HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I—commonly shortened to HIStory—is a double album by Michael Jackson that came out on June 20, 1995. It pairs a greatest-hits collection called HIStory Begins with Jackson’s ninth studio album, HIStory Continues. This was his fifth album on Epic Records and the first released under his own label, MJJ Productions. The album features guest spots from Janet Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, Slash, and the Notorious B.I.G., and its sound blends pop, R&B, and hip hop with touches of hard rock and funk rock. Lyrically, the songs tackle environmental issues, loneliness, greed, and injustice; several tracks directly respond to the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson and what he saw as unfair treatment by the media.

The album hit number one on the Billboard 200 and in nineteen other countries right away. Its first single, a double A-side pairing "Scream" (a duet with his sister Janet) and "Childhood," reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. "You Are Not Alone" made history as the first song ever to debut at number one on that chart, and it became Jackson’s last US number-one single. Other singles included "Earth Song," "They Don't Care About Us," and "Stranger in Moscow." The track "They Don't Care About Us" sparked controversy over accusations of antisemitism, which Jackson denied.

Worldwide, HIStory sold over 20 million copies, ranking among the best-selling albums ever, and the Recording Industry Association of America certified it eight-times platinum. Critics gave it generally favorable reviews, though many saw it as a step back from his earlier work. At the 1996 Grammy Awards, the album earned five nominations, including Jackson’s third nod for Album of the Year, and won Best Music Video – Short Form for "Scream." To support the release, Jackson launched the HIStory World Tour, his third and final solo concert tour, which grossed $165 million—the highest figure for any solo tour in the 1990s. In 2001, the first disc was reissued on its own as the compilation Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I.

Jackson’s rocky relationship with tabloid press began in the late 1980s. In 1986, papers claimed he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and tried to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man"); Jackson denied both stories. These tales fueled the nickname "Wacko Jacko," which he hated.