Smooth Criminal
Getting Mechanical
Bad
Bad Michael Jackson
Bad is the seventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records, nearly five years after Jackson’s previous album, Thriller (1982). Written and recorded between January 1985 and July 1987, Bad was the third and final collaboration between Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, with Jackson co-producing and composing all but two tracks. With Bad, Jackson departed from his signature groove-based style and high-pitched vocals. The album’s edgier sound incorporates pop, rock, funk, R&B, dance, soul, and hard rock styles. Jackson also experimented with newer recording technology, including digital synthesizers and drum machines, resulting in a sleeker and more aggressive sound. Lyrical themes on the album include media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement, and world peace. The album features appearances from Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder.
One of the most anticipated albums of its time, Bad debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, selling over 2 million copies in its first week in the US. The album also reached number one in 24 other countries, including the UK, where it sold 500,000 copies in its first five days and became the country’s best-selling album of 1987. It was the best-selling album worldwide of 1987 and 1988. Nine songs were released as official singles, and one as a promotional single. Seven charted in the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, including a record-breaking five number ones: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana”. By 1991 it was the second best-selling album of all time at the time, behind Thriller, having sold 25 million copies worldwide.
The album was promoted with the film, Moonwalker (1988), which included the music videos of songs from the album, including “Speed Demon”, “Leave Me Alone”, “Man in the Mirror” and “Smooth Criminal”. The film became the best-selling home video of all time. The Bad tour, which was Jackson’s first solo world tour, grossed $125 million (equivalent to more than $291 million in 2021) making it the highest-grossing solo concert tour of the 1980s. Jackson performed 123 concerts in 15 countries to an audience of 4.4 million including a record seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. It was also Jackson’s last tour where he performed on the mainland United States. Bad was met with positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and Jackson’s vocals. With sales of over 35 million copies sold worldwide, Bad is one of the best-selling albums of all time. In 2021, it was certified 11× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album has been named by several publications as one of the greatest albums of all time. It was nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Best Music Video (for “Leave Me Alone”). In 1988, Jackson received the first Billboard Spotlight Award, in recognition of the record-breaking chart success on the Billboard Hot 100. For his Bad videos and previous videos throughout the 1980s, Jackson received the MTV Video Vanguard Award. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the documentary film, Bad 25 (2012), was released on August 31, 2012. A 25th anniversary album, Bad 25 (2012), was also released on September 18, 2012.
