Bad

I can’t give a low rating to an album that has Smooth Criminal on it, but a lot of the other songs sound pretty dated and cheesy

Just going to give this a 3, say I get why it's on the list, and move on...

2.5 stars I was not super into MJ when he was alive. Over time I’ve come to appreciate his music more and acknowledge Thriller as a masterpiece. But to me, Bad sounds more dated, the hits stand out more as a product of their time. It’s not a record I come back to or get excited about. While it set records and blew people away at the time, I feel like it doesn’t need to be listened to.

Not the best Jacko album, obviously some bangers (Bad, Man In The Mirror) but at other times it all felt a bit overly jackson if that makes sense. Like he just became more intensly and ridiculously himself as time went on. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Bad

Not his best album by any stretch, the softer songs are pretty unbearable, but the big songs are obviously huge

Actually a whole lot better than Thriller in my opinion.

It’s not one of my favorite Michael Jackson records but at least it has smooth criminal. Too much HEE HEE for this old cowboy

Maybe not the best Michael Jackson, but without a doubt the most eighties steeze! The percussion on Speed Demon is ridiculous, and its synth bass riff is so extreme that even an arcade fighting game wouldn’t dare. 🎶 Librarian girl Your educational and technology resources changed my world 🎶 Shamon-a!

Objectively, it is a good album. I struggle with the fact that so much of it has been overplayed. Front to back though a single listen through is worth it, but just once, then you are feeling like you cant take any more, at least for a few years.

Same problems as Thriller - classic album, the hits rock, the duds sadly do not. Can't give this one the Thriller bump either. 3 feels fair.

Singles, great. Rest, filler. Lore, diabolical.

Certainly a tonal shift for him and a response to intense fame

ae5yeyey

Michael Jackson at his most polished. "Smooth Criminal," "Man in the Mirror," "The Way You Make Me Feel" — the hits are real hits. The album around them is a bit long and loses steam toward the end. 3/5 — good, not overwhelming.

Alright, so the parts I like: This is about as 80's as it gets, and I don't mind that when I'm ready for it. MJ sings great and oozes charisma. Quincy Jones is one of the best musicians of all time, and MJ had one of the best backing bands ever at his service. The songs you know about are perpetually evergreen, and that won't ever change. Now that's out of the way, I have to say what's stopping this record from going higher: I'm listening to it, not watching it be performed. Michael Jackson is a good musician, but he is definitely one of the best performers of all time. So yes, while this is enjoyable on its own, experiencing these songs by just listening to them and not watching MJ perform them is only half the package and by far the least extraordinary way to do it.

It's okay

The Way You Make me Feel and Smooth Criminal are all time pop bangers but this album has some real clunkers. It’s Michael Jackson so I get it but this is a wildly overrated album.

I don't think anyone on earth has ever, in any moment, thought Michael Jackson's was “Bad” in the way he projects in the title track here. Obviously in other ways, there have been plenty of allegations (see also “Leave Me Alone”) but never like, this guy shouldn't be crossed. Shamon. Sitting right between the worldbeating Thriller and sister Janet's iconic Rhythm Nation, Bad does not ascend to either. The title track is fine in a cheesy way. The Way You Make Me Feel is pure pop perfection. Smooth Criminal is anxious and dangerous in a way that Bad wishes it could be. Michael was the “king of pop” for a reason… he knew his way around. But this is also where we see him, post Thriller, start desperately needing some editing. Man in the Mirror isn't as bad as some of his future work in this vein, but it is definitely not cool. Leave Me Alone is fine, but is also the iceberg tip of Jackson's descent into paranoid madness. And those are just the singles. But this is also a good time to kind of discuss the different world that late 80s and early 90s pop inhabited. Let's look at “Speed Demon”, which has minimal song craft but still has some insane bass in it. It's little bits like this that make me feel like I'm not an old man yelling at a cloud, pop music really has changed for the worse. Modern stuff is less goofy than, say, Just Good Friends, largely because it is still current, but it's a shell. Unlike Thriller, I've never heard this all the way through, and about half of this is even something I might have heard independently. Unlike Thriller, this is not timeless. Dirty Diana is no Billie Jean. It's more consistent than Dangerous (I have WORDS about Dangerous if it comes up) but it also lacks some of the dynamic highs. I'm sort of surprised how middle-⭐️⭐️⭐️ this is.

Enjoyable. Prefer Thriller.

Still not really a fan

Of course this is absolutely expert pop music. Just on a simply musical level this is going to score high. The One Two punch of Bad and The Way You Make Me Feel is an industrial strength opener and Speed Demon isn't far behind. But Liberian Girl, with its Swahili intro and "I'm in love with an African woman" theme sets a bit odd coming from someone who seems to have paid a lot of money to look like a white man. And asking the Man in in the Mirror to change his ways seems uncomfortably confessional, given what would come out later about what exactly "his ways" were. I Can't Stop Loving You is another of Michael's long line of soppy, middle of the road, oh so sensitive love songs. First "Ben" now this. Dirty Diana hasn't aged well at all. It's another one of those songs about band groupies and aren't they always a great idea? Smooth Criminal seems to be a chance to get down and Boogie to the story of a woman being murdered. Fun times. And this was kind of the beginning of the end. From here on the weirdness only increased and the stories just got stranger until he was more a punchline than a star.

A big comedown from Thriller. While there are a handful of decent singles worthy of the predecssor, there’s also too many sub-par efforts.

Back in the 80s this was one of the early CDs in my collection and consequently got a lot of play. It’s rarely an album I’d reach for now. Listening now it just all seems a bit forced. Trying too hard. 3

Separating the art from the artist this album is obviously gold. As for MJ himself.... ick.

Hee hee

A respectable 3. 4 hits doesn’t make this great when the other tracks are completely forgettable.

The music is energetic and some of the songs are (overly) familiar. His patented grunts and squeals between lines are VERY prevalent in this album. I’d say this is around the point that MJ and his music started turning into a caricature of himself.

It’s Michael Jackson so it’s obviously not BAD (ha ha ha) by any means. I prefer his older stuff though, and that’s not a knock on him, but rather a knock on the era. I’m not a big pop fan to begin with (hits only) but this late 80s synthy era of pop has to be one of my least favorite. The hits are good, and there’s a couple on this album. But the rest of the songs are victims of their era.

I like it, but it’s not the kind of thing I’d typically listen to. 3.5.

An enjoyable listen under the influence of some Jesus Juice and sleeping pills

great singles, Music videos are half the fun though.

Weirdly sounds cheap, I guess really just peak 80s sound

Woof, I got nervous getting this since the movie just came out and it’s bringing back all the controversy. But if I had to separate the art from the artist, this is a solid album. Not as epic as Thriller, but probably the last album of his chronological discography I would consider solid.

