Bad

OK, here we go. Noncing Jackson's - Bad I'm not in the best place to listen to this. It's friday night and I'm usually balls deep in techno or jungle by this point... I'm familiar with the singles but don't think I've ever listened to this through. The title track sounds a lot like the Ghostbusters theme, which I didn't recall before. Nor the dreadful synth riffs about 2:45 in. Ahhh, the signature wooooos as well. Shamone motherfucker. eeeheeeeee The way you make me feel. God this sounds dated, what year is it? 1987. Pulp released their second album in 1987. Cocker and Jackson became the best of friends many years later. Speed Demon. I've never heard this before I don't think. Ffs I've just realised that this album is gonna destroy my "mainstream" stats for the week on last.fm. All these tracks sound very similar, think it's the bassline that is just about the same in all of them so far. Wooo ahhhhhhh Liberian Girl is fucking terrible. Though at least it sounds markedly different to the first three tracks. ooooohhhhh We're Just Good Friends, you're ignorant. eeehhhhheeeeee eh hu oh he eeeee. Jesus fucking wept. I thought I might enjoy this album. He's an all time great pop star, I expected it to be toe tapping at least. This is a total chore. OOoowwwwww. The tracks just don't go anywhere. It's really dull and repetitive. According to the review Plex pulls though, this is meant to be deeper into hard rock and hard dance. Really? REALLY? I dunno about the rock side but I clearly have a different definition of hard dance. Though this could definitely benefit of a fucking big donk on it. There was a great techno remix of Billie Jean that chugs away for 11 minutes by Bushwacka. I could listen to that on repeat over having this on. Another Part Of Me has come and gone. Man in the Mirror I remember hearing before. "This wind is blowing my mind"...... ok. Yeah I mean I can see how this one did ok. But really it's drivel. I've just remembered this is quoted in Lego batman "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and make a change oooooo" KEY CHANGE. That key change is the highlight of the album so far. SHAMONE. At least this track doesn't end fading out too. I just want to lay next to you for a while You look so beautiful tonight Your eyes are so lovely Your mouth is so sweet A lot of people misunderstand me That's because they don't know me at all I just want to touch you And hold you I need you, God I need you I love you so much FUCK OFF!! I wanna put it out there, I fucking love Off The Wall. It's brilliant. This is hot garbage. Why is it on this list, what qualifies it over countless others? Cos he was massive? They could have swapped in a Toots and the Maytals album instead of this. No Toots but we get second rate Jacko. Who they rope in to do the guitar on Dirty Diana? This is probably my favourite so far. Maybe I've just been ground down and desperate to think I've not completely wasted this time. Weren't Duran Duran around at this time? At some point this has made me thing of View to a Kill. I don't know any other Duran Duran tracks other than that like. Smooth Criminal, this is a classic innit? I mean after some of the dross on this album I'm thirsty for something that isn't terrible. THe sound of school discos when I was 9 will have to do. The last track is fitting called Leave Me Alone. I could make more jibes, but really by this point I just want to be left alone. ooooOOOOOhhhhhhoooOOOOOO I've tried, I really have. I don't like it. It's not just it's music that doesn't interest me, it's music I don't like and I'm struggling to find pretty much any enjoyment out of. Joe Smooth's Promised Land came out in 1987. Brothers, sisters, one day we will be free. From fighting, violence, people crying in the streets. I'm not surprised people were crying in the streets when Jackson was number 1 in the album charts with this. 1/5

what is the moral stance on listening to a bad persons' music and enjoying it? should we have separation of artist and art? I think the answer to this is: if the artist commits the crime in the here and now and you are aware of it you should stop supporting them as they will receive the benefits of your support but in this case a) michael jackson isn't receiving anything from my listens b) when he recorded this album hopefully he wasn't up to any nasty behaviour in answer to that - brilliant album - man in the mirror was the blowing in the wind of the 80s. Most of the songs to this day hold up very well and don't sound corny (minus i just cant stop loving you). some of the most iconic basslines

