King of Pop (album)

Not to be confused with Kings of Pop.

King of Pop
Greatest hits album by
Michael Jackson
ReleasedAugust 22, 2008
Recorded1979–2001
LabelEpic
Producer
  • Michael Jackson
  • various
Michael Jackson chronology
Thriller 25
(2008) 		King of Pop
(2008) 		The Motown Years
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

King of Pop is a compilation album by American singer and recording artist Michael Jackson, 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, was 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. "Billie Jean" is the only song to appear on all versions of the album.

As of 2019, 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 was 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, a 25th anniversary edition of Thriller. It was a commercial success, having done particularly well as a re-issue, 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.[2][3][4] 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.[5][6][7][8][9]

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 songwriter Dontae Matthews, from Spanish Town, Jamaica.[10][11] 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".[12] 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", the album's first single.[10]

Versions

Argentina

On November 11, the Argentine version of the compilation was released. It contains 2 bonus tracks: the song "Come Together" (which is featured in Moonwalker and also the HIStory 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".

Track list
  1. "Billie Jean" – 4:53
  2. "Beat It" – 4:18
  3. "Black or White" – 4:15
  4. "Bad" – 4:07
  5. "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
  6. "Human Nature" – 4:05
  7. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (7" Edit) – 3:59
  8. "Smooth Criminal" – 4:18
  9. "Man in the Mirror" – 5:18
  10. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" – 4:12
    • Bonustracks
  11. "Come Together" – 4:02
  12. "Thriller Megamix" (Radio Edit)[13] – 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.[14][15] 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 and the track "For All Time" from Thriller 25. 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", "Can You Feel It", "ABC", "I Want You Back", "I'll Be There" and "Ben".[14][15] King of Pop was released in two editions: The first was a limited edition digipak 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.[14] This is the only version of the album to contain "Sunset Driver", "In The Back" and 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".

Track list – Standard Edition[16]
Track list – Digipack Edition [17]

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.[18] This is the only version of the album to contain the single "ABC", which is the earliest song on any version of the album.

Track list

Disc 1

  1. "Man in the Mirror" – 5:19
  2. "Smooth Criminal" – 4:11
  3. "Billie Jean" – 4:53
  4. "The Way You Make Me Feel" – 4:58
  5. "Black or White" – 4:16
  6. "Remember the Time" – 3:59
  7. "You Are Not Alone" (Single Version) – 4:55
  8. "Human Nature" – 4:05
  9. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Single Version) – 4:17
  10. "They Don't Care About Us" (LP Edit) – 4:09
  11. "Dirty Diana" – 4:41
  12. "We've Had Enough" – 5:45
  13. "Give In to Me" – 5:30
  14. "Will You Be There" (Radio Edit) – 3:39
  15. "Heal the World" (7" Edit) – 4:32
    • Bonustrack
  16. "Got the Hots" – 4:27

Disc 2

  1. "ABC" – 2:57
  2. "Can You Feel It" – 5:58
  3. "Say Say Say" – 3:58
  4. "Thriller" (Single Version) – 5:12
  5. "Bad" – 4:07
  6. "Who Is It" (7" Edit) – 4:00
  7. "Earth Song" (Radio Edit) – 5:02
  8. "Beat It" – 4:18
  9. "Rock with You" (Single Version) – 3:23
  10. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" – 4:12
  11. "We Are the World" (Demo) – 5:20
  12. "Stranger in Moscow" – 5:22
  13. "You Rock My World" – 5:09
  14. "Scream" – 4:40
  15. "Ghosts" – 5:08
    • Bonustrack
  16. "Thriller Megamix" (Radio Edit)[19] – 4:07

Belgium

Two versions of the album were released on August 25, the Het Nieuwsblad Edition and the "BEL RTL" Edition. The BEL RTL Edition is the only version of the album that doesn't contain the single "Black or White" at all.[20] The Het Nieuwsblad Edition is the only version of the album to contain "Beautiful Girl".[21] 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.[22]

Track list – Het Nieuwsblad Edition
Track list – BEL RTL Edition

Brazil

The Brazilian edition was released on October 17.[13] This is the only version of the album to contain the single "The Girl Is Mine 2008" while "Smooth Criminal" is not present at all.