Pales next to his previous masterpiece: Thriller. Some songs have aged very well Smooth Criminal for example, a lot have not

It was bold of Michael Jackson to name the album after an honest assessment of the majority of these tracks. I kid, but I do not understand the overall appeal of MJ. It's true that he has some major hits that are undeniably great. But the rest is just... bleh. It's a low 3/5 again, joining Thriller down there.

I think Michael Jackson is pretty overrated.

Have heard plenty of Michael Jackson over the years, but this will be the first time I put on this album front to back. I mean, it is what it is. Catchy funky 80s pop. Bad is a great opener followed by The Way You Make Me Feel. Just fun catchy dancy pop. As a whole there’s a lot of a funkier-synth sound to a lot of it, best on Speed Demon and Just Good Friends. Some of the 80s sound and production gets a little tiring after a while. Some of it has a cheesy dated quality to it. But when it’s fun, it’s fun. I don't care for the slower love ballads like Liberian Girl and I just Can’t Stop Loving You. Actually really like Dirty Diana though, it’s a jam. Overall, this is a tough one to rate. Great funky synthy dance pop at its best. There are a few pop classics here. Yet there are some downsides. I was thinking 4 early, but think I’m on 3 now. When it’s great, it’s as good as pop gets. But sometimes it’s just a little too dated sounding to me, even if that’s also part of its charm.

Another great album! MJ's run of these three albums is top tier. This one has Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal as personal faves.

Es el matherfacer maikel

Not the usual vibe i go for but still pleasant

Lacks the sublime simplicity of earlier hit records like Off the Wall, but still hits its marks more or less. I just don’t care for the songs here. Smooth Criminal is the exception, melodically one of his very best songs.

They don’t call him the King of Pop for nothing. Thats what this record is… purely unadulterated pop. Overly produced, saccharine electronic sounds, and Michael Jackson making his patented squeals and stuff. Many of the songs are super catchy though. Hard to deny. But other than creating ear worms that wont go away, I can’t say I like it. But like the Beatles, I acknowledge what people like about it and I see (kinda) why he was an icon. I’m gonna give this a 3, because I don’t love or hate it. I also don’t think this is Jackson’s best work. So I’ll save a higher mark for Thriller.

Even decades after Whacko Jacko's untimely death his name (rightly) continues to be dragged through the mud. As mentally deranged as he was as a person, you can't deny his superstardom. It was a good album, although this kind of pop is a bit too polished for my liking. Altogether a decent listen. Probably my favourite of his releases.

6/10 first sing was great but rest of album was kinda bad

I remember a poetry professor dissecting the lyrics to "Man in the Mirror" as bad poetry. That professor died of brain cancer, which is irrelevant. What the professor missed is that songs rely on the music and that the poetry of the lyrics is secondary. Anyway, Michael Jackson was an insanely gifted entertainer and consummate weirdo who very likely molested children. I go with the "smoke/fire" theory here, considering this is not a one-off accusation. Why are so many people hung up on disproving that he molested children? Because fans of the artist, you can't consume the art in good conscience. (See also, MAGA People who turn a blind eye to Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the "privileges" that likely entailed.) The best course of acrion is to separate the art from the artist in this case. Bad is not as compelling as Thriller, but it's still a decent record.

3,5

I was really not in the mood for this. I will be generous and give it a 3 but it did really grate on me at times.

I’m not sure an album titled ‘okay’ would have sold as much, though it would better sum up the content of this one. There’s a lot of the instrument choices on her that date it quite a lot, primarily the drum machines and synthesised basslines. In some songs this works (‘smooth criminal’ still sounds good) but in others it sounds pretty ropey (‘just good friends’, ‘speed demon’). For an album that is supposed to show Jackson’s ‘bad boy’ image, this has a few ballads that stand out like a sore thumb and would do better not being on here.

A couple of classic tracks here, some filler, and a few really whiny tracks that, uh, have not aged well at all due to the unpleasantness. Can't deny the hook in "Smooth Criminal," though.

Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal are classics for a reason. But overall pretty meh. And Liberian Girl wasn’t great.

3.5 The hits from this that have lived on (Bad, Smooth Criminal, etc) remain all timers but this feels considerably more dated than both Off the Wall and Thriller in both production and songwriting

The first half of this album is literally bad The second half of figuratively bad. If it wasn't a single, it's yeah (also Bad).

Not my favorite genre but several songs I know and like and a few I had never heard.

Неочікувано))) І всеодно це попс.

I've never been a big Michael Jackson fan. However, this album was still enjoyable enough as I cleaned. Sometimes music is just catchy even if it's not your preffered sound.

The hits are hits. I found it difficult to be objective about each song given how well known they are. I remember feeling underwhelmed by the album overall because aside from the hits (Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal) I didn't enjoy many of the songs (Liberian Girl, I Just Can't Stop Loving You were low on my list). 3.5/5

Some great songs. Some not. Sounds thin and plastic, like many compressed recordings from this era. I prefer the funkier, earlier MJ work.

oscillates between just fine and hee hee

Obviously the hits on here hit hard. Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal back to back is insane work. The lyrics to Bad are cringe and the non-hits are only pretty good. Pretty sure Liberian girl is actively bad.

It's a fun album; it's Michael Jackson you're expectin quality. I do find it a bit repetitive at times, without the absolute bangers present in other works of his.

Well, even then, you didn't really believe any of his love songs. They're all performative. Always were, really, even before this album. It's easy to poo all over this. Lots of sterotypes in the keyboards (those bloody keytar-like sounds), the bass lines, the artificiality of this "Bad" persona and any of the lyrics (except maybe Man in the Mirror, which Jackson didn't write). The child molesting accusations don't help. But. A major reason a lot of his eeks and shamone-ah!, and the bass lines and so on are such stereotypes and so dated-sounding is that this was so big and almost every song is a bloody groovy earworm that renders you a bit defenseless against its effects. All of this on the heels of Thriller is quite an achievement. But. My God, a lot of this is incredibly cheesy. And besides the über hits, there's a bunch of duds here as well.

Nonce or not, I don't envy the task of any person who has to release the follow-up to Thriller! Commercially speaking, this album was a massive success with 9 of the 11 tracks being released as singles. There's some absolute gems on here, some guilty pleasures and some tracks that have not aged well at all. Any record that has both 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Bad' on it can't be too bad. 'Dirty Diana' is MJ doing his best Prince impression and he pulls it off well enough, even if it is nowhere as dirty as Prince's most scandalous moments. Jackson trying his hardest to showcase his badboy image is certainly laughable, as are some of his juvenile save-the-world lyrics. 'Man In The Mirror' is a song I loved as a child, but is beyond corny when listened as an adult. This hasn't aged as a complete package as much as I'd hope.

