31 Years After Michael Jackson Released ‘HIStory' and One Track Still Goes Underrated
The world is still feeling the resurgence of Michael Jackson fever after the history-making biopic Michael. As fans continue to revisit his massive catalog, including the iconic Thriller and Bad, today marks the 31st Anniversary of Jackson's album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I.
HIStory is a double album, with the first part, HIStory Begins, being a greatest hits album, and HIStory Continues technically being his ninth studio album with then-new songs. While music lovers will always note "You Are Not Alone" and "Scream" (which features sister Janet Jackson), there's one track that I'd argue is actually the best on the entire album, despite only peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"They Don't Care About Us" Is a Michael Jackson Hidden Gem
Released back in April 2026, "They Don't Care About Us" served as the fourth single on Jackson's HIStory Continues project. It was written and produced by Michael Jackson and was really a song calling out the societal ills, such as racism and police brutality. Jackson's condemnation in the song was raw and gritty. A bit "unorthodox" in comparison to his earlier music. His bold and brash lyrics, combined with his "angrier" and raspier tone, just all came together for a great track. Adding to it was Guns N' Roses' Slash again on the guitar for Jackson, and the overall pop/rock and samba-reggae beat.
Again, the track peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but fared better on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, climbing to the tenth spot. But as a Jackson fan, I can admit that it's the only new song from HIStory that I listen to.
Famous Director Directed "They Don't Care About Us" Video
Oscar-winning director/screenwriter Spike Lee directed two videos for "They Don't Care About Us." Per Revolt, the first video was shot in Pelourinho, Salvador and the Santa Marta favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Interestingly enough, Brazilian officials were allegedly very concerned that the imagery of Brazil shown would paint the country in a bad light, and a judge banned the filming. However, that ban was later overturned.
The second issue Lee and Jackson ran into had to do with local organized crime. Thankfully, Jackson and his team were able to negotiate with the criminal opposition to allow them to film.
In the second video, Jackson is in a prison setting, as images of human rights violations play in the background, including warzones, apartheid, and the 1991 beating of Rodney King. This secondary video wasn't played as much, but both videos are artistic must-watches. You can check them out below.
Related: Billboard Names 50 Best R&B Groups: Gets #1 Right, But Snubs 5 Worthy Acts
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 3:36 AM.