The downside to a success like Thriller is that it's nearly impossible to follow, but Michael Jackson approached Bad much the same way he approached Thriller -- take the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward. This meant that he moved 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. He wound up with a sleeker, slicker Thriller, which isn't a bad thing, but it's not a rousing success, either. For one thing, the material just isn't as good. Look at the singles: only three can stand alongside album tracks from its predecessor ("Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"), another is simply OK ("Smooth Criminal"), with the other two showcasing Jackson at his worst (the saccharine "Man in the Mirror," the misogynistic "Dirty Diana"). Then, there are the album tracks themselves, something that virtually didn't exist on Thriller but bog down Bad not just because they're bad, but because they reveal that Jackson's state of the art is not hip. And they constitute a near-fatal dead spot on the record -- songs three through six, from "Speed Demon" to "Another Part of Me," a sequence that's utterly faceless, lacking memorable hooks and melodies, even when Stevie Wonder steps in for "Just Good Friends," relying on nothing but studiocraft. Part of the joy of Off the Wall and Thriller was that craft was enhanced with tremendous songs, performances, and fresh, vivacious beats. For this dreadful stretch, everything is mechanical, and while the album rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and panache, it still makes Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends it.

Incredible, era defining album. Music that everyone enjoys and knows the words to. The production is crisp and beautifully crafted, every synthetic sound is perfectly constructed. One or two duff tracks but only because of the direct comparison. Would happily go to 'the cancelled disco' to listen to this again. Favourite track: Man in the Mirror

Best album by a child molester!!

It’s Bad, really really Bad!

225 albums, c'est ce qu'il aura fallu attendre avant qu'enfin, le jour de gloire arrive. Oui, les rumeurs sont vraies. Comme vous l'avez probablement entendu a la pause café de votre lieu de travail, ou encore au detour d'une conversation dans les transports en commun, j'ai enfin attribué la note de 5/5. Après des tonnes d'albums absolument moyens (Sinatra), absolument surcotés (Pink Floyd), absolument désastreux voir dangereux (Frank Zappa et son zoo de macaques), la lumière est venue de l'artiste ayant bercé mon enfance. En effet, alors que mon camarade d'écoute robtertiaire dû passer ses jeunes années à écouter exclusivement The Crusaders, j'ai pour ma part eu la chance d'être éduqué par les performances artistiques sensationnelles de Michael. A noter que rob n'a vraiment pas eu une enfance facile, puisque dû à cette Crusaders dépendance, robdû rentrer dans une classe spécialisée dans notre lycée (ndlr: CLIS), afin de remettre à niveau sa culture musicale. Merci Michael en tout cas

Obviously Micheal Jackson is an icon but after listening to this album I can see why and the impact he’s had on society. Great album

This album... is bad. It just reeks of the sounds of its era. Only two good songs are Bad and Smooth Criminal. The added background of his child rape allegations stand out in the many songs about forbidden love and changing for the better. He’s a talented song writer, but this is where he began to fall out of relevancy.

If you want to change something in the world you should start with yourself.

I can’t believe how many people hate this album on here

GOAT pop album

I solid album of mj bangers. Have a hard time enjoying the music of a pedophile .

Album title = review

yes hes a pedo which ruins this album. unfortunately tho the sounds and such are very fun. nvm just hit liberian girl. kill this fucking album

Pedo

Ugh.. I was highly suspicious of this as a 12yo when it came out, there was clearly something wrong with him, the music was cheesy and the whole energy was very "off". Really lame style, so far from the intended "tough" look, it all seemed very embarrassing, and made me wonder why nobody told him that it sucked. All of the songs on here (maybe not Smooth Criminal; EDIT - yes this is still crap) are lightweight, over-produced '80s fluff with trite lyrics, glib instrumentation, and those histrionic squeaky sham-wow vocals on top. I was a big fan of Thriller (at the time) and the drop in quality to this dross was immense. My mum's awful second husband chose The Way You Make Me Feel as their wedding dance, in doing so trying to emulate the super-crass video. I cringe to this day Later on, as documented in Leaving Neverland, it became clear that Michael committed to his supposed fiddling activities in earnest during this period (Bad world tour). The music sounds so much worse in this context. Note, *Finding Neverland* is a different beast Another random anecdote: I have actually seen Michael Jackson in the "flesh"! I'm proud to say I was in the room when Jarvis stormed the stage to interrupt his Earth Song atrocity at the '96 Brit awards. Quite a weird one that. I also happened to be at UCLA on the day he died there. Sorry Jacko, I'm bad luck for ya' Just terrible, well-deserving of the 1* on offer

i can't fucking stand this small boy fingering nonce. i equally can't stand the fact that people want to brush it under the carpet so they can still listen to his music. this album is bad and it should be fucked into the bin along with the other pedo musicians that are no longer acceptable to listen to. wacko jacko is in no way better than ian watkins, the bad one, not H from steps. fucking nonce.