I thought I would be giving this one a 4 but the non-hits are kind of awful.

3.5. i mean it's michael jackson it's pretty solid stuff all around. maybe a bit dated but i don't really care all that much it's still nowhere near being bad in my opinion

A pretty lackluster album from Michael. Enough good tracks and classics to keep it afloat, but there are some overly edgy songs and some very cheesy ballads. I find "dirty Diana" to be funny because Diana is an old lady name these days. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

While it has some of the greatest 80s songs, I can’t listen to it as a whole, it feels clunky, that might be a consequence of the cultural impact perhaps

I listened to it but I just don't understand the fuss, and he was a pedo - no thanks.

There are some great songs here, but they're evened out by too many that are, ironically, bad.

it's 3.5

Honestly pretty good, given I didn't really know what I should expect beyond knowing this album had "Smooth Criminal". The FM synth heavy arrangements are nice and nostalgic, but can be a little dated at times. I guess at the time he dropped this he still earned the right to hold on to the "King of Pop" title, but this one doesn't impress me nearly as much as Thriller did. 7.5/10

There are some classics on here, but the filler is absolute crap. I didn't realize how much worse this album was than Thriller. Objectively, it deserves a 2, but it gets a nostalgia bump for me.

Man in the Mirror is great, and the other hits are catchy. Liberian Girl and I Just Can't Stop are awful, though admittedly I dislike almost all R&B. I've always found the braggadocio of the title track kinda ridiculous.

its pretty good yeah

It was so-so. Not bad, not great.

While I’ll take Prince over MJ 15 times out of 10, and Bad has always been a very (very) distant third when it comes to MJ overall, this particular listen has probably been my favourite time through the album for some reason. Just in a receptive mood I guess.

Pretty much all Michael Jackson album titles are hilarious in hindsight. “Bad”. “Dangerous”. That’s right.

Track 1: Bad; 6.9/10; Outdated disco pop sound?? Track 2: The Way You Make Me Feel; 6.6/10; Also outdated. Track 3: Speed Demon; 6/10; Obnoxious chorus Track 4: Liberian Girl; 5/10; boring Track 5: Just Good Friends; 6.7/10; better Track 6: Another Part of Me; 6.8/10; groovy Track 7: Man In The Mirror; 7/10; listenable Track 8: I Just Can't Stop Loving You; 5.8/10; not good Track 9: Dirty Diana; 7.7/10; solid track (pop rock) Track 10: Smooth Criminal; 7.6/10; nostalgic, slightly dated but excusable Track 11: Leave Me Alone; 6.5/10; boring but fun chorus

Not bad (hahaha)

Really thrown off by this, I like a lot of the tracks (obviously there are some huge iconic hits here) but the whole record has a slightly uncanny feeling to it that I struggled with. I'm going 3 because I feel I'm overthinking it and I can't give a 2 to a record with so many great tracks, but with that as a disclaimer

It's kinda hard to get bad Michael Jackson, provided you can tolerate him at all, which I can. Some bangers, some fillers, all listenable.

clickbait, o álbum não é bad

Super catchy, good grooves, great instrument sounds and synth squelches but not many substantial songs

3 stars for 3 bangers. rest is worthless though

Very iconic Michael Jackson album packed with memorable moments. It is less cohesive than other albums of his, but cannot deny the bangers. 8/10 [KEEP]

not as bad as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

This was ok?

bad es clave para entender el pop moderno y escuchado en contexto se vuelve todavía más claro. pero incluso reconociendo todo eso, no me termina de cerrar como escucha completa hoy. lo respeto más de lo que le doy play por eso le pongo 3/5, smooth criminal y dirty diana por siempre en mis playlists :)

Full of hits. Had fun with it, but not an album I would revisit a whole lot.

It’s a great record but I struggle to listen to this music anymore

Pretty fun, I like man in the mirror. And probably a couple others. I’d relisten but not speaking to me rn

I’ve never really enjoyed Michael Jackson’s music in passing and this is actually the first time I’ve sat down and listened to an album all the way through. You quickly understand why he was an international star through the music alone. For me, it’s fine and I think I enjoy other disco/synth pop music of this time more but like I get it.

half is amazing half is bleh

It's Michael Jackson. What am I supposed to say? There were quite a few songs I hadn't heard before in this, but I think the reason why you don't hear them as often is because they aren't as good, sadly (With the exception of 'Leave me Alone.' I liked that one, but I had never heard it before). The bass on a couple of these makes me think of the Sega Genesis. Favourites: Smooth Criminal, Leave Me Alone

the gap from the way you make me feel to man in the mirror was fucking painful.

"Smooth Criminal" might be my favorite MJ song. It's absolutely incredible. "Man in the Mirror" is a great pop song. Beyond that, Thriller this ain't.

So many iconic songs that I’ve heard soooo many times it is really hard to listen to this album fresh. But this was the first time in a long time I forced myself to listen start to finish. We know the singles - 40 years of radio overplay means there’s not much left unheard there- and it’s clear Jacko was at the peak of his powers at least leading up to this album in 87. After that, well things started falling off! On this listen I came to appreciate some of the musicianship and the arrangements to help accentuate his vocal delivery. He was adept at multilayered vocals and this effect could sometimes treat lush vocal harmony like another instrument - a trick sister Janet also used to great effect on Rhythm Nation. But, for me the test was: beyond the radio singles, was there anything else on offer to get you through this album! Not so much. Three stars.

obviously the singles are all iconic and incredible but like, for the most part the “deep cuts” (if you can even call my songs deep cuts) are kinda just alright in comparison.

This is my least favorite of the three albums produced by Quincy Jones. The album was just okay. I would rather listen to “Thriller” or “Off The Wall”.

A pleasant album. I will say that there are some songs that are forgettable, as they kind of blend together from my perspective. Another thing, I feel like a lot of the songs could be made shorter, given that there are large portions where the same thing is simply being repeated to conclusion.

one of the big 3 michael jackson albums, a little overrated but damn are the highs high. Solid 7/10

not my favourite, but can see why it was popular at the time

1/1001

I have heard this album many times. It's pretty good, not really my style. I have weird chikdhood memories associated with this one, so it's hard to give an unbiased opinion on its music.

I love Michael but this ain’t his best

I’m not sure I knew anyone who didn’t have this album, even if they claimed not to. Was certainly the first/only MJ album I had and it’s filled to the brim with hit after hit. This is definitely one of the most iconic albums of the 80’s. Even without pressing play the music is coming to me just by reading the track listing. Looking forward to relistening to this after a very long time. Strangely I found this quite dated and not as good as I remembered in the end. Still has some cracking songs on it, but a number I had fond memories of didn’t stand up.

