Bad

A follow up to Thriller was always going to be tough, but this is also below the level of Off The Wall (another great album btw). Bad appeared just as chart pop music was becoming homogenised and bland, and did nothing to arrest the trend.

Thank you. Finally you had Michael, which was long overdue.

This is pretty incredible. I kind of wanted to hate it, but I can't. Never really got into MJ in my youth. Listening to the album I totally get why it was so big. There is probably 2 songs that are average, the rest are pretty damn good.

This is the King of Pop near the height of his powers but beginning his descent. Plenty of solid hits, but nothing could ever match the culture-defining success of Thriller. The trademark growls, shrieks and "hee hees" leave no doubt that each song is purely Michael Jackson (even if I prefer Alien Ant Farm's version of Smooth Criminal). Appropriate that the album opens with the title track, Bad, as Michael lays claim to the fame; also appropriate that it ends with Leave Me Alone, as the fame and infamy have begun to lay claim to him. Good memories and good listen.

Not bad

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.

God, this is terrible. Other music from this era (and much earlier) still sounds fresh. This is dated as hell. The lyrics are weak. The best I can say about it is that a lot of the songs are catchy. I had the misfortune of being at a bar with a TouchTunes jukebox the day Michael Jackson died, and I fear I've heard enough of his music to last a lifetime.

Peak

It’s fine. Pop from my childhood.

120/1001 There are some great songs here but also a bunch of crap that just isn’t my thing and just so many of those uniquely Michael sounds on this. I’m not going to be playing this whole album again. 4/10

7.1/10

Best Track - "Bad"

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

Ha! It was bound to show up eventually. Better than the lame Brazilian crap you've been throwing at me this week! Look at the listener counts!! Holy cow! 500M for the title track, 676M for "The Way You Make Me Feel", 587M for "Man In The Mirror", 206M for "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", 362M for "Dirty Diana", 136M for "Leave Me Alone" and over 1B for "Smooth Criminal" - those are staggering numbers. I "remember the time" when anything he did was pure gold and plastered on the radio and MTV. Iconic. This album is actually loaded with hits, and good stuff that will always be loved. My son is 21 and adores MJ's music so the legacy is there. Hard to say any bad stuff but there are a few stinkers here including "Speed Demon", "Liberian Girl", "Just Good Friends" & "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". Even Quincy Jones can't polish a turd. It's the 'smaller' hits that stick out to me, songs like "Dirty Diana", "Leave Me Alone" & "Another Part Of Me" that blend rock with mainstream pop and really hit. Ridiculously popular album, his last mega-hit release where every song had a shot at the Top 40. No denying his hits, his longevity, his impact on music and other artists. 4.5 stars for the meaty stuff, it's easy to overlook the weaker songs which still all have over 20M listens each, unreal. Looking back on this, it's pretty incredible the success he had with it.

Very good album, A classic one. Song I like: most of the song are great. Special mention to the way they make me feel, Liberian girl, Man in the mirror, I juste can’t stop loving you,

2026.02.05

Not too Bad

Enjoyed it as a whole more than Thriller. Very strong second half to this one. 3.5.

😐

Feast for the ears Beautiful album Instrumentals are clean and crisp 9/10

Mid other than the legendary songs

No thank you

Plus/minus on this one. Title track - fantastic. ‘Liberian Girl’ - kinda weird tbh. The good outweighs the….bad.

Wow. Michael Jackson is a one album wonder. Everything outside of Thriller is a miss.

Creo que es un buen album. pero siento que la mitad del album es medio parecida entre si, y no le senti mucho interes

Crazy good production. Banger of an album.

Surprisingly, I don't think I've listened to this entire album before. I liked all of the songs I hadn't heard. Even through all of the hits, The Way You Make Me Feel still stood out the most. 5/5

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.

Michael Jackson had such confidence and style. He was unapologetically and confidently the King of Rock. This was the first album of his I have jammed, but I feel like I have been missing out. The music video for The Way you Make me Feel made me a little uncomfortable - that that is by todays standards. It felt like he was stalking that women. Dirty Diana was a great song- I don't remember ever eharing it before. Now Man in the Mirror, Bad, and Smooth Criminal are songs I recognize from the radio. Six hits from one album is impressive!

Excelente!

It's very different in 2026 listening to Michael Jackson giving this image of being a bad boy or a ladies man. I remember listening to this as a kid and it hit really different. Solid album though. The hits are still hits and bring up the full album. The other songs aren't remembered for good reason. They're not horrible but nothing special.

A quintessential album, let alone quintessential Micheal Jackson album. This album combines pop, soul, and RNB. It is a great album! Very catchy, Michael Jackson sounding songs. Very good!

Hard to look past his reputation and enjoy the music

michael's best song is rock with you, and the highs here are still lower than thriller, but this might be his best album front to back? idk. i love sonic the hedgehog

A solid end to the Quincey/MJ collaboration. A steely collection of songs where Michael has never sounded tighter. Love the edge on this thing.

Good

I had heard this before, but only really remembered half the songs. Kind of overlooked in the MJ canon and it sorta feels like there's reason for that. The floor is very good but even though there's some real standout stuff it pales next to some of the greatest top to bottom albums ever made in this discography. Still an MJ album though.

