Antoine Fuqua’s telling of Michael Jackson’s story seems to be critic-proof. So far, most of the response to the film has been negative, with critics citing the film’s glossy and surface-level approach to depicting the life of arguably the greatest entertainer of the 20th century. However, audiences seem to ignore the critical reception, as it appears that movie theatres are selling out of screenings of the film.

Michael Jackson’s story has been told several times through various voices and there are general themes that emerge from every account: Jackson—along with his brothers—was born with innate genius, only to be nurtured and encouraged by a stage father whose drive tipped into abuse.

Fuqua’s interpretation of the story focuses on Jackson’s early days in Gary, Indiana to his time with Motown with his brothers as the Jackson 5, before striking it out on his own as a solo superstar. The accompanying soundtrack to the film, Michael: Songs From The Motion Picture therefore covers 1970 to 1988, including big hits as the Jackson 5 as well as an overview of his solo hits from Off The Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). At 13 tracks, the soundtrack works as a companion piece to the film and as a tidy summation of Jackson’s peak years, but it’s such a broad overview that it feels somewhat unnecessary, especially when there are more comprehensive compilations out there. But it still is a valuable souvenir from the film that makes the case for Jackson’s incredible growth as a vocalist and musician.

The album opens with the sterling ballad, “I’ll Be There” which features what is probably Jackson’s greatest vocal performance as a child. His voice is clear and powerful and portrays a maturity that belies his youth (he was 12 years old). He sounds stunning on the record. It’s moving and tear-jerking work. Jackson’s older brother Jermaine provides solid backup with a feathery, airy croon.

The other iconic Jackson 5 hits—“I Want You Back,” “ABC,” and “The Love You Save”— are merged into a live medley from the Jackson brothers’ 1981 live album of their Triumph tour. The songs are so iconic and culturally significant that fitting them into a three-minute medley seems like a shame.

But the track is important because it highlights how significantly Jackson’s voice changed as he aged into an adult. Instead of the soulful belt of the precocious prodigy from the Jackson 5, Jacksons voice narrowed into a tighter, sinewy instrument. He sings these songs with an angularity and archness that matched his sharp dance moves. The medley is slick professionalism by a band that was able to toss off these brilliant pop songs with competence.

The other significant live track is “Ben” from the same live album. As with the medley, Jackson is singing a song that is identified with his youthful innocence. As an adult, the song loses some of the heart, though even as an adult, Jackson was able to maintain a guile when singing his sentimental ballads.

The rest of the album is devoted to studio versions from his classic trio of hit albums. The singles from Off The Wall sound just as exciting, fresh, and innovative now as they did back in 1979. Two tracks make their way into the album, “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” and “Workin’ Day And Night.” The former is a textbook primer of genius disco. Produced with Quincy Jones, the song is an extravagant symphony of strings, synths, and horns. Michael only includes two tracks from Off the Wall and honestly, the studio LP is a better album than the soundtrack and a worthier listen.

Predictably, Thriller dominates the soundtrack, with five of the 13 tracks pulled from the 1982 release. Thriller established Jackson as a pop megastar and the album would unfurl a string of hit singles and go on to sell an astounding 70 million copies. Crucially, Jackson also starred in a series of groundbreaking music videos for the singles, setting an impossibly high standard of excellence and creativity in the field.

Thriller is another epic collaboration with Quincy Jones that married various forms of popular music, including rock, pop, dance and disco, R&B, and soul. It’s a dizzying accomplishment. Like with Off The Wall, Thriller is essential and should be bought before Michael.

Because the film ends with Jackson’s Bad tour stop at Wembley, the soundtrack ends with Bad’s title track and is the only song from the successful 1987 release. Like the previous LPs, Bad was produced with Quincy Jones, and by all accounts, it’s a very good album, but indicates a noticeable dip in their collaboration. Unlike the other singles, “Bad” sounds dated and married to its time and era. (Also, Jackson’s tough posturing wasn’t very convincing.)

Michael is nice, tidy package of Michael Jackson’s big hits, but even for casual listeners, there are better overviews of his astounding discography. Still, even if the soundtrack feels a bit thrown together, the sheer genius of the music makes it a good buy.

Rating: B

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