Bad, Smooth Criminal and Man in the mirror are the stand out tracks that I remember. It doesn't really do it for me

Not a big favorite. Most of the tracks sound quite dated. “The Way You Make Me Feel” will always be good, though, and “The Man in the Mirror,” while a bit cheesy (especially with that big jet change at the end!), has a great melody and is a nice motivational sentiment.

Well, he certainly was bad… but this album is ok. I prefer this to a lot of the other Jackson material I’ve heard, since it has a lot more force to it that gives the album energy throughout. And there are of course some classics on the album, led by the title track and Smooth Criminal. I do still think it sounds a little dated though, something I find 80s music suffers from most. And there is of course the matter of his incessant ‘hee-hees’ and ‘owwws’, which definitely grate after a while.

Album 143. Bad (https://open.spotify.com/album/3Us57CjssWnHjTUIXBuIeH?si=J4DxiiD_Shyo-ApPUpKlYg) — Michael Jackson (1987) Great album, but I'm negatively biased towards him. Lots of good songs, but not my kind. 3/5 Liked: — Bad

Good album, would listen again. Not MJ's best though.

Really good, a lot of the most iconic songs ever made on it, other songs kinda mid -1 star for MJ being a creep

There's no doubt this album was a banger in 1987, but the bar was set soooo high with Thriller, in today's world, it's mid to me. Tons of MJ music better than Bad, like pre-Thriller jams, and I think this is the moment he started to lose relevance. Favorite songs are "Dirty Diana" and "Smooth Criminal", but they're not great enough to pull my rate from a 3 to a 4.

This one, like Thriller, has some classic hitting all the nostalgia buttons. It also has more clunkers than Thriller. But the bangers are bangin.

Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal are still great songs. The rest haven't aged well.

Good pop of course, nothing really stands out here except for Bad.

Some classic songs on this one, never been into MJ, but obviously highly talented, and misunderstood in most circles, but j His talent as a singer is clear.

Ok

Not bad, but who is Shamone?

A rating purely on the music - not his best

There are moments of greatness from the King of Pop on this album, but the shine had already began to diminish. The biggest problem with this album is that none of the really significant moments of self reflection and evaluation seemed to come from MJ himself. He had become a full blown caricature of himself, so none of the songs ring true. Off the Wall and Thriller are the best of his solo work, and everything else pales.

Iconic songs, but it hasn’t aged well

pretttttty dated I think ultimately and there's two songs on here i can't hear without WISHING i was listening to a parody of them or a cover... so there's that. i think conceptually as always with MJs music there's a lot of really grand ideas at play, some of which fall a bit flat for me and i think the failings and flaws of this album are much more palpable than the ones on Thriller which at the end of the day isnt that exciting to me....... anyhow nice to think about these albums deeply when i feel like they are so ubiquitously 'music'

- kyyll maikkelin musiikilla on mulle aina merkitystä vaikka vähän shady kaveri olikin - tälläkin levyllä aika monta kovaa stygeä

я не люблю Майкла Джексона потому что когда он умер, моя мама смотрела его похороны и обсуждения его смерти, а я очень хотел погулять сходить но мне нравится человек в зеркале, прям оч кайфовая песня

Very dated style of music. Was good in it's time. Only one song I really liked.

Un clásico. Lo he disfrutado mucho mientras lo escuchaba, pero no he sentido una conexión fuerte

funky jam.

Some hits but just not my taste

decent record. not overly fond of most of michael's records even if individual tracks (like a few on Bad) are really good

A few of these are great, a few really bad. Quite like The Way You Make Me Feel and Man in the Mirror. Bad and Smooth Criminal are good but super overplayed.

Heard some before; 3; I actually enjoyed the over-produced, squeaky clean sound. To me it makes it fun to listen to, but at the same time doesn't make it really great. A few standout tracks, but about half of the album doesn't really really stand out to me. Favorite Track: Smooth Criminal

3/5

I don't ever need to listen to him again, but he was a good pop star.

The hits are incredible, the deep cuts are forgetable and the song sequencing is unfortunate. rearranging the song order might do it good, but it's not as strong as the previous two.

Bueno

A worthy follow-up to one of the best selling albums all time for a man in crisis.

Not the biggest fan of michael, but no doubt an all-time classic. Fav song coming out of this 'Letter to my unborn child' heee heee

I like Michael Jackson, but this album is a mixed bag

I like the album but they’re not exactly songs I’d go out of my way to listen to. Phenomenal album though.

Heee heeeee...

I just really don't like Michael Jackson... The Way You Make Me Feel is a bop, Bad is barely tolerable, Man in the Mirror is obnoxious and Smooth Criminal is a chore. I just... can't with him.

I always kinda struggle to say anything about Michael Jackson. Not gonna say it is bad music, but at the same time that is all I can say about it. I don't care for his music, it's just kinda fine.

This album has some of Michael Jackson’s great and well known songs, but I didn’t find it to be my favorite album by him. It’s definitely full of songs that are classic Michael Jackson, but definitely some filler between the hits.

Not my fav MJ album but it’s still an enjoyable listen.

How can anyone follow up an album like Thriller? After listening to this, front to back, I realize, you can’t follow up Thriller. Every time I hear Bad, I think of what could have been with Prince and Micheal singing that song as a duet. Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, and Man in the Mirror are some of my favorite Micheal songs, but as an album, nothing flows or feels cohesive. Overall, I like a few of the songs, but the album as a whole is mid. Not Bad, but not good either.

Following Thriller is basically impossible, so I empathize with the challenge that faced Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones. That said, "Speed Demon"? "Liberian Girl"? The 2nd quarter of the album is such a miss, but at least it comes back strong(ish) for the last three songs. There are obviously classics on here; it's just too bad everything is so saddled by the sounds of "synthetic everything" '80s production. 3.5 stars.

Good start but inconsistent

I mean Bad was a pop classic but not sure it really holds up. It just comes off a bit cheesy compared to some of his other older albums. It just feels like he's trying to show off that he's edgy but it falls super flat on it's face. It's got some bangers on it but also some really bad songs. Overall a bit of a mixed bag for me.

Good

Lowkey slick.

Manufactured capitalism slop

Contains some of the most iconic songs of MJ’s career… and some others. I’m not overly keen on Speed Demon and the collabs on this album are a miss for me, but the key finds on this listen are Another Part of Me, Dirty Diana, and rediscovering just how GOOD the bass line on Smooth Criminal is. Overall immediate thoughts: good album, not quite up to Thriller standards and MJ starts to sound like a bit of a parody of himself here.

Sehr starker Beginn, allerdings kann das Album das Niveau nicht auf diesem Level halten. Irgendwann wartet man nur noch auf Smooth Criminal

Mais c'est très midi Michael Jackson en fait.