Track list
  1. "Thriller"
  2. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
  3. "Billie Jean"
  4. "Black or White"
  5. "Heal the World"
  6. "Say Say Say"
  7. "Beat It"
  8. "Rock with You"
  9. "Human Nature"
  10. "Bad"
  11. "You Are Not Alone"
  12. "Will You Be There"
  13. "The Way You Make Me Feel"
  14. "Man in the Mirror"
    • Bonustracks
  15. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008"
  16. "The Girl Is Mine 2008"[13]

China

On December 18, 2009, China version named "Michael Jackson King Of Pop The China Collection" released by Sony Music China.[23][24]

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, Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, and Blood on the Dance Floor.[23] Spine of slipcase incorrectly mentions the title as "King Of Pop – The Hong Kong Collection".[24]

Track list

Finland

The Finnish edition was released on October 1.[25]

Track list
  1. "Billie Jean"
  2. "Thriller"
  3. "Beat It"
  4. "Smooth Criminal"
  5. "Bad"
  6. "Earth Song"
  7. "Black or White"
  8. "Dirty Diana"
  9. "You Are Not Alone"
  10. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
  11. "Heal the World"
  12. "They Don't Care About Us"
  13. "Scream"
  14. "Man in the Mirror"
  15. "Liberian Girl"
  16. "Say Say Say"
  17. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
  18. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"[25]

France

"King of Pop – The French Fans' Selection" was released on December 12. This is the only version of the album to contain the single Cry. The Deluxe box set is the only version of the album to contain "The Way You Love Me" and "Rock With You" (Original LP Version).

Track list

Deluxe box set

"King of Pop – The French Fans' Selection" – Deluxe Box Set Edition was released on the same day with a 3rd bonus disc.

  • Disc 3
  1. "Rock with You (Original LP Version)"
  2. "Bad (Dance Extended Mix – Includes False Fade)"
  3. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (Extended 12" Mix)"
  4. "Billie Jean (Original 12" Version)"
  5. "Another Part Of Me (Dance Extended Mix)"
  6. "The Way You Make Me Feel (Dance Extended Mix)"
  7. "Black or White (The Civilles & Cole House/Club Mix)"[27]

Germany and 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. 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 (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.[28][29] The German edition was also released in Switzerland on the same day.[30] In Germany, King of Pop is the fourth most downloaded album of all time.[31]

Track list

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 through which fans cast votes for their favourite songs.[32]

Track list

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.

Track list

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.[34]

Track list
  1. "Billie Jean"
  2. "Black or White"
  3. "Thriller"
  4. "Smooth Criminal"
  5. "Earth Song"
  6. "Bad"
  7. "Beat It"
  8. "Dirty Diana"
  9. "They Don't Care About Us"
  10. "Heal the World"
  11. "Remember the Time"
  12. "Say Say Say"
  13. "Dangerous"
  14. "Give In to Me"
  15. "You Are Not Alone"
    • Bonustrack
  16. "Thriller Megamix"[35]

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.

