Bad

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

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

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

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

Great album.

I've never listened to this album all the way thru and this was no exception. Despite the fact that MJ was a talented artist, the album title says it all: BAD! This album is reaally bad. After the 15,000th breathy hiccup, my eyes rolled back so far in my head I couldn't see. My ears were suffering from such disappointment. MJ was trying really hard, WAY TOO hard. While there are some popular songs on this album, that doesn't mean it has any lasting value. the sound the songs, the lyrics--nothing aged well.

Would never seek out anything by MJ myself but its obvious why he's as big as he is. Very catchy!

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

I think I'ver never heard this one the whole way throught. I love Dirty Diana (underated song) and Smooth Criminal (yeah obviously) already and I thought that besides those ones (and Bad) I wouldn't be engaged by the record, but I'm about halfway through and every song is pretty good. This might be more enjoyable than Thriller AS AN ALBUM if I'm being honest.

Not that bad

Too pop eighties for me

Michael Jackson moonwalked so shitty pop could ruin (music)

the goat

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

Some classics make this an easy to listen to any time.

It's all great pop. Makes you wanna dance or sing along. Tons of classics.

not even his best work!

The most famous example of let’s look over that stuff and just talk about the music. I think for the exercise of the list you do need to make the artist/art separation whether you believe in it or not. Nonce or not, still one of the highest selling albums of all time, and for a reason. This isn’t even THE album and it’s this insane quality. Bad is a fine hit, but the way you make me feel, man in the mirror, goddamn smooth criminal??? 10/10, 9/10, 15/10. Even the non hits are phenomenal, although Liberian girl is not up to the rest of it. But he’s definitely using the same synth that’s in Sonic which I know he worked on Sonic 3 but he’s doing the chemical zone bass synth through so much of this and it’s so SICK. Speed demon and just good friends are basically just Sonic songs (pre Sonic one mind you). Thriller obviously clears, I’m sure we’ll return one day.

Undeniably an album. Certainly has songs by Michael Jackson. Overall a strong 4/5 for me. Dirty Diana was a good unknown for me.

Great Micheal Jackson pop with good production, however a few too many songs have bass lines that sound exactly the same, feel a bit copy-pasted. No boring songs, just some weird ones (looking at you Liberian girl), but overall a very interesting and enjoyable album.

Another self recreation from the king of pop. Although a bit over produced at times, a lot of great songs. More aggressive sounds while incorporating new digital technology. Drawing from multiple genres, punk, funk, and rock. Overall great album. My favorite song is Leave Me Alone.

MJ was a bad man!

Classic and powerful.

It is excellent

Genuine bop. Like a template for what good pop should be. It's timeless.

5 hits + filler

Bit of filler but the hits certainly hit

How do you review an album like this? Not a lot to say that hasn't already been said. First thing to note is just how stacked the album is. I mean you are looking at like 6 or 7 tracks that could easily be in the 100 greatest pop songs of all time. Sharp drums, punchy bass, hard synths. Its edgy and swaggering whilst still maintaining an unparalleled groove. Vocals do not require any comment, there are very few individuals come close to his tone and delivery. Production is immaculate. Favourite track - Smooth Criminal. 9/10

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

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

**In-Depth Review: *Bad* (1987) – Michael Jackson** --- ### 🎤 **Overview** Released five years after *Thriller*, *Bad* was Michael Jackson’s third collaboration with producer Quincy Jones. It debuted at a time when Jackson was under immense pressure to match or surpass the astronomical success of *Thriller*. While it didn’t eclipse that record, *Bad* still became a global phenomenon, spawning **five consecutive U.S. #1 singles** and solidifying Jackson’s status as the **King of Pop**. --- ### 🎶 **Music & Production** - **Producer:** Quincy Jones - **Sound:** A shift toward **harder-edged pop**, **funk-rock**, and **synth-driven R&B**. The album embraces **digital production**, with tight drum programming, punchy basslines, and layered synths. - **Standout Elements:** - **“Smooth Criminal”** features a **sharp, staccato bassline** and cinematic strings. - **“Dirty Diana”** is a **rock-infused** track with **Slash** on guitar. - **“Speed Demon”** uses **funk-metal guitar riffs** and fast-paced rhythms. > The production is **tighter and more aggressive** than *Thriller*, but some argue it lacks the **organic groove** of earlier works . --- ### 🖋️ **Lyrics & Themes** - **Themes:** Identity, fame, love, social change, paranoia, and self-reflection. - **Notable Tracks:** - **“Man in the Mirror”** – A **gospel-tinged** anthem about **personal responsibility** and **social change**. - **“Leave Me Alone”** – A **defiant response** to media intrusion and public scrutiny. - **“Bad”** – Explores **masculinity**, **street credibility**, and **peer pressure**. - **“Liberian Girl”** – A **dreamy**, **romanticized** tribute to love and escapism. > Some lyrics, especially in tracks like *“Just Good Friends”* and *“Bad”*, are seen as **overly simplistic** or **cringe-inducing** . --- ### 🌟 **Influence & Legacy** - **Cultural Impact:** *Bad* helped **define late-80s pop** and **music video aesthetics**. The **“Bad”** short film, directed by Martin Scorsese, was a **mini-movie** that influenced the **visual album** format. - **Musical Influence:** Artists like **Beyoncé**, **The Weeknd**, and **Justin Timberlake** have cited *Bad* as a **blueprint for modern pop performance and production**. - **Commercial Success:** Over **35 million copies sold worldwide**, with **9 singles** released from **11 tracks** – a record at the time. --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Hit density:** 5 #1 singles and multiple classics. - **Genre-blending:** Seamlessly fuses **pop, rock, funk, and R&B**. - **Vocal performance:** Jackson’s **range**, **control**, and **emotional delivery** are top-tier. - **Visual storytelling:** Elevated the **music video** to cinematic art. - **Social commentary:** Songs like *“Man in the Mirror”* and *“Another Part of Me”** offer **uplifting messages**. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **Overproduction:** Some tracks feel **too polished**, lacking the **raw soul** of *Off the Wall* or *Thriller* . - **Filler tracks:** Songs like *“Speed Demon”* and *“Just Good Friends”* are seen as **weaker** or **dated**. - **Lyrical simplicity:** Lines like “I’m bad, you’re bad, who’s bad?” can feel **juvenile** or **forced**. - **Contextual baggage:** Jackson’s **personal controversies** have **clouded the album’s reception** for some listeners . --- ### 🧠 **Final Thoughts** *Bad* is not *Thriller*, and it was never meant to be. It’s **darker**, **edgier**, and **more ambitious** in its own way. While it suffers from **overproduction** and **lyrical missteps**, it remains a **monumental pop album** that **redefined stardom** and **pushed the boundaries** of what pop music could achieve – both sonically and visually. > **Rating:** 8.5/10 > **Verdict:** A flawed but **essential pillar of pop history**, *Bad* is **bold, influential, and unforgettable** – even if it doesn’t always hit the mark.