Bad - 4 The way you make me feel - 5 Speed demon - 1 Liberian girl - 1 Just good friends - 2 Another part of me - 1 Man in the mirror - 3 I just can't stop loving you - 1 Dirty diana - 4 Smooth criminal - 5 Leave me alone - 2

I remember listening to this on cassette, must have heard a few hundred times. Not a bad album with some pretty good songs

Of all the controversial artists out there I always give pause when an MJ song comes on. Why? Because buggering small children is sick. That HUGE issue aside, this album and MJ was a big part of my life growing up. His music was everywhere, this album included. This album was VERY produced but The Way You Make Me Feel is still a top tier MJ song. Fun album (sodomizer aside).

Much prefer Thiller & Off The Wall, i feel like the 80's production is MJ's signature but i much prefer the 70s sound of his earlier stuff.

It’s fine. Pop from my childhood.

It’s alright. It’s stylish, it has some great songs, some of which I feel like dancing to but that’s it. I wouldn’t have any of these songs on my playlist, maybe it’s just not my thing

Mid other than the legendary songs

Scandal(s) noted. Dang, I guess I’m still working through which side of the fence I’ll end up on regarding this artist’s art versus allegations regarding the artist as a person. There’s some catchy songs on here but honestly I don’t feel great listening to them. The present day theme of rich jerks doing whatever they want and creating problems for other people doesn’t help this album.

All the hits here hit, but some of the lesser known (to me) are pretty good too. But not at the level of his other stuff.

The hits range from good to great. I did not care for the filler.

Hard to look past his reputation and enjoy the music

Good

Enjoyed the big hits in a familiar, nostalgic way but the rest annoyed me. The vocal affectations and 80s production haven’t aged well.

It's a great album, you can't deny it, everyone knows these songs. Buuut the kiddy fiddling allegations.. No convictions but no smoke without fire? Let's meet halfway at 3.

This album is almost forty years old, yet it feels newer than that. Must be the high energy level of the songs. “Smooth Criminal” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” are the best tracks in my opinion. The rest of the tracks are well done but are forgettable. I guess I was in the minority having never joined the Michael Jackson bandwagon.

Michael was known as the king of pop for a reason. The production and instrumentation on the album hasn’t aged super well but Michael’s performances shine through. Great album but not his best, although it does contain my favorite song of his “Smooth Criminal 6/10 Favorite Tracks- “”The Way You Make Me Feel” “Man in the Mirror” “Smooth Criminal”

I remember when this album came out definitely nowhere near the popularity of thriller, but still has a couple good songs

good onessssss

Once again, my moral dilemma fading away as I realised this album is much more mid than it's best tracks suggest it might be.

Something about this doesn’t click for me. It feels a bit like a pastiche, but it’s not outright bad. Just compared to Thriller, or especially his earlier stuff it lacks a certain soul.

Strange to come back to this album, which I owned when it came out and listened to a lot and never really loved, so many years later. I'm trying to listen with fresh ears, but it doesn't sound fresh. This is a muscular album with a lot of strong, loud beats. Most of the songs are very dance-floor friendly. But a lot of that muscular feeling comes from later 80s sounds that feel really dated now: reverb-heavy drum machines, synth bass, and brassy keyboards. In fact, there's a lot here that epitomizes Top 40 music of the time: massively hyped, big bold sounds, mostly synths, and a couple of dreamy ballads. Michael Jackson's singing is still unique, but he's leaning so hard into his gasps and affects that he sounds impersonal much of the time. A bigger problems is that a lot of the songs just aren't that good. The Way You Make Me Feel is a standout dance track, and Another Part of Me and Just Good Friends have strong grooves. But many of the rest are uninspired. It feels like Jackson is trying really hard to prove that he's still the king of pop. Trying too hard

I have heard. half of these songs on the radio. I don't hate it, but I don't like it. Background music?

fave song: smooth criminal

I found the middle part of the album pretty boring tbh. The good songs are REALLY good tho. Honestly, idk if the middle part of the album is actually boring or I'm not paying attention. But it'd have my attention if it was good tbf. I like Thriller more anyway.

I can't say that i like this album as for me the songs seem a bit repetitive and some, forgettable. The ones that I liked were Dirty Diana (even tho I like The Weeknd's version better=))) ), Smooth criminal and maybe leave me alone. I don't fuck that much with Michael Jackson and the synths and all but I can see how he as an artist was influential for future artists and music in general.

Ok so you can see why the big hits were big hits at the time. Big sounding songs that eclipsed a lot of similar stuff released around the time. The filler songs weren’t great but less of them due to the number of big hits on this one. Not music I’d ever listen to but can see why it has its place in pop history.

Spotty! Moments of brilliance, stretches of tepid meh.

Fine I skipped a little through it I don't really vibe with MJ but it's some of the better music you might be forced to listen to in your daily life.

Its filled with classics, are they objectively good music probably not. do I like some of the songs because its been drilled into my head since a young age? yes.Do I dislike the others because they're crap? yes.Shame he died, Sorry Jackie shouldn't have taken that propofol.

A few really good songs but also some total skips. But the album is also a bit all over the place thematically.

ranking: Smooth Criminal The Way You Make Me Feel Bad Leave Me Alone Just Good Friends Man in the Mirror Another Part of Me Dirty Diana Speed Demon I Just Can't Stop Loving You Liberian Girl

Believe it or not, but this is my first time sitting down and listening to a full MJ record. His music has never resonated with me. Bad, as an album, is concise and stacked with memorable moments. Michael Jackson was most defined by his hit songs. In the album format, his style gets tiresome. People will praise this album for the 4-5 hits, but fail to realize that’s under half of the runtime. The rest of the album is padded out by semi-decent pop songs that have their merit. Not a masterpiece, but it is an undeniable classic.

Brings back memories

I mean it's a classic 80's pop album isn't it, but... you know.... meh! I just watched the video for The Way You Make Me Feel and I'd like to know why that woman is not running away screaming!

Not as good as Thriller

Classic

I've never been a huge Michael Jackson fan, but this is a solid album. Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal are my favorite songs. I don't know that I would add any of these to my regular rotation, but enjoyed listening to this album for the first time in many years.

The singles/hits (which I have of course heard before) were catchy, but the rest of the album was nothing special. Not awful, just meh.

Review - Not bad. Synths are really good, some v good songs, also some filler. Rating - 6.5/10 Need to hear? YES

This album is certifiably insane. It’s all so manufactured and punchy and the vocal exclamations make me uncomfortable. It’s as if an alien or AI made a pop album. Dirty Diana is a Prince rip off. 2.5 stars

он легенда , но стиль его музыки ваще не мой 😔🙏🏻 но я оч люблю dirty diana !!! и мне немного понрав leave me alone

The singles are bangers but wasn't mad about the other tracks. I thought the production in general was a bit annoying

I’m not mad, I recognise that this is very good at what it does. He’s an engaging and talented singer who benefits from the most carefully polished and well-produced studio work of the 80’s. Crack sessions and musicians and excellent song writing means this is a great pop album. Just not something I’d ever choose to listen to

While not bad I personally don't really care for Michael Jackson's style of music

It’s no thriller. And in looking back on it, I’m not sure why everyone thought this album was such a triumph when it came out.

