Bad

This thing has a ton of hits my god

In my opinion this was Jackson’s best album. It was a time when music was so big and he was so famous and the videos were mini oovies. Man in the mirror is the standout for me, but pretty much every song was a single. I don’t think ithe production has aged that well , and obviously neither has Jackson.

This gets a 4 for me. You can't deny the MJ effect on popular music and this album just is riddled with big hits. Even the non-hits maintain the same feel and production for me. Overall a good album.

Michael Jackson is one of the hardest artists to judge solely based on his discography - not only because his albums are very distinct in sound and style, but because it's impossible to not compare them to one another. "Bad" has the unfortunate fate to be released after the best-selling album of all time, so it automatically raises the question: would Michael Jackson be able to surpass Michael Jackson? By my personal analysis, it's a tough call. Thriller is legendary, but I'm inclined to believe that Bad might be the better album as a whole. No, its hits are not stronger, nor are the numbers more expressive, but it all fits together super well and gives the feeling of wholeness better than Thriller did. On the other hand, though, I feel like the low points here are maybe worse than Thriller's? Man, how do I even compare "Speed Demon" to "The Girl is Mine"? Also, Jackson seems bolder here, more experimental both artistically and musically. To me, this is the album that defines Michael Jackson as a more-than-human artist - a mysterious being, with exotic clothing, dancing and behavior and with an increasing ambiguity regarding the concepts of race and gender. So, is "Bad" a five-star album? Not really. "Speed Demon" and "Just Good Friends" stand out as definitely weak that don't measure up to the rest of the record. I would give it 4,5 stars, but since I can't, it's fair to give it a 4. Good work, Mike. 9/10

Could not believe how much I enjoyed some MJ. Solid Album

This album starts so nice but the middle of it is so-so what justify not 5 stars and also from my point of view Michael did better album than this one !

Absolute classic. Only hits

The King of Pop at the height of his abilities. Not quite as groundbreaking as Thriller, but more consistently good.* * Every Michael Jackson album gets an asterisk hung on the review in acknowledgment that it is difficult if not impossible to separate the man’s genius from his probable crimes.

Always good

The King of Pop for a reason. It's actually wild how consistently he was dropping bangers. Just massive hit after massive hit and they still sound great. Favorites: Bad, Liberian Girl, Another Part of Me, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal

Good album, very 80s

Gol he’s good. This is one solid album.

It's fucking good.

It's very difficult to separate this album from the fact that it was tasked with following the best-selling album of all time, a feat it didn't quite live up to. You can hear them trying on every song and this makes up for a very bombastic, very entertaining record, and of course this was still Jackson and Quincy Jones operating at the peak of their collaborative powers. The move towards New Jack Swing made sense at the time, as it was the new emergent sound, but in hindsight that aspect is what makes this sound more dated than Thriller and Off the Wall. Not that those albums didn't sound "of their time" (they did) but because genres like Disco and Synth Funk have had resurgences in the years since. This is still very good, though. Key tracks: Bad The Way You Make Me Feel Man in the Mirror Dirty Diana Smooth Criminal

Phenomenal album, Michael Jackson’s 3rd best besides Thriller and Off The Wall

Pretty great album. I took off one star cause reasons…

4/5 Kovaa kamaa. Muutamia hutiraitoja lukuunottamatta (mm Speed Demon) loistava lätty enkä ihmettele lainkaan, että miksi tätä on myyty niin paljon aikanaan.

i got off the wall, thriller and this in order and it feels like a perfect bell curve

Not the peak of Michael's prowess as the King of Pop, but this album definitely has some bangers. I think the top songs for me were Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal. Other than Liberian Girl, which was a dreadful song to listen to, I thought everything else was alright. I think this solidly lands as a 4.

Most of my exposure to Michael Jackson was through my freshman year roommate, Herman, who in the immediate wake of the King of Pop's untimely death went on an all-hits tribute journey. I distinctly remember him blasting Can't Stop Til' I Get Enough and Man in the Mirror those first weeks ad nauseam. Otherwise, my only full length tours have come at the direction of this list. Bad, the second on this list is 8 years later in his career from Off the Wall after Jackson had established himself as the King of Pop via mega-hit Thriller. The production here is full of all the trappings of 80s cheese, with the tinny synth horns, pulsing basslines, and an overall feeling of plasticity that I cannot quite quantify. Speed Demon is the first new one for me. NGL I love the goofy ass synth'd bass. Also gotta say, I really like Liberian Girl. Just works for me. Man in the Mirror is a great song. Just has an infectious quality about it that is hard to deny. Unsure if that comes from the structure of the song, the performance, or if it is something built over time and exposure. Solid enough album. Not a lot of bad to say. Ultimately this is somewhere around a high 3 and low 4 for me. Going the latter, because why not.

Some absolute groove by Michael. This was chock full of his hits. From some slow pop songs to high energy guitar solos this album kind of had it all. Dirty Diana was a song I have never heard but was an absolute jam.

A freakin classic

Kaxigt

Very fun album. Plenty of instantly recognizable hits that layer in plenty of complexity for a pop album. A lot of the less well-known tracks do start to feel samey, but a good all-around listen. Top tracks: Bad, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal

'And the whole world has to answer right now.' Truth b/c it's impossible not to answer to this guy, as much as you'd like to throw cold water on his career output. He's not only a once-in-a-lifetime talent. W/ the help of the highest level of production (Quincy), he's also the creator of tracks that are reminders of his context while simultaneously giving us groove-attacks as if he's the newest hit on the scene. It's just incredibly difficult to date him. The specifics of this record: more than half of the songs are utterly fantastic ('Bad,' 'The Way You Make Me Feel,' 'Just Good Friends,' 'Another Part of Me,' 'Man in the Mirror,' 'Smooth Criminal'), three are good but not great, and two are duds: 'Speed Demon' and 'Liberian Girl.'

So many great singles came from this album.

Måste med viss motvillighet erkänna att det faktiskt är riktiga bangers ngl

one of my favorite mj eras i think

Not Mike Jackson at his best but a good effort nonetheless

A talented young man then the sideshow became the show after this record. Good record

This album is great!! I would listen to it again!!

Made me want to dance 8/10

Speed Demon is goated and the best song on this album, don't care what anyone says

Classic My least listened to album of his from that era The synths are on point on this one Liberian Girl is still a standout to me

Bad, Smooth Criminal, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror. Album is loaded with hits.

Great album. I grew up listening to Michael Jackson.

I have left my body and returned to high school. Then "Liberian Girl" left me alone in a parking lot in a part of town I've never visited. (I do not recognise this and it's not a fave) Still, enough incredible music to make this a good listen.

Speed Demon has some sick bass lines. Some classic bangers on here like Bad, TWYMMF, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal. Drummer is also great. Not particularly my style of music but enjoyed this album.

Insatiably horny. Some stellar singles, but the rest really feels like filler. 3 seems harsh, 4 seems generous.

Michael has always been an ear worm for me. But I also might be biased as we share a surname :p 4 stars

Ca reste bien, le son a vieilli pas forcément bien, le coté éléctro 80

Iconic record, though the second half doesn't have the same force as the first.

Bangers! Still not really my thing, but undoubtably good.

Meh.

Great album! “Man in the Mirror’ is, I think, my favorite Michael song; “Smooth Criminal” is genius (and maybe confessional?); “Bad” is…well, bad. This was huge when it landed and is still pretty great.