3.6/5 B

Och, kolejna kontrowersyjna postać, której nie da się odebrać talentu. Na tej płycie jest tyle hitów. Znam prawie każdy kawałek. Z wieloma mam piękne wspomnienia. No takich płyt nie ma zbyt dużo. Historyczna i przełomowa. 9/10

they call this fella the king of pop for two reasons 1) good at song 2) questionable actions with children like all royal families hard to separate the art from the artist kanye style, tho this fellas dead so maybe that makes it easier? idk

Heavy on the hee hee

So many classics

First album I just didn't want to listen to. Awful. Gasping and wooping and oh god just no.

That is another classic album. Funny that it was the first time listening to Bad and I could recognise so many of Michael Jackson's songs that used to play in adult pop stations. It is funny that the atmosphere of the album matches the theme but Michael does everything so smooth. You can tell clearly the influence of this album in 00s bubblegum pop as well. 4/5

Yes yes yes ye ye yes yes

I just can't with the cheesy 80s pop anymore.

Wow this was so good. I didn’t realize how many hits were on the album. Michael Jackson’s voice and range is insane, obviously. All of the songs are really catchy and awesome and unique and I don’t really have any complaints. Fav songs: the way you make me feel, Liberian girl, dirty diana

Well it’s so obvious 5/5 Great “no skip” album Great songwriting and production MJ is GOAT

hee hee

Good Hot take but MJ's talent is otherworldly and insane.

Smooth Criminal might be the best pop song ever written. Had to listen to it twice before I could move on.

Not bad!

Certified Banger

Smooth criminal.

I'm not sure I've ever actually listened to a full MJ album. This one may be the place to start, I guess, given the half-dozen odd hits here. Aside from those classics, some of the other tracks are decent rather than just filler or skip material--Speed Demon is pretty funky. I'd also never heard the Stevie Wonder duet on "Just Good Friends," which is pretty good, as is "Leave me Alone." I'm actually impressed by the sleeper tracks on this album, which is making me think this might deserve a 5 when coupled with the absolute impact of the hits.

As the title says, bad. It’s really a horrible album. There’s no Billie Jean. It’s filled with Michael’s quirky squeaky sounds and quivering whispery vocals. Man in the Mirror is almost as bad as Ebony and Ivory.

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

Iconic album. Certainly not Thriller but still some great hits on here. As with most big time albums I try to listen for songs that aren't big that are good, and I enjoyed Another Part of Me and I Just Can't Stop Loving You (maybe these are big songs and I just don't know it). It's interesting to hear this very specific 80s sound, like he still needed to really develop. Thriller was that maturation

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

Still shit. Sorry Michael. Go with Madonna.

Not as good as Thriller, but enough solid songs to bump it up to a 4.

Solid despite not being a big fan of him

I will maintain that The King of Pop and Prince both do not have good albums but have great singles. I did enjoy this a lot more than most Prince albums thought (except maybe Purple Rain). However that's not a very high bar. Pop albums just don't do anything for me. They're so plastic and vapid. Also the constant "hee-hee" and "hoo-hoo" kinda got on my nerves. Otherwise his voice is pretty solid. Imma be generous on this rating.

late 80's pop that was played everywhere during its time. was never a fan of it then & still not really fan now either. Leave me alone is best track. he definitely ruled the radio & MTV back in the day....

Hittien varjoon jää muu levy 3/5

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

For sure the best album of the 80s... probably the best if not one of the best albums of all time. Despite what he might have done in his personal life it is a 10/5

Lekker album! Het eerste album dat ik mag luisteren is redelijk laagdrempelig, omdat ik geboren ben in de jaren 80 is deze muziek vertrouwd. toch ben ik positiever over het album dan verwacht!

I got so sick of an ex listening to this back in the day, just looking at the cover invokes PTSD.

Pivotal album amazing dancer, rough history and also not my fav

MJ. Wow! This is a hard one to judge because there are plenty of classics on this album, and sponsored a Weird Al album, so, you know, the pinnacle of musical success. The hard part is in the 1980s there was no escaping these tracks so I am not sure whether the tracks are that good or I am socialized to think they are that good. Regardless Bad, Smooth Criminal, and Man In The Mirror are singalong standards for GenX. My favorite track, though, has always been The Way You Make Me Feel, which is poppy and fun. The hard part is the songs in between don’t carry the same gravitas as the rest of the album and often feel over produced. Stevie Steven’s guitar solo on Dirty Diana is great though I am indifferent about the rest of the song. I may be over rating but I am feel indecisive and conflicted on this one

Random thoughts: * Was Bad self confessional? Hmmm… * I remember thinking that MJ’s tough image made him look like a poser in 1987 and I was only 10. * I owned this on cassette tape. I even found it! * I’m interested how many songs I remember from 38 years ago. * Quincy Jones brought some great bass and synth sounds to this jam. Especially cool on Bad and Speed Demon. Speed Demon was a shot of nostalgia. * Man in the Mirror, also confessional? * I forgot how many hits were on this album. Michael Jackson was still huge when this came out. He ruled the pop airwaves. * why does the line “Annie are you okay” sound so cool. * Leave Me Alone brought back memories of the music video. I am truly a child of MTV.

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

Bad is Michael Jackson's real masterpiece, not Thriller. every song on this album works. Surely some are more iconic than others, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal and the title song Bad, just to name a few. Those high points might not be as genius as the high points of Thirller, but Bad doesn't have any real stinkers.

What's not to love about MJ. Weird guy but incredibly creative!