Motherfucking Michael Jackson.

Excited to see this pop up! fun listening to MJ outside the context of weddings speed demon = animusic vibes feel like the songs that are popular are popular for a reason. Not many of the other tracks are standing out that much to me. man in the mirror best track by far

*Not* bad. It's good. Very good.

Surprisingly Mid. I was hyped to have an MJ album come up on this, but wasn't really into Bad.

Can't decide what to rate this - it's impossible to listen to this completely without judgement/prejudice, but I did my best. The songwriting and the singing are of course outstanding. The production is incredibly dated. The cringe level is pretty high on this one when you think about it. Man in the mirror was the surprise standout for me.

Somewhere, Michael Jackson evolved from the exuberant, multi-talented child through confident and charismatic disco superstar into a disfigured, drug addicted, child molesting ambition monster. And I rate this album as the point at which that final stage started to rear its ugly head and become publicly visible. It is always an interesting question of when an artist's personal behaviour makes it impossible to accept the art. And Michael Jackson is a really interesting case, because the 12-year-old who sang those early Jackson 5 singles is not the same person as the 50-year-old man who died, drug addicted, mangled by plastic surgery and reclusive, twisted by an abusive parent, fame, money and ambition. I absolutely believe the accusations of child sexual abuse, although I know many people struggle with that. By the time Bad was released, there were enough stories of Jackson's behaviour that much of his album just doesn't ring true. I don't believe that Jackson was capable of having a normal romantic relationship, so all the love songs seem fake. I don't believe that his care for children was entirely altruistic, which makes those songs very uncomfortable. I find his singing of dealing with "the man in the mirror" sadly ironic, because Michael Jackson clearly could not accept himself as he was. And that's the first big strike against this album; pop music needs to be credible, you have to believe the singer, and I just don't. I also hate the way this record sounds. The crispy digital perfection is just soulless and abrasive sounded to my ears. It has dated like warm milk, and the middling tunes are peppered with Jackson's idiosyncratic vocal affectations (shamone, heeeheee) that get more annoying with time. Everything is so cleaned and polished and quantized that smooths off every rough edge and any semblance of swing. There is none of the disco strut and swagger that was all over Off the Wall and (to a lesser degree) on Thriller (which I also think is a middling record). I know there were 9 singles from the record, including 5 US number ones, but ubiquity is not the same as worth. The songs just aren't that great. Jackson had ambitions to be the biggest act in the world, and he arguably accomplished his goals for a period around the release of this record, but at such personal cost that it eventually killed him. And not without causing significant collateral damage to many people in the orbit of his fame. Two stars is the best I can muster.

2.8 - Thriller was the first album I ever purchased when I was 5 and I remember staying up to watch MJ perform on "Solid Gold." So I was surprised at how viscerally I disliked this album. The tough guy personna on "Bad" sounds phony - MJ was an obviously broken man and his campy biker jacket is no longer fooling me. "Liberian Girl" sounds pious in a "have-pity-for-the-poors" kind of way. Same with "Man in the Mirror." He laments about seeing "kids in the street with not enough to eat" as if he actually observed poverty from anywhere besides his limousine window. "Dirty Diana" paints MJ as the victim of a gold-digging groupie. What could possibly make the most famous pop star in history feel like a victim in that situation? I'm not going to write off all of this record, though. "The Way You Make Me Feel" is still a jam, even though we all know MJ wasn't aroused by anyone with "high heels on." And Stevie Wonder sounds awesome on "Just Good Friends." In the end, this album doesn't pass my sniff test and I'm only too happy to forget about it.

Has this aged really poorly? Because I was going into this thinking I liked Bad the single and I’m coming away from it thinking it just sounds cheesy and…blegh. Like my actual reaction is a strong negative. OH NO IS THIS ALBUM REALLY BAD! Earlier this week I pulled Purple Rain, an album that is older but holds up so much better. The instrumentation on this album feel like something that would play at the zoo while the singers are telling me about giraffes or something. The hee hees and shamons are filling me with disdain. I legitimately think I hate this. SPEED DEEEMON. This is embarrassing. I know that pop music isn’t supposed to necessarily be a lyrical showcase but damn, “you changed my world, just like in the movies” what movie Michael. How did this happen? Please explain. The synth on Just Good Friends kinda sounds like a Sega Genesis which is cool as fuck. The song kinda sucks, but that was fun for a second. This is the worst album I’ve listened to on this so far and I’m baffled by that, I legitimately think I like Thriller. But this is just awful. Man in the Mirror is catchy but is also so corny and lame. Smooth Criminal is so fucking good, why is it on this piece of shit album. Michael, I will leave you alone. 1/5, king of pop my ass.

