Bad is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987^[1] by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album. Bad itself has sold between 30 to 45 million copies worldwide, shipped 8 million units in the United States alone, and has been cited as one of the best selling albums of all time. The album produced five Hot 100 number ones, the first album to do so. Similar to Jackson's previous music material, the album's music features elements of R&B, pop and rock.

Bad was recorded during the first half of 1987. The lyrical themes on the record relate to paranoia, romance and self-improvement. Bad is widely regarded as having cemented Jackson's status as one of the most successful artists of the 1980s, as well as enhancing his solo career and being one of the best musical projects of his career. Nine of the eleven songs on Bad were released as singles; one was a promotional single and another was released outside of the United States and Canada. Five of the singles hit number one in the United States, while a sixth charted within the top-ten, and a seventh charted within the top-twenty on the Hot 100. The single that was released outside of the United States and Canada was commercially successful, charting within the top ten and top twenty in multiple territories. Bad peaked at number one in seven countries, as well as charting within the top twenty in other territories. The only song on the album which wasn't released as a single nor had a music video for was "Just Good Friends".

Bad saw Jackson exercise even more artistic freedom than he did with his two previous Epic releases (Off the Wall and Thriller). On Bad, Jackson composed nine of the album's eleven tracks and received co-producer credit for the entire album. The album continued Jackson's commercial success in the late 1980s and garnered six Grammy Award nominations, winning two. Aside from commercial success the album also received critical acclaim from contemporary critics. Bad was ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 by VH1 and number 202 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album marked the final collaboration between Jackson and producer Quincy Jones.

Production[link]

Jackson's previous albums, Off the Wall and Thriller, were critically and commercially successful,^[2][3] eventually selling over 20 million and 100 million units worldwide, respectively.^[4] Jackson's aim for Bad was that it would sell 100 million copies.^[5]

Bad was the second studio album Jackson released after leaving The Jackson 5, and the first in almost five years since Thriller.^[6] Bad was the third, and final, musical collaboration between Jackson and Quincy Jones. The album was produced by Jones, with co-production credit given to Jackson.^[7] Jackson began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons. Development began in November 1986^[8] and recording took place between January 5, 1987, and July 9, 1987,^[7] at Westlake Audio, where a special wooden stage was built to allow Jackson to dance while recording.^[9] Jackson wrote a reported sixty songs for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set.^[8] Jones had suggested that the album be cut down to a ten-track single LP.^[8] When the album was released on CD, a bonus 11th track, "Leave Me Alone" was included.^[7] It was later released as a single. Later reissues of the LP also include this song. Jackson was credited for writing nine out of eleven of the songs on the album.^[8] Other writing credits included Terry Britten and Graham Lyle for "Just Good Friends" and Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard for "Man in the Mirror".^[7]

Composition[link]

	"Bad (1987)" noicon A 25-second sample of Jackson's "Bad" song where the chorus is played. The songs lyrics pertain to boasting, which was viewed by some music critics as Jackson referring to his stardom.
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"Bad" was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and musician Prince.^[8] Other artists that were supposed to be featured on the album were Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand; none of those collaborations ended up happening.^[8] The album's song lyrics pertain to romance and paranoia; paranoia was a frequent theme for Jackson, having used it on his previous albums.^[2] Allmusic noted that Bad moved Jackson "deeper into hard rock, deeper into schmaltzy adult contemporary, deeper into hard dance — essentially taking each portion of Thriller to an extreme, while increasing the quotient of immaculate studiocraft."^[2]

	"Dirty Diana" noicon The lyrics to "Dirty Diana" pertain to a sexual predator, but unlike "Billie Jean", the sexual challenge is optional.[10]
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"Dirty Diana" was viewed by critics as a "misogynistic",^[2] and its lyrics, pertaining to a sexual predator, do not aim for the "darkness" of "Billie Jean"; but instead, sounds equally intrigued by an apprehensive of a sexual challenge, while having the opportunity to accept or resist it.^[10] "Leave Me Alone" was described as being a "paranoid anthem".^[2] On "Man in the Mirror," the song was described as Jackson going "a step further" and offering "a straightforward homily of personal commitment", which can be seen in the lyrics, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been any clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a change."^[10] The lyrics to "Speed Demon" are about driving fast.^[11] "Bad" was viewed as a rived "Hit the Road, Jack" progression with lyrics that pertain to 'boasting'.^[10]

