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HIStory - The most underrated album within the fanbase?

analogue

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Anyone else think this? I know that alot of fans will say that Invincible is the most underrated but that does get talked about alot. HIStory hardly ever get's spoken about. It surprises me because HIStory is a brilliant album and MJ's most personal. Some people didn't like the angry tone of the album but after what MJ went through making an angry album was appropriate. After all that did people honestly except to write songs like Shake Your Body Down (To The Ground)?
 
I agree with you. Invincible is not under-rated in my opinion, it gets talked about an awful lot in the fan community and in reality it is seen as a bad album by the general public for a reason (my opinion).

I love HIStory. My favourite from that album would probably be Scream.
 
I agree with you. HIStory is MJ's most personal album and you can feel the pain and anger in his voice which is why it's my fav MJ album. I hope in time that more people will start to appreciate it.
 
Yees! I actully posted something very similar to this thread in another thread (Best to worst album). We basiclly are saying the same thing :D. Within the fanbase invincible is acknowledged and often talked about but History hardly ever gets mentioned. Songs like, Money, Tabloid Junkie and DS are almost never talked about!
Agree with this thread 100%
 
HIStory is my favorite album together with Invincible. It is what Michael is. There's a reason why it's called HIStory, right?
 
I think HIStory is really underrated outside of the hardcore fanbase. If you ask the random person on the street, they'd never even probably think of HIStory as one of the Michael Jackson albums if you asked, "What Michael Jackson albums do you like?" "uhh... Thriller" "Uhh... Off The Wall" "Dangerous"

It's really those, then the media started twisting things saying that Michael Jackson was done, washed up, writing sappy ballads or not writing his own songs at all, which isn't true. He wrote many many many songs of his own and so many of them were brilliant and upbeat post-Dangerous era that are just totally ignored.

I think all of his albums are brilliant, I don't know how any fan couldn't be a fan of songs like Scream, Stranger in Moscow, They Don't Care About Us, 2 Bad, Tabloid Junkie, This Time Around, Childhood... The entire album is brilliant. Any fan HAS to love it!

So like I said, I think it's mostly underrated to the "layfan". :p
 
Little Susie is a a genius piece of work. Yeah it's dark but my god it's genius. And the song HIStory is freaking awesome!

and i don't get why so many fans hate D.S so much? They say it's not complex enough but i don't think that MJ was aiming on writing a deep and complex song. He wanted to write something that was straight to the point
 
I love the HIStory album...it was actually the first album i bought from MJ when i was about 9. I loved how he got personal and didn't hold anything back with the songs and also the guts he had to straight up call out Sneddon on his bs. I love the storytelling on "Little Susie" and also how he put "Smile" at the end of the album...almost as a way of saying that through all that pain and all those problems we must still keep on trying to 'Smile'. =)
 
I love HIStory, it's a fantastic album! I think 'underrated' is the wrong word, I think it's 'overlooked' a little within the fanbase. On the other hand, you see lots of avatars here with History-era-Michael and the gold pants are also very poplar :D Moreover, I reckon the lyrics from 'Money' have been quoted here about a gazillion times.
Fans talk more often about Invincible because compared to the other albums the sales were poor (however, it was still a successful album, only few artists were able to match the same sales), and the media made it look as if the album was a flop. But oh well, according to them Michael's career was finished right after Thriller.
 
I too think that HIStory is underrated... when I first became a fan it was the last album that I listened to from beginning to end.. it was also the album that I knew the least songs from. I'm glad I gave it a good listen to though because it's now one of my favourites! DS, Tabloid Junkie, Scream, TDCAU, SIM, Little Susie... all brilliant songs :D
 
I think HIStory if a brilliant and personal album from Michael. People never talk about it and I think it deserves more attention.
 
luca006 said:
maybe, but I think more fans don't like that much Invicible
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I Have to disagree here. Songs from invincible are always mentioned and praised here. Songs like spechleess, Butterflies, You rock my world gets praised alot here. But as someone here said its not underrated but overlooked. Best way to describe it!
 
It is underrated..

