Design of a Decade: 1986–1996

Background and content

In 1991, Jackson fulfilled her contract with A&M Records and signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Virgin Records, estimated between $32 million and $50 million, making her the highest paid recording artist at the time according to media reports. Her fifth studio album with Virgin, Janet (stylized as janet.), was released in May 1993 and became a commercial success, opening at number one in the United States—the first female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era to do so—and selling over 14 million copies worldwide. Six singles were released from Janet, with "That's the Way Love Goes" and "Again" topping the Billboard Hot 100; the former won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, while the latter received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

As Jackson's Virgin contract allowed her to leave the label, she returned to A&M to release Design of a Decade: 1986–1996, her first compilation. Billboard reported that DreamWorks SKG and A&M were interested in signing her; A&M president Al Cafaro expressed enthusiasm about working with her again. The album includes fourteen digitally remastered singles and two new songs written with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Release

A&M backed the release with what it described as a very aggressive but serious marketing plan, spending millions on a worldwide campaign that included syndicated and local TV spots as well as print ads in Seventeen, Us, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Jet, Vibe, and Essence. Four regional versions of the compilation were produced, three of which had different covers designed to appeal to local fan bases. The international and Japanese editions added two extra tracks: a duet with Luther Vandross called "The Best Things In Life Are Free" and "Whoops Now".

The Australian version used the Frankie Knuckles and David Morales mix of the duet, while the Japanese and international editions used the C.J. Mackintosh mix. Every version included a 24-page booklet with new photos and an interview with Jackson. A companion video compilation came out on the same day on VHS, LaserDisc, and Video CD, containing a music video for every song on the album except "Twenty Foreplay".

Critical reception

Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 received positive reviews from music critics. Gil L. Robertson IV of Cash Box described the package as "a treasure trove for all who like their music hot and sweet," noting that all the songs were enormous hits and that the new tracks showcased Jackson's evolution as a strong, focused adult performer. Terry Underhill of Chester Chronicles called it one of the best compilations of the year and predicted it would be an enormous success. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave it an A− rating, stating that those who begrudge her place in pop culture have catching up to do.

James Muretich of the Calgary Herald called Jackson "the funkiest of females on the recording scene," noting she had moved out of her brother's shadow and could produce slick soul hits; he also remarked that the new songs showed she was becoming the Diana Ross of her day. Langston Wertz Jr. of The Charlotte Observer wrote that Jackson "proves she's a star" with the album. Elysa Gardner of Vibe magazine observed that the compilation traces a young woman's progression from questioning authority to reveling in her own power.

Commercial performance

In the United States, Design of a Decade: 1986–1996 debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 28, 1995, with 129,000 copies sold, and peaked at number three the following week. It was the first Jackson album since Control (1986) not to reach number one. The collection spent 16 weeks on the Catalog Albums chart, peaking at number three in 2001.

On December 18, 1995, the RIAA certified it double platinum for shipments of over 2,000,000 copies; as of September 2009, Nielsen SoundScan estimated sales of 2,422,000 copies in the US, with an additional 1,480,000 units sold through BMG Music Clubs as of February 2003. In Canada, the album reached number five on the RPM albums chart and earned a platinum certification from Music Canada for shipments of 100,000 copies. In Australia, it debuted at number two on October 8, 1995, held that position for three weeks, and was certified four-times platinum by ARIA for shipments of 280,000 copies.

The album topped the charts in New Zealand and received a platinum certification from Recorded Music NZ. In Japan, it charted for nine weeks on the Oricon Albums Chart, peaking at number four, and was certified platinum by the RIAJ for shipments of 200,000 copies. It also reached number one in Singapore for the week ending November 10, 1995.