I remember how massive this album was when it was released. It was everywhere. I didn’t appreciate at the time that it was the follow up to thriller so the anticipation must have been massive. In classic Jackson style he co-opted the emerging style (new Jack) and made a pretty great album. The singles are powerhouses. I remember singing dirty Diana over and over as a 9 year old. The last great Michael album.

Good

Again choosing to ignore what I know about the artist and just focusing on the music this album feels like a collection of the greatest pop songs ever made. 4.5/5

Michael recorded this the day after Len Houmous stole one of his women! It led to Len’s comeback ‘(not as) Bad (as us, now, are you?). 4.2

amazing singles, the rest is pretty good i guess lol

listened to again it's great

Listen to the words of the pedophile: change your ways 👍

like a 3.8/5

Ganz nett

The hits are great of course. The other songs are fine but sound a lot like other 80s pop and don't stand out on their own. Thriller is a tough act to follow but this album does a commendable job. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)

Can’t deny that he earned his name as the King of Pop. Great album.

I'm realizing that when I listened to this album as a kid, it was mostly the back half which is VERY strong. The first half is not super good and the song Bad is pretty dumb--catchy, but dumb. I guess it's more a mission statement song like Born in the USA, but it's pretty cringy. I love every song in the second half and Smooth Criminal is buried? I was prepared to say 3.5 and 3, but seeing as this is the most songwriting MJ had done to this point I'm bumping up to:

A begrudging 4. The hits are pretty good, everything else was meh. Also, he loves "Liberian Girl" so much but can't even give her a name? Was a bit cringe :/ 4/5

Michael Jackson fans will enjoy this album. I forget how many good songs were on it. Overall a solid pop album. Smooth Criminal is by far the best track.

Delicia, el rey del pop

"Bad"? more like... "Good"! i'll be here all week, people. in all seriousness, coming into "Bad", i thought i'd be let down by the spaces between "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Smooth Criminal", but all the tracks have this wonderful 80's sheen to it that only Quincy Jones could bring. Mikey does it for me here too, always putting out an insane new noise or hook for you to get your brain fixated on for a few hours after the track ends. "Bad"'s biggest crime is those tracks just not meeting the standards of the mega-hits, which basically exist as perfect songs next to good ones. some songs are "Smooth Criminal", and some songs are "Just Good Friends" ft. Stevie Wonder. not much you can do about it.

Quincy Jones and MJ working together = WOW

This is another great album from the King of Pop, his legal troubles aside and if you believe that he was monster or not, just focusing on the music, this is a fantastic follow up to Thriller, while not nearly as good this still has some major hits of MJ's, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, The Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal?? These are solid mega hits that would be on any best of compilation, and how many artists have that many songs that hold up after so long? This is a great album!

Det är ju inte Thriller! Sämre låtar förutom Man in the Mirror och Smooth Criminal. Det är klara femmor, men resten är inte minnesvärt alls. Produktionen som är spännande och oväntat rå lyfter det till en stark fyra.

Never listened to this album before but knew most of the exciellent tracks.

4/5. Solid classic

perfect

realized theres a sorta primordial mix of Order and Chaos in mj's music that possibly sits near the center of his pop music throne,,,obviously everything is very lavish and labored over and produced and u get those ridiculously tight grooves etc etc but theres still room for space found in it, for exclamations or vocal vamps or instrumentally stretched legs. nice observation to get out of this but i dont have as much to say about this record in specific lol its good! by necessity a lil less Timeless than the likes of off the wall or thriller , in particular because of ofc how important the contemporary Wider Perception of mj was to the whole conception, but its got as many classics as it needs and its nice to hear them with some deliberacy on headphones in an album context instead of as cultural white noise. didnt even realize how good man in the mirror was my whole life. there better be some janet records on this list too tho...

4.5. close to being perfect!

I feel like Michael Jackson and Prince are both in the same category for me as artists where every song is either a complete banger or basically a total dud. Like everyone has some variation in song quality on their albums, but how do you go from "The Way You Make Me Feel" (banger) to "Speed Demon" (bad) back-to-back? I think the median song for both of these people is meh, but then there's just these absolutely iconic singles. It really makes it hard to rate. Anyway, the point is that I would basically never actively choose to put this on, but I still have to admit there's some good stuff on here. It's not quite Thriller quality, but it's a good output among a genre of music that's kind of bad. A few too many "woo-hoos" for my liking though. Favorite song: Smooth Criminal Other: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Dirty Diana, Leave Me Alone 2/20/25

King of pop. Production hasn’t aged the best. Dirty Diana was a sleeper banger

Crazy energy. Great harmonies. That snare needs to be retired

Classic and excellent pop album! Def some gems within. But nowhere near the sublime quality of the all time perfection of Thriller or even Off the Wall.

I feel like I can't objectively review this album because it's just so nostalgic. But yeah, it's pretty much a hit. Solid music, what more can I say

Ganske bra og nostalgisk. Bassen minne tidvis om gambling-minispillene i Mario 64 på DS

its michael jackson, its good obviously. ngl i didn't remember this album sounding so dated. not thats a bad thing its charming actually. but use of drum machines is so obvious and the weird cheap synth instruments sound so bad and fake. what up with the weird industrial clap sound on the way you make me feel, it feels so out of place but i love it. some of these instrumentals give me like 16-bit era vgm vibe. makes sense considering he worked on the music in sonic the hedgehog 3 (fun fact i guess)

Oh, those 80s synth and drum sounds. MJ was a masterful entertainer, though, no denying it, and these are classic pop songs.

Classic album. MJ 🐐

Very good album. Different styles throughout. Catchy. Stand out song - The way you make me feel

"Smooth Criminal" is possibly MJ's best song.

These are some of his classics, so it's hard to say it's not great.

Great album

This era of pop can be very hit or miss for me, but this is overall another good album from MJ, not much worse than Thriller imo.

This only gets a four because he made thriller and that is a five, this is slightly worse then thriller so four is right.

The hits are great and the rest of the album felt like filler.

Good Album

123

Hee hee! There are some great songs on this album! I knew half of them - and them songs alone would have been a very easy 5 star Sadly the other half of the album were just filler. Liberian Girl in particular absolutely killed the vibe Smooth Criminal will now be stuck in my head for the next 3-5 business days 4 ⭐️

Pretty solid! Pretty funky!

Songs run longer than needed Easy 4 tho

Still iconic, but only MJ’s third-best album…

Best MJ album

Classic Michael Jackson is great. This album has so many classic songs from him. Since I have listened to him a lot before I don't have much more to add, the reflections from listening to the daily album kind of looses its point when I already have a clear picture and feeling about the album. All that being said I'm gonna lean back, close my eyes and listen to man in the mirror again.

O disco tem musicas muito boas mas sofre do mal do hype das tecnologias digitais nos anos 80, que acaba prejudicando a sonoridade do álbum. Existem timbres ótimos aqui, mas há momentos onde o exagero do digital faz tudo soar meio esquisito e plástico, que quando comparado a outros discos anteriores e posteriores do MJ soam menos interessantes

love it

Le roi d’la pop (heeeuurf) revient avec un album du calibre de Thriller, sans atteindre celui d’Off the Wall. Shoutout à la bassline de Speed Demon, tu m’as émBRANLER

This album really just sounds like the 1980s with the elements of horns and synthesizers regularly shown. Michael Jackson does a great job utilizing these elements wirh his voice to create catchy melodies. Sometimes these melodies get a bit repetitive but generally his ad libs and use of tension keep the listener hooked.

