HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)

HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, often referred to simply as HIStory, is a double album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released on June 20, 1995. It consists of the greatest hits album HIStory Begins and Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory Continues. It was Jackson's fifth album released through Epic Records and the first on his label, MJJ Productions. HIStory includes appearances by Janet Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, Slash, and the Notorious B.I.G. Its genres span pop, R&B, and hip hop with elements of hard rock and funk rock. Lyrical themes include environmental awareness, isolation, greed, and injustice.

Several songs pertain to the child sexual abuse allegations made against Jackson in 1993 and Jackson's perceived mistreatment by the media. "They Don't Care About Us" drew controversy over accusations of antisemitism, which Jackson denied. To promote the album, Jackson embarked on the HIStory World Tour, his third and final concert tour as a solo artist. It grossed $165 million, making it the highest-grossing solo concert tour of the 1990s.

HIStory debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and in nineteen other countries. The first single, a double A-side of "Scream" (a duet between Jackson and his sister Janet) and "Childhood", reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. "You Are Not Alone" became the first song to debut at number one on the Hot 100 and was Jackson's final US number-one single. "Earth Song" and "They Don't Care About Us", and "Stranger in Moscow" were also released as singles.

HIStory sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time, and was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It received generally favorable reviews, though it was viewed as a regression from Jackson's previous releases. HIStory was nominated for five Grammy Awards at the 1996 Grammy Awards, including Jackson's third Album of the Year nomination. It won Best Music Video – Short Form for "Scream". Disc one was also re-released as a standalone compilation album titled Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I in 2001.

Background

Starting in the late 1980s, Jackson and the tabloid press had a difficult relationship. In 1986, tabloids claimed that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "Elephant Man"), both of which Jackson vehemently denied. These stories inspired the derogatory nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson despised. He stopped leaking untruths to the press, and the media began creating their own stories. In 1989, Jackson released "Leave Me Alone", a song about the victimization he felt by the press.