"Liberian Girl"s lyrics were viewed as "glistening" with "gratitude" for the "existence of a loved one".^[10] "Smooth Criminal"s music showed resemblance to "the popcorn-chomping manner" of "Thriller."^[10] "Smooth Criminal" was thought of as an example of "Jackson's free-form language" that keeps people "aware that we are on the edge of several realities: the film, the dream it inspires, the waking world it illuminates".^[10] The music in "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", a duet with Siedah Garrett, consisted mainly of finger snaps and timpani.^[10] "Just Good Friends", a duet with Stevie Wonder, was viewed by critics as sounding good at the beginning of the song, ending with a "chin-bobbing cheerfulness".^[10] "The Way You Make Me Feel"'s music consisted of blues harmonies.^[6] The lyrics of "Another Part of Me" deal with being united, as "we".^[6]

Release[link]

Jackson performing "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the Bad World Tour

The album was released 31 August 1987.^[12] By 26 September it had debuted at number one on the Billboard 200,^[13] remaining there for the next six weeks.^[14] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Bad eight time platinum for having sold eight million copies in the United States alone.^[15] Though Jackson furthered his stance as a global pop superstar, in the United States Bad failed to match the sales of Thriller, causing some in the media to label the album a "disappointment" in comparison.^[8][16]

Internationally, Bad was commercially successful. In the United Kingdom, the album sold 500,000 copies in its first five days of release, and as of 2008^[update] is certified 13× platinum, for sales of 3.9 million, making it Jackson's second biggest-selling album in the United Kingdom.^[17] Bad peaked at number one in 25 countries ^[18] including Canada,^[19] Japan,^[20] the United Kingdom,^[21] Switzerland,^[22] New Zealand, Austria, Sweden and Norway.^[23] The album charted at number three in Italy and number thirteen in Spain, Mexico and Australia, as well as number twenty two in Puerto Rico.^[23] Bad has received various certifications worldwide. Bad was certified 7× platinum for the shipment of over 700,000 units in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.^[24] In Europe, Bad was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for the sales of one million units.^[25] The album was also certified platinum by the IFPI for the shipment of over 20,000 units in Hong Kong.^[26] Globally, Bad is Jackson's overall second best-selling album, behind Thriller, with a reported sales between 30 to 45 million units as of 2012.^{[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]}

Marketing[link]

By the time Bad was released, Thriller had already sold millions, raising expectations for the new album. A commemorative special on Jackson's life, The Magic Returns, was aired on CBS around the time of the release of Bad.^[6] At the end of the documentary, the channel debuted the video of the title song from the album, "Bad", which was directed by Martin Scorsese and featured then up-and-coming actor Wesley Snipes.^[6] The marketing strategy, mastered by Frank DiLeo among others, also included Jackson producing another mini-movie around the time of the Bad World Tour. That film, Moonwalker, included performances of songs from Bad, including "Speed Demon", "Leave Me Alone", "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal", the latter two released as sole videos at the end of the film.^[34][35] Jackson's tour for Bad was a major financial success, grossing $125 million by the conclusion.^[36][37]

Singles[link]

The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" became the first of five of the album's singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number one on September 19, 1987, and also charted on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart and the Adult Contemporary Chart, peaking at number one and number two respectively.^[38] Internationally, the song also peaked at number one, in three territories, United Kingdom, for two weeks,^[39] and nine weeks in both Norwegian and New Zealand.^[40] The album's second single, "Bad," peaked at number one on the Billboard 100 on October 16, 1987.^[41] The song topped the Spanish charts, as well as charting within the top-ten internationally.^[42] "The Way You Make Me Feel" became the album's third consecutive single to peak at number one on Billboard's Hot 100.^[43] The song primarily charted within the top ten and twenty internationally.^[44] "Man In The Mirror" charted at number one on Billboard's Hot 100,^[45] and charted at number four, eight, and ten in New Zealand, Australia, and Austria.^[46] On July 2, 1988, "Dirty Diana" became the fifth consecutive, and final, single to peak at number one on the Hot 100.^[47] "Dirty Diana" was successful internationally, charting within the top ten in eight territories.^[48]

"Another Part Of Me" charted at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart.^[49] Internationally, "Another Part Of Me" was a mid success compared to its previous singles, peaking at number five, fourteen and thirty two in the Netherlands, New Zealand and France.^[50] "Smooth Criminal" became the sixth top ten single on the Billboard 100,^[51] and saw similar success internationally, charting within the top ten in five territories, and within the top forty in all its international countries.^[52] Released outside the United States and Canada, "Leave Me Alone" topped the Spanish charts, as well as peaking within the top ten in five other countries.^[53] The album's last official single was "Liberian Girl", which did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but was generally successful internationally, charting mainly within the top twenty.^[54]