Man in the Mirror is an extreme lowpoint in a great album. Better song than The Girl Is Mine though.

One of the first things I checked out of the library when I was starting to get into music more was Jackson’s Number Ones compilation album. I’ve always been more of a singles guy re:MJ, but I appreciated the album tracks here quite a bit too. Man in the Mirror is extremely corny but it also reminds me of his classic Free Willy banger with the whole choir thing so I still love it. Song(s) added to my 1001 Bangers playlist: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Liberian Girl, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal

not my favorite michael jackson album but it contains a handful of the most undeniable pop bangers ever written

For å være helt ærlig synes jeg MJ er slitsomt og ikke så bra. Jeg kan høre at feks. Bad er en låt, men det er ikke en låt for meg. Har et soft spot for Smooth Criminal, da. Må være den eller Billie Jean som er MJs post-disco mesterverk. Nå hørte jeg på Billie Jean igjen etter skiva var ferdig, og det er ganske klart at BJ er den sterkere låta. Smooth Criminal kan få stå som en trygg nummer to.

Starter knallsterkt med to certified bangers, men ble overrasket over hvor mange fillers som er på plata. Produksjonen, synthene og trommemaskinene er ekstremt datert. "Speed Demon" og "Just Good Friend" høres ut som MJ har sunget over en keyboard-demolåt. "Man in the Mirror" må også nevnes som en veldig fin låt som jeg alltid har likt. Her på albumet blir den et veldig velkomment avbrekk fra alt synthbråket fram til nå. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" virker som en skrotet Disney-låt (Låtene er det verste med Disney-filmer), så det vrir seg i meg. Jeg har allerede mista trua når "Dirty Diana" og "Smooth Criminal" kommer på. "Leave Me Alone" er passende som siste låt, for det er nettopp det jeg vil at Bad skal gjøre. Etter Bad og Off the Wall begynner jeg å lure på om et samlealbum er alt man trenger av MJ, men jeg har fortsatt trua på Thriller.

Vel, det er ihvertfall bedre enn det første Michael Jackson albumet vi fikk, kanskje. Men det lider av mange av de samme problemene. Starter med to bangers (dog disse er ikke i nærheten av nivået på det forrige albumet), så dabber det av. Albumet er litt slitsomt mikset til tider og. Trommene er ofte for høye mens vokalen overraskende nok ofte er litt for lave. Tar Michael Jackson over tronen til Nirvana som tidenes mest overvurderte artist?

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

Not for me

This is just me a thing, but I haven't really been able to listen to Michael Jackson since that HBO documentary. Not judging anyone, but it really killed it for me.

I think this album and a couple of his other albums in this period were his best work. Great tunes, arrangements and musical performances were at their peak in this period. This work is sublime. Michael hit his sweet spot.

so good! want it on cd

Fantastic album 10/10

What can I say, it's Michael Jackson.

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.

Is this "bad" meaning bad, or "bad" meaning good? Turns out to be the latter. Who knew every MJ bop* was on a single album?? Briefly considered a 5, but half of the songs are just all right, so I guess it's a 4. *except 'Black or White' Highlights: 'The Way You Make Me Feel' (every song in the classic film Center Stage is a precious gem, including this one!!!), 'Man in the Mirror' (reminds me of my college acapella group singing 'Heart of the Matter', another bop), 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You' (very "90s kids movie end credits song that they'd play in the grocery store" vibe), 'Dirty Diana' (admittedly I knew the Weeknd's version first, which I prefer, but this is still pretty good), 'Smooth Criminal' (admittedly I knew the Alien Ant Farm version first, but in a rare happening, I like this better) Lowlights: 'Bad' (I think this may be the maximally bad song on the album, in fact!) Wiki highlight: <<"Bad" was originally planned as a duet between Jackson and Prince, after Jones suggested they record a song together. Prince said in 1997 that he declined because of reservations he had with the opening line of the song: 'Your butt is mine'.>> (understandable)

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”

A real chore to get through. Nothing on side one has any interest beyond how the drum machines of the day sound awful. "You're just another pwart of me" is annoying. Man In The Mirror is pretty much unlistenable, especially now. I Just Can't Stop Loving You and Smooth Criminal rescue a point.

Kinda Bad

nao me conformo q tem gente que odeia esse aqui pqp

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

I'm going to file this under "when someone tells you who they are, believe them" lol I'm too lactose intolerant to enjoy this cheese-fest anyways. Woof.

classic

Very dodgy middle but brilliant maximalist pop either side

Don't like the man.. But the album is undeniable. Had me groovin and bussing and hehe'in at work.

good onessssss

I wrestled with myself and won, just. Because it's/he's so famous it's tempting to say wow, I can see what all the fuss was about. But it's just vacuous, right? Am I missing something here? No, I don't think so 😐

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.

Solid pop album. Some good hits but a mix of a few that didn't do it for me. Overall a good album, 3.5 for me.

Just a solid album

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.

Amazing!