Me parece un álbum buenisimo, clásico y atemporal, me gustan sobre todo los bajos que maneja y las voces que acompañan la canción, algo característico de MJ, mi canción favorita fue Man In the Mirror

Erster Eindruck: michael jackson Lieblingssong: „dirty diana“!! (Lieblingszeile:) Overall Rating: 6/10 Andere Anmerkungen: bisschen weird zu hören wenn er nh kindervergewaltiger war

Not bad hahhahhahahah no it’s actually alright. I didn’t think Michael Jackson would be my thing but I got some enjoyment out of this album, particularly at the start. I do think bad loses its charm towards the end, along with Jackson’s constant ad-lib screams. And the production has aged impressively badly - I actually thought it was released in the early 70s from the sound of this thing. Maybe that’s the point. I don’t really care

3,5*

Not a big fan of MJ, but never disappointing when his songs come on. Overall, very good album with a lot of catchy songs. Tough call on rating. I'll say 3.5 - round down for the Epstein and kiddy stuff....

This thing really sent out some shockwaves in the pop scene. What would the world have been without it???

ok, classic MJ which is not my favourite but it's definitely good

Would be 4* but -1 for noncing

Not a bad album, but kinda repetitive. Some fire songs, but not a fan of MJ. Bad is still awesome though, so energy inducing. I'd say a solid 6.5/10.

Favorite track: Smooth Criminal

accidentally listened to this on shuffle and i feel like a failure

Some good bops on this record but man he really does not sell love songs at all. Maybe it’s because of my pre-existing bias about, yknow, but it just feels like a slog. The rest is pretty good though

I'm torn, because the hits on this album are some of favorites from Michael Jackson (Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal). I hate help but be in awe of his range in vocals, the catchiness of his music, his visual performances like the lean move in Smooth Criminal (who dances and sings these days outside of kpop???), and the INFLUENCE of the music - I can hear a lot of the Weeknd in some of these tracks. But as I ponder about and fear how generative AI music is taking the soul out of music, I realize I cannot fully separate the art from the artist. Maybe troubled souls create amazing music, or maybe the output from troubled souls should not be celebrated. I'm a solid 3.5 here rounded down with these points in mind. Some of the tracks kind of annoyed me (Liberian girl, I Just Can't Stop Loving You), but that said, with his music, influence, vocals, MJ deserved the king of pop title.

My snobbishness about Michael Jackson prevented me from appreciating him until I was like 20 years old. But then I got over myself and really like some of his works as singles. A full MJ album is a different proposition. We'll see. Listening notes: -Weird Al really has done some damage to Bad as a track. -These tracks have so much going on. There are like 6 or seven discernible tracks running on Bad and I find it a bit distracting. -Okay outside of the huge hits this tracks are extremely forgettable. -Not exactly a bad album, but doesn't really leave me wanting more. Review: Meh. Smooth Criminal will always be iconic, but this album really feels pretty cliche otherwise.

They don't call him the King of Pop for nothing. I think there's only like on or two songs on this album that I hadn't heard before. Every other one is a classic that I've heard a million times and they still hold up.

Rating this against all of these other albums, it’s probably a 3-4. But ranking against MJ’s own albums I’d say it’s a 2-3. Thriller was way better and he certainly has more exciting stuff. That being said, the man knew how to entertain…

Some classic jams on this one like smooth criminal. These are the kinds of songs you can hear time and again and they stay fresh and fun!

Some classics, other than that its ok

This was fun and there are definitely some bangers on here. I'm personally not a huge fan of all the synth and fake sounds in 80s music, so I think this turns me off a bit here. But I'd def add some of these sounds to a dance playlist.

das album ist halt lwk voll schlecht. es hat nur drei gute songs und würde von mir eig nur 2 sterne bekommen. dirty diana ist aber so gut, dass es 3 bekommt.

Michael Jackson is too talented for me to give this less than a 3. There's some good stuff here.

Rating: 7/10 Michael's post-Thriller album that he and Quincy put together was surprisingly just...fine? Outside of the big hits there wasn't very much for me to love. It's more like reaching some pretty decent heights with Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, and Smooth Criminal, none of which come close to Thriller's best songs in my opinion, with some average lows scattered through the rest of the album. I did like Dirty Diana though, I think that's a pretty good song.

I never fully understood the MJ hype. Some good songs here, such as Dirty Diana, but overall the album just isn't for me. 6 Rockmans out of 10 Lizard Wizards

I feel this album hasnt aged incredibly well, though there are some timeless classics throughout. I think this album suffers from trting to keep up with the fashions of 1987, when it should have gone for a more timeless approach. This is mainly to do with Bad vs Smooth Criminal; I feel the album would have bettter stood the test of time if the look of the album went with a smooth criminal look, 1920s gangster as opposed to the 80s thug look, which michael jackson does not pull off. Liberian Girl and Speed Demon are trash, Man in the Mirror is excellent and Bad is mid.

It'd be so easy to just give this a one-word review: "Bad". But I'll rise above the temptation. I've already said before that I was never a fan of Jacko, even before the abuse stories came out. 80s pop just grinds my gears, and he was the undisputed king of it. The 80s in general were a weird time, where being "bad" simply meant wearing studded leather jackets and repeatedly telling everyone how bad you were. By this stage, Jacko was so famous and so insulated from normal life that he was completely unaware of how cringey some of his songwriting actually was. Let's try to be objective about it all though. The title track "Bad" IS a good song. Cheesy, nonsense, and deeply cringey, sure, but it's grand. "The Way You Make Me Feel" has all the hallmarks of an awful 80s song: processed beats, processed bass, layers of synth. But the melody does a lot of heavy lifting and ultimately saves it. On the other hand, tracks like "Just Good Friends", "Another Part of Me" and "Speed Demon" lean fully into the 80s excess, with "Speed Demon" throwing in some absolutely unhinged keytar for good measure. "Liberian Girl" is peak late-80s Jacko cringe. It's hard to listen to without shuddering in pure cringe. But the second half of the album is hard for even the biggest Jacko haters to argue with. "Man in the Mirror" is cheesy, yes, but it's undeniably catchy and shows off the strengths of his voice, with plenty of "shamons" and "hee-hees" thrown in for good measure. "Dirty Diana" and "I Just Can’t Stop Loving You" keep things going, before "Smooth Criminal", which is genuinely a unique and interesting song. "Leave Me Alone" is a very solid way to end the album too. So is it Bad? In the way Michael Jackson meant it - badass, tough, cool? No. In the true sense of the word, in terms of quality? Begrudgingly, I also have to say no. It doesn't deserve the untouchable pedestal it's often put on, but there are enough strong songs here to test even the most committed Jacko hater.

