It was released on July 19, 2005, by Sony Music's catalog division Legacy Recordings as part of The Essential series.

[3] A re-titled release in the United Kingdom was planned on July 6, 2009, as The Hits, but was cancelled upon Jackson's death.

As of 2021, the album was certified 5× platinum in the United States for over 2.5 million copies sold.

[4] Following Jackson's death on June 25, the album sold 102,000 units in the US on the chart week ending July 1, 2009.

[4] As of November 30, 2024, the album reached a new milestone by remaining on the Billboard 200 chart for 500 consecutive weeks.