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 listened to this album so much as a kid. My parents had it on all the time. Weird Al's "Fat" is burned into my brain. Trying to focus on the actual music this time, Bad is much more synth heavy and electronic than I remember. Guess I was way closer the the 80s back then than I am today. Like, "Speed Demon" is so wild. It's still fun but not quite the masterpiece I remember it being when I was young. I liked several of the songs that I had kind of glossed over as a kid, and some of the ones I used to love didn't do it for my anymore. Standouts are "The Way You Make Me Feel" "Liberian Girl" and "Smooth Criminal" Overall I'd say Bad sounds a little cheesy today. Still full of classics, but it's definitely aged. A very solid 4/5 for me.

great

Classic - I'm not a hugeeee MJ fan but it's a classic album

A third Michael Jackson album, and I remain conflicted on his impact on music in the eighties and beyond versus his, at the very least, inappropriate behavior towards children. I hate that I have to include that in my review, but I'd like to be fair. Regardless, his music deserves to be on this list. After all, there are only a handful of albums ever that contains hit, after hit, after hit. The album alternates between smooth R&B, funk, and pop with some dynamite vocals. "Leave Me Alone," as the final song, leaves the listener with Jackson's vocal prowess and emotion. "Man In The Mirror" is similar in that regard, as Jackson pleads for a chance to become a better human being. I can't be mad at a song with such a good message. Respect. Bad's release in 1987 coincides with the world music trend in Western music, perhaps most notably and recently by Paul Simon's Graceland and Peter Gabriel's So. Personally, I feel Gabriel was respectful when implementing African aspects, and I hear the same respect in "Liberian Girl," owing obviously to Jackson's African heritage. I was glad to hear a Black American artist using "world music." Anyway, the choice of using an African country that never was dominated or colonized? I appreciate it. I see you, Michael Jackson. Anyway, while I recognize Bad's greatness, I don't think it's quite as strong as Dangerous or Thriller, or at least I have more of an emotional attachment to those albums. And, you know, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder.

"Bad" saw Michael Jackson going in a direction that was decidedly much more rock-oriented than "Thriller", and I love that. The guitar that is so present and driving on "Bad" (the song) is a force for the entire album. "Dirty Diana" has always been a personal favorite for this very reason -- the guitar is as filthy as she is, in the best possible way. In my opinion, this album in its entirety wasn't quite the non-stop slam dunk that "Thriller" was, but "Bad" still contains a big chunk of Michael's biggest hits; these songs cement Michael's post-Thriller legacy. All in all, I would say this album is probably about a 4.5 for me. While there are a few misses for me, those misses are still above-average in my book. But the wins on this album are truly epic and exceptional, and outweigh the lessers both in number and gravity. I decided this was worth the round-up to 5.

2,5 tähteä. Monta hittiä, mutta albumikokonaisuutena ei tarpeeksi mukaansatempaava.

What can be said? It's a masterpiece, every track a gem!

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

so good

The King of Pop! While it is dated, the mix between single bops he is well known for, the ballads I enjoy quite nice despite how dated it all seems. Might be the old soul in me, but it is beautiful.

Wow yeap MJ is a 5

to clear this is a 4.9 but they don't allow it.

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.

Literally the king of pop

Kedvenc/Favourite: The Way You Make Me Feel Nagyon egyedi hangzása van minden dalnak, tetszett, hogy több műfaj és téma is megjelenik, keveredik. Annyira nekem nem állt össze egy egésszé, de nincsenek rossz dalok rajta, talán még közepesek se. Every song has a very unique sound; I liked how it features and blends multiple genres and themes. It didn't quite come together as a cohesive whole for me, but there aren't any bad songs on it, maybe not even any mediocre ones.

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.

really good, absolute classics

Taken just as the album and not the artist - some great tracks that stand the test of time. Some filler but overall a classic

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.

Struggled to find any redeeming features in this awful mess, maybe the hook in Smooth criminal? The man was already damaged by the time of this and his decline would only get worse. Standard paedo tax applies to the marking.

Much like the man himself, that hasn’t aged well. Never a fan in the first place, but the eeeeeee-heeeeee’s are pretty insufferable and some of the bass lines and backing are of the 80s sound that makes me cringe. That being said you can’t deny his pop class in some of the songs. That also being said, nonce tax must apply. Not sure quite where that leaves us, but a 1* feels a bit harsh.

I'm not a big fan of Michael Jackson, so…

Tune after tune after tune.

I love this album. For the longest time I hadn’t listened to this and now I have no idea why. Compared to Off The Wall, and Thriller, this has a much sharper and harder edge, obviously showing Michael Jackson wanting to move more towards a sound of his own, rather than following his families footsteps. Loved that he’s embracing his own style and that a lot of the lyrics reflect that. The increased guitar work and influence from rock is so good, and makes everything just that bit punchier. With this though, you still have moments of tenderness like Man in the Mirror, which really is the emotional centre of the album, discussing how he’s changed, hopefully for the better. For all the influence this has on some of my favourite artists such as The Weeknd, this albums legacy cannot be understated, and having finally listened to it, it loved up to that legacy.

Peak Jackson!

Unexpectedly loved this

Spotty! Moments of brilliance, stretches of tepid meh.

