Bad

Absolutely wild to me that there was a 5 year album gap between this and Thriller with NO drop in quality whatsoever from the King of Pop. Bad is a classic, lots of memories of watching this on MTV while my parents could still afford to pay for Austar. The Way You Make Me Feel opens with a few well-deserved 'hehe's and is just as funky now on my 100th+ listen as it was the first time I heard this at a blue light disco. Speed Demon has some absolutely wild synth/bass work so whoever led the production on this song between MJ and Quincy Jones deserves a medal. I'm also a huge fan of putting car noises into songs. This song goes really fuckin hard. This whole album is full of extremely well-produced, well-written, and masterfully performed music. When your albums hits include songs like 'Bad' and 'Man In The Mirror' and your "filler" is songs like 'Just Good Friends' and 'SPEED DEMON' you know this is an undeniable 5/5. I prefer side 1 to side 2, but it's hard to say that when side 2 ends with the musical atomic bomb that is Smooth Criminal. It was said about Thriller when we reviewed it a couple of weeks ago, but I totally understand MJ Truthers after listening to this whole album. The video footage of people passing out at an MJ concert is no longer ridiculous to me.

The minute the webpage opened, I knew I was in for a treat. The better question to ask is "Who doesn't love Bad by Michael Jackson?"

Top

4.5/5 This album is not bad at all. The first side has a consistent quality and vibe but doesn't often reach the highs expected of the King of Pop, and sounds quite dated at times. However, the second side is fantastic, with some real gems, but it still cannot lift the album to another level. Bad 4.5/5 The Way You Make Me Feel 4/5 Speed Demon 4/5 Liberian Girl 4.5/5 Just Good Friends 4/5 (LEAST FAV) Another Part of Me 4.5/5 Man in the Mirror 5/5 I Just Can't Stop Loving You 5/5 Dirty Diana 5/5 (FAV) Smooth Criminal 5/5

Growing up Michael Jackson was along with The Beatles was the first music I got into. No matter what you think of him as a person or what he supposedly did it didn't do there is no mistaking he was a music legend. Onto this album it's the follow up to the biggest selling album of all time and in my opinion i prefer it to Thriller don't get me wrong both are great but I've always preferred Bad. So many great track with the title track & The way you make me feel among them but Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal are highlights along with my personal favourite Dirty Diana

Pure pop perfection.

Classic MJ. Great talent. RIP.

Straight bangers. And I’m not talking about he did to those kids

Hit after hit. He’s weird as fuck but boy can he sing

Have to show this record its due propers. Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal all could virtually be standards at this point, and even the tier 2 songs like Liberian Girl, Another Part of Me, and Leave Me Alone are elevated. Even the sound effects (both from the producers, and from MJ's little yelps) are all 100% associated with this album.

Bruh…. Cmon. This is undeniable. What can I even say about it that hasn’t already said. The only thing I can think of is that it still holds up in 2024, that longevity is gahdamn legendary

After all these yearss. oit's stilll briliiant

So many good songs on this album. I especially enjoyed the duet with Stevie Wonder, Just Good Friends, one I've never heard before.

How do you follow up one of the best pop records of all time? With maybe the second best pop music record of all time. The dude was a messed up guy with a tragic backstory himself, but Bad cannot be denied.

Endless enjoyment!

There's a impressive sense of balance to this album as a whole and within each song. I generally find a lot of 80s pop music to go a little too hard to the point of being overwhelming. Throw in some uninspired instrumentals, and it's really a recipe for a couple good singles and an unsubtle album. Bad really seems to me to use a small set of sounds for the entire album, but with it they create these fresh, fun, and dynamic songs that flow very well together. There's a obviously a lot that can be said about MJ's vocal prowess, but in short, it's great. The bass lines drive almost every song with incredible smoothness. The album has a nice natural lull after the first few songs that relaxes the mind back from the bombastic start, before it launches back into it for the ending. Overall, I can really see why people like MJ, and more than that, I myself really like this album already. I listened to it three times through today, and each time I felt like new aspects of the music just leapt out to me. That's a rare experience easily worth granting a five for.

monstro dos montros

Love that I got to listen to this a week or two after Thriller. I think that Thriller is a more concise experience, but MJ is the king of pop for a clear reason. I’ve heard the song Bad too many times to enjoy it, but the rest of what’s offered here is still great. This album has a bit more variety compared to Thriller. Great album. Standouts: The Way You Make Me Feel, Speed Demon, Another Part of Me, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, and Leave Me Alone.

Horrible person but this is a great album. This is my favorite MJ album so far. I like it more than Thriller or Off the Wall. Favorite track Dirty Diana.

Masterpiece that needs its own category

It’s difficult to rate something knowing all the allegations and stories towards the artist but damn this is a GOAT album. And when it comes to music, I can’t help myself but massively appreciate Michael Jackson. Pop, funk and songs with well articulated messages (e.g. Man in the Mirror) and bangers like Liberian Girl makes this an S-tier experience. I was looking forward to this.

What can I say... Complete piece of art.

Truly killer album. Only weak track is "Speed Demon." Great balance too. Slow jams like "Liberian Girl," a simple paean to a woman from a complex nation are complemented by darker, upbeat numbers "Dirty Diana," and "Smooth Criminal," motivational confessionals like "Man in the Mirror," catchy, upbeat tunes like "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Another Part of Me," and "Just Good Friends," the latter of which most clearly provides more clues into Michael's unconventional and mysterious sexuality. After Thriller owned the early 80s, Mike gave up the throne to Prince and Madonna in the mid, only to reclaim it with this album. I do love the juxtaposition of Mike claiming how bad he is with the sweet vocal harmonies decrying "really really bad." Really hammers the point home;) Let's not forget the 18 minute video where MJ squares off against Wesley Snipes!

it's michael jackson i mean come on 4 or 5 >:) definitely a 5, even the ones i haven't heard are bangers

I am actually surprised that every single song from this album was a hit. As I knew all of the songs and enjoyed listening to them all, there is no other way - I have to give this album 5 stars. I really didn't want to as I am not really a huge Michael Jackson fan, but it's okay, it's a great album.

