Singles
Five singles were released from HIStory. "Scream/Childhood", released as a double A-side, was the first single released from HIStory in May 1995. "Scream" was sung and performed by Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson. The single had the best ever debut at number five - where it peaked, on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals". The music video for "Scream" is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and music videos, receiving numerous awards. With a US$9 million music video production budget, "Scream" is the most expensive music video ever made as of 2010.
"You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory. Having debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 2, 1995, it would become the first song ever to debut at number one on the chart, succeeding the record previously held from Jackson's "Scream" single. "You Are Not Alone" was released in August 1995, and it topped the charts in various international markets, including the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. The song was seen as a major artistic and commercial success.
"Earth Song" was the third single released in November 1995. "Earth Song" did not chart on Billboard 100. Internationally, the song topped four countries' charts, as well as charting within the top-ten in nine other nations. The song topped the UK Singles Chart for six weeks over Christmas in 1995 and sold one million copies there, making it his most successful United Kingdom single, surpassing the success of his single "Billie Jean".
"They Don't Care About Us" was the fourth single. "They Don't Care About Us" peaked at number thirty on the Billboard 100, and it charted within the top-ten of Billboard's Hot Dance Music and Hot R&B Singles Charts. The song charted better in international countries, compared to the United States, managing to chart within the top-ten in fourteen countries. "They Don't Care About Us" topped the German Singles chart for three weeks, while peaking at number two in Spain, number three in Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as charting at number four in France and the Netherlands.
"Stranger in Moscow" was released as the fifth and final single in November 1996. The song was well received by critics. "Stranger in Moscow" was the least successful single in the United States. In the United States, the song peaked at number ninety one on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, the song was a success, topping in Spain and Italy, while peaking within the top-ten in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and New Zealand, among others.
Read more about this topic: HIStory: Past, Present And Future, Book I