For one night only Blues Deluxe Although probably not the first MJ album I think of, it’s arguably his best for me, and another (and final) whopper of a production from Quincy Jones. MJ has become something of a guilty pleasure, but his talent is undeniable. Full of awesome cameos, even having Martin Scorsese direct his Bad music video. Smooth Criminal Dirty Diana Liberian Girl The Way You Make Me Feel

I love Michael Jackson, but this is the first time hearing this whole album.

En écoutant cet album, j'ai revu tout mon onglet History défiler devant mes yeux : les Costello, les Morrissey, les albums punk, les Portishead, les Byrds, les Frank Zappa, les Goldfrapp... et je compris dès lors que tout ce chemin parcouru et ces heures sombres faisaient aujourd'hui sens. Vous savez d'ailleurs probablement que la chanson Liberian Girl tournait en boucle dans mon mp3 la semaine au terme de laquelle je me suis fait remercier de mon premier cabinet d'avocats (j'ai évoqué ce moment dans ma critique de l'album Are You Experienced de Jimi Hendrix, souvenez-vous). Je voulais revenir sur cet épisode que j'ai, certains s'en sont rendus compte, quelque peu enjolivé. En réalité, la rupture de mon contrat se fit en deux temps : un premier entretien avec l'une de mes deux tutrices (c'est précisément cet épisode que je narre à merveille dans ma critique de Hendrix) lors duquel celle-ci m'annonça que j'étais sur la sellette (et non directement viré comme j'ai pu l'écrire) et un deuxième entretien avec un autre avocat du cabinet une semaine plus tard (nous l'appellerons ici Saddam Hussein) lors duquel on m'annonça mon éviction. Ce jeudi-là, vers 15h30, j'entendis une voix provenant de l'étage inférieur m'annoncer que Saddam Hussein voulait me voir. Je descendis les escaliers muni de mon enceinte JBL et toquai à la porte de Saddam Hussein. « Saddam Hussein ! C'est moi, Robassembléeplénière. — Entre, Robassembléeplénière. » Je m'assis en face de lui et vis au même instant sur son bureau deux papiers similaires contenant un texte bref suivi d'un espace probablement prévu à l'effet d'une signature. « Qu'est-ce que cela peut bien vouloir dire, Saddam ? — Hmm... comment t'expliquer... je peux me connecter ? — Euh, oui tu peux. — C'est laquelle ? — JBL Flip 5. — D'accord. — C'est bon t'es connecté. — Monte le son et écoute bien. — Berk. — Tu reconnais ? — Bien sûr, c'est Rid of Me de PJ Harvey, ma chanson détestée par excellence. — Et tu comprends pourquoi je l'ai mise ? — Non, Saddam Hussein. — Réfléchis bien. — Quoi ?! Vous vous débarrassez de moi ?! » Je réunis mes affaires et partis du cabinet quelques minutes plus tard, sans me retourner.

4 - some bangers but it’s missing a lot in the filler tracks

Michael Jackson, Here's the basic facts son, He was born black, He died white, And in the middle he fiddled with kids. It's hard to get away from the paedophilia accusations, Jackson's own childhood exploitation and abuse and just how many people facilitated these things for a slice of money and or reflected fame. However, for me, it's even harder to get away from the nostalgia this album brings. Bad came out when I was 6 years old and was one of the first albums I ever owned (along with Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic and Get Even by Brother Beyond - my childhood music taste was shite). When I read the reviews before listening again, I found myself agreeing with the more negative ones, but listening to this album again transported me back to a simpler time when I'd get this tape out of my Thomas the Tank Engine tape box, put it in my ghetto blaster (super bass on) and enjoy an untainted Jacko's music in my Superman wallpaper covered bedroom. The slower songs, Liberian Girl and I Just Can't Stop Loving You, are exactly that. But the rest of the album is good fun, even if Jackson can't pronounce basic words like come on or Annie. I expect if I was hearing this for the first time as an adult, I'd be much harsher on the album, but I just can't help but enjoy it.