Well, I think it's going to be the weakest 5 so far on this list. It feels bad, pun intended, to give it anything lower than five, with songs like Smooth Criminal and Man in the Mirror. But at the same time it feels like this album, and whole career of MJ is a bit overrated. His singles and hits were phenomenal, the rest pretty average. I'm not a fan of his music, but I have to respect him for those few songs, and of course for the cultural impact around the world.

Als kleuter ging ik er al goed voor zitten als er op tv een nummer van MJ voorbij kwam. Ik kon die hits van Thriller achter elkaar zien. Toen ik 7 was, kwam Bad uit. Ook die nummers wilde elke keer weer horen en zien. Dus tipten mijn ouders mij dat ik ook een bandje ervan kon kopen. Wellicht ook, zodat ik het lekker op mijn kamer luisterde in plaats van in de huiskamer op de tv. Zo werd Bad het eerste album dat ik kocht. Ik heb het ontzettend vaak afgespeeld. Niet alleen omdat het eerst het enige bandje was dat ik had. Want ruim 35 jaar later kan ik het nog steeds met plezier opzetten. Michael doet alles wat bij anderen de muziek zou verpesten. Met name de valse lucht en rare kreten zijn opvallend. Toch weet hij dit zo te doen dat het niet stoort, maar zelfs versterkt. Samen met zijn muzikale handtekeningen zorgt dit ervoor dat hij een volledig eigen geluid heeft. En dat weet hij dan nog op allerlei manieren te versterken eens te versterken. Muzikaal met bijvoorbeeld soms zijn krachtige intro’s. Maar hij versterkt de muziek ook door visueel spektakel. Want dat is bij hem nauwelijks los te knippen. Zijn dansen en clips zijn misschien nog wel creatiever dan zijn muziek. Bad begint met de hit Bad. Een voorbeeld van een nummer met zo’n sterk begin. Dan kan het eigenlijk al niet meer mis. Een lekker MJ-ritme erbij, vol geluid, een sterk refrein, variatie in de zang en ergens nog een goed intermezzo. Zo zet hij gelijk zijn handtekening. En dan is Bad niet eens het fijnste nummer. Het volume ging pas omhoog bij Dirty Diana. Dit had muzikaal zo’n kracht dat dat gewoon niet anders kon. En dan volgt daarna nog eens Smooth Criminal. (Als kind zong ik altijd “Annie, Are you Walking”. Ik kan kan dat nog steeds niet meer on-horen). Dirty Diana en Smooth Crinimal hebben beide nog eens een sterker intro, een sterker ritme, een voller geluid, een sterkere afwisseling en een sterker intermezzo. Zo krijgt hij het voor elkaar dat hij de knaller Bad gewoon als opwarmertje voor zijn album kan gebruiken. En dan ben je gewoon terecht de King of Pop. 5 sterren, maar op afstand van vele andere platen met die score.

MJ is top tier talent. Everything about this album is great. The singles are incredible and so are the other songs. The bass riffs in this record are insane. As a matter of fact, the music in this is underappreciated and underrated. I saw a video of Michael Jackson beat boxing the music to a song he was writing to a bass player and then the bass player was recreating it on his bass... That's so cool. Knowing that MJ orchestrated the music (I'm assuming here, as per that video I saw) makes me appreciate him even more. There are quips that MJ does, that I can see people disliking... But I love it. Every Hee Hee, jamoan, or what sounds like a hiccup after some lines, and scream he does, I think is great. Kind of funny... But he definitely makes his music his own. And due to how talented he is, very hard to recreate. I'm pretty sure he has perfect pitch. And his vocal control is unreal. Again, there is and only will be one Michael Jackson. I listened to the 2012 remaster - which is a double album with bonus songs. 2 songs, sung in French. Each song is different lyrics, but same vocal melody and music. The last three songs are a discgrace. Remixes by Afro jack, Nero, and one of the biggest shit stains to music: Pitbull. Each of those artists should be ashamed of themselves and be embarrassed of how they desecrated those songs. I won't judge those songs in this review.

arcydzielo

Arguably the worst (least excellent) of Jackson’s 3 albums featured in the book, but still miles ahead of almost anything anyone else was releasing in ’87, and in the late 80’s in general. At its best ‘Bad’ is as good as, and arguably better than anything on ‘Thriller’ and ‘Off The Wall’. It’s just that these two albums shade it for overall consistency. Still, ‘Bad’ is a blast, and 5 U.S. number ones, as well as sales of 40+ million copies worldwide can’t be wrong.

It's MJ, of course it's gonna be 5 stars.

Pop masterpiece of the late 80's. Not as good as Thriller, but still awesome. Actually, this is probably a 4.5, but I will round up.

Jackson used to be a bit of a joke, a sexless man child pretending to be bad. But now I know he really was bad, the aggressive attack of the music makes more sense. Does that make me bad?

Uno de los héroes de mi niñez. Recuerdo mis intentos de hacer sus coreografías y de cantar frente al espejo, sintiéndome un popstar. Michael Jackson sin duda me marcó pero oculté mi fascinación por él por vergüenza ante mis compañeros de la escuela, sintiéndome que era un gusto menor, pero con el tiempo reivindico y entiendo como fundamental en los sonidos posteriores de los '80 y los '90. No había escuchado éste disco pero obviamente sí sus singles. Viaje hermoso al pasado.