I can't even remember when I listened to it, though.. His pain and anger are so raw to me, that if I put on some of these songs, they're killing me... I can't handle it, especially not now after he's gone. But the reason for which it gets that overlooked (although I still think 'Invincible' and his pre-officially solo years are the most heavily omitted) may have to do with how, I believe, many (not us on here included) may associate it with the '93 allegations and how they may hate listening to him complain, and they wanna be returning to the Off The Wall more carefree stuff. I've been reaing comments like that even on MJJC before he died, and how many wanted him to come back with club-bangers, rather than gritty-sounding, angry or even Heal-The-World-ish type of songs.. which, to this day, it's disgusting. And I'm also considering how Sony kept controlling him and how they refused some of his then newly-submitted songs even in 2007, because they were not radio-friendly enough. And also, thinking of that heartbreaking last press conference he did at the o2, when he said: "I'm gonna perform the songs my fans wanna hear", his body language and tonality additionally saying, 'If that's okay with you..'.. His increased perfectionism was no wonder. No, because he was forced to try and please the public, and that couldn't happen anyway.. and it really hurts to think the pressures he must have felt when working himself out. Too much pressure, way way too much for a single man. ...

[Sorry for diverting a bit from the topic.. but I get this off somehow, it tied in with the topic in a way...]..
 
I don't think HIStory is underrated by the fans, but like some ppl have mentioned here it is overlooked somewhat compared to how we tend to have long and heated debates about Invincible. Invincible is talked and discussed more because of its ties w/Mottola/Sony/Michael feud, and also it is not universally liked by all fans so there is always a debate going on.

I think a lot of us know, including me that HIStory is brilliant so there is not much debate about it. How can you argue with songs like SIM, Little Susie, Money, the epic Earth Song, TDCAU, DS, Tabloid Junkie, Childhood, Smile, Scream, History, they are sooo amazing! It is Michael's most personal, that alone makes it very special to me. But I do wish we would talk more about it.:yes:
 
HIStory is perfect.

SiM, Money, Little Susie, TDCAU, Scream, History, 2 BAD, D.S., Earth Song - and You Are Not Alone!

Those songs on the same album = true masterpiece.

Normal artist could only hope to have just one of those amazing songs and their carriere would be secured for many many years.

MJ had all those songs (and other great songs) on 1 album!!!! - Absolutely amazing. That's why MJ is a Legend and the King of Pop!
 
Re: the bolded area, I remember that too. I think it's sometimes just people's personal taste. Some people prefer the 80s albums to the later work b/c they don't like the angry voice, or don't like the harder music i.e. rock. But yeah, there's the other side to it that you're referring to which is not wanting to give Michael space to grow as he sees fit i.e. feeling pressure to perform Billie Jean only one way all the time.

I don't think HIStory is the most underrated album. I think Blood on the Dancefloor is b/c it's the album people are most likely to have not heard of; & yes it is an album, the remix album. People have at least heard of HIStory even if they only like disc 1.

Alma said:
It is underrated..

I can't even remember when I listened to it, though.. His pain and anger are so raw to me, that if I put on some of these songs, they're killing me... I can't handle it, especially not now after he's gone. But the reason for which it gets that overlooked (although I still think 'Invincible' and his pre-officially solo years are the most heavily omitted) may have to do with how, I believe, many (not us on here included) may associate it with the '93 allegations and how they may hate listening to him complain, and they wanna be returning to the Off The Wall more carefree stuff. I've been reaing comments like that even on MJJC before he died, and how many wanted him to come back with club-bangers, rather than gritty-sounding, angry or even Heal-The-World-ish type of songs.. which, to this day, it's disgusting. And I'm also considering how Sony kept controlling him and how they refused some of his then newly-submitted songs even in 2007, because they were not radio-friendly enough. And also, thinking of that heartbreaking last press conference he did at the o2, when he said: "I'm gonna perform the songs my fans wanna hear", his body language and tonality additionally saying, 'If that's okay with you..'.. His increased perfectionism was no wonder. No, because he was forced to try and please the public, and that couldn't happen anyway.. and it really hurts to think the pressures he must have felt when working himself out. Too much pressure, way way too much for a single man. ...

[Sorry for diverting a bit from the topic.. but I get this off somehow, it tied in with the topic in a way...]..
Click to expand...
 
Alma said:
And I'm also considering how Sony kept controlling him and how they refused some of his then newly-submitted songs even in 2007, because they were not radio-friendly enough.
Click to expand...

Wow just wow. Sony was telling Michael Jackson. MICHAEL JACKSON! how to make an album? I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that. Michael knew more about music than any of those people working in Sony put together

I'm so sick and tired of business people in suits who know nothing about music running the music business
 
The album is amazing, ESPECIALLY the title track... I get chills when the finale kicks in with that choir! :D
 
I love HIStory, I would say it's my second favourite MJ album (after Bad). I love the angry and bitter tone of it. After everything that happened to him, he had every right to be pissed off and I love how he channelled that through his music. I wish he'd done that more often.

The title track is epic and Earth Song is one of my favourite songs ever.
 
There are some nice songs on History, but the fact that it's double and half of it is a compilation of old songs, may led many not to pay attention to it.
 