The hits hit big, and the not-hits fall way flat, holding it back from a perfect album That being said, to rate this anything below a 4 would be very unsmooth criminal

No. 196/1001 Bad 5/5 The Way You Make Me Feel 4/5 Speed Demon 4/5 Liberian Girl 4/5 Just Good Friends 4/5 Another Part Of Me 4/5 Man in the Mirror 5/5 I Just Can't Stop Loving You 4/5 Dirty Diana 5/5 Smooth Criminal 5/5 Leave Me Alone 4/5 Average: 4,36 Another great pop record by MJ. In my opinion more densly packed than Thriller (still also great). Absolute highlight for me is Dirty Diana.

Such iconic music, so classically MJ. So sad he’s gone so soon.

Bad is a great record with a bunch of classic pop hits, but not MJs best overall album. Much like Thriller, this album feels a lot like a collection of hits more than a cohesive album, I mean, 8 of 11 songs charted as singles in the US alone with 5 of them reaching #1! Maybe when the album came out it felt more cohesive but with time and it's overall legacy started feeling more like a greatest hits. Still a fun listen tho

Like him or not; his music is really good.

Not like to say about this other than it all-time classic. Whether it’s your preferred type of music or not, hard to argue the Quality throughout the Is top notch

Like the other MJ albums, this one is chock full of classic singles and completely forgettable album tracks, but the singles are so good it makes the whole thing incredible.

Classic MJ hits

Michael Jackson has been called "the King of pop" for a reason. Hiis catalog and depth speak for themselves long after his untimely death. I think if he had been alive today the music industry would be a bit different, that is how influencial he was. Thiis is not my favorite album of his, (probably Thriller), but it is well rounded and has some nice moments.

obviously the singles are classics but this was middle of the road for me 3/5

Thought I would enjoy this more than I did... In many respects, it DEFINITELY seemed dated for sure, and the similarity among the songs (i.e. limited diversity) was also quite noticeable... No doubt there are a few excellent songs on here, and below are my are my ranks - "Smooth Criminal" - 7-stars "Man In the Mirror - 6-stars "Dirty Diana" - 5-stars "Bad" - 5-stars "The Way You Make Me Feel - 4-stars The rest however, are completely forgettable... I'm sure that MJ will have some albums on this list that warrant a 5, but the best I can do for "Bad" is to give it a 3... Also - I HIGHLY recommend the Top Rated review for the "Bad" album, as it was incredibly well done, and made my day it was so damn funny... It starts out - "...OK - here we go..." : ) Enjoy!!!

Great stuff

*Just going to focus on the music* I've never listened to a Michael Jackson album front to back, only really hearing the singles, and usually not my choice. It's fine. The stand out songs were the singles. 3/5

The hits on this carry pretty hard. A good MJ album but, in my opinion, this is where he started falling out of his great artistic era.

Just proves you can fool a lot of people some of the time.

I listened to this album as I was reading, as opposed to the other albums. I personally don't enjoy MJ's voice. Maybe its cause I didn't grow up with MJ. But this album didn't really do it for me.

The King of Paedos

It was, indeed, bad.

80's gated toms and cheesy synths ruin everything, they can go fuck off

Y’all can’t convince me to listen to this child molester - seems like a waste of time

Nope. Michael Jackson has to be the single most overrated artist of the 80s.

Despite the name, the album is quite good. Classic beats all around, but the vocal work of MJ is unmatched. Easy 5! 'The Way You Make Me Feel' takes my fave slot.

I mean, it's Michael Jackson

Een album met letterlijk alleen maar hits schrijven is de missie voor veel artiesten, maar voor Michael is het normaal. Je kan dit album simpelweg niet uit zetten als je van Bad naar The way you make me feel (wel zonder Britney helaas) naar speed demon.... ETC. U begrijpt het wel. 5 sterren zijn te min.

All time good, 10 out of 10, never getting old type music

and the dances!

Great album

i'm bad!!!

Favorite Track: Man in the Mirror

Great pop album. Stands the test of time

A must have. Great Hits

Duh

Is there a better jam than Man in the Mirror??? ooof. What a legend. Solid record.