Contrary to the name, not bad at all. One could argue that with all that Michael Jackson did with the kids, that he doesn't deserve to be listed and praised so highly. To those people, I say separate the art from the artist. Michael was a hit maker. While there are many timeless classics on this record, there are quite a few tracks that just don't live up to that mark. This album is nowhere near perfect, but certainly isn't, as the name would suggest, bad. 4/5

What an album! I knew a lot of these songs, but there were a lot of new ones to that I had never heard, but loved! Just such incredible 80s pop but still so timeless. An amazing album. Top Songs: Bad, Smooth Criminal, Leave Me Alone, Another Part of Me

Es imposible tener tantos earworms por tema. Los basslines, la percusión que suena a martillazos, los vocal chops. Absurdamente bueno como siempre. Este disco tiene algunos de mis temas favoritos de MJ como Another Part of Me, Leave Me Alone o Speed Demon. Speed Demon es una sobrada tremenda. El momento coche acelerando con gritos de Michael que rompe en un solo de saxo/synth bufff increíble. Cuantísimas cosas sabía hacer este hombre con su voz. Tanto a nivel rítmico pudiendo marcarse un tema en torno a frases completamente rítmicas como Annie are you okay, a los grititos y adlibs que completan todos los temas y le dan un oomph incomparable, o simplemente cantar bonito vaya. Es cierto que sus baladas me dan un poco más igual, y este disco tiene unas cuantas. Just good friends suena a refrito de otros cinco temas suyos y es de sus temas que se me hacen menos memorables. Man in the Mirror se puede librar por clásico y similar con I Just Can’t Stop Loving You. Liberian Girl más ajustado pero tiene un arpegio raro muy earwormy. Pero vaya que diría que son los puntos bajos del disco que me frenan la experiencia pop perfecta. Empecé queriendo darle un 5 hasta que se me cruzaron esos más flojetes así que me relajo i guess.

I don't think I really need to give the rationale behind my rating

This album being labeled as a commercial disappointment because Thriller outsold it, is the best argument I’ve heard for why capitalism is bad. At a minimum this is on the same level as Thriller but songs like Dirty Diana, Just Good Friends, and Liberian Girl make Bad superior in my opinion.

MJ is in the Beatles category to me....I'm just not going to give it less than a 5. Unless they have "History" on this list, which I doubt. I could credibly argue that this is my personal favorite MJ album, even if not regarded as his masterpiece. There are some weak spots - "Leave Me Alone" and "Liberian Girl", imo, and maybe even the Stevie duet - but enough bangers to make up for it and this is the King of Pop we're talking about here. 5 stars

I think its a good album for doing work or making the house things like cleaning your bedroom, kitchen etc, specially if we are talking about the king of the pop, Good music

I don't like it that much. The sounds are too synthetic. A few great songs, of course.

Not quite as good as Off The Wall, but still really hits!

It was good!!

.

The album includes some absolute Micheal Jackson classics

Beside the obvious reasons to object to MJ, this is an album of absolute bangers!

Okay

Damn, Michael Jackson really was an incredible artist. This album is chock full of ear worms, incredible performances, and memorable beats. Even the “worst” songs have jaw dropping musical choices in them. Bad is good. Really really good.

This guy was a master of the 80s sound, which is good if you like that but I don't.

YES!

Can’t separate the art from the artist.

Always nice when an album’s title reviews itself. Unbelievable that Prince was putting out Sign of the Times while MJ was doing shit like Speed Demon and people consider them contemporaries. Also, if you’re planing on releasing an album to promote a bad boy image, don’t start the fucking thing off with the line ‘Your butt is mine’. Smooth Criminal IS a banger though, credit where it’s due.

9/10 Half the album is greatest hits and 2-3 more could also be. I hope all victims of abuse find justice and peace, but this is a fucking banger.

Actually had a good time listening to this. Stand-outs - Another Part of Me - Dirty Diana

It’s not bad. It’s not good. It’s just fine

“You’re a vegetable.”

Zieke bangers

It's Michael Jackson. There are some awful songs in here (Dirty Diana, Liberian Girl) and he's an awful person, but these songs are iconic for a reason

Really an i credible album. Smoother and less edgier than Thriller and in my opinion maybe a shade weaker but still all time pop album great. Cool songwriting and production mixing all kids of styles and Michael’s vocal performance is insanely good.

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.

For the most part, this is really fun. There are some bangers on this album. “Liberian Girl” is corny tosh and “Man In The Mirror”, despite being one of MJ’s most famous songs, is cheesy and overrated. Apart from that, the highlights are “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Dirty Diana”, “Smooth Criminal” and “Leave Me Alone”. I enjoyed this.

Every song is great and unique but not all were added. Leave me alone is my favorite. Would listen to most on a daily basis but not all

i mean it’s micheal jackson

Favourites: 1. Liberian Girl 2. Dirty Diana 3. Leave Me Alone Least Favourite Just Good Friends

Quite a few songs I like and only a couple I dislike due to his singing. The best album since I’ve started this in my opinion. Overall pretty good 7/10

solid album 77/100

Honestly just no words because of how good this album is 5 stars A Strong 9 out of 10

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.

Really enjoyed it, very enjoyable singing style.