Poco se puede decir, es el puto Michael Jackson. Como en los discos que salieron previamente, la calidad de sus canciones siempre es alta y el disco no aburre, pero no llega a conectar del todo conmigo para que sean favoritos. Pero un gran tiempo. Canción destacada: Smooth Criminal

Always thought this was better than Thriller, and it is. But wow i didn't remember the ballads being this boring... There's nothing to say about the uptempo songs, an absolutely masterclass in doing pop music, they're all textbook definition of a "banger".

I just had Off the Wall 12 days ago so I was a little surprised to see another Michael Jackson album so soon. Again, obviously a classic. I’m not a huge MJ fan but I can’t deny the singles are all 10/10 all-time greats.

3.75

This is a pretty classic pop album. Its got the synth-y new wave pop sound, with some really cool funk and soul. I think it might be safe to say that no one has really made dance music as good as Michael Jackson. Its kind of perfect for dance groove. I think back half of the album is stronger than the front half, but overall, its still really fun and good. Its fun to kind of hear those motown influences. In a lot of ways, he's doing Gospel music. Especially with songs like Man in the Mirror.

First time listening all the way through. "Man in the Mirror" is one of my all-time faves, and it was good to hear "Just another part of me" and "Just can't stop loving you" again, as they don't turn up as regularly in modern pop culture. This music spans the consciousness of generations too, so it was fun to listen with my middle schooler and talk about just how popular this guy was back in the day.

Great hits! Very 80s. Dude is a smooth criminal.

I feel like it took me listening to the whole thing to really appreciate the synth funk 80s style. Was inspired by how simple and muddy these mixes are. They have this sort of power. 4/5 1987 BTSLJAMIDSL - "Bad" is so weirdly mixed. Way lighter vocal, so repetitive and hypnotizing (more than I remember). So tight. I think I listened to the Weird Al "fat" before I ever seriously listened to this song lol. Solid. Drums are such chaos and so pounding. - "The Way You Make me Feel". Wow, another one with big drum machine vibes. Sort of reminds me of mk.gee is that insane. It's pretty muddy and drum machine-ee. Horns are so nice and bright. - "Speed Demon" wtf is that effect with the slap. So percussive! Wow yeah just did a little reading about the synths, damn they just used like every synth lol. - "Liberian Girl" what. this is a completely different vibe. Still slapppy bass. Michael sounds so different on this one? So soft. - "Just Good Friends" idk, this style is starting to feel a bit fatiguing - "Another Part of Me" a bit more fun! - "Man in the Mirror" tbh, it was awesome listening to the original so closely, I've heard so many covers over the years. The vocal is so much more powerful than I remember. I also think the tempo is *perfect* - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" This feels like such an afterthought, my attention span is so not used to listening to full albums. - "Dirty Diana" - cool effect! Tbh I liked this one more than expected, particularly the guitar. - "Smooth Criminal" - I feel like the whole album has been leading to this. I feel like this is clearly the best display of the hard synth funk style. It's beautiful. - "Leave me alone" - this is actually more cool than I remember it being. - Quincy Jones, who produced this, is a legend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones

MJ's a bad boy now! Maybe that's what people were saying back in 1987, I cannot confirm nor deny that as I wasn't alive then. However, just like "Thriller" a few years prior, this was (and still is) one of those instantly recognizable pop albums that seems to transcend age & time. Just singles galore here. That's to be expected from the King of Pop, right? It's clear that a point was made to curate a newer sound here. Digital synthesizers are used throughout to create a fiercer (or badder!) pop/dance sound here in just about every track. One could argue that it very much sounds of its time, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. Tracks such as the titular "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "Smooth Criminal" are each iconic in their own right. I will admit that I hadn't heard tracks 3-6 prior to today, and the album takes a noticeable dip there. Starts and finishes strong, however. The shadow that "Thriller" creates over an artist is inescapable, and I will admit that the bangers to track ratio is better there. "Bad" has a noticeable "edge" when compared to MJ's previous works and gave us many of his greatest hits, despite a slight lull in the middle tracks. MJ would continue to morph his pop sound in the ensuing years, but would never quite reach the heights he did with Quincy Jones on production during this stretch, in my opinion.

good but not my fav MJ album, gotta be off the wall

This is one where “you had to be there.” I grew up when Michael Jackson was putting out music, and we all knew he was a strange guy (of course, not to the extent of being a criminal) and it didn’t matter because his music was just that good! Bad is an incredible, era defining album. Music that everyone enjoys and knows the words to. The production is crisp and beautifully crafted, every synthetic sound is perfectly constructed. The only reason I don’t think it is a 5 is because I’m saving that rating for Thriller. 4.5⭐️

Not my cup of tea, but a lot of classic tracks.

Pretty good. Dome real smashes, but also some stinkers

This was one of the first albums I remember as a child. My mum and dad had the LP and I used to play it loads. I had forgotten most of the songs, but it wasn't as good as I remember it being.

So many great hits. Understandable why this album is on the list.

Whatever you can say about about Michael Jackson the person it's hard to claim this is a bad album. Suffered from having to follow up Thriller but still a great album

If it wasn’t for the atrocious ballad track, this could have been a 5-star pop classic, but that song just drags the album down.

Fav song: Speed Demon/Man In The Mirror The vocal stacks on Liberian Girl are sooooo amazing for the time period. Michael Jackson’s sound is SO iconic - in part due to the production from Quincy Jones. I felt like some of the more ballad style tracks pulled the momentum of this album as a whole work of art though. But man. The singles on this album are insanely powerful and well written.

Bad is a great record with a bunch of classic pop hits, but not MJs best overall album. Much like Thriller, this album feels a lot like a collection of hits more than a cohesive album. Still a fun listen tho

The thing I love most about Michael Jackson is his discipline. His songs are so tight and controlled. He is, indeed, bad. My favorite tune from him, not on this album, Billy Jean.

A bit too iconic and prolific with some of the hits on this album to rate below 4. I'd give it a high 3, rounded up. Some pretty solid tunes among the more popular hits that I already knew. lots of hee hee

this album is bad 👍

The michael

A must have. Great Hits

Minus a star for Speed Demon through Another Part of Me. Those are terrible to meh at best. The rest are generally amazing.

Not bad.

For some reason I can’t imagine listening some of these songs just for fun, maybe because they are also well known and overplayed. The album itself was fine, the hits were good and most of the other songs were decent.

All time great pop album, lots of classic songs, no real complaints

A belter. The new Michael Jackson - very different from Off the Wall and Thriller, which were more R&B-ish. This is more pop, it works, and it works very well!

There are some classic MJ tracks to found here. It’s not Thriller, but it’s got some solid production and bangers for sure.

Not his best but still good Jacko

Undeniable pop greatness. Not as many highs or as consistent as Thriller so I'll give it a 4 just for some texture but could easily be a 5.

Just a classic innit

Great hits :)

3.5

Alright, I’m going to be separating art from artist for this project. I’ve already done it! I’ve liked music by some pretty awful people! And Michael simply released some of the most popular music of all time during this era! It should be listened to and appreciated on its own! And of course it’s great! Probably not as good as Thriller. You could point out some points where it’s probably over-produced, and like any star who gets to indulge himself, the numbers start to get long and indulgent. And there’s some songs that simply aren’t as strong in the middle…..but then you get to “Dirty Diana,” and yeah, I could be convinced that’s the greatest song of all time.