HIStory is such an incredible album and undoubtedly the pinnacle of Michael's songwriting. It is probably the darkest, most introspective piece of work ever released by a mainstream pop artist.

I think the reason why it isn't recognised much outside of the fanbase is because a lot of the songs are hard for people to relate to, songs about social inequality, media injustice, extortion attempts, corrupt governments and law enforcement - it's heavy going stuff and not exactly the kind of music that's going to get played at clubs and parties. Even the biggest hit from the album was a song about the environment and animal welfare.

HIStory is an album you put on when you really want to LISTEN to music. It's not something you just put on in the background and jam to, like OTW or Thriller. It's a shockingly honest glimpse into the psyche of a man who is feeling emotionally battered and publicly ridiculed.

To a casual fan some of the songs may come off as a bit paranoid, with lyrics referring to FBI and CIA conspiracies etc. But we now know the FBI had many files on Michael and even followed him overseas to keep tabs on him, so any notion that these songs reflect a delusional paranoia on Michael's part are actually woefully inaccurate. As absurd as it may sound, these were real issues that Michael was facing in his life, so it's no wonder why the album sounds so angry.
 
I disagree.

"History" is rated VERY highly with MJ's fanbase. "History" and "Dangerous" seem to be the faves among MJ fans actually.

I'd say if anything "Invincible" and to a lesser extent "Off The Wall" seem to be underrated by the fans. At least the ONLINE fan community.

The albums I hear about most on MJ fan sites are "History", "Dangerous" and "Bad". The other albums don't get nearly as much love imo.

On the other hand, "History" is quite underrated with the general public and I think that's one of the reasons MJ fans online talk about that album so much and praise it because it is underrated with the general public and critics, so I understand. But to say the album is underrated with fans? Well nothing could be further from the truth if you ask me.

Look at any of the polls on any MJ site. "History" is always in the top 3 at least for fave MJ albums. It's not underrated with fans.
 
MattyJam said:
HIStory is such an incredible album and undoubtedly the pinnacle of Michael's songwriting. It is probably the darkest, most introspective piece of work ever released by a mainstream pop artist.

I think the reason why it isn't recognised much outside of the fanbase is because a lot of the songs are hard for people to relate to, songs about social inequality, media injustice, extortion attempts, corrupt governments and law enforcement - it's heavy going stuff and not exactly the kind of music that's going to get played at clubs and parties. Even the biggest hit from the album was a song about the environment and animal welfare.

HIStory is an album you put on when you really want to LISTEN to music. It's not something you just put on in the background and jam to, like OTW or Thriller. It's a shockingly honest glimpse into the psyche of a man who is feeling emotionally battered and publicly ridiculed.

To a casual fan some of the songs may come off as a bit paranoid, with lyrics referring to FBI and CIA conspiracies etc. But we now know the FBI had many files on Michael and even followed him overseas to keep tabs on him, so any notion that these songs reflect a delusional paranoia on Michael's part are actually woefully inaccurate. As absurd as it may sound, these were real issues that Michael was facing in his life, so it's no wonder why the album sounds so angry.
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Yes... And he didn't even share all that he'd been through in his released material with the world; some of his leaked or later released music work contains even much more painful truth and details. Just thinking of 'Do You Know Where Your Children Are' (12 year old being sexually abused by father and industry handlers) or 'Monkey Business' (i.e. 'Your brother got kids with your mother-in-law'), 'We've Had Enough' (talking about war, and about the allegations against him and how they crushed him, all in 1 song) etc, etc, and basically some other songs that haven't yet seen the light of day, maybe never will - really contain topics and lyrics that pierce like a sword. I'm willing to bet Michael wanted to release even more of such poignant gems, but Sony didn't allow him to express his truth - for the pretext they weren't radio-friendly. .. That's a truth as far as Sony is concerned, 'Invincible' and the scandal it involved was the most publicized facet of this corporatist abusive control. I mean, he wanted to release 'Unbreakable' as first single off Invincible, for instance, but Sony and other corporations don't like when their artists challenge them and call them out, nor when the artists rise above them. That's 'okay', he's not here anymore to stay in their way and they're bathing in even more money than when he was alive. This seems so fairy-talish, this whole good-against-evil saga, but it's not even outstreched, like you said, it's what Michael had to deal with for most of his life, and art was his therapy in the midst of all that hell . ..
 
Now you mention it I think you're right. Outside the fan community I would still say Invincible is the most underrated but thinking about it HIStory hardly seems to get mentioned within the community which is odd as I think a lot of people must have become fans in the HIStory era and because of HIStory.

Personally I think HIStory is probably Michael's most emotion filled album.
 
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