Ik kwam 25 juni 2009, na door een staking in urenlange onzekerheid vast te hebben gezeten op een vrij warm Grieks vliegveld, terug van een vakantie in Griekenland en hoorde direct na het landen dat Michael Jackson overleden was. Op de donkere terugweg in de auto (het was een uur of 04:00) stond de radio aan en er werden alleen maar nummers van hem gedraaid. Tot dat moment was Michael Jackson voor mij vooral een soort vreemde karikatuur van Peter Pan die ten onder ging aan z'n eigen roem, waarbij de muziek werd ondergesneeuwd door z'n bizarre acties en voorkomen, maar na die rit besefte ik eigenlijk dat hij toch wel een aantal klassiekers heeft afgeleverd. Een aantal van die tracks staan op dit album. Je hoort dat het late 80's is, maar toch klinkt het wat minder gedateerd dan het werk van bijvoorbeeld Prince, al zal het een nuanceverschilletje zijn. Of ik heb er minder last van omdat dit allemaal al in m'n geheugen is ingeladen. Ik zet dit niet gauw uit mezelf aan, maar als het dan een keer aan staat is het toch wel lekker om bepaalde hits weer een keer te horen: Smoezelige Dianne en Gladde Delinquent (waarvan de Alien Ant Farm versie nog steeds heel vet is) bijvoorbeeld. Als dit album niet in deze lijst had gestaan had de lijst geen bestaansrecht gehad. En dat zeg ik zonder dat ik Michael Jackson fan ben. Het album kakt net voor het midden heel even wat in, maar desondanks ga ik toch 5 sterren geven. Zeker na gisteren.

C'mon. It's da king...

Took me back to when I was a kid, listening to this in vjnyl through headphones. Over and over, learning every hee hee and shamoan.... How could I score it any lower?

👑 👑 👑 👑 👑 Did Danforth have TVs? Am I misremembering sitting in Danforth and the Alien Ant Farm cover coming on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE

Classic for a reason. Pop music at it's finest. Well produced catchy hit after hit.

nice MJ

Classic. An album with this few duds is incredible.

Danced my whole way through this amazing album!

It's hard to not listen to the song Bad without Weird Al's parody, Fat, slipping into my brain but I liked the album.

One of the best pop albums ever. Period.

This is Michael Jackson. King of Pop.

This is one of the best Popmusic records ever! Jackson is on his peak here and everything is just perfect.

STANDOUTS: Bad The Way You Make Me Feel Man in the Mirror I Just Can't Stop Loving You Smooth Criminal OVERALL: 4.5/5

Y por esto, MJ es el Rey. Best relisten to date. would definitely revisit it a lot. He was the moment. 10/10. mejor que el sexo, como dice @veeencent.

Otro 10/10 mejor que el sexo

It’s Michael!

An obvious classic - this album just ticks all the right 80's funky pop boxes. Although not something I'd listen to regularly these days, the genius is undeniable and the songs unbelievably catchy.

35.000.000 Fans can't be wrong - Jacko 4 ever!

I think because he was kind of larger than life and we always got his hits shoved down our throats we kind of take his catalogue for granted, but he really was unstoppable back in the day.

Nice

great sound great vocals and not a bad track on the album

Bad (the song) is pretty good but The Way You Make Me Feel is perhaps better, bouncy and high energy. Speed Demon has an awesome bass intro and lots of fun sounds. Straight into the chill Liberian Girl with smooth bass and strings. The bass is so good on most of the album, hard not to move a body part while listening. Man in the Mirror is another highlight, and Dirty Diana with its brooding atmosphere. Then the 10th track is Smooth Criminal. It's unfair to have this many hits.

Es enorme

Not much to say here, other than this is an absolute masterpiece of pop songwriting and production. If you don't like this, you're dead inside. Separate the artist from the art, people. Favourite tracks: literally all of them. The only one I didn't know was Just Good Friends, which is still a banger, with strong Sonic 3 slap bass vibes. And Leave Me Alone is possibly my favourite Jackson track ever. Genius.

Near perfect album.

It’s a shame that such a troubled man can produce such a work of art. my favorite album on this whole platform so far 10/10

Nice

Tunnetusti todella kova. Varma vitonen

One of the all-time best

An amazing album. I consider this still in MJ's "imperial stage" where it was gonna sell no matter what, but he's continuing to develop here especially with his vocal techniques which started with Off the Wall. His voice is a literal rhythm machine all on its own. I used to think differently; that this was a minor adaption from all that he had already shown with Thriller: you have several songs that could be considered similar in tone/genre (a rock song, a ballad with a guest artist, etc), but the talent and world-class production and arrangements are so top notch. It holds up.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Bad, The way you make me feel, Liberian girl, Just good friends, Another part of me, I just can’t stop loving you, Dirty Diana, Smooth criminal

I will always love this album. Too many classics (Man in the Mirror, Bad, Smooth Criminal) to fade into obscurity.

Hate that I enjoyed this.

It's Michael Jackson.

Great album.

First 5 star. BANGER.

It’s a classic, full of hits. Too bad he was a pedo

Wash your car to this.

I’m mostly keeping this review focused on the music and not the horrible allegations and dark speculation of Jackson’s personal life. I expected to give is 3 stars or maybe 4, but this really is another incredible album from MJ. The follow up to Thriller, one of the biggest and best albums in history, is another stunner and is full of hits. This album came out when I was one month old, so all my living memories of Michael were not very good and sometimes deeply disturbing, but he had to have been just completely revered at the time of this release. I think one thing that’s turned me off from this album in the past (other than the obvious allegations) is the cover: Michael’s physical appearance is so different than Thriller - this must have been so bizarre to experience as a fan. The music really is fantastic throughout. The production by the legendary Quincey Jones is perfect, probably too perfect for some ears. It’s ultra tight musically and the bass and rhythm performances throughout are incredible. It seems Jackson sings at a lower register on average here than any previous release, but he of course sounds great. The songs themselves are pop perfection. If the record didn’t quite reach the impossible perfection of Thriller, the fact that it’s close enough to talk about is an incredible accomplishment. He and Quincey were a special duo.

I've always loved Michaels music and this is not an excepcion 💕

Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror.

Erstaunlicher weise mag ich die Musik

iconic ! mj paved the way! finally a good album im listening too. bad is a bop! the instrumentals slay!!! every song was good and i wasn’t wishing the album was over sooner like with the others. the songs were all coherent with each over but they didn’t sound the same and each had a different vibe. this is the music i want to here not emo alt rock! heehee !

10/10. Next level vocals. Lots of range throughout, didn’t feel repetitive to me. Man in the Mirror is one of the greatest songs of all time.

Simply the best pop of his era.

I think I like this more than thriller. Just all so catchy. Dirty Diana? Get outta here. Liberian girl was the only song that gave me pause but I was into it by the end.