Great album, several bangers, and not overly long. What can I say, Michael Jackson knows how to make a good pop song. He's not enough to my taste to get a 5 star rating though

There's some absolute belters on this album isn't there. Genuinely breathtaking. Brought me back to being a kid and discovering music in the early 90s. In recent years had a hard time listening for obvious conflicting reasons, but you can't deny it. This is solid.

a classic Glee did Smooth Criminal better not a bad song

I have very mixed feelings about this album. On one hand there are some excellent songs, “the Way You Make Me Feel” is incredibly catchy, the vocal melodies are delightful, and the whole song is written so exceptionally well. “Smooth Criminal” is a classic by every definition(ignoring the fact that Alien Ant Farm covered it and did a way better job). Michael Jackson was such an incredibly talented artist, there’s a reason he was literally the most popular musician on the planet at one point. But on the other hand most of this record just feels really dated. A lot of brutally 80’s synths and drum samples that were rightfully left in that decade. It just feels old, and not in any sort of timeless way. The singles stand out, the rest of the album suffers, I think. I’m glad I had an excuse to dig this record out of my collection of LP’s. 3.5*

There are some songs that have been so incredibly popular for your entire life that you kinda take them for granted and fail to hear them for what they are. There are several such songs on ‘Bad’, which I hadn’t realized until listening to it today. What struck me the most about this record, including the super-smash hits I already knew, was that it is incredibly funky. There are a lot of unexpected and truly delightful grooves here, especially from the keyboards. Also unexpected and delightful was the vocal feature from Stevie Wonder. I had never heard “Speed Demon” or “Liberian Girl” before and really enjoyed them. I thought “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Dirty Diana” were kind of meh, but as a whole I found this to be a really enjoyable listen. It’s easy to understand why the entire world lost their minds for MJ. 8/10

Such an important album. I mean: 35 million copies sold, etc. On one hand some of these songs are so overplayed that I didn't have a huge desire to hear them again. On the other hand, I'm impressed that while other 80's album now sound stale (e.g. the beats on that recent Prince album), this album still sounds reasonably fresh. That's commendable.

A great album, no doubt, but I genuinely hate the synth bass sound that dominates the album. As a bass player I'm definitely biased though. The lyrics kinda suck too. Dirty Diana come across as a pretty misogynistic song, and MJ generally just sounds like a massive sook throughout the whole album. Still, can't rate it lower than 4 stars with a clear conscience.

While it doesn't reach the consistent smash-hit-rate excellence of Thriller nor the sheer fun factor of Off The Wall, Bad's heights on tracks like "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Smooth Criminal" are notable.

classic album, banger after banger.

Great pop singer. Great music. Died way to young.

Shamone! Doesn't quite hit the heights of Thriller for me, but a decent album. Slightly too soppy for me to give the full 5 stars

Liberian Girl should have just been recorded directly onto a cassette tape to be handed to the Liberian girl in question. That aside, it's incredible how many banger singles are on this album and they do a lot of work to hold up the little bit of filler.

if you have to follow up “thriller,” you could do worse than “bad.” banger.

MJ completes his transition from disco-inspired beats to rock-tinged pop, replacing much of his live instrumentation with guitar, drum machines and synthesizers. Tracks 3-6 really bog down the record as a whole. It’s odd to say that a collaboration between MJ and Stevie Wonder resulted in a filler track, but that’s exactly what happened with Just Good Friends. Luckily, the top and bottom of the album are filled with true all-time great bangers.

#82 - Another fantastic album, full of bangers from start to bottom. MJ is solidly one of the best pop musicians and writers ever. At the same time I'm not sure there was a cohesion to the album (other than a playlist of MJ bangers).

Off The Wall and Thriller are the most important albums from Michael Jackson but this was a fun one when it came out of course. Plenty of bops on this album. I think the only thing that pulls it down a notch for me is the late 80’s synth and drum selection. Other than it’s a classic. 4.5

Not much I can say about this other than it was era-defining pop music for good reason. It's chock full of hits, and although I can't possibly listen to it with fresh ears today, for me, it still holds up. I give it four shamones and a hee-hee.

The guy was screwed up eight ways to Sunday psychologically, but man, he could write hit songs and sing. His voice on "Man in the Mirror" is just amazing.

Man in the mirror is one of my all-time favs I only had one glove in work yesterday and now I know why...it was MJ time. Left the kids in cupboard though.

"Bad" is the seventh studio album and the follow-up to "Thriller" by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was third and final collaboration with Quincy Jones. Jackson wanted an edgier image and tried to incorporate musical styles of rock, pop, funk, R&B, dance and soul. His lyrical themes included media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self improvement and world peace. Jackson wrote all but two of the songs. Commercially, it was a massive success hitting #1 in the US and UK and in 24 countries overall. It was also critically well-received for Jackson's vocals and the polished production. A horn and an electronic bass and drums begin the album on "Bad." Jackson's vocals are low. This is a little edgier. The synth lightens it up a bit. A keyboard jam. Supposedly, it was inspired by an article written about a boy from the ghetto who goes away to school, comes back and is killed. I didn't hear that much of an edge to it. "The Way You Make Me Feel" starts off with a repetitive and hypnotic beat. Lots of shrieks from Jackson. A very catchy chorus and nice horn arrangements. One of Jackson's best songs. One of the two songs Jackson didn't write but he may have put his best performance on is "Man in the Mirror." High synth keys and fingersnaps. Layered vocals leading to gospel choir backing vocals. Jackson's vocals build as he has to make a change from the man he sees. "Dirty Diana" starts dark with the synth and various noises. Steve Stephens on guitar with various slashes and riffs throughout. Diana is a groupie and things happen after the concert ends. It's hard to listen to "Smooth Criminal" and not hear the Alien Ant Farm version. A very catching synth melody and beat. Great guitar by David Williams. Another darker song that works. Annie is attacked by a smooth criminal. Is she OK? Is she walking?One of my favorite Jackson songs. It's hard to imagine an album today releasing 10 of its 11 songs as singles unless your name is Taylor. Well, most of these songs do work. Jackson does cover a fair bit of ground lyrically and stylistically too. Very high production by Jones. There are a few songs stuck in the 80's and some don't work (hey there Stevie Wonder). Great use of the electronic synth for melody and the beats and, also, the horn and vocal arrangements. It may not have the high points of "Thriller" or "Off the Wall," but it's a very solid pop album.

The title is misleading because the album is actually good. Just glad I could seperate the art from the artist.

Not Thriller level, but amazing nonetheless.

Its good that his singing performance is so amazing because I don't think the music behind has aged well. The backing track has a sparse early digital era sound that reminds me of a karaoke backing track or MIDI. It gets a bit more lush towards the end of the album though.