Track list
Disc One
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Billie Jean"Michael JacksonThriller4:54
2."Bad"Michael JacksonBad4:06
3."Thriller"Rod TempertonThriller5:58
4."Black or White" (rap lyrics by Bill Bottrell)Michael JacksonDangerous4:18
5."Heal the World"Michael JacksonDangerous6:26
6."Smooth Criminal"Michael JacksonBad4:18
7."Jam"Michael Jackson, Rene Moore, Bruce Swedien, Teddy RileyDangerous5:40
8."The Way You Make Me Feel"Michael JacksonBad4:58
9."I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (feat. Siedah Garrett)Michael JacksonBad4:12
10."They Don't Care About Us"Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I4:44
11."In The Closet" (feat. Mystery Girl)Michael Jackson, Teddy RileyDangerous6:32
12."Baby Be Mine"Rod TempertonThriller4:20
13."Stranger in Moscow"Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I5:44
14."Come Together" (Beatles cover)John Lennon, Paul McCartneyHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I4:02
15."Will You Be There"Michael JacksonDangerous7:40
Disc Two
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"Michael JacksonOff the Wall6:04
2."Beat It"Michael JacksonThriller4:18
3."Dangerous"Bill Bottrell, Teddy RileyDangerous7:00
4."Dirty Diana"Michael JacksonBad4:40
5."You Are Not Alone"R. KellyHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I5:46
6."Remember the Time"Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Bernard BelleDangerous4:00
7."Earth Song"Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I6:46
8."Off the Wall"Rod TempertonOff the Wall4:06
9."You Rock My World"Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora PayneInvincible5:40
10."Man in the Mirror"Siedah Garrett, Glen BallardBad5:18
11."Break of Dawn"Dr. Freeze, Michael JacksonInvincible5:30
12."Butterflies"Marsha Ambrosius, Andre HarrisInvincible4:40
13."Blood on the Dance Floor"Michael Jackson, Teddy RileyBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix4:14
14."Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"Michael JacksonThriller6:02
15."Billie Jean 2008"Michael JacksonThriller 254:38

Italy

"King of Pop – The Italian Fans' Selection" was released on October 3.[36] 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" and "Morphine".

Track list
Not to be confused with Kings of Pop.

King of Pop the Japanese Edition
Greatest hits album by
Michael Jackson
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2008
Recorded1979–2001
LabelEpic
Producer
  • Michael Jackson
  • various
Michael Jackson chronology
Thriller 25
(2008) 		King of Pop the Japanese Edition
(2008) 		The Motown Years
(2008)

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.[37]

Track list
  1. "Billie Jean"
  2. "Man in the Mirror"
  3. "Smooth Criminal"
  4. "Thriller"
  5. "Beat It"
  6. "Bad"
  7. "Black or White"
  8. "Heal the World"
  9. "Rock with You"
  10. "Human Nature"
  11. "We Are the World"
  12. "Say Say Say"
  13. "Scream"
  14. "Remember the Time"
  15. "Off the Wall"
    • Bonustracks
  16. "Ben"
  17. "Thriller Megamix"[38]
Not to be confused with Kings of Pop.

King of Pop (Greatest Hits Mexican Collection)
Greatest hits album by
Michael Jackson
ReleasedNovember 13, 2008.
Recorded1979–2001
LabelEpic
Producer
  • Michael Jackson
  • various
Michael Jackson chronology
Thriller 25
(2008) 		King of Pop (Greatest Hits Mexican Collection)
(2008) 		The Motown Years
(2008)

Mexico

Did you know that when Michael Jackson visited Mexico in 1993 for his presentation at the Azteca Stadium, he took time to go shopping at Pabellón Polanco where he was in 3 stores that were closed so he would feel more comfortable. However, in #Mixup, in addition to buying several clubs, did you take time to sign autographs? 31 years ago 1993–2024

Track list [39]

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.[40] In Netherlands were two versions released, The Limited -bol.com- Collection and The Dutch Collection.

Track list – The Limited – bol.com – Collection[41]
Track list – The Dutch Collection[42]

New Zealand

On July 3, it was announced that fans in New Zealand 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".[44]

Track list
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Billie Jean"Michael JacksonThriller4:54
2."Thriller"Rod TempertonThriller5:58
3."Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"Michael JacksonOff the Wall6:04
4."Man in the Mirror"Siedah Garrett, Glen BallardBad5:18
5."Black or White"Michael Jackson; rap lyrics by Bill BottrellDangerous4:18
6."They Don't Care About Us"Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I4:44
7."Beat It"Michael JacksonThriller4:18
8."Smooth Criminal"Michael JacksonBad4:18
9."Bad"Michael JacksonBad4:08
10."You Rock My World"Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora PayneInvincible5:40
11."Rock with You"Rod TempertonOff the Wall3:40
12."The Way You Make Me Feel"Michael JacksonBad4:58
13."Heal the World"Michael JacksonDangerous6:24
14."Scream"James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Michael Jackson, Janet JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I4:40
15."Dirty Diana"Michael JacksonBad4:52
16."Remember the Time"Teddy Riley, Michael Jackson, Bernard BelleDangerous4:00
17."Blame It on the Boogie"Mick Jackson, Dave Jackson, Elmar KrohnDestiny3:36
18."Stranger in Moscow"Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I5:44