Some of the non hits are just semi decent 80s music but the hits are great. Wish everything was a video album with Michael dancing as well

False advertising

Inaccurate title

All time great album

A chunk of this sounds cheesy & outdated, and the other chunk is classic on fire MJ. Favorites are Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal. 4.5 stars for the King of Pop.

Simplemente una Masterpiece, llena de clásicos 🌟

Absolutely fantastic. Michael Jackson can do no wrong. Simply brilliant 👏

It's crazy how many hits Michael Jackson manages to cram in on some of his records, and this isn't an exception. There are some songs that are not particularly interesting, like 'Just Good Friends', 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You', and so on. An issue that I also find throughout the album is that I didn't really like the mixing. On some songs like 'Bad', Michael's main voice actually feels overpowered volume wise by the choir and some other elements. Same with 'The Way You Make Me Feel' actually. Another big issue I personally have with the album is that it sounds so incredibly 80s, and it is hard for it to stay timeless that way. If you compare with some other rock album like 'Dark Side Of The Moon' or 'Led Zeppelin', or even disco albums, they have aged much better in my opinion. I think it's that particular drum machine they use and the those damn DX7 bells - or whatever it is - that just screams 80s pop, and there's no getting away from that. Despite all of this, I kind of feel obliged to give it a 5 stars somehow. I think it's partly because there are so many hit songs that they still weigh up the bad ones, but also because I actually think they're pretty good. I don't consider myself a huge Michael Jackson fan, but when I thought about giving it a 4 star rating due to the issues I mentioned, it still felt kind of wrong.

Lots of really good hits and my favourite songs are on here too. I enjoyed the energetic 80:s funk. Even found a new good song I hadn't heard before in "Speed Demon". All in all i liked this way more than Thriller. From not being the biggest fan of Michael Jackson this album won me over. I think it places with my other five star albums although it's not my favourite among them.

King of Pop proves he deserved the title. Songs from this album still catch air time today and regarded as classics. Great album.

Bedre end Thriller, simpelthen ikke noget at sætte en finger på im afraid :( lyder meget of its time (positivt)

Great album

5/9 of the singles off this album made it to #1, enough said

Great album

I will preface this review with the fact that I am separating the art from the artist. That said, this is the first MJ album I've listened to and I now understand how he earned the title The King of Pop. The album is fun, energetic, and takes you on a journey perfectly curated to engage all the senses and emotions. Amazing.

Not a Bad song on this one. Great mixture of soul, funk, disco,rock... An easy 5!@

King of pop

One of my personal favourites and a monumental record for the 80s. As a follow up to Thriller, MJ and Quincy Jones make magic once again. Each track has something special.

Wer schafft es heute noch, so ein Album zu veröffentlichen. Was zählt, ist die Musik und die ist Spitze! 5/5

Really dancy songs, I like it. Had 2 fav'd before listening to it

Jaaa gewoon 5 sterren toch. Met zoveel hits kan dat niet missen. Hoewel ik het geheel toch iets minder vind dan Thriller, vooral omdat de mindere nummers toch ook echt wel minder zijn, maar hier staat gewoon genoeg op wat wel echt goed is nog.

I mean, it’s Michael Jackson, what’s not to love?

Great music

First album I ever owned back when it came out Still great

out of the first three michael jackson albums produced by quincy jones, this is my personal favorite. michael's versatility in style and substance paired with quincy's uber-hard hitting and almost metallic instrumentals make this a fundamentally perfect album. every track, even the filler tracks are without any flaws. michael jackson truly will be remembered as the king of pop for now and forever.

Great!

Solid 8.6

Next level

It’s the pop equivalent of God dropping Bible 2. Incredible album, the instrumentals alone are so well produced they would be a great album as-is. MJ singing and exploring his range and delivery really makes this stand out from the safer sound of earlier recordings, not to mention the more consistently serious topics he’s singing about. This album is iconic for good reason.

got me hee heeing on my way to work

This is one of those albums that is just timeless and every song is a banger, when put together in an album it is really top tier.

Such an iconic album filled with hit after hit. Love him or hate him the man was talented. Favorite songs: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal

Producció tremenda, curiosos els pans i els paissatges sonors del disc, un disc entés com a conjunt

The production sounds dated by today's standards, but it's truly outrageously catchy. Pop just doesn't really get better than this?

Amazing album...I will always love MJ!

5/5 classic

Great album, never gave it a chance before but its worth a listen

Think Thriller is better, but last songs allow this album into my 5 stars. Loved MJ ok the car journeys and still love him now.

This one is a stellar achievement; one that I actually like better than Thriller. The whole album is perfectly produced pop. Any album that contains the likes of Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, I Just Can't Stop Loving You and (especially) Smooth Criminal will get a high rating in my book. While these tracks are at least on par with Thriller, there are 2 or 3 here that I would rather file as ... Filler. That, however shouldn't distract from the fact that here, Michael Jackson has indeed proven without a doubt that he was really the King of Pop. 5/5

In 2024 - honestly not sure how I feel about the album. Thinking about hearing it in 1987, though, I have to say that while the genre isn't my typical preference, it has a quintessential 1980's sound and seems to define the decade, musically about as well as any single album can.

I think this is one of those albums that really doesn’t need justifying, there’s no need for individual song breakdowns, this album has some of the biggest songs of its time on, “Bad”, “Man in the Mirror” and “Smooth Criminal” just to name a few. Even then the deeper cuts are fantastic as well, such as “Liberian Girl” which is a particular stand out to me due to how beautiful a song it is. You wouldn’t be far off if you’d mistaken this album for a greatest hits compilation and that’s what makes it so great. Usually I’d make a point about the album feeling like an album, having a theme/story, but here I’m just appreciating the music that’s on here. Just a few points, some of the instrumentation on here is great, seeing a pop record sometimes you just assume more electronically generated pieces but there was some nice guitar and drum fills, especially on “Dirty Diana”. The composition of the songs are fantastic and of course the singing is not only beautiful but also incredibly charismatic, it’s the sound of someone really invested in the music. Overall, I have to give this album full ratings just based off the legacy of these songs and Michael Jackson as an artist, it also helps that the songs are all top tier too. Everyone has their own opinions about the man but you can’t deny the impact he had on modern music and how brilliantly he could put a song together. Not my favourite album by far but when each song is as good as the last I can only praise it and so anything less than a 5 is an insult.