This was my favorite album growing up. I was so obsessed as a kid that I wanted to buy the cassette that I begged my parents for months, years even. Although it has not lost its iconic luster, it’s more musically and lyrically uneven than I recalled. Also the bad boy persona MJ is aiming to embody feels quite dated and borderline embarrassing. To some ears the instrumental palate will sound like a step back more than a step forward. Next to funk, rock-infused poppy and memorable tracks (“Bad”, “The way you make me feel”, “Another part of me”, “Dirty Diana” and “Smooth criminal”, “Leave me alone”) there are some forgettable songs in here. “Speed demon” is simply pop fluff. “Just good friends” is better than people make it to be. It has some refreshing chords between verse and chorus and in the bridge, but it misses an opportunity to do something more especial with Stevie Wonder. There are some bright spots unfairly assessed at the time. “Liberian Girl” has a lovely melody (same thing can be said of the verse “I just can’t stop loving you”). I don’t understand the hate. The verse of has a nice melodic flow. “Man in the mirror” is a jewel. Despite MJ’s vocal excesses it is such a lovely song. I keep coming to it and still feel the same emotions. Same could be said of “The way you make me feel”. Great groove (despite some questionable shallow sexist tropes in the lyrics: “Oh, I'll be workin' from nine to five / To buy you things to keep you by my side.” The 25th anniversary edition has some interesting additional tracks. “Fly Away” would have been a nice substitute to “Speed demon”. There are curious versions in Spanish (translated by no other than master of salsa Ruben Blades) and in French, and even a weird remix of “Bad” with the collaboration of Pitbull.

I had this on 12 inch when I was 9 and listened to it almost constantly. It totally loses its focus after those first two tracks, and his sister Janet's output is far more interesting, but it's so emblematic of that particular time and place, that aesthetic.

The hee-hee is undeniably the greatest gimmick in music history

Gewoon goed. Heel erg 80's. Leuke synthbas partijen

mj really was just that guy

Excellent album

The King of Pop closes out the 80s with one of his best. A true picture of the sound of the times.

very nice

Klasse Album, viele gute Banger drauf. Knapp vor 5 Sterne für mich.

It's "Bad", it's good

If there ever was a case where I have to separate the man from the art, this would be one. This is not a preferred genre for me but there is no denying MJ’s stamp on the music industry. This record is no exception, several mainstream hits here and future influences/sampling. One thing is for sure, I am quite confident that Annie is NOT ok. I think Thriller has to be a full tick up from this so rounding down. 4,25

This popped up and my first thought was "oh, here's a 5 star album!" The first two songs are Bad and The Way You Make Me Feel - excellent! Both songs are toe tapping legends and we're well on the way to that 5 stars. But then...Oh boy. Speed Demon is just kind of weird, but still kind of bouncy and fine. But Liberian Girl is cringey af and Just Good Friends is gross 80s schlock. Another Part of Me is kind of catchy after you get past the early 80s sound effects. But then we're back to business! Man in the Mirror is amazing (even if it does sound a bit dated),Dirty Diana is still a pretty good time, and Smooth Criminal is still a banger. Overall, it sounds much more 80s than I remember. I'd give it a 3.5 but I'll bump it to a 4 because my brother-in-law was in the Smooth Criminal video.

Iconic songs. Iconic album. Love love love.

Some classic M.J. Bad, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, those are some all timers. That said, it's getting a four just because, personally, it's not the kind of thing I really like to listen to that much. If I revisit this one in the future though I think I can see myself giving it a five. The Vibe: Honestly, MJ is a vibe of his own.

Shamone

Groovy as hellll. A lot rockier than thriller but I really enjoyed it. Favorites: Smooth Criminal, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Speed Demon

Have fond memories of this from my youth. Listening as an adult, it's beautifully produced and got some absolute bangers on there. I think this MAY even be better than thriller (don't @ me)

Solid pop music

I was sure that this was an easy 5, but I have to admit that while the hits are absolute bangers, the in between songs are very average at best. This is an album that helped change music for a generation, but I'm not entirely convinced "Liberian Girl" played much of a part in driving that.

It's not Off the Wall or Thriller, but it's still a very very good pre-crisis Michael Jackson album.

# Playlist track - Smooth Criminal # Notes - Not the greatest, but enjoyable throughout. - "Bad" and "Smooth" criminal are enough to justify hearing to the whole thing, anyway. - The other tracks (with the exception of Liberian Girl, maybe?) are good. Nothing special. But they are perfectly executed and polished. - 4/5, recommend!

There are better albums by MJ. But for people my age, this album was IT when it came out. Everything that this album spawned, from the Weird Al parodies to Moonwalker. I have such conflicted feelings about this artist. But his importance to music is just so massive.

Como era de esperarse, el álbum cuenta con una producción increíble, ninguna de las canciones es mala y Michael brilla por completo con su talento. Siendo este mi primer álbum de su discografía, debo decir que no lo disfruté tanto como lo esperaba, pero me dejó deseoso de explorar su música a mayor profundidad.

Great album, full of great songs. Another one that I wouldn't put on by myself, but wouldn't object if someone else did.

While I personally prefer Thriller or Off the Wall to Bad, it’s still a great album.

🕺

Can't go wrong with MJ

pedrada, hein. o mano não é rei do pop atoa não rapaziada. bom album, só musicona, mas acho o Thriller melhor simplesmente pela sequência thriller>beat it>billie jean. PORTANTO, 4 estrelas.

Hits pero una colección de singles más que nada

not the same heights as Thriller but its pretty hit-packed and undeniable

The man was just making hit after hit. It feels dumb to say but I think the big singles being SO good kind of makes the full album experience worse, because the non-singles, while still fun, just can't compete. Luckily half the damn album is hit singles though.

Album 530 of 1001 Michael Jackson - Bad (1987) Rating : 4 / 5 Not really one I'm going to grab and put on but I can give it the props it deserves. 5 Number One hits. Best selling album for two years. It is kind of iconic. I'll give it that.

Favs: Bad, Liberian Girl, Man In the Mirror, Smooth Criminal Least Fav: I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Classic MJ.

Pre-listening thoughts: ya know I cannot believe I’ve never heard a Michael Jackson album in full. I have high expectations! Post/during listening thoughts: listening to all these songs I’ve heard before in the context of this album makes me enjoy them more. Bad is such an energetic album opener and now I’m seated! Speed Demon is good but feels like it’s missing something production wise. I am not a fan of Adult Contemporary as a genre so Liberian Girl is… yeah. WHY IS STEVIE WONDER NOT CREDITED ON JUST GOOD FRIENDS ON SPOTIFY?!?! Yall all wanna call Man in the Mirror corny but it’s SO GOOD. This is good like there are really solid tracks on here but in terms of Michael’s strongest work, this isn’t quiteeee up there for me. Good amount of hits, some mid. 8.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: not as a full body of work but some songs for sure Fav tracks: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Just Good Friends, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Leave Me Alone Least fav tracks: Liberian Girl, I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

Solid album, aged well to me

As an 80’s kid my relationship with MJ’s music is different than younger gen’s - rightfully so. Bad is 3 parts insanely incredible and 2 parts weird. The videos were innovative but Michael comes off predatory instead of sexy. No excuses, things were different then. We don’t want to go back, but that doesn’t change how things like this were perceived and embraced at the time. Smooth Criminal video is probably the last huge video premier-the choreography is top tier. Man in the Mirror has become iconic and still can bring me to tears. Leave me Alone video was supposed to make fun of all the tabloid stuff but really just reinforced how weird Michael was. We just accepted the music and talent and ignored the strangeness.

xd mj

Came out when I was 9 or 10 years old so my rating is heavy on nostalgia. This album has one of my favorite MJ songs on it in "Man in the Mirror".