A collection of bland songs (the only one I kind of enjoy is smooth criminal) with an awful production: literally the sound of the 80s in the derogatory sense of the phrase... While the commercial success might be understandable, the critical acclaim will always be a mystery to me.

Album full of classic hits and feel good bops. Great way to start! Comments on non-classics -Speed Demon only has 38 million plays, probably because the overly aggressive cartoonish slap bass. -Liberian Girl is... something else... - Just Good Friends, BOP - Thanks for showing up Stevie! - Another Part of Me - Meh. Not out of place, but doesn't move anything - Closing run of Man in the Mirror to Leave Me Alone is FANTASTIC

it feels really weird to sit down and listen to a michael jackson album all the way through…and yet it speaks to the level of saturation he reached as an artist (of course) that i already knew the majority of these tracks despite never having actually sought out a single michael jackson song to listen to on purpose in my entire life. it’s so far out of my wheelhouse that i feel like i can’t say anything particularly meaningful or intelligent about it. but i had a decent amount of fun. fav tracks: dirty diana; bad; smooth criminal

This album feels like the point where Michael Jackson achieved his most Michael Jackson-ness, like it’s his final form. *Bad* is what you’d get if you took all of the elements of *Thriller* that distinguished it from contemporary 70s disco/pop and made an entire album of it and only it. Every part feels so drenched in his style and mannerisms and ad libs that at times it’s hard to hear the music for what it is as opposed to hearing it as simply a Michael Jackson song. When people impersonate or spoof him, the results likely sound like this album. I’ll start off by saying there’s not a single song on here that is outright bad (ha ha). The closest to bad is “Man in the Mirror” for its corniness, but even that one is musically complicated and features a good vocal performances. The album’s music overall is pretty interesting albeit extremely 80s; for that reason it doesn’t all age super well but I guess it doesn’t matter if the songs are still good. It’s the epitome of that harsh, late-80s new jack swing style that feels really industrial but also somehow clinically clean and precise. There’s so much detail that when paying attention closely, there’s a decent amount of variation among the songs, but otherwise the overall sound of each could certainly come across as homogenous and repetitive. I don’t think the less famous songs add much to his discography that the mega hits don’t already bring, and a lot of them sound like a combination of the most distinct elements of the other songs. I think it was a strange choice to position something as intense and over the top as “Smooth Criminal” as the penultimate track, only to follow it with the unmemorable, anomalously autobiographical “Leave Me Alone”, which just sounds like an amalgamation of the rest of the songs. For these reasons my reigning favorite from this album (and probably my favorite MJ song) is “Dirty Diana” and this relisten only reaffirmed that; it stands out to me as an innovation on the distinct style that makes those other songs blend together. Its understated intensity is much more compelling to me than its louder, WOO- and grunt-filled counterparts. “Liberian Girl” also stood out to me on this relisten for its integration of African rhythms with his signature style. Where he’s innovating his iconic sound and creating an infectious and energetic new sound is where this album excels, but unfortunately sets up the rest to feel underwhelming. Best tracks: Dirty Diana, Bad, Liberian Girl

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

Maybe it was the fact that I watched moonwalker 300 times as a kid, but I LOVE this album.

Sometimes I forget how amazingly talented MJ truly was. "Man in the Mirror" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Tag on songs like "Smooth Criminal", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Bad", "Dirty Diana", etc.. and you have an all-time classic album from arguably the greatest performer in history.

Epic pop album. Probably some of his best.

This is the first Michael Jackson album I've listened to from the list. I am not a Michael Jackson fan. Well, I'm not a fan of this album. I cringe every time I hear the cheesy, The Way You Make Me Feel, but after hearing Liberian Girl for the first time, that took top cheese honors on this album. Also, the overuse of the woos and ahhhs just feels stale and sad. Smooth Criminal is the highlight on the album, but even then, I prefer Alien Ant Farm's cover of it.

I mean, it's Michael Jackson's 'Bad', it's practically a greatest hits record during one of this legend's many fine hours. It's no 'Thriller', but I'd rank it on the same level, if not slightly above 'Off The Wall,' for nostalgia reasons alone. I remember having to sing 'Man in the Mirror' in primary school and how obsessed I was with that one song. And honestly, it's a pretty good song all things considered, a little heavy-handed, but the good intentions are clear as day. Some underrated gems here aside from the obvious bangers - 'Speed Demon' for one is relentlessly funky and I love those layers of synths that hang in the background in that second half. 'Another Part of Me', I feel similarly about. I love the way the vocal builds into the chorus and those iconic '80s horn blasts. And 'Dirty Diana' sounds like the 'Beat It' sentimental cousin production-wise, at least. The whole thing with MJ fighting off this temptress, while it does get a chuckle out of me sometimes, was clearly something MJ felt strongly about. But yeah, I'm sorry, the best song here has always been 'Smooth Criminal' for me, I don't care how overplayed and memed it is, the song remains absolutely iconic, one of the greatest in pop history. There's really something about the nature of the writing, it's so ominous, mysterious, but in a way, the music doesn't match that at all...if anything, the whole thing sounds kinda sexy. It always gave off this alluring effect despite the ugly story being told. The king of pop, the-king-of-popping, once more. No one can do music like this guy.

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

Anything by MJ is gonna be great but this one isn’t quite up there with off the wall or thriller for me

ehyyyyyyy he he eeyyyyy waht hare you doing heeeyeyeyeyyyyy

7/10

Man in the Mirror (meh) and Smooth Criminal. The rest...exists.

Surprisingly cool. There is a part of me that hears the super-pop production and something about that tells me to reject this.. But then the quality here overcomes that. It's obvious that they have assembled an incredible team of musicians, songwriters, producers, etc. To put this together (including mj.) there is a lot of funk elements, soul, R&B, electronic, almost metal elements.. so lots to love actually. It's hard not to love a record with stevie wonder on. (separating art from artist)

When I see this cover, I have to immediately think of "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Even Worse". While this is certainly funny, it already proves how iconic "Bad" actually is. As Michael Jackson had already been a superstar at that time, it's no surprise that everything about the production is flawless and easily meets also today's standards. And likewise it's no surprise that "Dirty Diana" (with Steve Stevens' incredible guitar work) and "Smooth Criminal" remain the best among the 11 songs on "Bad". Yes, this is one of the most iconic albums of all time!