Good singles and I guess the Stevie Wonder cameo was good. 3/5 I find it funny that Leave Me Alone and Dirty Diana are like roadmaps to the weeknd 30 odd years before Abel started to do music. We are free from MJ.

6/10

12/19/25 - Great album! I very much enjoyed listening to it and will definitely listen to it again. It was light and fun. I don't enjoy some of the more 80's sound (like the song "Just Good Friends) but overall there were a few tracks that stood out to me, particularly "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Smooth Criminal", and "Liberian Girl".

Full of classics, but not my go to listening.

How do we listen to Michael Jackson at this point? This album feels to me like the watershed moment, at which the quality (or at least the average quality) of the music has waned enough that the reasons to come back to his work have curdled. That said, some of the beats, baselines and changes here are terrific, and I found myself enjoying such fundamentally silly songs as Speedy Demon and Just Good Friends because of the elastic funk production and Jackson's sometimes irresistible way of blendng lead and backing vocals. There's still a good album here from a singular performer, but the combination of a background of biographical ickiness, the incessant vocal ticks that have begun to lapse into self-parody, and the sickliness of some of the cartoonish elements of the production and songwriting make me happy enough to consign this to the depths of history, along with the remaining years of Jackson's output.

I forgot that “Dirty Diana” existed

Bad- classic The way you make me feel - Little boring Speed Demon - Slow, no fun chorus Liberian Girl - cool, background music a lot of repetitions Man in the mirror - simply great, party song Dirty Diana - hottt

I liked man in the mirror and dirty diana and smooth criminal. The other songs were all good as well. I think its veryyyy 80s. little bit of a headache but in a good way. A lot going on also in a good way.

Still enjoy the singles immensely. Some songs feel very dated. Enjoy some songs that aren't singles

Dude tried really hard to make an album bigger and better than Thriller, but I don’t think he succeeded. Not bad though (pun intended).

Chouette, encore un chanteur problématique ! Musicalement ? Pas spécialement mon truc, mais j’en attendais un peu plus, je crois, même si certains passages accrochent bien l’oreille. On verra bien s’ils ont mis encore un album ce MJ dans la liste.

I remember feeling like I outgrew Michael Jackson waiting for this album to be released in the 80's. Turns out I was right. The singles are still good. The rest is forgettable.

5 hits + filler

Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal may have that nostalgia factor, but other than that the album was, while not literally bad, at least uneventful.

I thought this would be much h better. But very disappointing. Singles ok rest really uninspiring and a waste of money and talent. Not even great pop. Check out the videos before you die but skip the album

Heavy on the hee hee

Not bad!

A few select hits that I knew. I’m surprised at how bad the non-hit songs were

oh god this was the right album for the wrongest of times. late 80s pop had some cool sounds floating around, but most of the time the dull and syrupy floated to the surface. look at all those cool freestyle artists who would break out with a big single that had none of the fun of their other work. but despite the sappy and poorly produced weak spots, Bad is, well, not Bad at all. Dirty Diana is a banger, and when Smooth Criminal comes on it feels like submitting the final assignment of the semester and being FREE!!! deserves to be one of the 1001? i wouldn't mind if this was left off in favor of Dangerous, (which would be easily his best if some fat was trimmed Hot Take i know) but i think there's plenty of room for 4 albums by the king of pop himself

Hittien varjoon jää muu levy 3/5

Onhan nuo megahitit erinomaisia, mutta aika paljon unohdettavia biisejä myös. 3/5

3/5 - a lot of bangers but also a lot I just don't care about

While I recognize the creative talents of MJ, if the truth be known, I may have as much Jackson 5 in my collection as I do Michael Jackson as I believe THRILLER is his only album I own.

Man, I loved this when I was 9. Still got some bangers.

Classic early Michael Jackson

Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal are bona fide number 1s but looking at this from an album perspective, it felt kind of flat so scoring it appropriately..

6/10 Still entertaining, smooth criminal is great 11-17-2025

I know a guy who listens to this album almost every day, and because of him the amount of hee-hee's I've heard in my life is way higher than I'd like it to be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcM-nR7lE40

My ex was into this guy's music. I absolutely get why he was popular, though I am not sure I can exactly understand how popular he actually was since I wasnt around back then. That said, it isn't for me.

This was my first time listening to this album. It was good, but not as good as Off The Wall. But still, Smooth Criminal is one of my all time favorite Michael Jackson songs and I am not ashamed to say that I liked the song Liberian Girl. I’d like to think that had I come of age in the 80s I would’ve rocked a cool leather jacket like Michael’s, but I think my style would be more Molly Ringwald in breakfast club or 16 candles. But even that’s being generous. Had I grown up in the 80s I probably would have looked more like the girl from the Goonies. Not Brand’s girlfriend. Definitely the weird one with bad hair and glasses. But anyway, this album was a fun listen.

I enjoy it but I do find it hard to separate the music from the person...

Smooth Criminal + 10. Me gustó, no me volvió loco 6/10

This feels like a crime, but...honestly it was just OK.

This album is so entrenched in the minds of anyone who was around in the late eighties that it is tough to assess it. I never loved Michael Jackson, too slick, too poppy, too many mannerisms, too much of 80's synth (which has not aged well). I love the Motown sound Off The Wall more, and the Jackson Five even more. Yet, it can't be denied that this album is full of pop perfection and showcases good musicianship. Does it belong in the list? Yes 5/5. Will I listen to this by choice? Mostly no, except for one or two songs (Dirty Diana, maybe Man in the Mirror if it didn't have the cringy singing mannerisms, maybe Smooth Criminal). Let me be guilty of a harsh 3.

Uwu

Man in the Mirror amd Smooth Criminal are imo two of the best Pop Songs, nothing like that seems to be written anymore…(old man yells at cloud). One full album of MJ is a tad much though to digest at once. Still a classic obviously, but not my personal favourite.

Some all time greats on this one, I knew more than i didn't which will be a rarity for me on an album.

I don't listen to MJ much, but I enjoyed the throwback more than I expected. Definitely a different style of music to what's made these days, but with some absolute classics. The album wasn't as long as I thought either. That said, wouldn't be my favourite overall and is a middle of the road for me.

