He made a conscious decision to write more uptempo and dance-oriented songs, as much of his previous material was influenced by matters surrounding his first divorce.

Some tracks were featured on the television shows Miami Vice and Cold Case, and "The Man with the Horn" was re-written and re-recorded for the episode "Phil the Shill".

Sessions for what would become No Jacket Required produced his conscious attempt to move to a more uptempo sound, as much of his previous material was influenced by his first divorce: "I have a notion of what I want to do: break out of this 'love song' box that I've found myself in.

[11] Another song created mostly through improvisation, "Don't Lose My Number", was described by Collins as having been written mostly during the recordings for his first solo album, Face Value.

[13][14] Collins added that he does not fully understand the meaning of the lyrics,[13] described by reviewer Stephen Holden of The New York Times as "vague, sketching the outlines of a melodrama but withholding the full story".

Collins has stated that the song lyrics refer to a patient in a mental institution,[15][21] and that it is based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

[19] "We Said Hello Goodbye" appeared as a B-side to "Take Me Home" and "Don't Lose My Number" originally, and as an "extra track" on the CD release of the album.

[22][23] This remixed version received some radio airplay around the time of the soundtrack's release (which coincided with the No Jacket Required period), though it did not chart.

In the photography for the album's inner sleeve and subsequent publicity materials, Collins appeared to lampoon the incident by wearing a suit that was several sizes too big.

[32] Both songs had music videos that were shot at a London pub owned by Richard Branson,[33] featuring Collins playing both before and after the building closes.

Collins parodies several other videos, including those by Michael Jackson, David Lee Roth, Elton John, The Cars and The Police.

[40] No Jacket Required remains Collins' highest-selling album, having sold over 12 million copies as of 2001 in the US, where it was certified diamond status.

"[16] Lori E. Pike of the Los Angeles Times said that "Collins' recipe of tense vocals spiced with saucy horns and splashy electro-jitterbugging synthesisers often leaves little room for real feeling to squeeze through.

[15] "In 'One More Night', Mr. Collins's recent number-one hit, a ticking snare drum injects a whisper of lurking fear into a song that suggests a sweeter, tenderer reprise of 'Against All Odds'", says Holden.

But beneath its shiny exterior, Mr. Collins' drums and his voice carry on a disjunctive, enigmatic dialogue between heart and mind, obsession and repression.

"[15] "His effortless graft of bright white-R&B bounce to quirky, unexpected melodies is instinctively commercial but never feels overly contrived."

Rolling Stone reviewer David Fricke said "Phil Collins' sudden transformation from the balding bantam drummer for a prosperous British art-rock group into a mainstream pop heartthrob might seem one of the Eighties' most improbable success stories.

But judging from the sly craft and warm, low-key humour of his solo records and his successful productions for Philip Bailey and Frida, Collins' newfound fame was inevitable.

"[61] The Dallas Morning News writer Lennox Samuels said that "No Jacket Required (Atlantic) is what fans have come to expect from Phil Collins—lots of horns and syncopation, heavy rhythm.

"[17] Stephen Williams of Newsday said that the album was "loaded with musical hooks and textured arrangements... it also lacks the tense edge that was part of Collins' work with Genesis.

"[64] On the negative side, Marty Racine of the Houston Chronicle said that "I Don't Wanna Know" and "Take Me Home" were the only songs to "rise above the crowd" and that Collins focused too much on his singing and less on his drumming, "which can be captivating".

He also compared it unfavourably with the enduring appeal of Collins' 1980s contemporaries such as the Human League and—in particular—the Pet Shop Boys, saying the latter were "geniuses by comparison".

[8] "Sussudio" is one of Collins' most famous songs and is referenced in many different media, including books, stand-up comedy acts and television shows.

[74] In the book and film adaptation of American Psycho, main character Patrick Bateman briefly discusses it, amongst other work by Collins.

[27] "Take Me Home" was the closing theme song for the World Wrestling Federation's television show, Saturday Night's Main Event for several years in the late 1980s.

For the tour, Collins retained his usual cast of musicians, including Chester Thompson, Leland Sklar and Daryl Stuermer.

[63] Another television special was recorded for Cinemax for a show titled "Album Flash", taped in London, England at the Royal Albert Hall.

Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune said that "After hearing and observing Collins' eminently satisfying and frequently spectacular two-hour performance, one is left not with a series of niggling questions about his popularity but rather with renewed admiration for the forcefulness of well crafted songs played in a straightforward manner.

Collins played the drums and performed backing vocals for Band Aid's UK number one hit in 1984, "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

[12] Once there he met Robert Plant, who had asked him if he would perform with him, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Tony Thompson in a Led Zeppelin "reunion" of sorts.