One of the best, if not the greatest album in history

This was great - so many bangers! I’ve never listened to an MJ album end to end and now very keen for the inevitable next one on this list. MJ in his imperial phase is really something to be reckoned with.

Great MJ

Classic early Michael Jackson

Few good songs but quite an average listen

Fun album. Some songs I thought were older MJ.

Já ouvi

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

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

Hate the production on this album, all the instruments sound very electronic and not in a good way. There are 4 great singles, the rest is trash and very unforgettable.

E det noen som har skrevet den ordentlig dypdykkanes Michael Jackson-biografien, som ikke sensasjonilsere, men heller ikke gjemme unna alt det ufine? Se, det lurte æ på mens æ hørte på det her albumet.

Books/websites need to stop promoting this man. If you grew up with him and have a nostalgic or emotional connection to his music then crack on. The rest of us need to move past him. Disco/soul/pop has better icons who didn't abuse minors

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

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

Can’t go wrong with a bit of MJ

Very good. Classic. He can do better. Still very impressive. Good music good vocal good production. Arrangement is classic but I feel it aging just ok now! A low 5 for me.

It’s a good fucking album. Global and undisputed chart-topping hits. Tight and clean production, killer vibes and vocals. It makes so much sense to me that he was as big as he was. His life is truncated in tragedy but goddamn if that middle portion wasn’t straight fire.

MJ albums slap in their entirety. i feel like the middle of this album lulls a bit, but the end and beginning are absolute fire. its incredible, again, to see an album with 11 songs where 5 are all time CLASSICS for MJ. mad props to this album.

I’ve been going back and forth on how to rate this album and whether or not to give it a four or five. It’s not as prolific as Thriller, but it does have so many iconic songs. It’s not MJ’s best work, but when compared to other albums on the list, it does stand out quite a bit.

Michael knows how to make an album! There are 4 all-time songs on this one, and he perfect spaces them throughout. The other songs are kinda forgettable though. Bad is definitely not as good as Thriller, but it's not that big of a step down. Probably the best way to follow up the greatest record of all time. This would be a 9/10 if we were on that scale.

Disturbing album cover for a start. We didn’t know it at the time but maybe Jackson was trying to tell us something with the menacing look, a nonce jacket and his right hand in a wank grip. Anyway back to this record. So it took him 5 years to follow up Thriller and this was the best he could do. A couple of reasonable songs, Bad and Smooth Criminal, but the rest is forgettable formulaic trash. My main issue with the whole album is the annoying Tourettes-like ticks throughout. Heee-Hee! Hah! Ah-hhhea! Uh! Shaaamon! For fuck’s sake give it a rest. It gets so tedious. And I’m sorry I can’t listen to this without thinking of the comedy nose jobs, the strange skin whitening and the dangling of babies over 5th floor balconies. The behaviour was whacko enough before we even knew what he used to get up to with young boys and a chimp.

The Quicy Jones trilogy are just perfect. There's no much to say about it. The Way You Make Me Feel videoclip must be the one that I watched most when I was a kid. I mean, which girl doesn't want a creepy guy dancing and singing round her while she's trying to get home, right? When Michael first got the lyrics for "Just Good Friends", he came to Stevie and said: "Men, I know that you're blind, but you gotta see this..." Anyway, following the line of the two previous albuns, this is an albuns full of hits, from begining to end. 5 stars of course.

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

This one’s a classic. Takes me back to primary school!

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

Classic Good but not for me

Startet den Bas, Kegt die Tanzschuhe an. Jackson on the Road

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

I have always generally enjoyed MJ, first time through this. Good album.

I didn't realize how much I missed Michael Jackson until today. He was a phenomenon never to be duplicated. How could one album have so many hits? I grew up in the age of MJ and I'll never forget it.

Not on par with Thriller, but some big time bangers on this one.

Hard to separate the art from the artist. Fantastic album, but bringing it down a notch because of what he may have done to kids.

Love MJ

Everyone knows this one! Legendary.

Probablement mon album préféré de Michael Jackson!

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

Not completely my thing, but nevertheless I enjoyed it. Great rhythm.

Pedophile, not worth my time…

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

In her line of work my wife has worked against a fair few awful people and she says Bad people can't help but tell you they are Bad. They find a way to tell you they are Bad. I didn't like it back then either. Anodyne.

??? Seriously why is this beast on this list and those out there claiming he’s not a monster ask the families of the children that he paid off …

I bloody LOVED this.This is only the second Michael Jackson album I’ve ever heard and while I wouldn’t exactly say I’ve become a fan of his yet, I will be keeping this saved and going back to it. Top Track - Smooth Criminal, a belter of a song. Can’t believe I’d never heard this before considering I do really like the Alien Ant Farm cover version.

A really catchy, funky album. A lot of songs on this album became big hits, and for good reason. It’s an all around great time. Standout Songs: Bad The Way You Make Me Feel Liberian Girl Man in the Mirror I Just Can't Stop Loving You Dirty Diana Smooth Criminal

Uwu

If it came out tomorrow instead of 87' it would still be mammoth. Nice to listen to some of the less famous tunes. Insane production.

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

Peak Michael Jackson. Couple of dull songs made up for by multiple greatest hits.

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

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

He combination of showmanship in music and vocals is pretty damn special.

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

Its the king. Brother.... the king. I mean what can I say. Its full of all timers. I see why Sega asked him to do the sonic 3 soundtrack. Half of the bass and drums stuff is in that specific sound font. And that track list rules. Stevie Wonder is here and that song also rocks. The only real criticism I have is im not super keen on some of the slow songs but thats honestly just a personal preference than anything. They are still great songs just they aren't for me really. At the end of the day is micheal and this shit is even better than thriller. Thriller rules but it gets burried by bad here. Hail to the King baby

It turns out that Michael Jackson was, in fact, bad

I dont care for the guy himself, but as a pop artist there are few who can stand in his shadow. This album shows why. You think it cant get any better after Dirty Diana, but Smooth Criminal and Leave Me Alone shortly follow to prove you wrong.

Full of hits, the three tracks that I didn't know also smash. Easy 5/5

Classic Michael Jackson album, 5/5

First listen, a lot of hits, a few sneaky underrated tracks and of course the tear jerker of "Man in the Mirror" which gets bonus points for being performed by myself in a play in 8th grade.