A good album with the classic hits of Bad, Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal.

He was a musical and performance genius!!

Der King of Pop… alles bekannt und gut

👍🏻

Famous MJ album. MJ is dope as always.

Classic, this album is why he’s the King of Pop

It is a great album with great songs

Not a fan of Liberian Girl. Just Good Friends and Speed Demon are weaker songs although by no means bad songs. Otherwise this is a really strong album and has some really great classics. Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal remain my favorites. Solid 5

i had this weird bias against michael jackson only because he was popular/mainstream and i thought he was overrated so i never listened to his music. after listening to the album my opinion has changed and i love it. something about this album is just so good, i could listen to it for 2 days straight

This album is STACKED. 5.

Not bad. Actually great.

Classique c'est cool d'écouter ya plein de bonnes idées dans les sons comme dans speed demon avec la ligne de basse qui arrive d'un coup on dirait des coups de feu et le solo de sax incroyable Après les éléments électroniques c'est cool mais faut pas en abuser genre dans la 2e partie de l'album je l'ai trouvé moins bien à cause de ça Pour conclure, album légendaire qui me donne hâte d'écouter thriller qui est encore mieux apparemment

hell yeah man

Classic album, as good as ever all these years later!

90/100

Previously rated: Thriller (5/5) ****************** I think I heard this album once in its entirety when it was new. Of course, many of the songs here were singles, so it left about four songs I was unfamiliar with, although listening to the song "Bad," I realized I was much, much more familiar with Weird Al's "Fat" and didn't remember these lyrics. It may be an iconic song, but man the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy if you take them for Jackson singing about himself. (Apparently he wrote it about a kid in a newspaper story he read.) He was going for an overall edgier approach with the album. At the time, it didn't fool anyone. We all knew he was a skinny little twerp who talked like a meek little girl and hung around with children. Anyway, back to the music. It's fantastic, what can I say? Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, all huge songs! The weakest song is probably Liberian Girl, and even that's not terrible. Stevie Wonder is featured in one song, which surprised me. The album ends on a very solid three track, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, and Leave Me Alone (forgot how much I liked this one). I let the album play a second time. Not quite Thriller or Off the Wall, but it's close. Still 5/5.

Typical MJ

So many good songs!

Sve hitovi do hitova. Puno poznatih pjesama, a i one koje prvi put čujem su odmah bile catchy. Pjesme su groovy, razumljive. Odmah uđu u uho.

Time has proved that ‘Bad’ was always better than ‘Thriller’. Not as revolutionary, not as surprising, not such a milestone, but it is musically richer, more mature, more enduring. Each of the songs is a little piece of art, made to last for decades. In particular, a song like 'Man in the Mirror' has never been equalled. ‘Liberian Girl' or 'Smooth Criminal' show Michael Jackson at his best as an artist. And then there are the unbelievable hit singles. The statement 'All killer, no filler' made true.

groovy

Everything about this album is amazing. Especially his vocals though. Dirty Diana and Liberian Girl are my favourite tracks.

It's a good album packed with hits

Combining funk rhythms with rock instrumentation and his infamous vocals, it is clear that the king of pop created a top tier album.

MJ’s vocals and style are so unique and rhythmic/ percussive. I don’t like as much as Thriller or Off the wall but it’s still so good. A way more 80’s synthy/ drum machiney sound. The synclaviar parts on speed demon are wild.

Pretty much perfect just like all his records. Off the wall is my fav but they’re all iconic. Dirty Diana, smooth criminal and man in the mirror are all so good.

Iconic. Great album. No bad tracks and so many timeless songs.

Just excellent, great listen

1. Bad - Belter, classic. 2. The Way You Make Me Feel - Iconic, amazing. 3. Speed Demon - Weakest on the album. 4. Librerian Girl - Most underrated. 5. Just Good Friends - With Stevie, should be better. 6. Another Part of Me - Banger. 7. Man in the Mirror - Legendary. 8. I Just Can't Stop Loving You - Wonderful. 9. Dirty Diana - Excellente. 10. Smooth Criminal - Used to be my favorite as a child. 11. Leave Me Alone - Also very underrated. MJ's best.

Um dos melhores álbuns que existe! Muito feliz de ser o meu primeiro, dia 25/10/23.

Classic 80s pop, always spectacular

A classic of course, some solid slow jams in there too

I finally gave him a listen & it’s a no skip album for me

It's MJ of course, also it flows very well and feels like mostly killer and no filler

Geweldige klassieker, vol met hits. Ook de minder bekende nummers hebben de typische MJ-sound.

Dang no wonder he was a pop God. Every song could have been a single and each one practically was.

Looking past all of Michael Jackson's many issues. This album is an absolute classic.

Quite groovy almost entirely slapping base.

A classic. This was a no skip album for me. Great album.

GOAT

It's a 4.7 really as speed demon is shite!

never been a mj kinda girl but damn, hit after hit.

Easily one of the best albums I've heard. Amazing hits, great arrangements, great voice and there's coherence throughout the whole album. Just great

Some awkward love songs in this knowing who he was

This album pummels you with its non-stop barrage of iconic hits the whole way through. I have such a hard time separating the art from the artist when it comes to MJ. He was a born entertainer and he was breathing rarified air all through the 80s. Thriller is one thing, but then Bad comes out and blows everyone away all over again. 9 singles came from this album. 9!!! It’s a bloody impressive feat. Professionally, he was indomitable, untouchable. And I like these tunes; they are tightly woven into the nostalgic fabric of my youth. The scandals and personal life controversies are unfortunate. Does greatness just come at a cost? Or did Michael never really have a chance given his unorthodox upbringing? We’ll never know. But I do know anything less than a 5 star rating for this behemoth accomplishment is unacceptable.