Michael was likely a pedophile but for me rating albums is one of the rare occasions where I will allow myself to 'separate the art from the artist' in so much as that as possible. I enjoyed listening to this quite a lot, very typically MJ which is by no means a bad thing, it's what I expected from the album and it's definitely what I got. The more well known songs on the album are for me the better ones though its hard to tell which way around that's working as usual. 'The way you make me feel' and 'Man in the mirror' were probably the highlights for me with 'Liberian girl' being another, less expected good song. Some of the songs were more forgettable but that's more a case of not being familiar with them than of them being bad, I did enjoy the songs largely across the album. The album certainly didn't astound me really but the songs were consistently good and it was an enjoyable listen. 76/100 Score edited 28/01/26

It was good. Solid all the way through - I did prefer the more popular ones. Unfortunately pedophiles can make good music.

idk, im only getting to the first few songs at this point

obvs

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

Smooth :)

Classic greatness

a great album

It's a classic, but is it acceptable in this day and age?

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.

Little Michael peaked in the 70's / early 80's. Or rather, Quincy Jones peaked in the 70's / early 80's. Gone are the lush (initial Quincy brilliance in the case of Off The Wall, and the Roland 808 and the Minimoog providing a weird sense of 'organic' synthetic sound in Thriller) arrangements of yesteryear, for the advent of digital synths that sound like the equivalent of spray-on cheese in retrospect. The songwriting chops are still there (See: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal), and the one Stevie Wonder contribution is quite good as well. Still, you can't help but feel that he's veered a bit towards a telecast-y style with 'Man In the Mirror', and his attempts at world music -- 'Liberian Girl' -- aren't as compelling as Ry Cooder, David Byrne, Robert Fripp, or Paul Simon's attempts (just realized these are all white men, pls dont cancel me). Unfortunately he fell off hard, in terms of music and his album covers (blech!) Can't help but feel that he would've had a late career resurgence if he was still with us today, though.

Brings back memories

Has some absolute classics.

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!

I don’t actually remember listening to this album from start to finish ever. However I know all the singles very well, and there are quite a few. Sadly the filler songs aren’t too good, so I can’t say it’s a perfect record, but I really enjoy listening to most of it. Favourite songs: Bad, Smooth Criminal, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel and I Just Can’t Stop Loving You.

I think I like it better than Thriller. Thriller's highs might be better and the songs might be more iconic but I've always felt that there's a lot of stuff on Thriller I'd be fine with not hearing again like Baby Be Mine, The Girl Is Mine, Human Nature, and The Lady In My Life. Granted, it's been forever since I've listened to Thriller and it's been forever since I've listened to this. Even the songs I haven't heard in forever that I thought I wouldn't like (The Way You Make Me Feel, Liberian Girl, Just Good Friends, Man in the Mirror) were pretty good and I didn't want to skip a track. It's hard to make Michael Jackson appear to be tough and they tried really hard but it was never gonna happen. Still, this album takes me back to a time when I was a kid and a Michael Jackson album release was a huge fucking deal. Maybe the nostalgia here is part of the reason why I like this. I'm gonna give it a 5 because I really enjoyed it but I also don't know when I'll reach for a Michael Jackson album ever again. Looking forward to whenever Thriller pops up to see how it compares.

Pretty solid, a bit cheesy, but definitely important regardless of the controversy surrounding him. The last track, "Leave Me Alone" stood out with its amazing hook, I'll definitely be coming back to this track in the future. Favorite Song: "Leave Me Alone"

Not as good as Thriller

Not a fan myself, but undeniable.

AMOOO the way you make me feel é uma das minhas músicas favoritas do mundo. dirty diana também é uma das melhores dele. já tinha ouvido esse, mas nunca fica velho. meu álbum favorito dele segue sendo o invincible. só não é 5 pq no meio não gosto muito delas.

Classic

Stone cold classic!

So, how does an artist follow the biggest selling album of all time? By releasing a Bad one of course. Joking aside, Bad is a fantastic pop album much like Thriller, its 1A and 1B in terms of his best work. If Thriller earned Jackson his King of Pop title, Bad let him continue to sit on his throne.

Great album, featuring many famous songs, very much in the Michael Jackson style, but there are not only upbeat songs, which I love. But overall very disco, great for dancing, fun. No reason to save songs from it when it can be generally listened to as a full piece, since basically all songs are great. Not sure about the rating, just because Michael Jackson is not my usual listen. But objectively I understand why this album is on the list and it's influence

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.

Goated

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.

Great album with some of his best hits

It's a classic for a reason

Hey this is actually pretty good. Are we really sure he was a pedo? I’m thinking that shit was a set up and bs. Real pedos now a days seem to just get away with it and no one’s cares. 4.5/5

Foundational album for me

- Another pedo on this list. I’ve almost reviewed 100 albums now, and the majority are Zionists, pedos, and/or SA’ers. How about we promote good people instead? Anyone know an equivalent of this exercise that is full of non-pedos? - Listening to pedos sing about love is difficult, at best. And his talking on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” made my skin crawl. - Only the singles are even a little good. Is it just me or does Man In The Mirror make you think of that Wilson Phillips song, lol - The others are so annoying. They don’t go anywhere and are not catchy or interesting enough to hit. - This whole album is very dated - the synths especially, and his voice grates on me. - The top review really says everything.

MJ has two five-star albums, and this isn't one.