Insanely excellent. Production, songwriting, vibe. Weird guy, great album

🧥

Mostly love songs, catchy choruses Highlight songs Dirty Diana, Bad

This is a challenging one to rate given his, er, proclivities. Score is based purely on the music and its impact. It’s a bit too mechanical and the lyrics are weird, but they’re all catchy and memorable.

Solid album throughout with some big hits.

1. Bad - 10/10 2. The Way You Make Me Feel - 10/10 3. Speed Demon - 7/10 4. Liberian Girl - 9/10 5. Just Good Friends - 7/10 6. Another Part of Me - 9/10 7. Man in the Mirror - 10/10 8. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You - 8/10 9. Dirty Diana - 9/10 10. Smooth Criminal - 10/10 11. Leave Me Alone - 9/10 Album Rating = 9/10

Haven’t heard the whole album before and really enjoyed it.

If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, by the time this album came out, you were megafan or done with it. I was done with it and while there are great tracks on here and the best fodder for Weird Al, not my favorite album.

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

There’s a reason why MJ is known as the King of Pop. Regardless of public perception, his actual musical abilities were, and will continue to remain unparalleled. His status as a social pariah is an elephant in the room that many have already addressed, but god damn it, it’s so hard to not enjoy his music. “Man in the Mirror” may be one of the most popular songs on the album, and it happens to be one of my least favorites here. Which is insane because it’s still a really good song. I’ve never heard an MJ album from top to bottom before, this is the very first time I have done so, and when I tell you I added more than half of the songs on this album so quickly, I mean it. That last stretch of 3 songs alone, “Dirty Diana”, “Smooth Criminal”, and “Leave Me Alone” is absolutely legendary. My only criticism of this album comes from the middle, which has some skippable (but still absolutely outstanding) filler. Favorite song on the album? I mean damn, I can’t go with recency bias here and pick something I’ve never heard before, that would be disingenuous, “Smooth Criminal” is a brilliant song and deserves to be admired, so I’m going to pick that. I’ve been listening to it for a long time, for good reason. There’s so many good songs on this album, I didn’t even get around to talking about how good “Bad” and “Speed Demon” are. That’s just how good this album is as a whole. I know people like Thriller more, so I’m extremely excited to check that one out now. Bad? More like Good. I’m sure I’m the first person to ever make that joke.

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

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

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

The king of pop at his zenith?

Well if we separate the person with it's music,this album was and still is legendary,maybe the only one involving so many genres and talking about so many subjects.It was also the last co-produced with Quincy Jones and Mj even wrote the whole album himself excerpt 2 songs.We are talking about a complete artist here although i never searched if he played any instrument at all so i'll keep that open.And his albums production is always ace,they always have the best basses,beats,and here in particular the best pads and synths and that took this album off,i mean it was 1987! Man In The Mirror is a steady classic for me from this album,especially towards the end, I Just Can't Stop Loving You is a super emotional love song that is purely magic from start to finish,Stevie Wonder vibes in this one if i may say, Dirty Diana's guitar and atmosphere are out of this world,i remember this one was on repeat back in the days although i was struggling with the refrain lyrics,also one of my favourites, Smooth Criminal gives you the tension right from the beginning as this talks about something dead serious and it is smoothed out in the bridge and in the refrain,a genius song,the bass and the guitar are emblematic,groovy as hell till the end,Super angry and powerful. A legendary album by a legend,not my favourite of all by now but still it is a nostalgic ride. 4/5

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

Great album. So many great songs

Booooring. Crazy that this guy gets away with diddling kiddies for making bland ass music.

Listened to it as a teen even back in the day and loved it!! Was not as big as Thriller obviously but stands out because of the amazing ahead-of-its-time technology used to make this album. I recommend Bad, Another Part of Me, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Speed Demon, and I believe Man in the Mirror was on this as well. Come on, it's been almost 30 years for me!!

Overrated

Great great album, not much else to be said.

Nije thriller ali nije ni invicible😃

Love it!

great album. perfect for the genre.

#158/1001. Earlier I was thinking I'll skip this album. Before that I saw Leaving Neverland, and have refused to play MJ as a dj ever since. Before that I was a big fan. Well, what if all that is lies and people who are after his money? Let's see. In 1993, Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy, Jordan Chandler. Jackson denied the claims and settled the case out of court for US$23 million. In April 2005, Ralph Chacon, a former security guard at Neverland Ranch, testified that he had seen Jackson performing oral sex on Chandler in the early 1990s. Chacon also described seeing Jackson passionately kiss Chandler and place his hand on Chandler's crotch. Jackson made an out-of-court settlement with the mother of another boy, Jason Francia, for more than US$2 million, who, in 1993, previously told police that Jackson never molested him. A former maid at the ranch, Adrian McManus, testified that she had seen Jackson kissing boys including the actor Macaulay Culkin, and described Jackson touching Culkin's leg and rear. She told the court that she had seen Jackson touching Chandler's genitals. Phillip LeMarque, Jackson's cook, said that he entered Jackson's room and saw Jackson with his hand in Culkin's underpants. Wade Robson and James Safechuck were depicted in the film Leaving neverland, providing descriptions of Jackson's alleged sex acts, including masturbation, oral sex and anal sex. Safechuck's mother Stephanie describes feeling elated and dancing upon hearing of Jackson's death: "'Oh thank God, he can't hurt any more children!' In the film Living with Michael Jackson, MJ was seen holding hands with 12-year-old Gavin Arvizo and talked about sharing a bed with him. In the 2005 criminal trial People v. Jackson (full title: 1133603: The People of the State of California v. Michael Joe Jackson) Jackson was indicted on four counts of molesting a minor, four counts of intoxicating a minor to molest him, one count of attempted child molestation, one count of conspiring to hold the Arvizo family captive, and conspiring to commit extortion and child abduction. Jackson had begun serving him and his younger brother wine, sometimes concealed in soda cans, showing them pornography and making sexual advances. He said that Jackson had twice manually stimulated him to ejaculation after they had drunk alcohol, and then told him that if men do not masturbate, they "might rape a girl". Gavin's younger brother, Star, told the court that he had twice seen Jackson molest Gavin. He also said that Jackson had displayed his erection and masturbated in front of them, telling them that "everyone did it", and encouraged them to try it. "We expected better evidence, something that was a little more convincing. It just wasn't there." For me MJ remains not BAD, but filthy, foul, nasty, dirty, lousy, smutty, sleazy, bum, cheap, cheesy, chintzy, crummy, punk, tinny, seamy, seedy, sordid, squalid, kinky, distorted, misrepresented, twisted, depraved, perverse, reprobate, and immoral. and the album sounds and feels very plastic nowadays.