Not sure which Michael Jackson album I like best but it’s in the top 3. People say this album sounds dated but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Love the slightly harder edged vibes compared to the smooth R&B of Thriller. Also the synth bass slaps.

I've been saved from delivering the thesis that Bad deserves by having our shipment of possessions arrive this morning after three months in transit, surrounding us with a brown cardboard box apocalypse. This is a very good album and I am surprised by how much of it is familiar, because I don't think I ever listened to it in its entirety. Brain bullets: - even the weaker songs such as Just Good Friends have hooks that make them worth returning to - Quincy Jones' production is exemplary, a perfect exhibit of a style that was once anathema to me. When I was an angry youth, I contributed a documentary on Steve Albini's music to a student radio station, and my noisy joy was edited generously by a student who admitted a passion for smooth production, mentioning QJ. I nodded and then got him to cue up 'Steak and Black Onions' by Rapeman. Somewhere between rueful and glee is how I feel about this - I saw Moonwalker in the cinema when it came out with a classmate called Michael Robinson. I remember being nonplussed by how weird it was, and by the giant robot Michael that did not make sense. Though maybe that was a dream Was tempted to knock a point off to bring a halt to this spree of unnaturally high scores, but I've extolled more flawed records than this

Meh

Muito bom o som, faz jus à fama de rei do pop

Massive album both in terms of tunes and how its basically influenced all of music and the music industry since. 5

An album with tons of hits. Not my favorite person but undeniably good musician.

listened to this while baking muffins and thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Can't really rate this objectively as it was a formative album for me. Stole the cassette tape from a relative at the age of 4 and it was all I listened to for years!

It’s Michael what more can I say, he’s my literal childhood come on now. I love this album sm

So damn clean - a late 80s classic and the definition of that 80s synth pop sound. Overcoming the risk of sounding too artificial and perfect, Quincy Jones overlays plenty of analogue instruments and MJ's voice does the rest, bringing all the soul and authenticity necessary. Another correspondent on these pages pointed out the lull between tracks 3 and 6 (Liberian Girl to Another Part of Me) nearly kills the album (although Liberian Girl is certainly better than the other three and not even Stevie Wonder can rescue Just Good Friends) but the rest is pure pop perfection. A troubled artist for sure but nobody delivered quite like this.

I don't get why Thriller gets all the love when it's sandwiched between two faaaaaaar better albums. Bad is so good it's bad.

Iconic album, and a phenomenal follow up to Thriller.

Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror

"Your butt is mine" said the most bad mofo on the planet. Great album, great bass, chock full of Michael's ad-libbing. Fave Songs: The Way You Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal

me re gustó!!!! 9/10

Iconic. Some of the all-time best hoos and hee-hees in here.

goat

The goat

If you separate the art, probably artist this is a great album. So many Bangerz.

So many perfect pop songs

Best album from this man

Jag har aldrig varit något Michael Jackson fan, nej, och det är inga 5 poängslåtar. Men helheten och mängden med hits gör det svårt att ge något annat än toppbetyg.

Liked off the wall better but not gonna think too much on this one. It’s classic Michael Jackson so it’s a 5. Has all the vocal ad libs that he’s known for too which is dope and I loved the fun it guitar tones. Definitely has some cheesy 80s sounds like the key change in man in the mirror and that whole song is like every 80s pop cliché but to me it comes off as nostalgic and fun. 👍: man in the mirror, smooth criminal

This is my favorite Michael Jackson album. It doesn’t have the iconic status of his previous one, Thriller, but there are just SO MANY bops from top to bottom here. There’s a reason he’s known as the “King of Pop”. Flawless production and near flawless writing are all on full display.

never expected to enjoy it that much a song with stevie wonder?!?! everything with stevie is gold!

over zijn persoonlijkheid kunnen we praten maar zijn talent was wel echt immens, man maakt schijven en man had de wereld in zijn handen. Legend

Classic album

The most "Hee Hees!" I have ever heard in an album! All jokes aside, this is a great album with so many hits and great songs.

Iconic

I'm BAD

Spectacular album with tons of megahits. "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Another Part of Me", "Man in the Mirror"... it just goes on. Damn near impossible to follow up the masterpiece that is "Thriller" but this is as close to a perfect follow-up you can get. 9/10.

Just a masterpiece of music, love his mood, his unique groove.

10

Banger after banger after banger

King of pop does it again

Wow, what an album. It’s hard to explain the exact reasoning I had behind these classifications when analyzing this thing, so I’ll keep my review short. Here’s the breakdown: Boring Songs - 2 Songs that feel like they belong in a Zumba class - 2 Songs that feel like the end theme to an 80’s teen coming-of-age film - 1 CERTIFIED BANGERS - 5 (!) Are there a couple duds? Yes. Every good album has at least a couple songs that just don’t hold up to the rest of them. But any album with FIVE certified bangers is extremely deserving of my first ever 5 star rating. Congrats, Mr. King of Pop.

I think hes bad, he keeps reminding me The 2012 remaster honestly sounds thin af, i blame the producer. I feel like this slappin basslines and drums should have more meat to them but theyre so lacking and it takes away from the music — which is almost universally accepted as some of the greatest pop music ever made. Its true! I dont think any of us can name a single human we know who hasn’t heard most of these songs. My mom would play this album among many other 80’s pop records since that has always been her favorite era if music. I grew up to this alongside steely dan and the doobie brothers as an interesting combination in my early music listening days. I feel like all of us can find memories associated with listening to MJ whether it was deliberately listening to this or other records or that MJ happened to be playing during significant moments. He’s omnipresent in American culture since the 80’s and we cannot deny that. I mean, you just cant help but dance to this record. I think it goes without saying why this record is considered one of the greatest of all time, theres little argument against it. 3/5 Nah in jokin this will be my first 5/5.

Hail to the king

Not Bad, not Bad at all.

ну что тут сказать, великолепная работа. я долго думал над оценкой, такую музыку я включу только под настроение, но некоторые треки настолько эмоционально сильные, что не могу я не поставить 5.