Better than I remembered! Would be better ending on Smooth Criminal over Leave Me Alone tho

Almost as good as Thriller 87/100

Amazing album will finish tomorrow

The king of pop keeps his crown.

Great, but is it better than Off the Wall?

Excellent album, tons of hit songs that I can listen to over and over. The less popular songs are pretty good too. I was in grade school when this came out and it was very popular everyone was trying to moonwalk and be like Michael. It has a real influence on popular culture, it was a fun time.

holy bassline. unfortunately this is not the peak of michael jackson, and he has a few albums i prefer. not to say this is bad (lol), but it isnt a track for track perfect album like thriller or off the wall is for me.

Bad - Total banger, one of Michael's best, instrumentals are better than most of the rest of the album. Layered keyboards and a brass section, I couldn't ask for anymore. The Way You Make Me Feel - Another Total banger, one of Michael's best. More excellent thumping bass and synth, some trumpet peppered in. Speed Demon - this one is okay, I didn't really Juve with the vocals or lyrics. The instrumentals wouldn't be out of place in a middling arcade machine racing game. Liberian Girl - Vocals and songwriting are quite nice. Instrumentals were quite unique to the rest of the album and sounded pretty good. Just Good Friend - banger. Good overall. Another Part of Me - instrumentals going very hard, nice guitar bits shining through. Underrated track, I enjoy it a lot. Man in the Mirror - Another total banger, one of Michael's best. The choir part was a great addition. Very catchy song, and the instrumentals were on point I just Can't Stop loving you - a smooth and cozy one. Dirty Diana - this song is not good. Michael could not salvage it. Smooth Criminal - iconic, takes a bit to get going and the second half is a lot better. Leave me Alone - This track sounds great. It's a bop with some awesome hooks. HEE HEE WOOOHOOO AWWWW This album must be where all the synth and drum sample sounds in my school music class keyboard came from

Really liked it but not my favourite MJ album. That said this one is by no means bad and goes hard on a few songs, better BELIEVE I'm howling Man in the mirror ASKING HIM TO CHANGE HIS WAYS. Great time. 4/5.

Damn. Still makes me what to move. At the time this album was released I was certain it was terrible. I wanted it to be. But, time melts many prejudices and listening to it again today, 37 years later, I like it.

Iconic as fuck, What even else is there to say about it? It's Bad by Michael Fucking Jackson. You should know the best hits even if you weren't doing this album marathon.

This album is always a fun listen, regardless of what you think of Michael Jackson. Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal are all-time greats. You can go almost anywhere and hear them being played and at the same time 75% of the people will be at least bobbing their heads or singing along in some fashion. Now they're are some misses on this album, which would be the only thing holding it back. From Speed Demon to Another Part of Me is a rough 4 song stretch, and the only reason I can't give this album a 5.

I was always convinced that I dont like Michael Jacksons music. That also made it easy to not listen to a child molester. I am convinced that as long a criminal is profiting from the art and that he gets away with the crimes because they are famous you should not consume the art. That said I also decided to listen to every album during this project, knowing that musicians are going to come up, I wouldn't listen to normally. I have to admit I really enjoyed this album. It's fun and innovative. I wouldn't buy it which is my 5star criteria but it's a high 4 star album.

4/5

A timeless classic with a few incredible successes, including one of my favourite Man in the mirror. Other minor songs might have not aged that well, but the album as a whole is consistent. 7/10

Yes, some of these aren't great, but, it is still a good album!!

A tight album with plenty of hits. I prefer Thriller over this one but you can't go wrong here either.

Better than his sister's album.

Bad - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Way You Make Me Feel - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Speed Demon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Liberian Girl - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just Good Friends - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another Part of Me - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Man in the Mirror - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Just Can't Stop Loving You - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dirty Diana - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Smooth Criminal - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Leave Me Alone - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Total - 48/55 Percentage - 87% Rating - 4.35

It's pretty clear to me why I didn't know some of the songs. This could've been a 5 star if they had left off track 3 till 6 (including). Other songs are very good.

Contrary to it's name, Bad is not a bad album, in fact its a really darn good one. This one had quite a lot of energy just like Off The Wall did but this one feels like it just has a little bit more magic than that one. The Sega Genesis sounding guitars and bass were also great and gave this album a whole lot of personality. Jackson's vocals also were great here too. It was also cool how this album could go from a somber soul album, to a dance banger, all the way to a rock-out style. Not every song here was great but the songs that were really were. This is definitely one of Michael Jackson's best works. Best Song: Smooth Criminal Worst Song: The Way You Make Me Feel

I had a conversation very recently with my mom about whether Prince was better than Michael Jackson. That doesn’t exactly apply to this review very much. But as I’ve gotten older, Michael has become much less of a mystifying figure as I’ve realized he wasn’t someone born with insane musical prowess. But no doubt he was someone who knew how to put on a performance and write good songs. Everything about him really is timeless. People still go back to that first time he did the moonwalk. Because he really changed the way everyone looked at stardom. And his music has that same irreplaceable quality. It’s remarkable how many songs of his I’ve subconsciously heard in my life without ever seeking them out. I damn near knew the entirety of Thriller before a full listen. And Bad is no different. I think this should still be regarded as a classic. It isn’t on the same level as Thriller. That album is just too close to having almost nothing wrong with it for it to be competed with. And I can’t imagine trying to make a proper follow-up to such a record. But Michael and his contemporaries did a damn fine job. It’s also really important to properly recognize the latter of those two. While he could write good lyrics and sing insanely well, Quincy Jones and the beyond star-studded list of musicians working on the actual music here are what’s really fueling the fire. Michael is not credited for any instrumentation here. Nor was he on Off the Wall or Thriller. Surprisingly he was actually given a lot of the arrangement credits on those records. But here it seems he had very little to do with the music. Thankfully it’s still good, so no complaints from me. This dips even farther into the 80s pipeline. Which I’m not opposed to. But there are a few songs, like I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, and yes, even Man in the Mirror, where it’s a little too much for me. But I comparison to some of the music I’ve heard from that era, this is very tolerable, and still a solid release from one of modern music’s biggest stars. Rating: 7/10

Classic. A very good albums, lots of great songs on it. Very boppy. Enjoyable

Começo ótimo, com músicas empolgantes e com o grande hit que dá nome ao álbum. O meio às vezes é fraco, e às vezes terrível. As músicas são genéricas e melosas demais pra um álbum chamado "Bad". Liberian Girl inclusive é uma das piores músicas do Michael Jackson que já ouvi. Agora, as últimas 3 músicas são sensacionais. Todas tem a pegada que o álbum inteiro deveria ter. Um andamento legal, um tom mais agressivo, mais rebelde. Se o álbum conseguisse manter a empolgação do começo até chegar no final, seria um álbum perfeito.

I hope Off the Wall and Thriller make this list also. Otherwise huge oversight. Production of Bad is slick and song choice is more diverse than Off the Wall or Thriller but not better. However my favorite track is Dirty Diana, which is a continuation of his rock cross-over he started with Beat it.

A good album****

I dunno just plain enjoyable, not surprising duh ^_^ lots of familiar classics.

already rated this! fantastic singles, decent to good filler, production definitely aged more noticeably compared to other MJ classics but i like the sound of it

It’s definitely a classic and you can’t deny MJ’s impact in music and dance, although he was a pretty broken and awful human by the end. Some of the songs have aged badly or were never any good in the first place, but there are some real winners here that still make me dance and sing along. For those, I give this a 4.

