Michael Jackson - Number Ones [2LP]

Eighteen tracks, three decades of moonwalking history: Michael Jackson's Number Ones arrives here as a double LP.

First released in 2003, it was his first standalone compilation since HIStory in 1995, gathering singles that reached number one in charts around the world. The sequence runs from the disco-kissed Off the Wall era through Thriller and Bad, then on through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, closing with "One More Chance," the last new original single released in his lifetime. It is a reminder of how long he stayed at the top.

Across two records, each era gets room to breathe. "Billie Jean" still rides one of pop's most recognizable basslines, lean and faintly menacing, while "Smooth Criminal" crackles with nervy, staccato energy and that unmistakable whispered urgency. "Black or White" swaggers in on a crunchy rock riff before opening into a global sing-along, and the later material shows how his sound kept shifting with the times, from sweeping ballads to sleek, modern R&B.

It is the most direct route through an extraordinary catalogue, and the sequencing keeps the energy high from first side to last. Drop the needle at a party or play it start to finish on a quiet night in. Either way, the grooves do the talking, and they have plenty to say.