Просто король поп-музыки. Как же круто все звучит до сих пор и тебя сразу окунает в танцевальную атмосферу легкости и приятности Алкоальбом: текила на вечеринке

Fav tracks: Just Another Part of Me, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel

I honestly forgot how many great tunes came from this album. Production quality was top notch and he was definitely an undeniable talent!

good album. Man in the Mirror #1

klassieker

I didn't realize how many pop culture landmark songs where on one album. It deserves its legendary status.

Amazing, has to be one of the best ever!!

I cannot give this anything other than 5*s.

This album was my childhood and the nostalgia is strong. Although besides that it's just a good album, has a bit of everything.

a classic

„Bad“: Great opener, lots going on soundstage-wise „The Way You Make Me Feel“: Another banger, strong start „Speed Demon“: Not sure how I feel about the motor sounds mixed in, but the guitar and beat continue to drive everything forward „Liberian Girl“: Feels a bit like a break, not just b/c it is a ballad, but also some weird exoticism vibes „Just Good Friends“: So funky! But ultimately, it seems way less remarkable than the songs before it „Another Part of Me“: Confused by the start, but really love the bridge and the bass line! „Man in the Mirror“: Another classic, with a great refrain and an even better key change / choir part. „I just can‘t…“: Not really for me, maybe 80s ballads are just not my thing? „Dirty Diana“: Strong guitar riffs, works well with MJ‘s voice. Don‘t know about the crying voice thing. „Smooth Criminal“: Easily in the top 3 of the album, such a great melody + energy. „Leave Me Alone“: Felt a bit like filler, but hard to follow up „Smooth Criminal“.

I’ve actually never fully herd a Michael Jackson album before but the songs I knew I knew of before (bad, man in the mirror and smooth criminal) left me quite excited and I wasn’t one bit disappointed, I hate to give it to a nonce but 5/5.

Lots of hits on the album. The last half of the album is better than the first half. Dirty Diana and Man in Mirror are standouts above the other hita. Speed Demon and Liberian Girl are just ok. Smooth Criminal is good but Alien Ant Farm's cover is better. I would listen to this album again. Thriller is probably a better album but it is close.

Excellent composition

GOAT

Fucking legend

Great 80s pop. Epitome of MJ.

Amazing knew all the songs

FODA

Quincy Jones doesn’t get enough credit, maybe he does and I run in the wrong circles. But, hard to believe MJ’s work comes together quite as well without a true mastermind doing the mixing.

Most of this album is on Michael’s greatest hit album so I’ve heard this album without actually hearing it before. So good! I already knew it was gonna be in my 5 * before I started and it is genuinely classic

Great album, from a pretty terrible person, who had a really difficult life. Judging purely on the music, hard not to give a great score! Man in the mirror and dirty Diana probably my favourite, although any song featuring Stevie Wonder is also good.

While listening, I couldn't help think that this album was bad. And when I say bad, I mean Michael Jackson bad.

80s was Michael.

classic!

Michael Jackson was one of the greatest artists of all time. His music transcends the ages and influences the best in the world today. Michael Jackson was one of the greatest paedophiles of all time. His sex offences transcend the ages, the illegal ages. He's influences such greats as R Kelly and Gary Barlow.

Already love this album so it was fun to revisit! Also made me realise I hadn't actually listened to every song from it! So that was a fun discovery — glad I still found something new. I love Michaels voice and love, love, love the energy of the entire album. Besides from the obvious choices (i.e., the certified hits), my favourites are Liberian Girl, I Just Can't Stop Loving You and Dirty Diana.

Michael Jackson has a sweet spot in my heart so obviously a 5/5!

Love it

Amazing

Classic

omg flashback!

Classic. Don’t even need to explain why this album is so amazing, it’s one of MJ’s best albums. Somehow almost every single song here feels timeless, and that Quincy Jones production is the perfect match for the singer Michael Jackson is. The album is filled with bangers. Songs like Bad and Smooth Criminal are 80’s club anthem. Dirty Diana is pure class. Another Part of Me pulls the heartstrings. MJ gives a beautiful message in Man in the Mirror. Besides those songs, my other favourites are: The Way You Make Me Feel (fav), and Just Good Friends.

Can’t argue against Michael’s music

Masterclass of an album. Michael Jackson is undoubtedly the King of Pop.

A mix of Funk, Pop and Rock that works really well. Every song is well produced and Smooth Criminal, Dirty Diana and Bad are masterpierces

It’s not Thriller, but good god what an album. Leave Me Alone is criminally underrated. Smooth Criminal, too. I’m not a big fan of the soft rock schlock, but I cannot fault the music production value. And, this album gave us Fat by Weird Al, so for that, it gets bumped to 5 stars. (Not really for that.)

What can you say. A pretty much unparalleled artist. The vocals and instrumentation are top-notch throughout.

Another must hear at least once in your lifetime. This was one of my first CDs hahaha

So many hits, the appeal is undeniable. Even less well known tracks like "Dirty Diana" really kick balls. The overall cohesiveness to the record is impressive.

Hard not to give this 5 stars

An objectively judged, art separated from artist 5

He may enjoy fingering little boys bumholes, but if you can separate the art from the the artist, this is an all time classic

It’s hard not to give this Album a 5.

Classic

Buncha all-time great songs on here; a sound that shows its age, basically because it defined the age

literal king of pop

I don't need to listen to this one, one of my all time favourite. I used to listen to this as a child so I just love it.

Classic - grew up with this one.

Huh. I remember asking where all the Beatles albums were a few months back but didn't ask about the King of Pop. Maybe I was trying to forget him? Of all the famous artists whose legacies have been soured by accusations or revelations of terrible behavior, I struggle the most with Michael Jackson. Because he was that good; truly one of a kind. So forget the human being, I'm just rating the album. And it is a beauty. I wore out the record of Thriller, but this was almost as good a follow-up. It is nearly impossible not to rock out to Bad, The Way You Make me Feel, Dirty Diana, or Smooth Criminal. I was also a big fan of Leave Me Alone (I rock out to it). And Man in the Mirror is such a beautiful song - he was really such an inspiration and symbol of hope and goodness. That is why his molestation \"issues\" are so difficult to reconcile. I'd like to think he was crying out for help and that there really was a lot of good in him even though he was (and knew he was) tortured and twisted inside. As a musician, he was still at the top of his game. There are just so many big tunes on this album, which far outweigh a few so-so ones (Speed Demon, Liberian Girl). If it makes me Bad to overlook his personal badness and give this album a 5, fine, I accept that judgment.