I've heard all of Michael Jackson's hits a million times, but I've never heard them through good headphones until this project. Bad is my 3rd album of his, and I feel like I'm discovering his music for the first time, which is really cool. This is a fantastic album.

I'm rating the music, not the man, and for me, this is a five-star album.

I love Michael Jackson. Also my mom loves Michael Jackson and he’s like the only non Indian music she ever acknowledges.

9/10 - Michael Jackson goes hard. A lot of good songs. I watched the we invited the wrong MJ video again and I did not know where "Give it to me" and "give me some time" were from but the jokes have become so much funnier. I also have distinct memories of elementary school listening to man in the mirror so it just brings me back. The hits are great the rest are fine.

It's bad.

Freaking love this album. I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan and have played it over and over. Probably my 3rd fav from him. Another Part of Me is my favorite! As a fan of everything rnb and rock/metal (odd mix I know but my two fav genres). Dirty Diana is so up my alley and is my 2nd fav after APOM. Liberian is so chill and sexy. What a r&b jam. Such a vibe. Leave Me Alone is a hell of a message to the press. I just love this record through and through. I think it was such a statement for the mighty Michael Jackson. Especially coming off of Thriller being huge and trying to meet expectations.

peak mj, nuff said

One of the best albums of all time, and definitely MJ’s greatest work. Every single song is a hit. This is glorious. Get it, listen, love it forever.

Who's bad? Gotta love Michael Jackson, and Bad is good. What can I say about MJ? The pop, the synth, the VOICE. No back song on the album, and several total bangers. The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, and Smooth Criminal. Annie, and anyone else hearing this, is more than ok. Love it. Best song: Man In The Mirror

- In meinen Augen hat Michael Jackson in den 80ern back-to-back die beiden besten Pop Alben der Musikgeschichte rausgebracht: Thriller und Bad. (Note: ich rede von reinen Pop Alben, die Beatles rechne ich insofern nicht dazu) - Die Hitdichte auf beiden Alben ist insane - Alles super groovy - Einflüsse von R&B, Disco, Funk, Soul sogar ganz bisschen Rock - Textlich teils auch politisch - 1000x gehört die Platte, bin halt sehr stark mit MJs Mucke aufgewachsen - Man kann sagen was man will, aber es ist einfach anders, als alles andere, weil es eine krass eigene Handschrift hat. - Liebe das Album und bekomme immer gute Laune (eigentlich fast egal welches Album) Rating: 5/5

outstanding not aged still sounds up to date

Amazing! 5/5

HeeHee

Hee-hee! Wooooohooooo! Owwwww!

In the five years after Thriller, Michael Jackson stayed remarkably busy. He toured relentlessly, joined the Jacksons for the Victory Tour, and released a slew of revolutionary music videos. Even the cheesy but well-intentioned global charity anthem "We Are the World" was a success. The question loomed: how do you follow Thriller, the best-selling album of all time and a cultural juggernaut? When Bad arrived in 1987, it answered decisively. Boasting five #1 singles, a #1 debut on the Billboard 200, and a suite of iconic music videos, Jackson solidified his reign as the King of Pop. While it didn’t surpass Thriller in sales, Bad was no less ambitious. Jackson reportedly wrote over 60 songs for the project, refining the final tracklist into a polished collection of 11. Tracks like the defiant title track, the optimistic "Man in the Mirror", the anthemic "Dirty Diana", and the swaggering "Smooth Criminal" stand out with dynamic production and powerful delivery. The Bad persona and tough-guy posturing was an amusing pivot for Jackson, whose squeaky-clean image made his claims of being "bad" seem almost laughable—though later revelations about his life would complicate this perception. But fans didn’t come to MJ for the lyrics. You listen to Bad for Jackson’s astonishing vocals, Quincy Jones’s impeccable production, and the top-tier musicianship. The layered harmonies and meticulously crafted overdubs—achieved without modern tools—are a technical marvel. The album is also remembered for its groundbreaking music videos. Each was a spectacle of choreography and storytelling, with directors like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee behind the camera. For some reason, the video for "Liberian Girl" sticks out in my mind. It features a parade of 1980s celebrities—including Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, John Travolta, and Quincy Jones—patiently waiting on the set for Jackson to appear. It’s a reminder of Jackson’s unparalleled influence at the time—only he could command this level of star power. Is Bad better than Thriller? It’s a matter of opinion. Thriller is a one-of-a-kind and has unmatched cultural gravity, while Bad is arguably more consistent (and doesn’t feature a subpar Paul McCartney collaboration). Did/Do I own this release? On cassette. Does this release belong on the list? Few artists in history have matched Jackson’s extraordinary streak from 1979’s Off the Wall to Bad. Would this release make my personal list? The bangers-to-tracks ratio says yes. Will I be listening to it again? Jackson remains a prime example of separating art from the artist.