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.[45] This is the only version of the album to contain the single Gone Too Soon.

Track list

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.[47]

Track list

Portugal

The Portuguese edition was released on December 9, 2008.[48]

Track list
  1. "Billie Jean"
  2. "Black or White"
  3. "Beat It"
  4. "Bad"
  5. "Smooth Criminal"
  6. "You Are Not Alone"
  7. "Thriller"
  8. "Earth Song"
  9. "Man in the Mirror"
  10. "You Rock My World"
  11. "The Way You Make Me Feel"
  12. "Heal the World"
  13. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
  14. "Rock with You"
  15. "Dirty Diana"
  16. "Remember the Time"

Russia

The King Of Pop (Россия Выбирает) was released on November 17, 2008.[49]

Track list
  1. "Billie Jean"
  2. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
  3. "We Are The World (Demo)"
  4. "Man in the Mirror"
  5. "Dirty Diana"
  6. "Smooth Criminal"
  7. "Black or White"
  8. "Who Is It"
  9. "Earth Song"
  10. "On The Line"
  11. "They Don't Care About Us"
  12. "Stranger In Moscow"
  13. "Blood On The Dance Floor"
  14. "Fall Again (Demo)"
  15. "Break Of Dawn"
  16. "Whatever Happens"
  17. "We've Had Enough"

Singapore

In Singapore two versions were released. One in 2008 with exactly the same track listing as Korean Edition and the other in 2009, which is the French Deluxe Edition track for track.[50][51]

South Korea

"King of Pop – The Korean Limited Edition" was released on December 11, 2008. This is the only version of the album to contain the songs "Keep the Faith" and "You Are My Life".

Track list

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.

Track list
  1. Thriller
  2. Billie Jean
  3. Bad
  4. Beat it
  5. Smooth Criminal
  6. Black or White
  7. Man in the Mirror
  8. The Way You Make Me Feel
  9. Remember the Time
  10. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
  11. They Don't Care About Us
  12. Rock With You
  13. Blood on the Dance Floor
  14. Heal the World
  15. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
  16. Unbreakable
  17. We Are the World (Demo)[53]

Sweden

The Swedish edition was released on October 15.[54]

Track list


The Swedish edition Cd 1
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Billie Jean Long Version"Michael JacksonThriller6:20
2."Thriller" Thriller5:57
3."Beat It"Michael JacksonThriller4:18
4."Bad"Michael JacksonBad 
5."Black or White (Remaster Version)"Michael Jackson, Bill BottrellDangerous4:16
6."Smooth Criminal"Michael JacksonBad4:17
7."The Way You Make Me Feel"Michael JacksonBad4:58
8."Man in the Mirror"Siedah Garrett, Glen BallardBad5:19
9."Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"Michael JacksonOff the Wall6:05
10.""Blame It on the Boogie""Michael JacksonDestiny3:36
11.""Dirty Diana""Michael JacksonBad4:41
12."They Don't Care About Us" (Single Edit)Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I4:13
13.""The Girl Is Mine""Michael JacksonThriller 
14.""Heal the World""Michael JacksonDangerous 
15.""We Are the World""Michael JacksonWe Are the World7:02
16.""Liberian Girl""Michael JacksonBad3:53
The Swedish edition Cd 2
  1. "Earth Song"
  2. "Can You Feel It"
  3. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
  4. "I'll Be There"
    • Bonustracks
  5. "Say Say Say"
  6. "Ben"
  7. "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"
  8. "Got the Hots"
  9. "Someone Put Your Hand Out"
  10. "On the Line"
  11. "State of Shock"
  12. "We Are Here to Change the World"
  13. "One More Chance"
  14. "We've Had Enough"
  15. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008"
  16. "Thriller Megamix"[55]

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.