Critical reception[link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Robert Christgau	B+[55]
New York Times	favorable[6]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Yahoo! Music	favorable[56]

Bad was generally well received although some critics noted that Bad did not measure up to Thriller's success. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, of Allmusic, stated that Jackson "approached" Bad much the same way he approached Thriller, which was to "take the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward."^[2] Erlewine, who gave the album four and a half out of five stars, commented that while the album "rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and panache," it still made Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends it."^[2] Davitt Sigerson, of Rolling Stone, stated that "even without a milestone recording like "Billie Jean", Bad is still a better record than Thriller."^[10] Sigerson commented that "filler" songs in Bad such as "Speed Demon", "Dirty Diana" and "Liberian Girl" made Bad "richer, sexier and better than Thriller's forgettables."^[10]

Music critic Robert Christgau gave Bad a "B+" grade, remarking the "closest thing to genius" is the album's song "Leave Me Alone," and that the record "damn near wrecks perfectly good dancin' and singin' with subtext."^[55] Jennifer Clay, of Yahoo Music noted that while Bad was good, it was not up to "the degree of Thriller."^[56] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described Bad as being a "gleaming, high-tech dance record that's just a little eccentric at the edges".^[6] Parales also noted that Bad "sounds up-to-the-minute" and that the album also has a "concocted synthesizer-driven arrangements" that are "clear" and can "carry a solid kick."^[6] Richard Cromelin of The Los Angeles Times commented that the record was "not bad" and was more "reminiscent of Off the Wall's uniform strength than Thriller's peaks and valleys."^[57] Cromelin felt that it would be "disappointing" if this album's "creative level" is where Jackson wants to stay.^[57]

Richard Harrington of The Washington Post commented on the expectations of Bad to Thriller that, "splashy though its prime-time introduction may be, the album begs to be judged by its music, not by its sales figures."^[58] Richard felt that while the album could not live up to post-Thriller expectations, it would be "considerably fairer to compare" Bad with Off the Wall.^[58] His overall opinion on Bad was that it was "a very good record" that is "immaculately produced and with some scintillating vocal performances from Jackson".^[58] Edna Gundersen of USA Today described Bad as being Jackson's "most polished effort to date," that is "calculated but not sterile."^[59] Thom Duffy of The Orlando Sentinel noted that some of the album's material "draws on even older musical roots".^[60] Bad was the recipient of six Grammy Award nominations, winning two. In 1988, Bad was nominated for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male, Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male^[61] and Record of the Year for "Man in the Mirror" the following year.^[62] Bad won Best Engineered Recording - Non Classical in 1988,^[61] and Best Music Video - Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1990.^[63]

Legacy[link]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military styled jacket with a belt during the Bad era to give himself an edgier look.^[8]

Bad made history as being the first album to have five of its singles peak at number one on the Billboard 100 consecutively; "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana" all charted at number one on the music chart.^[8] Jayson Rodriguez of MTV, noted that "following the twin cannons that were Off the Wall and Thriller wouldn't be an easy task for most, but Jackson's follow-up, 1987's Bad, was formidable by all accounts."^[16] Rodriguez commented that the album was "wrongfully dismissed by critics because it wasn't the sales blockbuster that Thriller was" and that during the Bad era, Jackson's vocal hiccups and stammered "shamone" would become staples in his music that were "heightening and highlighting the emotion of his lyrics."^[16] Rolling Stone commented that "the best way to view" Bad was not as "the sequel to Thriller.^[10] In 2009, VH1 said of the album,

Understandably, the expectations for the album were ridiculously high, and grew even higher after Jackson planned duets with the likes of Prince (on the title track) and Whitney Houston (and Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand). None of those collaborations ended up happening, but they only increased the hype for the album. Bad was a deeply personal project for Jackson — he wrote nine of the 11 songs — one that saw him gain further independence and debut a harder-edged look and sound.^[8]

Jim Farber of The New York Daily News felt that Bad "streamlined the quirks" of Jackson's two previous albums to "create his most smooth work of pop to date."^[64] A writer for The Daily Telegraph commented that while Bad was another worldwide commercial success, the album "inevitably failed to match the success of Thriller despite Jackson's massive and grueling world tour".^[65] In 2009, a writer for The Miami Herald reflected on the anticipation for Bad, describing the album's release as being the "most hotly anticipated album in history".^[66] Stephen M. Silverman, a writer for People magazine, viewed Bad as being "when some slippage" in Jackson's "popularity began to show".^[67]