Some real bangers on this one. Top 80s king of pop here.

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

I don't think I've ever heard this album in full before. Also some songs I don't think I've really appreciated.

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

Never been the biggest Michael Jackson fan, but never hated him either. His output was just to mainstream for me. Even as far as Michael Jackson albums go, this is not his best. Michael trying to be "edgy" just doesn't work for me. There are, of course, the many hit singles. Those for the most part are descent, but nothing so special I'd want to hear it again. So much of the rest of the album is just flat-out filler.

He was labeled the King of Pop for a reason!

Feels like a forgotten masterpiece now. No skips. The production is not in the same league as Thriller but it might be a better collection of songs.

I hate Michael Jackson.

5/5

This album is full of hits and variety all the way through - extremely enjoyable listen, likely Jackson's best album

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

After thriller, thé only way was down

One of the great pop albums of my time.

Basically a non-stop hit parade. As pop albums go, this one's pretty close to the top.

Vibes: 5/5 Instruments: 5/5 Production: 4/5 Emotional Value: 5/5 Storytelling/Lyrics: 4/5 Stand Outs: Dirty Diana, Liberian Girl Overall Rating: 4.6

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

I'm not sure I ever actually listened to this album all the way through. I know the singles, obviously, but did not know what the order was (i.e., Side A/Side B, etc.). Surprisingly, I liked the second side of the album more than the first. The first side starts out with the one-two punch of "Bad" and "The Way You Make Me Feel," arguably the most popular and still relevant singles from the album. However, I didn't really care for the other three songs that make up the first side. The second side, though, is banger after banger. I may be biased because of my love for Captain EO at EPCOT, though... Great album, probably not quite as good as Thriller, but still a solid effort. I would give it 4.75 stars, rounded up to 5 for the rating. And yes, like I mentioned in my review of "Moondance" by Van Morrison, it is difficult to separate the art from the artist, but for purposes of this review, from an objective standpoint - this is just good music that is enjoyable to listen to, regardless of the monstrosities the artist may or may not have performed.

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

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

Classic. Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal will forever slap.

So many bangers on here. Some songs are fillers, but these can be ignored

Is it sacrilege to say MJ is just ok ?

timeless

I think Off the Wall and Thriller might be a little better, but this of course slaps

Good album at the time, but has dated like milk. It's a bit overshadowed by the artist and his exuberances and behaviour. Jarvis Cocker knew the score.

Love it. Own it.

Such a good album. Don't get me wrong, it's no Thriller but it's still a great listen minus a few yawns.

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

The screams are still annoying, but the music, especially the rhythms are good. 3.5

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

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

I'm not listening to him

Fantastisch album vol klassiekers

I enjoy Quincy Jones' music.

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

I hate how much I liked this due to the nonce history

Alright this was pretty solid. Helped that it came on the heels of Dennis Wilson (which was good!), but the contrast really highlighted how much inertia these songs have. Still not a fan of the MJ things that MJ does, but this is rock solid pop

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

This is probably his 3rd best album and would be the greatest album of pretty much any other artist. The singles do more work than usual, but even the filler songs have their moments. The whiplash from "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" to "Dirty Diana" has permanently damaged my cervical vertebrae. The ultimate king of pop and example of separate the art and artist. Also, hats off to Quincy Jones, the produced for MJ's best albums. 4.5

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

Hell yeah

I hoped I’d get something to cheer me on this blah Friday. This came up, first full album of his I have heard, and within 2 seconds I literally could not stop clicking my fingers to the beat and intermittently woohing. The soul and RnB feels so familiar and retro but there is a freshness to it. It’s a wonderful album but I need to go put my fingers in a bucket of ice water now!

I guess one can only compare Michael to himself, and that's one of the highest bars ever risen. Just looking at his catalgue, this is (imo), one of his top 3 albums ever. HOWEVER, this is up against Thriller in that scale, and that shit is just not fair. That being said, and reinforcing that Bad is an awesome and classic album, it does not compare to Thriller. So it gets a bump down in the ratings just because of it. But man, such good music.

Thriller is probably still better, but this is still really good.

Neck and neck with thriller. A pop/soul/disco masterpiece. 5/5

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

Instant classic. Although I wasn’t alive when it was released I’d like to think that’s what people assumed when they heard this. MJ’s voice is so full of expressive emotion that I think any listener can really grasp onto and feel. A voice that, when combined with this production, gets everyone dancing, from toddlers to grandma. Some sleeper tracks for sure, typical 80s love ballads that I don’t particularly care for. 4 stars today. Could be 5 stars tomorrow. This is a close one.

Yes there is some filler, but the majority of these tracks are complete bangers. I'd be hard pushed to name an artist with greater depth of quality pop singles (outside of the Beatles) than MJ.

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

A fine album. You’re either listening to some of the greatest music ever made or you’re in Spring Yard Zone from Sonic. Wicked.

Kul att hitta lite hidden gems

Lite för mycket Super Mario Kart i ljudbilden men klassikerna lyckas ändå väga upp det mesta.

Toppen av Michael JAcksson hylande! 80-tals soundshape också!

Not bad, Bob!

det är inget o snacka om

Really good album. So many good songs.

I know a lot of good people worked on this, but I can’t see past the pdf main character

5 - mastapiece

Good driving music for GTA Vice City

Nice album bit isn't as stellar as I thought it would be listening to it all the way through, maybe it has just been hyped up a bit too much and raised my expectations but I was expecting more out of it. Doesn't take away from the fact that it is a good album, just maybe not 5 stars in my book.

This isn’t music for grown-ups.