I've never been the biggest Michael Jackson fan so take that into consideration with this review. This album did nothing to win me over to MJ's side. It did, however, reaffirm my complete and sincere love and respect for Quincy Jones. Goodness, what that man gave for music is immeasurable! All (possibly valid) criticism of MJ aside, the production of this album is top tier. The mix, the deceptively complex arrangements, the studio performances are all top rate. That and the musicians who appear on this album are all amazing. I was pleasantly surprised by several guests that appear. (Steve Stevens, Dan Huff, Siedah Garrett, Jimmy Smith!, most of Toto, so many more) They alone were worth the listen.

A few skips, only tuned into for the popular tracks. 7/10.

In 1987, people probably hadn’t realised just how bad Michael Jackson truly was (like really, really bad), but they must have noticed that he was hitting a creative dead end. There are some fun tracks but as an album, Bad is pretty patchy, and his vocal mannerisms are starting to slip into self-parody territory.

Massive hits in this album, where the rest of the songs didnt age as well. Too many early 80’s arrangements, Quincy Jones was giving it all, clearly, but it feels like everything sounds pretty much the same.

Amazing production (like always with MJ’s albums) and some good songs, but it’s a bit too soft and doesn’t have the punch of others.

Good album. The problem is comparing it with Thriller :).

Overrated

Nije thriller ali nije ni invicible😃

Listening to this I recalled what a big album it was in the 80’s . It contains a lot of well known songs by Jackson, largely due to the fact about half were released as singles. It definitely had the kitchen sink thrown at it regarding the latest technology in the 80’s, which perhaps explains is success at the time, but also makes it sound dated now

Can’t tell if it’s funny or sad that the album cover is MJ’s vision of a “bad boy.” The music is pretty good. This is not as tight as Thriller for sure, and he’s not as suited to this weird rock-ish sound as he was to disco and R&B, but he could still pump out classics on an off day. Should we still be listening to him? I really don’t know. He’s dead anyway—it’s God’s job to judge him now. Best song: Dirty Diana

I mean..... heres the thing. The lead single "Bad" is absolute dogshit. That said some of ol Mikeys best work is on this.

After thriller, thé only way was down

My least favourite of the trio of Quincy Jones produced MJ albums and missing Rod Temperton's songwriting influence. Perhaps too many vocal tics. As such, 3/5. Might scrape 4 on the right day.

Iconic Artist with a troubled history. Bad is one his best two albums, with Thriller being his best.

5.5/10 Michael Jackson at his most annoying but there are bangers on here as well Highlights: Smooth Criminal Leave Me Alone The Way You Make Me Feel

Is it sacrilege to say MJ is just ok ?

“Smooth Criminal” is kinda cool, and it’s plain to see why so many other pop stars tried to copy his style. But overall there are too many, “hee hees,” and “hoo hoos,” for my taste.

It's fine pop music from the 80's. Nothing really stands out for me as "amazing", though. Eee-hee and shamone.

A little edgier than his prior work, but nonetheless maintains the pop/funk he’s known for. Despite Liberian Girl being a TOUGH listen, I’d put it this record above Thriller.

Way more hee hees than expected (doing my best to separate art from artist here)

The hits don't fly as high as Off the Wall and the filler doesn't fill as much either. Normally I'm a fan of obvious eighties production quirks but it got a little old as the album went along. Still a toe tapper but there are other places in Michael's mansion I'd rather spend my time.

very important album gets you dancing favs: bad, the way u make me feel and man in the mirror (very basic)

Definitely not my favorite work by MJ or Quincy, but there’s a lot of powerful vocal performances and a strong hit/filler ratio. “Man In the Mirror” might be my favorite 80s track by MJ.

Some of the tracks are brilliant, they are. It just leaves me a bit cold, dirty Diana is sick as owt like

First time actually listening to the entire album. First impressions are it sounds bad. Not really, way more interesting sounding than I remember as a kid. The artificial of the keyboards and the beats do become grating as it goes on. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Yes the many singles Owned: No 17/1001, 17/68 (25%) Will I get? No

Bad is meh, The Way You Make Me Feel is ABSOLUTE FIRE, Speed Demon isn't that good, Liberian Girl is catchy but not my fave, Just Good Friends is actually good (Stevie is the best), Another Part of Me is meh like Bad but better, and I couldn't finish the rest of the album (because it was boring and I'm not a fan of MJ).

i doubt anyone would have a bad time with this album, it’s very 80s but still a lot of fun regardless. the song bad also slaps way harder than i remember

The impossible follow up. Certainly well-made smooth criminals a great song. Probably belongs on the list, but thriller may have been sufficient although if you’re gonna put nine Bowie albums on here an extra Michael or two doesn’t hurt. As far as Dirty Diana. No. Just No.

Weird how most albums from the 70’s still sound amazing but a lot from the 80’s sounds dated. Unfortunately this album falls in the latter category, I don’t like a lot of 80’s music much for that reason alone. All the music sounds cheesy and corny and this album is full to the brim with cheese. If I look past the 80’s production, the songs are alright. I enjoyed it but the sounds made me suffer from vicarious embarrassment haha

2.8

3, not my favorite MJ. I already knew the hits but had never listened to the whole album. Unfortunately, I think the 2 best songs are the first two.

Waar je bij voorgaande MJ albums nog wel veel wortels zag in zwarte muziektradities, lijken die bij 'Bad' enigszins ontworteld te worden. Tuurlijk is 'Thriller' zijn eerste echte pop-album, maar 'Bad' is mijn inziens veel meer geconformeerd aan de mainstream radiomuziek van de 80s. Funk, disco, en soul invloeden lijken gereduceerd tot minieme details. Daarmee verdwijnt ook direct mijn enige beetje interesse in de man. 'Bad' en 'Man in the Mirror' zijn wel echt retegoede popkrakers, maar de rest van dit album vind ik overhyped, en op z'n best 'prima opvulling'. Lang niet zo spannend als 'Thriller', en verrassingen zoals de rock-getinte 'Dirty Diana' zijn schaars. 6,5/10 Highlights: Bad Man In The Mirror Dirty Diana

I liked Thriller, I loved Off the wall, I'm not sure about this one :(

Some undeniable bangers here. Some sick cuts I never heard before as well so I’m glad I’ve finally heard this. All that said there are also several absolute stinkers. Liberian Girl should be the 7th song on a Police album not the fourth song on one of the most acclaimed artist of all time’s record. Man in the Mirror starts the outro no joke 2.5 minutes into a 5 minute song. Embarrassing that I’ve heard Fat by Weird Al and the AAF cover of Smooth Criminal far more times than the originals.

Bad was MJ. I hadn’t thought of him in years. Nice trip down memory lane listening to this album. Gone way too soon.

3+ When he's good, he's good. Lots of mid filler here though

3.5 stars

Just never been a big MJ fan. This album didn't really change that. Some good songs though.