No es un artista que yo hubiese escuchado por mi cuenta pero me ha encantado escuchar este álbum. Sentía todo el rato que estaba en una película las canciones son únicas la verdad que cada una te transporta a una escena distinta las veo bastante originales y encima hay algunas famosas que te quedas súper sorprendida al descubrir que están aquí en general en el género de este álbum es pop y aunque pensaba que iba a ser bastante básico, ha estado bastante bien tiene también bastante efectos de sonido y es muy interesante de escuchar y no se hace para nada pesado

Lay down the remote and crank this Rollercoaster of hits and fun Bustamove tunes from being to end

The rating for this one is easy. Bad is a masterpiece. But what is it about this record that makes it so appealing and such an artistic triumph while being immediately accessible and also very weird, creative, and layered, all at the same time? I don't know if I don't have the language, the attention span, or the time to dig through the elements that all came together to create one of the best examples of popular art in the history of American popular music. The thing is, I rarely reach for a Michael Jackson record casually on my own, but whenever I have a reason to listen, especially to Thriller or Bad, my mind is consistently blown, especially by the sheer density of the recordings. There is a lot going on in all of these albums, and my brain loves the layering. I was nine or ten when this album came out, and, in the Southern Baptist culture in which I was steeped, Jackson was considered a total weirdo by then, especially in what the culture saw as his gender-bending mannerisms, plastic surgery, and soft voice. Some, like my parents, still respected his Motown output with the Jackson 5, but the Jackson King of Pop era basically missed me. We did see his video premieres on Friday night television. Though not directly related to this conversation, it's hard to overstate how epic those video events were. Even though they were skeptical of anything "worldly," my parents were vocally impressed with Jackson's skill as a performer. Still, as a nerdy, white, Bible-belt Christian teen, I was more familiar with Weird Al Yancovick's parodies of Jackson's work than the original work itself. By the time I had gained a little independence from that culture, I was a white male teen in the mid-nineties. Jackson was still around and still making impactful music, but even though he impressed me, I wasn't really interested. Grunge and alternative rock were our touchstones by then. I saw Jackson as incredibly talented but irrelevant to my experience. Later, accusations of inappropriate behavior and even abuse further distanced me from these classic recordings. Now, as an adult, I can go back and listen to these records without the overwhelming gravitational pull of the zeitgeist. And, while Thriller will always be Jones's and Jackson's highest artistic moment together, Bad comes closer than I ever thought it could. These are not just simple dance or pop records. They are densely layered listeners' records that all fans of American popular music must spend some focused time with. As so often is the case, choosing a specific mastering is essential. For Bad, I listened to files ripped from the original CD. My understanding is that later releases used dance or radio mixes and compressed the tracks considerably. And I kind of get it. This music was made to sell millions of copies, and making it immediately impactful was part of that strategy, especially as the heaviness of the bass in modern tracks became more popular as we exited the '80s and entered the '90s. But the compression in the later releases makes it harder to hear what Jones and Jackson were really doing in the studio. For me, in both Thriller and Bad, the track layering is the key to understanding why these records are so good. The older mix allows for more space between the layers, making them easier to hear individually. The impact is especially apparent in the layered vocals. Jackson creates a chorus of his own voice, which allows him to interpret tracks and lyrics in multiple complementary ways at once. In a way, it feels a little cocky. Why does he need to be his own backup singer(s)? But I can't imagine another singer being able to do what he was doing with the vocals at that time. His interpretations were just too unique. I've also noticed that often the harmony and backing vocals are actually slightly louder than the melody track. I can't explain why this strategy worked, but it did, and I don't imagine any other singer performing those vocals would have had the same impact. And the sublayers of the music below the surface, danceable pop, can get downright weird, too. Is that proto drill 'n' bass in "Speed Demon"? The spoken word before "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is so intimate that it borders on cringe. "Man in the Mirror" is a five-minute treatise on self-reflection and its importance in one's work in the world. Every single song is special. There is not a moment of filler. I could go on and on about this record because there is no end to what could be said about it. I'm choosing to stop here because I want today's album. Five stars.

Before Listening: I think I’ve heard the majority of songs on this album but I’ve never sat and listened straight through! I like MJ so I anticipate that I’ll enjoy this one. After Listening: Good album! There were only a couple of songs that were so-so for me and the last few songs of the album are so good! Love Dirty Diana!

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

Isn't it the legend himself, my fav - Liberian Girl

Singles are bangers.

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

Мені це альбом десь на 7 з 10, тобто на 3.5. Тумблер "звук 80х" тут викручений на максимум і я не можу сказати, що мені це подобається. Але тут є реально iconic бенгери, тому 3 якось не з руки ставити.

Легендарний альбом, але для мене особисто, мабуть, все ж 4. Бо якщо вже оцінювати Thriller на 5, то Bad я все ж люблю менше.

definitely solid, some nice ones on here, just not my go to kinda thing Will I listen to again: 37%

i mean its ok i guess michael jackson is just a weirdo and i dont wanna listen to his music 🤷

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

MJ is great and really enjoyed this. More so than I was expecting. Good vibes, nice and upbeat

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

Michael Jackson had a way of making music that feels effortlessly cool, a skill that is demonstrated once again on "Bad." The combination of his vocal quirks and pop beats make for an exciting, memorable experience. While I think this album is weaker overall than "Thriller," the high points are just as high. The synthesizers work great with Jackson's style, and the album is loaded with iconic tracks. Favorite tracks: "Man in the Mirror," "Smooth Criminal," "Bad"

It's really good, but I don't think pop is for me.