This album is amazing. Yes, the Thriller album is better, but MJ shouldn't be downgraded simply because he made another album that is arguably one of the top 5 albums of all time. Bad sold $30m+ copies for a reason. Front to back, this record is packed with hits. 5 #1s, 6 Top 10s, 7 Top 20s. Crazy. And this all holds up. Even the non-hits are good tracks. Liberian Girl is a smooth tune. Speed Demon is excellent. Leave Me Alone, which was released outside of the US but not a single domestically, might be my favorite song on the record. But back to those hits. Think about the diversity of these songs. A true dance track in The Way You Make Me Feel, A street anthem in Bad, A ballad about self-reflection in Man In The Mirror, a rock song (as much as MJ can do) in Dirty Diana, an R&B / rock mix in Smooth Criminal. And all of them bangers. Truly incredible stuff. A 5-star album

Packed with hits from start to finish.

Clearly an excellent musician. Separating the art from the artist is always tricky, but in principle, this is excellent pop music. There's a reason he's still well known decades later.

Zaradi totalno prezaposlenega dneva, se lotevam poslušat ta album 20 do 9h, ko si končno delam večerjo. Uf. Album se odpre z naslovnim komadom - pač, amazing. Potem še en znan, "The Way You Make Me Feel", isto hud (in glih gledam na wiki, da je ta album mel 9 (!) singlov). Nasledn, "Speed Demon", mi ni poznan, ampak je totalno njegov. "Liberian Girl" se pomojem video spomnim - Eddie Murphy pa Iman? (Ne, lol, to je "Remember the Time", ki se ga js ful očitno ne spomnim). Naslednje dva isto, ne poznam od prej, totalno njegov vajb/sound. Pač, ok komada. (Sm nazaj izpod tuša, še pol albuma!) "Man in the Mirror" je itak a fakin banger. Dj no. Ampak, glede na to, da je naslovnica taka kot je in da sam album odpre z " Bad", sm kot nepoznavalka albuma pričakovala, da bo cel album mel ta vajb. Ampak ga nima. Ful je variabilen v tematiki. Sliš se, da je za un cajt ornk narjen. U, recimo zj je meni čist nov komad, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", duet z Siedah Garret in začne se ful umirjeno in se razvije v prou lep ljubezenski komad. (Očitno je bil to taprv single s tega albuma & ona je cowritala prejšnji banger.) U, "Dirty Diana". Dejansko nism fulkrat še slišala tega. Hud. Sledi mu "Smooth Criminal", dj nehi. (5 od teh singlov je blo number 1.) In album zaključuje "Leave Me Alone", ki ga spet ne poznam, ampak lol, kok relatable.

By the time I was old enough to know about Michael Jackson he was already more or less white and in trouble for potentially being a pedo. I missed his golden age when he was the ¨King of Pop¨ and the biggest and baddest thing on the planet. He wasn’t the little boy from the Jackson 5, he wasn’t the guy who ruled MTV, he was just the human equivalent to a shopping bag- white, plastic and dangerous to children. How then do we separate the man from the music? The art from the artist? Is it possible, especially since he was never convicted and we’ve never had any proof beyond a shadow of a doubt? It’s not like listening to the Lost Prophets or watching the Cosby Show… So how does ¨Bad,¨ an album from the year I was born, hold up today? I guess it’s fine- it’s catchy, expertly made, with songs that have become a part of the national lexicon like ¨The Way You Make Me Feel.¨ But then, when he says ¨You really turn me on,¨ who is he talking to? This came out pre-scandal, so it hits differently from when it came out. ¨Liberian Girl¨ was, devoid of any context, just kind of bad. The album itself is very 80s, and when something sounds 80s it sounds generally shitty and canned and dated. ¨Man in the Mirror¨ is catchy but is the kind of mindless drivel that gave us ¨We Are the World.¨ ¨Dirty Diana¨ is a bit more ambitious- there’s storytelling, drama, orchestration. Of course, ¨Smooth Criminal¨ is so catchy it defies the rules of time, space and allegations and will forever be a jam. All in all, I think this album has aged about as poorly as Michael’s reputation- even separating the art from the artist leaves me wanting it to be over. Best songs: ¨Dirty Diana,¨ ¨Smooth Criminal¨

The songs you know are great. The others were all skips.

No complaints, other than Bad has been replaced in my memory with Weird Al’s Fat, and the Alien Ant Farm version of Smooth Criminal is superior to the original. Highlight is clearly Man In The Mirror 😍 4.5⭐️

Half the songs are all-time bangers...the other half are meh, IMO. Still a classic album.

Nah

Passionately singing the chorus to Bad while I bake peanut butter cookies. This is PEAK kitchen music 4.5

The nicest way to put this is: the last 20 or so years of Jackson's life, he was a weirdo. He chose to be weird instead of making great music. This is great music. There are times where it sounds like a product of its time, the 80s. Lovely, wonderful 80s cheese. The hits are, well, hits. It's almost unfair how good they are. I may have misheard the lyrics in Dirty Diana but did MJ just imply that he was raped (or emotionally raped) by a groupie or shows his disdain for groupies. Messed up song but I guess that's the price of fame.. Liberian Girl is probably the reason this isnt a 5 star record. Its just awful. Too simple. Opinion: I prefer Alien Ant Farm's cover of Smooth Criminal. 4 Fun Fact: Michael Jackson is from Gary, Indiana. That explains everything.

I was 8 years old when this came out

What a banger. Good vibes

Best

A great pop album, as to be expected from the “King of Pop”. Good hooks and melodies with great production. Michael Jackson’s performance throughout the album is very strong, I also really like the sound of him harmonizing with himself. The songwriting is great throughout and I love all the funky parts. It’s a very 80s album, but I feel like that’s because everyone in the 80s was trying to copy what Michael Jackson was doing because of how well he did it. 4/5

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

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

How do you follow Thriller? Bad has some cool and heavier elements, but this is definitely MJ just starting his downslide. I sure hope he's okay.

Without question a MUST listen! MJ at his finest.

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

Big hits

Some dated production at times, but a majority of these songs still hit.

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

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

Great album. I got a better idea for the whole picture by listening to it all at once. Still like the hits the most, but there were a few gems in there.