I think the fact that Jackson has been deceased for quite a while now makes it easier to separate the art from the artist and appreciate his music. Bad came out when I was very young and it stands out to me as an iconic, decade-defining album from its time. Incredible singles here - including "Bad," "Man in the Mirror," and "Smooth Criminal."

yee hee

Qué hombre

shamouna

Classic! This was in my library, although I don't listen to it often it is a masterpiece.

I liked how diversifies the styles were. Solid Album

Nothing needs to be said about this album. It's a 5.

One of the best pop albums ever put together. RIP Quincy Jones. I feel like you hear his influence right at the beginning of 'Bad'. Real music theory nerds would know the technicality, but I think that is some sort of jazz arpeggio with those first 5 notes. There's also all sorts of ear candy all over the album. With very few exceptions, everything is in the right place on this album. Rhythm tracks, instrumentation, counter melodies, backing vocals, song structure, musicianship (I think those are 32nd notes on the tale end of the Speed Demon chorus??). Jones and Jackson were at the top of their game. I listened to a Charli XCX performance the same day as this album and it reminded me that Jackson is simply on some other planet talent wise than so many other pop stars. A once in a generation talent. At the same time if we are honest, his personal life was pretty troubled and tragic. This album is indeed edgier than what Jackson had done before. A lot of his singing on this album is aggressive, angry and done through clenched teeth. The man seemed to be channeling some personal rage. You really hear it on Speed Demon and Smooth Criminal. Shout to 'Leave Me Alone' with an Afro Beat/Fela Kuti type rhythm through out the whole track and Michael putting on an absolute fucking clinic on vocal phrasing, time feel/signature changes and I'm pretty sure the words 'Leave Me Alone' are sung in a 'round'. Bravo to the kid from Gary, Indiana.

Classic album, classic Michael. Absolute 10/10 popular music. Released the year Kirsty (ma kind of part-time girlfriend but not) was born x

🐐

Awesom

One of the greatest albums on earth - absolutly

Naja Michael ist nicht mein großer Liebling - aber Respekt vor einem derartigen Feuerwerk an Hits muss sein. Michael diese Songs werden noch in 100 Jahren gespielt werden. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad“, "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Dirty Diana", "Smooth Criminal", "Liberian Girl" sind einfach schön zu hören. Auch die anderen Songs sind exzellent in das Gesamtwerk arrangiert. Es hat überraschend viel Spaß gemacht das Album durchzuhören😊.

Favourite tracks: leave me alone; smooth criminal; dirty Diana; another part of me; the way you make me feel; bad; man in the mirror

居然有情景剧mv？好厉害。知道这个歌手很有名，但没想到他是这种声音。 每次都能带给我新的上世纪流行乐震撼……

Quite the opposite of the album name.

MJ's sound in this album is so iconic that if you took his voice out, I think the music is still clearly recognizable. Holy shit. Man in the Mirror straight fucks. Like, I knew going into listening to the album that it was probably going to be my favorite song. But I always forget just how great this song is. An insanely good album. Some of the songs are kind of forgettable, but the hits go so hard that they quickly make up for it. These songs don't measure up to Man in the Mirror imo, but deserve a shoutout: Bad, Speed Demon, Liberian Girl, Smooth Criminal. Favorite Song (far and away): Man in the Mirror

I forgot how great this was. It would have been perfect without speed demon and librarian girl. All other songs are hit after hit after hit. But the most impresive thing about the album is the progression and storytelling, common theme in songs (except librarian girl) with tying intros and outros. Its simply a maseterpiece that everyone should enjoy. Probably top 10-15 album in history of recorded music.

I mean, it’s Michael Jackson, yeah?

One of my all time favorites, from start to finish- no notes (speed demon can go though)

Favourite songs: Smooth Criminal, Bad, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel, Leave Me Alone, I Just Can't Stop Loving You Least favourite songs: Liberian Girl 5/5