
On July 14, 2008, it was announced that German fans had until July 28 to choose their top 30 Michael Jackson songs from an extensive pool of 121 tracks for their edition of the
compilation
Compilation may refer to:
*In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler
**Compilation error
**Compilation unit
*Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products
*Compilation thesis
M ...
. The German version of ''King of Pop'' was eventually released on August 22. The German pool list contained almost every song Jackson released in his solo career. Notable expansions on the pool choice included: A larger option of tracks from ''
Thriller 25
''Thriller 25'' is the 25th anniversary edition reissue of American singer Michael Jackson's sixth studio album ''Thriller'' (1982). The original album has sold 70 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of all time. ''Thrille ...
'' (2008) and the inclusion of 12 tracks from ''
The Ultimate Collection'' (2004). There were also 8 tracks included from the singer's time in
The Jackson 5/The Jacksons, slightly more than other versions of the compilation.
The German edition was also released in Switzerland on the same day.
In Germany, ''King of Pop'' is the fourth most downloaded album of all time.
Greece
The 32-track double-CD Greek edition was released on November 17, 2008. Sony BMG Greece teamed up with music television channel
Mad TV
''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentie ...
through which fans cast votes for their favourite songs.
Hong Kong
On August 6, it was announced that the double disc album would be released August 28. Fans could vote for 10 of their favorite tracks on the web site of
Sony BMG Hong Kong.
Hungary
On July 9, it was announced that Hungarian fans had until July 27, to choose their songs from an extensive pool of 122 tracks, in a two-stage process. The pool list contained almost every song Jackson has released in his solo career. Notably expansions on the pool choice included: A larger option of tracks from ''Thriller 25'' and the inclusion of 12 tracks from ''
The Ultimate Collection'' (these are not available in the Australian or New Zealand version). In the first round (July 9 - July 15) the fans were able to vote for their top 50 tracks. In round two (July 16 - July 27) the 50 were cut down to the album track list.
India
Sony BMG India partnered with ibibo.com to roll out the Indian version of 'Michael Jackson - King Of Pop'. The double CD collection was available in stores by January 2009 and is a special selection of Michael Jackson songs collectively voted by community members of ibibo.com. Additionally the best moon walkers were selected by the Ibibo community along with Sony BMG and could win laptops and iPods.
Italy
"King of Pop - The Italian Fans' Selection" was released on October 3.
It was the first collection to feature the full version of "Carousel" from the Special Edition of ''
Thriller'', and the only version of the album to contain "
Tabloid Junkie
"Tabloid Junkie" is a song performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The song appeared as the eleventh track on Jackson's ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'', which was released in 1995 as a two-disc ...
" and "Morphine".
Japan
On July 18, the Japanese edition "キング・オブ・ポップ-ジャパン・エディション" (King of Pop - Japan edition) was announced with fans picking from a selection pool of 120 tracks. The compilation was released on September 24 by
Sony Music Japan.
Netherlands
On July 22, it was announced that Dutch fans could vote for their favorite Jackson tracks, choosing 5 songs from a list of 100. The release date of the album was August 22.
New Zealand
On July 3, it was announced that fans in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
would have until July 20, to vote for their version of ''King of Pop''. In New Zealand, the compilation was released on August 25. Fans could vote for five songs in a pool that differed slightly from the Australian song pool. The songs available from ''Thriller 25'' were different; "For All Time" had been replaced by "
The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008". "Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu" from ''Bad'' (2001 special edition) was not available. While the Australian pool included seven songs from Jackson's group career, the New Zealand pool had only three: "Blame It on the Boogie", "Can You Feel It" and "State of Shock".
Philippines
Sony BMG Philippines and
MYX Music Channel announced the Philippine release of ''the King of Pop''. Filipino fans were asked to send their Top 10 all-time favorite Michael Jackson tracks via e-mail. The album was released on August 28, 2008. This is the only version of the album to contain the single ''
Gone Too Soon
"Gone Too Soon" is a ballad recorded and popularized by American musician Michael Jackson. It was written and composed by Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan.
Dionne Warwick first performed (but never recorded) the song in February 1983 on a TV sp ...
''.
Poland
On August 29, it was announced that the double disc album would be released in Poland on October 20. Fans could vote for 20 of their favourite tracks from a pool of 120 on the special web site of Sony BMG Poland. That site was launched on August 29 (on Michael Jackson's 50th birthday) and voting was closed on September 17.
Portugal
The Portuguese edition was released on December 9, 2008.
South Korea
"King of Pop - The Korean Limited Edition" was released on December 11, 2008.
Spain
"King of Pop - Edición Exclusiva España" was released in Spain on January 13, 2009. This is the only version of the album to contain the song
Unbreakable
Unbreakable may refer to:
* '' Unbreakable: My Story, My Way'', a book written by Jenni Rivera
* Unbreakable (horse) (1935–1962), a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire
Film and television
* ''Unbreakable'' (film series), a trilogy directed by M ...
.
Sweden
The Swedish edition was released on October 15.
Taiwan
On July 31, 2009, double disc album called "King of Pop (The Taiwan Collection)" released by Sony Music Taiwan. This version released after Michael Jackson's death, and the track listing is exactly the same as Hong Kong Version.
Turkey
"King of Pop - The Turkish Collection" was released on November 24.
United Kingdom
On July 18, the United Kingdom version of the compilation was announced, with a release date of August 25. Sony BMG UK teamed up with
GMTV and ''
The Sun'' allowing fans, until August 10, to pick 18 tracks from the song pool. The pool list, at only 50 tracks, is the least diverse; there were no songs included from Jackson's group career.
Despite the pool conducting a possible 18 tracks, only 17 are included. Most notable is the fact that "
Scream
Scream may refer to:
*Screaming, a loud vocalization
Amusement rides
* Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany
* Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England
* Scream! (roller coaster), at ...
" is included on the album, as this song had not appeared on any compilation album in the United Kingdom prior due to legal rights with
Janet Jackson's label
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...
.
Deluxe box set
In the United Kingdom, a three disc version was released on September 29, 2008. The third disc was advertised as featuring "Rarities and Classic 12"s", although many of the mixes were already remastered and re-released on the 2006 boxset ''
Visionary: The Video Singles''.
The album tracks are:
Comparison
The songs included on each international version are summarised below, with their disc and track numbers. (The table can be sorted separately for each country, showing the order of the tracks in that country's compilation; when sorted in ascending order, the rows with contents will appear at the bottom of the table.)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:King Of Pop (Album)
2008 greatest hits albums
Albums produced by Michael Jackson
Epic Records compilation albums
Michael Jackson compilation albums