I was torn on a 4 or a 5 for this album because most of the tracklist are banger singles you just can't really say anything bad about. But the rest is just boring filler and doesn't elevate the record to a 5 for me.

Definitely an all time classic pop album. But by the time I was 12 years old I rarely intended to pop. But this album def got the girls on the dance floor in college. So I give it a 4.

The title track was supposed to be a Michael vs. Prince duet, but Prince bailed after asking who exactly was meant to sing the line “Your butt is mine.” Smooth Criminal, a fav, is the standout for me—and I applaud MJ for keeping it in despite Quincy’s insistence it didn’t fit, which is surprising. There are other hits here, then the slower numbers that feel like sensitive filler I don't need. Fortunately, Smooth Criminal does enough heavy lifting on its own.

Better than I was expecting, with big hits and some decent other tracks I wasn’t familiar with. I suspect on this and other MJ albums of this era, that a big chunk of what made these great was Quincy Jones production.

The long-anticipated follow-up to Thriller. While Bad is still a funk-driven dance-pop album, it was a clear attempt for a cooler, edgier style. While Jackson's high points on this album are still incredible, his other songs like I Just Can't Stop Loving You and Speed Demon are easily forgettable. Thriller is definitely the better album, but Bad isn't exactly disappointing. It both opens and closes with strong songs, and I enjoyed Man in the Mirror despite its corniness. It's also unabashedly '80s. Thriller seems timeless, while Bad is stuck in time. You take the good with the Bad! Hahahahahahaha

Solid album. Bangers but not perfect

Already knew half of these bangers and enjoyed the rest! He really was hee-heeing his little heart out lol

Classic! Good to listen to the full album, funky, unique.

This is a long way outside my genre wheelhouse, and everyone has residuals feelings about Jackson, but there are some super tracks on here and the quality and talent is simply undeniable. Good album.

Pretty good, liked bad

Alright, first Michael Jackson album on this journey. I’ve already heard the title track, "Dirty Diana", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal" before. Surprisingly, that's only half the singles. After listening to the album as a whole, it’s apparent that Michael wanted to take certain elements from Thriller that worked and turn them up a notch - more rock, more R&B, more dance, and make the lyrics more about world issues while still including the romantic songs. It’s ambitious and for what it’s worth the album is mostly good in what it sets out to do, as there are a lot of pop bangers which is why most of this album got the single treatment. The ones that didn’t become a single simply don’t work effectively - “Speed Demon” for its lyrics about going fast can’t get out of the mid-tempo range, and “We’re Good Friends” doesn’t leave much of an impression even with Stevie Wonder on board. The other problem that does hold Bad back is the dated sound. You can tell it’s late 80s cheese with the digital synthesizers that fill up the room. I can tolerate it to an extent, but it does make the project feel fixed to a time. Still overall, Bad is a solid album and a noble attempt at trying to follow up Thriller. Give it a chance.

Considered a classic for a reason. I was surprised when I found out it took him 5 years to follow-up on Thriller, but the time in between the two paid off. It sounds like it's from the 80's, but with this album that doesn't bother me as much as other albums I've heard from that time period. Incredible production and singing from front-to-back.

4/5

I remember getting this album on release and it being a great album. Sadly it hasn't aged too well, perhaps ruined by South Park's MJ overusing the vocalisations who knows? I was pleased to revisit it but I probably won't return anytime soon. 3.75

The third of four on the magical Off the Wall - Thriller - Bad - Dangerous run from Michael Jackson. How to follow up from Thriller, the greatest selling album of all time? Mr Jackson wanted to sell 100,000,000 copies of Bad (Thriller sold 72m) but never reached such a level with this. And if I'm honest, although it's a very solid album, I think it's the weakest on this incredible four album run. This album did encourage me to go on a Michael Jackson marathon and boy was that a wonderful journey. Very interesting to see all the other names and characters that were involved in the development of this album and music videos (Martin Scorsese directed the video for the song Bad, which was supposed to be a duet with Prince!). Also being reminded of how important dance was to MJ by watching some of the music videos associated to the album (or short films, as he liked to call them). 4.2 stars. Liberian girl may have been my favourite revelation from this listen.

Klassikko ja ihan syystä.

King of pop! Smooth Criminal is the best song !

Forgot how good this is. Worth relistening

I try to keep these reviews focused only on the album and the artist and the music they made and not bring in any kind of personal issues they may have had. It's not always easy. That said, as far as the music goes, this album has a lot to offer. It's soooo 80s. It's a really interesting record as a follow up to Thriller, lots in common but it definitely goes in a different, more 80s direction. I've always really liked the title track and The Way You Make Me Feel. That's a great way to open a record. I think the problem that this album has is that it's almost so over-produced and saturated with 'new technology' that his voice sort of gets swallowed by it all a bit. Not that you can't hear the vocals or anything, but just that he had such an amazing voice (one of the best ever, really) but it sounds a little artificial or like it's going through too many effects filters and takes away from how naturally strong it is. Not for the whole album but definitely in parts. Not as bad as Autotune, thankfully, but I felt myself thinking "that's too bad" a few times. All in all I think this is a really strong record, definitely more modern sounding that what he did before it. I think I like Thriller better though. I'd rate this one at like a 3.9/5.

A classic 80s pop album. Has some of my favorite MJ songs, and some songs were a first time listen that I instantly enjoyed.

Soulsville and Do Your Thing are too slow

MJ ain’t really my cup of tea, but it’s hard to deny that this album is objectively great in its lane. HEE-HEE!! The strongest cuts are those where he branches out in to more developed verse structures rather than simply repeating hooks. Most of the backing tracks have some flair to them and develop in an interesting way. The electric guitar does some heavy lifting, and I mean that in a good way. Listened to: walking through Prospect Park. Favorite tracks: Liberian Girl, Another Part of Me, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal

very catchy, good filler but the egregious use of fm synth ages it compared to something like thriller or off the wall. it sounds very mid to late 80s. smooth criminal fucking slaps tho

2024-06-24...

The parts of Bad that I love, I really love. And the parts of Bad that I don't love, I really don't love. Productions like The Way You Make Me Feel, Another Part of Me, Man in the Mirror, and Smooth Criminal are pretty irresistible. I dare you to try not moving your body to any of those jams. Good luck. The other half of Bad is, as the kids are saying these days, pretty mid. It's not that any of it is bad (literal). It's just that in comparison to that parts that are BAD (like Michael Jackson), the tracks that are on cruise control just sound super-boring. For better or worse, by the time Michael Jackson made Bad, he knew how to make a Michael Jackson production. In my opinion, the Michael Jackson albums that came after Bad were lesser versions of a similar formula. But Bad itself is pretty hard not to like.

I had never actually listened to this on in its entirety even though i knew most of the songs. Gonna give this one a 4, but it's probably more like a 4.5

I haven't listened to an entire MJ album in along time. He was such a talented musician. The music was layered and interesting. While I didn't like all the songs the ones I did were fantastic

Liked this one better than off the wall

Another MJ album with several massive songs, but another that I haven’t ever listened straight through. There are a few filler songs that aren’t the best, and many tracks are a bit synth-heavy for me, but that just shows the album’s age. It’s easy to see how people could get caught up in the sensation and name Jackson the king of pop - each track is fun, phenomenally produced, and buried in layers of tremendous musicality. He, and the team behind him, are certainly masters of their craft. 4.25/5

damn! i knew nearly every song on here but had never listened to the album in full. all killer, no filler. 4.5

Misleading title, the album is actually good.