Track list

Thailand

Source:[57]

Track list

Turkey

"King of Pop – The Turkish Collection" was released on November 24.

Track list
  1. "They Don't Care About Us"
  2. "Smooth Criminal"
  3. "Thriller"
  4. "Black or White"
  5. "Beat it"
  6. "Billie Jean"
  7. "Remember the Time"
  8. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
  9. "In The Closet"
  10. "Bad"
  11. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
  12. "Scream"
  13. "Who Is It"
  14. "The Way You Make Me Feel"
  15. "You Rock My World"
  16. "You Are Not Alone"
  17. "Liberian Girl"
  18. "Off the Wall"[58]

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.[59][60]

Despite the pool conducting a possible 18 tracks, only 17 are included. Most notable is the fact that "Scream" 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.

Standard Edition

Track list
King of Pop UK: Standard Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Billie Jean" (Single Version)Michael JacksonThriller4:54
2."Bad" (7" Single Mix)Michael JacksonBad4:06
3."Smooth Criminal"Michael JacksonBad4:17
4."Thriller" (Radio Edit [a.k.a. 2003 Edit])Rod TempertonThriller5:12
5."Black or White" (featuring L.T.B.) (LP Version with Intro)Michael Jackson, Bill BottrellDangerous4:16
6."Beat It"Michael JacksonThriller4:18
7."Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (7" Edit)Michael JacksonThriller4:17
8."Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (7" Edit)Michael JacksonOff the Wall3:59
9."The Way You Make Me Feel"Michael JacksonBad4:58
10."Rock with You" (7" Single Mix)Rod TempertonOff the Wall3:23
11."You Are Not Alone" (LP Edit)R. KellyHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I4:56
12."Man in the Mirror"Siedah Garrett, Glen BallardBad5:19
13."Remember the Time"Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Bernard BelleDangerous4:00
14."Scream" (feat. Janet Jackson)Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry LewisHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I4:39
15."You Rock My World" (Album Edit)Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora PayneInvincible5:08
16."They Don't Care About Us" (Single Edit)Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I4:13
17."Earth Song" (Radio Edit)Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I5:02

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. This is the only version of the album to contain "Can't Get Outta the Rain".