Michael Jackson no seu ápice

2.8

this album is good and dirty diana/smooth criminal is a crazy 1-2 punch but listening to this album front to back made me feel like i was trapped inside of a sega genesis console. anyway stream liberian girl

omg man in the mirror is so so so so sooooo good! but then dirty diana started playing and it turned me into a Freak. time to turn juyeon out byyyeeeeeee. EXCITED FOR THE MJ MOVIE 🤍

Not gonna lie, this was catchy as fuck

Michael Jackson is such a brilliant artist so ofc one of his biggest album is very good. unfortunately, it's far from the best, thriller clears the album in every way possible. there's quite a few misses on this album but overall it's such a vibe tho

There was never going to an album that was going to replace the greatness of Thriller and in my own opinion Off The Wall. If there was, this is the closest thing to reaching the heights of that album. Every song on this album (apart from Speed Demon) shows his excellence in a different ways. Mixing timeless hits with more slower hits that all show his greatness. There's a reason why he is always going to be the King of Pop.

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

Not as keen on his extracurricular activities but I do enjoy the odd bit of MJ from time to time. Lots of bangers on this one.

One star for predators

Some of the music sounds really dated, and obvs some of the artist issues, but so many great songs here

Hits

Absolute classic!! Thriller is considered the best, but I really think that it's bad that defines what Michael Jackson is all about. I love this a lot, my favourite album by Michael Jackson. It just has everything, it has a take on every genre there is, and it's just timeless.

Absoluta obra maestra de álbum, tal y como lo hizo con Thriller. Récord de canciones guardadas en mi playlist.

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

Wat een grensverleggende platen voor de popmuziek heeft Michael Jackson toch gemaakt. Off the Wall - Thriller - Bad is een ongekende serie met onwijs veel hits. Bad is één en al pop. En ook al is het daarom niet de best luisterbare plaat in zijn geheel, kan ik het bijzondere daar op zich wel van inzien. The Way You Make Me Feel vind ik zelf het lekkerste nummer. Van andere nummers krijg ik soms ook een beetje (negatieve) kippenvel. Met name bij Liberian Girl en Man in the Mirror. Dat is echt te glad en zou ik normaliter snel doordrukken. En ja, ik associeer zijn stemmetje toch ook altijd pedofilie. Zeker na het kijken van de docu Leaving Neverland een paar jaar geleden en alles wat er over MJ gezegd en geschreven is. Ik moet mezelf even behoeden van weer een rabbit hole op het internet. Zijn muziek kan er enerzijds los van staan, Maar aan MJ kleeft ook zo erg de keerzijde van alle fame en Amerikaanse gekheid en hoe fucked up je daarvan wordt (tot pedofilie aan toe) dat het ook een afkeer en negatieve associatie voor zijn muziek creëert. 5,5/10 Highlights The Way You Make Me Feel Smooth Criminal

Meh

The king of pop baby. Der blev rystet hofter gennem hele albummet

Some great tracks but not MJ's best album IMO

A classic pop album. While there were a couple of songs that were pretty meh, this was overall a super fun listen!

Hell yeah. Michael Jackson might’ve been a bad man at times, but his music is good.

It's a banger. The hits are massive hits, we all know them. The misses are fine, but by other artists' standards, would probably be on the Billboard Top 100.

Full of bangers. An all time Pop music album.

01) Bad - 10,0 02) The Way You Make Me Feel - 10,0 03) Speed Demon - 7,5 04) Liberian Girl - 10,0 05) Just Good Friends - 7,5 06) Another Part of Me - 10,0 07) Man in the Mirror - 10,0 08) I Just Can't Stop Loving You - 10,0 09) Dirty Diana - 10,0 10) Smooth Criminal - 10,0 11) Leave Me Alone - 10,0 TOTAL: 9,55 (96/100) Current ranking: 19/677

Top 10 albums of all time

5 de 5

A classic. Only a few songs on this album weren’t huge hits. Fun to revisit an album I listened to constantly as a kid.

Wow. Such a fun album! Made me really think of tame impala. Love his callbacks and variety of sounds

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

I feel like ‘Bad’ is every bit as good as ‘Thriller’ or ‘Off The Wall’.

It's just so stylish and undeniably good

One of my favourite albums of all time and the first which, as a child, I obsessed over. One of the few albums I have multiple versions of.

insane they allowed I just cant stop loving you on this christ

Objectively Bad, two thumbs up.

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

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

No wonder MJ was th king of Pop. But, Mike, with that high-pitch soft voice, no way you were BAD! 😜

The King. An album with this amount of classics is just unfair to the rest

Excellent album with some incredible songs.

It's maybe becoming a more mainstream view... but I think as a whole album, Bad is better than either Thriller or Off The Wall

Wasn’t looking forward to his, have avoided Jackson because of the mental gymnastics needed to be in a clean place to listen to it and be objective. There's just too much background noise for me that's unpleasant, both the allegations and even the fans he was whole innocent and was the victim stuff. But just focusing on the music, not ever been a fan of the self proclaimed king of pop, but accept Off the wall and Thriller were good records produced by Q Jones but even back then when this came out felt it was too forced as a follow up to Thriller and falls off of a cliff, all the overt syth drums and his trade mark yelps and whatever those gimicks it is he did dialled up to 11 to be a M Jackson parody album. Smooth criminal is ok and on par with thriller songs, the rest is just trying too hard and to me feels like a heavy dose of fake. The song Bad, like the leather jacket being lame hot garage hidden under decent production. Dirty Diana the guitar song tick, like Beat it. Man in the mirror by someone melting their face off was and is just sad, see can't stay objective. Oh I give up, 2.5 for the music, 1 Star because the level of weird around him I realise today i cant be anything but subjective, and unlike thriller where the songs maybe strong enough to stand their ground, i will have to see when that album come up, this is where the songs sound already sound a trite, lame parody of a MJ record.

not bad

Good Michael Jackson album, bad has some of the greatest pop songs ever released on it, Bad’s peaks can go toe-to-toe with any album their are definitely some duds and some tracks that overstay their welcome abit (Speed Demon, Liberian girl.) Best Songs: Bad, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana Worst Songs: Another part of me, Liberian Girl 7/10

Smooth Criminal is so good it made Alien Ant Farm sound good! Man in the Mirror has no right to be that good. I Just Can't Stop Loving You's intro is my low point. Overall a spectacular album.

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

Classic