In February 2012, it was announced by The Official UK Charts Company that Bad was the ninth best-selling album in British history with sales of 3.96 million units; Bad charted behind Jackson's Thriller.^[68] Bad, along with other studio albums released by Jackson, are among the best-selling albums of all-time.^[69] In 2003, the album was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".^[70] The album is included in the book entitled 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[71] In 2009, VH1 listed the album at number 43 on their list of "100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation", in 2009.^[72] In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at #48 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980's".^[73]

The album's songs have been covered and parodied by multiple recording artists since its release in the late 1980s. Notable cover versions include Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal" and Shakaya's cover of "The Way You Make Me Feel". Notable parody versions include "Weird Al" Yankovic, who had previously recorded a parody of Jackson's song "Beat It".^[74] Yankovic parodied "Bad", entitling his version "Fat" in 1988; the song won a Grammy Award the same year for "Best Concept Music Video".^[74]

Accolades[link]

Bad's 25th anniversary plan[link]

It has been suggested that Bad 25 be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2012.

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

It was announced on 3rd of May 2012 that the Estate of Michael Jackson and Epic Records (Sony Music Entertainment) will be releasing a 25th anniversary album for Bad this year. They are naming the album 'Bad 25' and will be released in Summer 2012. They're planning to release a DVD of Jackson’s legendary July 16, 1988 concert at Wembley Stadium. The concert is not a compilation of performances, but rather one complete show, exactly as Jackson performed it for Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the 72,000 fans who were in the audience for that night’s sold out show. This show was one of the record-breaking seven nights played at the venue attended by more than half a million people – three times that many people tried to purchase tickets, CD of the re-mastered original BAD album named Bad 25, CD containing previously unreleased material recorded in Jackson’s personal studio at Hayvenhurst. This material includes early demo versions of songs from the album as well as demos for songs not included on the final album. All of this material is being released as it was recorded during the BAD sessions. Nothing has been added. In addition, this CD will also include new remixes from internationally renowned DJ/producer Afrojack and A-trak, CD showcasing the audio from the sound track recordings of the July 16th Wembley performance. The first-ever live Michael Jackson CD to be released, this is the only concert from the BAD Tour known to exist on multitracks. The magnificent 3 CD/1 DVD box set will also include two extensive booklets with yet unseen photos from the recording sessions, video sets and the concert tour, the original BAD cover art, a two-sided poster and more. A BAD 25 two CD standard edition featuring the original album plus the CD of demos and new remixes will also be made available as will a stand alone edition of the DVD and a picture disc of the original album. The original album tracks were: “Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Speed Demon,” “Liberian Girl,” “Just Good Friends” featuring Stevie Wonder, “Another Part of Me,” “Man in the Mirror,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Dirty Diana,” “Smooth Criminal,” with “Leave Me Alone” added to the album once released.

Pepsi has also signed an agreement contract with the MJJ Estate to make and sell one billion cans, to promote the upcoming Bad 25, an exclusive global partnership with the estate as part of its new “Live for Now” campaign. This will include a retail campaign, music, live events and opportunities for fans to access special edition merchandise.

Track listing[link]

• All songs written by Michael Jackson except where noted.

• Re-issues of Bad feature a number of changes when compared to the original 1987 release:

1. "Bad" – The original mix was replaced with the 7" Single Mix. The most notable difference is the lack of horns in all the choruses except for the last two. Horns are also missing from the second and third pre-choruses. The rhythm guitar during the choruses is also turned up along with the hi hats.
2. "The Way You Make Me Feel" – The full length remix used for the single with louder vocals and ad libs added to the end replaced the original album mix.
3. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" omits Michael Jackson's spoken intro.
4. "Dirty Diana" is replaced with the single edit of the song.
5. "Smooth Criminal" went through two changes on the album. It was remixed to make the kick drum heavier and the bass synth fatter. The quick-sequenced synclavier behind the bass has been rendered mono as well. The first version of this mix left the breathing intact, but was later removed after some time.

• The 2001 Special Edition booklet listing of the original release date is wrong, It lists the release date as August 25, 1987.

Personnel[link]

Personnel as listed in the album's liner notes are:^[7]

Chart performance[link]

See also[link]

Michael Jackson portal

• List of best-selling albums
• List of best-selling albums in Germany
• List of best-selling albums in United Kingdom
• List of best-selling albums in France
• Michael Jackson singles discography

Notes[link]