Was dirty Diana about the princess

Actually enjoyed more than thriller. Nice to hear more than what you just hear all the time.

Really fun listen. 'Bad' and 'The Way You Make Me Feel' are a crazy way to start any album, but the rest of the work more than meets the expectations. 'Dirty Diana' is not a song I hear discuss enough.

Classic MJ!

Six of the 11 songs are absolute 5's. The rest teeter on 3's.

This thing is like all hits damn

Better than thriller.

star knocked off for a couple of terrible filler type tracks

Dit viel me toch wat tegen. Dit was best goede muziek, toch? Maar nu vallen de jarentachtigkeyboards wel erg op, en ik kan niet wennen aan 's mans kung-fu-achtige piepjes (of wat het maar moge voorstellen). Bovendien heb ik hier geen jeugdsentiment aan overgehouden, omdat ik destijds (ook al) niet echt bezig was met de vraag welke muziek op dat moment nou eigenlijk populair was. Hoe dan ook, ondanks de beperkingen kun je niet ontkennen dat het allemaal wel goed gedaan is, goed geproduceerd ook. En baanbrekend: dit zette de trend, anderen waren volgers.

De OG (qua muziek dan, want hier was de verbouwing al ingezet) van het album van gisteren en dit hoort natuurlijk wél in de 1001. MJ, of meer zijn platenlabel waarschijnlijk, stond erom bekend om het succes volledig uit te melken en zo ongeveer alle tracks als single uit te brengen. Ze zijn denk ik niet allemaal even succesvol, want ze hebben niet allemaal het collectieve geheugen bereikt, maar toch klinkt alles erg herkenbaar. Vooraf dacht ik bij sommige titels "dit nummer ken ik niet", maar dan wordt het afgespeeld en dan denk je "oh ja, deze". Er zit lekker tempo in, het zit vol met funky geluidjes en gilletjes, zoals dat hoort en alleen MJ dat mag. En er wordt uitvoerig gebruik gemaakt van de gated reverb, oftewel afgetopte drums op maximaal geluid. Ik vind denk ik ssriller het betere album, maar dit zou ik ook makkelijk nog een keer op zetten voor een prima 4.

A fan of Michael Jackson. I like his Thriller Album better than “Bad.”

It was the 80s. Thriller was the best selling album of all time (and it STILL is, 40y later!), selling 32 million copies in its first full year (it's >70M now). Everyone wanted that red jacket. Every kid was practicing the moonwalk & trading Michael Jackson stickers. MTV was playing the title video twice an hour to keep up with demand. So how do you top Thriller? Well, it turns out you don't. But it still sold 25M copies in under 5 years, which is no mean feat (and still in the top 5 for all-time sales). And there are plenty of songs that still hold up today. Sure, "Bad" seems a bit cheesy now, and some of the synth sounds are quite dated (particularly the synth guitar 16th notes on Speed Demon) -- not to mention the "hey, let's cat-call & follow this woman walking alone through a 'sketchy' neighborhood at night" music video for "The Way You Make Me Feel." But Michael Jackson's 2nd best is still WAY better than most bands could ever even dream of achieving.

I was surprised by how much I disliked the tracks that weren't recognizable bangers. But the good songs are REAL good

Es el Dios (digo, Rey) del pop. Sus discos estaban muy bien pulidos, con una línea bien definida y canciones detalladas en todos los aspectos. Cada ritmo, cada melodia, cada sonido tiene un propósito. Usa todas las tecnologías que tenía en el momento para obtener el efecto que espera. Un disco excelente.

wacko jacko, but great

Great singles, but the rest of the album isn't particularly great.

Pretty strong MJ album held up by some stellar singles. I've heard Bad, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal. Most of it I hadn't but the whole thing is soaked in the Michael Jackson swagger and sounds that make it all feel familiar. Perhaps at this point MJ's sound has staled but putting on this album it seems to tell you over and over again "You are listening to MJ". He's the king of pop and I think the music lives up to the hype.

I forgot just how many hits were on this one. Title track, Man in the Mirror, and Smooth Criminal are all classics, with MITM having been my favorite Michael song for a while. The non hits are pretty decent too: there's more that I dislike compared to Thriller, but that album is a small miracle in the density of quality, so I can let it slide. One little thing I wanna mention is that it's kinda humorous that two of the most popular songs on here, Smooth Criminal and Dirty Diana, are songs I prefer covers of to the original. Alien Ant Farm's version of SC whoops so much ass and I'll never apologize for that, and The Weeknd's cover of DD on Echoes OF silence is fantastic. Great listen overall, not my favorite from Mike but it's still fantastic.

Shamone-Ah!! 4

iconic

Instant classic

Funky album with great pop songs….minus one star because he’s a nonce

Do NOT look up why Michael Jackson is bad.

King of pop for a reason

Second best MJ album

Classic Standout songs: Liberian Girl Man in the Mirror

NO where near as good as Thriller or dangerous, but still means better than most other albums. Only criticism is that it is too commercial in feeling, except "Man In The Mirror".

Extraordinary musicianship from a damaged human.

4.3 - Great album! Some bangars. Do feel like it was a bit too much MJ all in one go

Lots of classic pop bops here, but some of it feels dated instrumentally. Ultimately I still preferred the big hits over any of the other album tracks. Fave Tracks: The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal 3.9/5

Classic.

Awesome as always

bangers from MJ. absolute classic album

Contrary to the title, this album is quite good! Pretty much on par with Thriller, it has several real standout tracks and a couple of lacluster ballads too. Glad I finally listened to this one the whole way through. Did we ever find out if Annie was ok? It sounds pretty serious.

Lots of great hits. Hard to get past the very 90s over produced sound. Even still, got into the songs and made Olivia dance

Not as good as Thriller, but pretty damn close?

Har hørt den. den er rigtig god. Liberian girl er undervurderet

besonders Dirty Diana, aber auch der Rest des Albums ist gut

Prime Shamona Te-He! Michael Jackson. I haven’t heard over half this album before but the songs I have heard are some of the most well known Jackson songs. The songs I hadn’t heard didn’t really do anything for me but the hits absolutely bang. 8/10

neato and groovy

Maikelin persoonasta yms. voi olla montaa mieltä, mutta ei ole tyhjästä ansainnut lisänimeä popin kuningas. Levy pyöri muutaman kerran läpi ja viikonloppuna tuli soiteltua tuotantoa laajemminkin. On kova.

Of course I'd heard many of these songs, but this album was a bit before my time. It's probably blasphemy to give it only 4-stars, but that's what I think it deserves.

Definitely more dated (and paranoid!) than Thriller despite being more recent. Lots of good songs, and Smooth Criminal is an all-timer. Just isn't quite as consistently good as his earlier stuff.

Banger central

- music is a relief - i just love the bass line in the way you make me feel. i know it’s literally the same thing the entire time and not - i just love 80s music. - it’s tragic that i’ll never go to a concert in the 80s. like dude. a michael jackson concert would be so insane. - nothing really hits like a key change on the word change. - don’t think i’d ever noticed the heartbeat at the beginning of smooth criminal - that is an Album. will listen again. going to add to library. also just classic album art - 4/5