The big commercial success came with perfect pop songs like "Steppin' Out" and the jazzy "Breaking Us In Two", which climbed the charts worldwide. Joe Jackson wrote even jazzier hits in 1984, such as "Happy Ending" (a duet with Elaine Caswell), "Be My Number Two" and "You Can't Get What You Want." The album "Big World" (1986), a live album with all new material including the song "Home Town", was recorded during six concerts. It is not a classic live album, however, as the audience was asked to be quiet during the songs and applause was edited out. In 1991, Joe Jackson decided to turn his back on pop once and for all in favour of more serious music. The result was the track "Stranger Than Fiction."

"Collected" is a comprehensive collection of the sounds Joe Jackson wandered through, from old to new the compilation never gets boring.