Third favorite Jackson album, a lot of great phrases, great lyrics. Man in the Mirror is still one of my favorite songs by him

Bad, Dirty Diana. Smooth Criminal. Man in the mirror. The way you make me feel. 5/5

classic after classic, what an icon. Nothing does it quite like 'the way you make me feel', and shout out to 'Liberian girl'. Also great walking to work tracks, watch out a316 x

I grew up listening to this album and 30+ years on, still listen to it on the regular. This is one of those albums where if I hear one song, I feel compelled to listen to the entire album. I don't even need the music to be playing for me to get Speed Demon, Dirty Diana, Man in the Mirror, or Smooth Criminal stuck in my head. Even as an impressionable 7 year old when this album was released, this was one of the first cassettes that I "wore out" (tape snapped) in a Walkman from the non-stop playing. To this day, the only song I _might_ skip is Liberian Girl only because I need to be in the mood for a slower song.

Excelentes pads. Es un sonido muy particular el de Michael Jackson sus productores se encargaron de hacer un sello son su música y se siente claro.

Absolutely fantastic! Best album ever and a masterpiece!

prob his best album. endless hits. michael jackson walked so santana lopez could run.

I love MJ and I love this album. I think that "Thriller" is his best but this is probably #2 or #3. The hits on this are just too good: "Bad" "The Way You Make Me Feel" (maybe secretly my favorite MJ song) "Man in the Mirror" "Smooth Criminal"

Classic. Even the songs I hadn't heard that much were really good. It's hard to follow up the most succesful album in history, but he did pretty fucking well, Bad sure doesen't feel like a letdown. 4 or 5 Eh 5, it's still legendary

As far as a pop album goes, this has to be unbeatable, every song was a single!

The king of pop strikes again with a flawless combination of funk, rock, disco, adult contemporary, and many other genres (calypso, gospel, etc). It's a proper followup to Thriller, with songs following the formula hit on overdrive. The whole album is full of hits, whether a ballad or dance track, so it only reasons that 9 of the 11 songs became singles. The production is one of the best of the 80s. I'm a huge fan of the innovative synths and drum machines. There are themes like the atmospheric exotic jungle synths of "Liberian Girl" and the highway racing of "Speed Demon," but it's the best on the rock tracks "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal." My only two complaints are that (1) some tracks don't resolve very well, leaving you hanging, (2) the two middle tracks "Just Good Friends" and "Another Part of Me" while not bad (carried by the cool synths and MJ's performance) are nothing more than outtakes and ruin the momentum. I'm also not a fan of ballads, but I admit "Man in the Mirror" and "I Just Can't..." are soulful ballads that beat anything in the genre. Last 3 tracks are my favorite.

5/5 classic

Bought this on tape when it first came out - forgot how long the album is. On reflection some nice random slow tunes thrown in there sandwiched in between the well known ones

This is the first album I've not listened to. Why? Well, I know it inside out, too right I had it as a little kiddo in late 80's UK. Goddamn, this was so important to the era back then, and I'm not re-appraising it now.

just good friendsssss

Es un álbum impresionante, cuando crees que talvez es repetitivo pum, te cambia de perspectiva toral, recomiendo dirty diana, un temazo

Bad.

Most people wouldn't be able to adequately follow up an album like Thriller. But Michael Jackson could.

Clássico

All time classic

Just about every song on the album was a hit...so, it is a very familiar album. I actually got to go see him in Rotterdam when this album was out. I think Dirty Diana was popular at the time of the concert. It was an amazing concert am I am really glad that I got to see him. Best songs: Bad, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror, The Way you Make Me Feel, Another Part of Me, I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You, Leave Me Alone, Liberian Girl, Speed Demon. Then there is: Just Good Friends... When I heard it today, I totally don't remember ever hearing it before. And I've heard this album so many times over the years. 4.9/5

banger and a half. listened to this after listening to the worst album i've ever heard. good choice.

Classic pop album. Pop is *not* my thing, but you just can't help but enjoy this album end to end. A-

Good

There are some good tracks on here for sure. Not sure if I have much love for Jackson's lesser-known songs as much as the hits like "Bad" and "Man in the Mirror". I had never heard "Speed Demon" before and it's kind of a corny song, but that little bass (or synth?) run is awesome. "Smooth Criminal" is a great little boost towards the end. Strong start, strong finish.

Muah

Classic iconic

It's a Michael Jackson album. And not just ANY MJ album. Bad. Bad is fucking good, to no one's surprise. Fave track is the title track of course. I admittedly have never been the world's biggest fan of Michael Jackson's music (personally not my thing) but the quality of the tracks is undeniable. There's not a single skip on this album, and that's extremely hard to pull off.

One of the best albums of all time. Most of the songs are well known and still hold up to the test of time. All time classic.

Dit is een van de baanbrekende albums, die popmuziek zijn handtekening heeft gegeven. The best artist of all times!! Favorieten? Nou, het komt niet vaak voor dat ik alle liedjes op een album leuk vind. Dit album heeft gewoon alleen maar hits! Wat moet je daar nog op zeggen?! *****

Não gostei

Clássico.

i've never listened to an mj album all the way thru but wow! very fluid album and enjoyed the songs...liberian girl is luvly!

Good

Ive listened to it before, classic. Dirty Diana is fav track

(4.5) over half the songs on this album still get regular airplay; like Thriller, I feel like I'm listening to a greatest hits compilation rather than a studio album.

Iconic

Excellent, loads of great tracks.

Bad man

Outstanding Michael!

Easy 5.

Amazing not as great as thriller but a solid album all the way through. Somebody on the sound engineering team learned with gating was

Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror

Was soll man sagen… echter MJ