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

I can understand the appeal of the album and it was epic back in the day. Just not an MJ fan on any level

nice

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.

A very familiar and classic album. The songs are catchy, groovy, fun, and easy to enjoy, and I had a good time listening to it.

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

Some very underrated bangers on here

Yep this is definitely a Michael Jackson album

Lots of hits! Fun album

Heehee

More awful that I even thought it would be. Speed Demon followed by Liberian Girl killed any potential for a higher ranking than 1

Eindruck: HEHEEEE 🗣️🗣️ Rating:7/10 Favourite:Bad/Dirty Diana

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

I loved every second of it, bunch of classics, but my fav was Siberian girl

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

Nothing bad at all to say about this álbum such an amazing one love it

3,5*

Very good bangers

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???

Absolute classic - so many great songs here.

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

I'm so bad reviewing albums but this one have a essential to make u dance so, it does really good

ABSOLUTEEE 10/10 I LOVE MJ i hope to get more of his albums from this cuz ts is inspiring me to listen to more of him 🥹🙌

Not my fav

Great album, it starts with a classic, and you find more like it all through it. Man in the mirror, the way you make me feel, just can't as top loving you or smooth criminal... Simply great.

Naming your best album bad is a legendary move

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.

Great album to start out with. How can you can wrong with tracks like "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal" on the same album?

Favorite track: Smooth Criminal

Did MJ's music warrant the insane amount of attention it got? No, I don't think so. But the same could be said for many modern day music icons at the well. So putting everything aside, the music on it's own is great in some spots and dated/forgettable in others. Rounding out to an album that's above average but not something that I feel the need to revisit beyond the hits that I'll naturally hear out in public.

yeah he's unmatched.. listening to my moms vinyl 🥹 not that side one isn't but side two is absolutely insane it's just the greatest song ever made after the greatest song ever made after the greatest song ever made. the talking before i just can't stop loving you... michael jackson inventor of boyfriend asmr

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

It's bad! It's bad! It's bad! Ooh! Heehee! I've been flip-flopping between 2 and 3 for a while. I settled on 2. It's basically just the hits and then filller, and even the hits are like 35% too long. Just cut out half the random noises. It's so annoying.

iconic album tbh 8/10 favorite song was dirty diana

Didn’t finish it…

The third best Michael Jackson album still tops almost all other pop albums of its time, which explains why they called him the king of pop. There’s like 5-6 songs on here that transcend music and are just part of pop culture now. It’s slightly below a 5 rating for me since there’s a song or two that I skip.

I don't listen to abusers.

I don’t respect anyone’s musical opinion if they give this anything less than a 5

What more is there to say about this album that hasn't already been reviewed? An astounding who's who of pop hits; MJ at his most iconic; Quincy Jones's formidable producing power on full display. It's not much for poetry nor philosophical depth, but it's unapologetically not trying to be. (And how about that Scorcese-directed, West-Side-Story-inspired 18-min music video with Wesley Snipes? A whole decade of pop culture distilled.) For a moment, before the sadness of MJ's downward trajectory--abuse and a stunted adulthood begetting more abuse--it feels wholesome to imagine a time when one could admire this young pop king/genius at his peak. 4 stars.

I’d heard a lot of these songs before but never listened to the album all the way through. Good stuff.

Strange, troubled man. Good music 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.

Very monotonous, most songs sound the same, but since it's about as good as pop gets, it's. 4/5

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.

There the right mix of hits and misses that I would give this four, maybe four and a half stars. But Michael Jackson did things, and I have a precedent of taking these things into account (c.f. "Antichrist Superstar" and Marilyn Manson). So here we are.

Not bad.

Great album. A classic. Very nostalgic

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!

Honesty being the first foot forward, this listen was the first listen of an MJ album. It feels a bit strange, mostly because Michael Jackson’s presence has always existed outside of albums. His singles, videos, and public persona were so dominant that one could already know the songs, or at least think they did. It should come as no surprise that the performance of this album is precise, and nearly every track feels engineered by a perfectionist. MJ's vocal ad-lib style and enunciative delivery are on full display here but everything still feels deliberate rather than spontaneous. There's a heavily manufactured element of this album where Michael Jackson is no longer one of us, he is just Michael Jackson, the king of pop doing what kings do in providing spectacle to the rest of us.

I have been trying to figure out what was really going on in Michael Jackson’s music since I was a little kid. An origin story: Around the time my dad walked out, my mom and sister and me recorded this video at the mall. It was part of this touring MTV exhibit where you could put yourself in a music video. It’s mostly us and a family friend swaying around aimlessly to “Bad” … I think I attempted some preschool version of break dancing. But on the last “Who’s bad?” there was this perfect freeze frame of us all. It came to symbolize the new kind of family we were creating after Dad’s departure, which of necessity was less traditional, more improvisational. I think MJ symbolized that for my mom and she remained a fan throughout the various scandals. I got older and too cool for MJ, too cool for pop. Too faux-sophisticated to admit that for a few years in the 80s all us kids wanted to be this protean child-god-man creature. Even though the text of his music was often about romance, the subtext pointed to these weird internal cosmic struggles that clearly none of us understand even now. And of course it is mixed up with his own trauma and the trauma he visited on others. Every time I try writing about this, that’s the stumbling block… I want to research things like what the heck was going on with the Moonwalker arcade game, but then I just think of the poor kids. Anyway, I was disappointed to find that revisiting Bad at the album level doesn’t illuminate all that much. The filler here truly is filler… maybe the hits aren’t as great as those from an album like “Dangerous” but on that record you can see the search for a theme, and the theme here is clearly “Let’s do Thriller again.” But the other half is legendary singles. I think maybe by the time of “Bad” the music video had become so dominant a form that the artistic energy beyond the singles went there instead of into the album. Maybe I’ll have figured out more by the time I get to Thriller. Until then, Shamone, lay it on me, etc.