Track list
King of Pop UK: Deluxe Edition CD 1
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Billie Jean" (Single Version)Michael JacksonThriller4:54
2."Bad" (7" Single Mix)Michael JacksonBad4:06
3."Smooth Criminal"Michael JacksonBad4:17
4."Thriller" (Radio Edit [a.k.a. 2003 Edit])Rod TempertonThriller5:12
5."Black or White" (featuring L.T.B.) (LP Version with Intro)Michael Jackson, Bill BottrellDangerous4:16
6."Beat It"Michael JacksonThriller4:18
7."Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (7" Edit)Michael JacksonThriller4:17
8."Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (7" Edit)Michael JacksonOff the Wall3:59
9."The Way You Make Me Feel"Michael JacksonBad4:58
10."Rock with You" (7" Single Mix)Rod TempertonOff the Wall3:23
11."You Are Not Alone" (LP Edit)R. KellyHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I4:56
12."Man in the Mirror"Siedah Garrett, Glen BallardBad5:19
13."Remember the Time"Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Bernard BelleDangerous4:00
14."Scream" (feat. Janet Jackson)Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry LewisHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I4:39
15."You Rock My World" (Album Edit)Michael Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora PayneInvincible5:08
16."They Don't Care About Us" (Single Edit)Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I4:13
17."Earth Song" (Radio Edit)Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I5:02
King of Pop UK: Deluxe Edition CD 2
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Dirty Diana"Michael JacksonBad4:41
2."Say Say Say" (Paul McCartney featuring Michael Jackson)Michael Jackson, Paul McCartneyPipes of Peace3:55
3."Off the Wall"Rod TempertonOff the Wall4:06
4."Human Nature"Steve Porcaro, John BettisThriller4:06
5."I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (7" Edit) (feat. Siedah Garrett)Michael JacksonBad4:12
6."Heal the World" (7" Edit)Michael JacksonDangerous4:35
7."Will You Be There" (Radio Edit)Michael JacksonDangerous3:40
8."Stranger in Moscow" (Album Edit)Michael JacksonHIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I5:22
9."Speechless"Michael JacksonInvincible3:18
10."She's Out of My Life"Tom BahlerOff the Wall3:38
11."The Girl is Mine" (featuring Paul McCartney)Michael JacksonThriller3:42
12."Butterflies"Andre Ballard, Marsha AmbrosiusInvincible4:40
13."Who Is It" (7" Edit)Michael JacksonDangerous3:59
14."Ghosts"Michael Jackson, Teddy RileyBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix5:14
15."Blood on the Dance Floor"Michael Jackson, Teddy RileyBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix4:13
16."Working Day and Night"Michael JacksonOff the Wall5:14
17."HIStory" (7" HIStory Lesson Edit)Michael Jackson, James Harris III, Jimmy Jam and Terry LewisBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix4:10
18."Give In to Me" (feat. Slash)Michael Jackson, Bill BottrellDangerous5:29
King of Pop UK: Deluxe Edition CD 3[61]
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Can't Get Outta the Rain" (Single Version)Michael Jackson"The Girl is Mine" B-side4:06
2."On the Line"Michael Jackson, BabyfaceThe Ultimate Collection4:55
3."Someone Put Your Hand Out"Michael Jackson, Teddy RileyThe Ultimate Collection5:25
4."Is It Scary" (Single Radio Edit)Michael Jackson, James Harris III, Jimmy Jam and Terry LewisBlood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix4:11
5."Smile" (Short Version)John Turner, Geoffrey ParsonsHistory: Past, Present and Future, Book I4:10
6."Billie Jean" (Original 12" Version (aka Long Version)Michael JacksonThriller 256:23
7."Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (Extended 12" Mix (aka Long Version))Michael Jackson"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" B-side6:33
8."Bad" (Dance Extended Mix Includes "False Fade")Michael Jackson"Bad" B-side8:24
9."The Way You Make Me Feel" (Extended Dance Mix)Michael Jackson"The Way You Make Me Feel" B-side7:52
10."Another Part of Me" (Extended Dance Mix)Michael Jackson"Another Part of Me" B-side6:18
11."Smooth Criminal" (Extended Dance Mix)Michael Jackson"Smooth Criminal" B-side7:48
12."Black or White" (The Clivillés & Cole House/Club Mix)Michael Jackson, Bill Bottrell"Black or White" B-side7:37
13."Thriller Megamix"Michael Jackson, Rod Temperton 4:08

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.)

Key to color codes of origins
The Jackson 5/Jacksons era (1970–1984) solo era single (1979–2003) Off the Wall (1979) Thriller (1982, and later re-releases)
Bad (1987) Dangerous (1991) HIStory (1995) Blood on the Dance Floor (1997)
Invincible (2001) The Ultimate Collection (2004) new track for King of Pop (2008)

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[85] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[86] 4× Platinum 80,000*
Belgium (BEA)[87] Platinum 30,000*
GCC (IFPI Middle East)[88]
The Hong Kong Edition 		Platinum 6,000*
Germany (BVMI)[89] 7× Gold 700,000‡
Hungary (MAHASZ)[90] Platinum 6,000^
Italy (FIMI)[91] 2× Platinum 140,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[92] 3× Platinum 750,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[93] Gold 40,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[94] Platinum 60,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[95] Platinum 15,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[96] Diamond 100,000*
Russia (NFPF)[97] Platinum 20,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[98] Gold 40,000^
Sweden (GLF)[99] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[100] Platinum 300,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[101] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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