Good album, Eric Clapton was a racist.

Love

Already listened to this album and its great. Great for Michael Jackson is amazing for other artists but is not in the same league as Thriller and Off the Wall.

Crazy how many hits are on this album. Maybe my favorite of MJs (his best?). There is some amazing bass lines on this record too. Overall, great listen. Highlights: “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Dirty Diana” and “Smooth Criminal”

Hvis man først skal gi 5 på et pop-album, så må det nesten være dette, vel?

Classic

Surprisingly mediocre.

Stellar artist but they a couple meh songs

10/10 kinda biased bc ive been listening to sm mj this month

1. Bad 2. Man in the mirror 3. Leave me alone

n tem como n gostar

the real king of pop

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.

So many incredible classic songs that are still insanely popular today, I can only imagine home huge this was at the time and I really enjoyed listening to the whole album

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

Bad??? sounds pretty good to me!! if there are skips, as isolated tracks they're still the funkiest shit since sliced bread. favorite track is probably Smooth Criminal even if it's kind of an ancient fav, but Another Part of Me is the best new one for me

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.

Great album. Dirty Diana is 🔥 8.1/10

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

This one hit. I didn't realize he made that "ee-hee" sound as much as he did

So damn energetic, it's actually impossible not to sing or dance along. I can't unhear the LeBron cover of "Man in the Mirror" tho

Pretty good but for some reason actually listening to it through was tough

Sure it was a big album....can you put aside the allogations of child molestation? No.....was he talented? Absolutely.

Smooth Criminal, Another Part of Me, The Way You Make Me Feel, Bad

Michael Jackson is complicated. On one hand, he made iconic, groundbreaking, influential music. On the other, he was most likely a child molester and a very fucked up person for so many reasons. So how do we judge him? For me, MJ is not my cup of tea. His music is too full of hee-hees, hoo-hoos and his weird, signature vocal tics. Every song on this album sounds horribly dated. The big pop songs are catchy and were hits for a reason, but listening to an entire album is repetitive. I understand the cultural importance of this and why people give it a 5. If you take the child molestation out of the equation, this is only a 3 for me. But we can't separate the artist from the art, so it gets a 1.

Bardzo spójny album, taki dajny do tańczenia. To czy mocniejsze czy luźniejsze zależy od piosenki. Bardzo podobają mi się bity, takie bębnowe

I can see why I quickly became such a world wide sensation. For the 80’s it’s perfect

King of pop for a reason

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.

Quincy and Michael know how to make pop single. The hits off this record are perfection. Smooth Criminal might be my favorite Michael song. I think top to bottom, the album isn’t quite as good as Thriller, but, damn that’s a high bar. I’m not a fan of a couple songs, so I have to give 4.5/5.

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

What a special talent MJ was. The production is absolutely fantastic. Everything sounds great and that bass is always perfect, "Speed Demon" especially tickles my ear. There's hits upon hits and catchy chorus after catchy chorus. Hard to tell if I like this more than Thriller or Off the Wall though. It's definitely close

dnf

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".

King Of Pop... Better than "Thriller" to me

The King of Pop at the height of his powers before all the Ickiness kicked in. The bass lines drive all the hits and the synthesizers freeze it into a certain time and place. My rating 3.6

The beginning of the end.

pa ovo je dosta slabo... ove su pjesme jako duge? bilo bi mnogo bolje da su sve po tri minute. ovako se ponavlja te ponavlja. usto je već ovdje malne karikatura. čudno, mislio sam da je to postao kasnije. sve u svemu sasvim bezvezno. dobra mi je "smooth criminal", ali i ta je malčice preduga. bokte

Fun album, but I was surprised for how dated some of the songs sounded in this listen. I listened to this as a kid a lot and obviously that is something I never picked up on. Dirty Diana is by far my top Michael Jackson song ever and I wish more of the album had this sound.

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.

Funn

I forgot that “Dirty Diana” existed

I wish that the general consensus of this album wasn't "It's not Thriller." Like I get it but it's still a solid album in its own right. I felt like Speed Demon,Just Good friends, and Another Part of Me all could've been stronger though... Otherwise all 5/5 songs very memorable and catchy

(2) it’s hard to look past its success but… 1. It’s not a definitive album. 2. It does not define a genre. 3. Its average. And it does not have the beat I can’t help but dance to!

This album very well represents Michael Jackson. It is catchy and makes you want to dance. This particular album has some of his biggest hits like The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, and Smooth Criminal. It's a great album. I would listen again.

Real classic

I mean, he's the King of Pop for a reason. 8/10

4 Its a well performed album it is one of the situations where I was not in the mood for this genre but still an album that i believe everyone should listen to once in their life.

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.