Bad

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

Míša jakub celkem zandal

I have mixed feelings about MJ as a person, but music is great

Not sure why they call it “Bad!”

Mike Jackson fycks kids

It's got 4 all-time great singles on it, so that's one star for each. The rest is fine, not really a big fan in general. When it's trying it's catchy as fuck, but the rest of the time, it could have come out of an offbrand Sega Genesis game. 08/04/24

Words cannot describe the disappointment I have when listening to MJ. He makes really good music and it’s a tad difficult to admit that given my understanding of the man’s personal life immediately following the release of this album. Production, vocals, writing, and lyrics were all good start to finish. Not a dull moment, though they aren’t all perfect. Not the most life changing album for most people, but a fun listen if you don’t know better. 4/5

HeeeHeee. One of Michael Jackson's weaker albums, but would still be great for anyone else.

HEE-HEE this is fucking fire, 4 stars instead of 5 because there are a few duds (Liberian Girl/I just cant stop loving you)

Pop icon. Great album, instrumentation and production was insanely good.

Great album. Smooth Criminal alone is amazing.

Not bad at all

Muito bom! As músicas já conhecidas ajudam nessa percepção, mas gostei muito também de Liberian Girl, Just Good friends e Leave me alone

I liked this album when it came out but it sounds even better now.

Oh my god you're killing me. One upside of this list leading me through these albums again is that I'm able to say cool, there's actually a lot of garbage here and my life is just as rich without these. Scandal noted.

Ne vous faites pas avoir par le titre

It's a very good album. It's very good for the first time. There are all kinds of musical instruments mixed together. I like this style very much.

Contrary to my last review this was bad

Sounds a lot better on my headphones than the radio

Good

Iconic. Second only to Thriller in its pure, unadulterated Poppiness.

Fire

esperaba que me diera una pereza enorme pero es bastante bueno. merecido el hype

There’s really only one throwaway here, Speed Demon. Just Good Friends and Bad are okay. The rest are pretty good (love the pre-chorus in Another Part of Me), except for The Way You Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal, which are great. However, I can’t escape the fact that the production is really 80s sounding. So much that it retracts from some of the songs.

'bad' album when it came out

Classic. There are a few not so great songs, so I give it 4 starts. Plus....Thriller.

Michael Jackson (and Bad in particular) take me back to road trips with my parents, belting out Man in the Mirror and The Way You Make Me Feel. He’s the king of pop for a reason! But beyond his impact (the good and the bad), the album holds up.

Good

Although Michael Jackson is the undisputed king, not every song in this album is favorite. So I can't give this album a five.

This is an album of singles... fortunately the singles are bangers. Shoutout to Liberian girl, which pairs well with American boy.

not bad

Some good bass lines. Great singing, and catchy songs. Not exactly my favorite genre, but too many good songs on here. Listening makes me wish I knew how to dance.

5 star songs ruined by the sounds of the 80’s… 80s drums sound so unnatural it’s annoying to listen to. There’s a reason that drum tone stayed in the 80s.

Oh thank Christ. Yes MJ was quite literally a monster to children but hottdamn if these arent the antidote to Thursday. That being said its extremely clear which songs were not the hit singles and why lol. Speed Demon should not have been released. 4 world class tracks though with Bad, TWYMMF, Man in the Mirror and Smooth Criminal. The others are serviceable. 4.5

This seems to be when Michael Jackson began to become a parody of himself. Saying "Sh'mon", the over-the-top melodrama of "Man in the Mirror" and calling himself "bad" (not in the way he truly was if you knwo what I mean) are all the things ppl make fun of him for now. However, the great songs are really fantastic. Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel, and Smooth Criminal are all top tier. Also hearing Stevie Wonder pop up on "Just Good Friends " was a fun surprise. I'd never heard this album in full before so did not know the non-hits. It's no Thriller, but it has its moments!

I had heard some of the songs before (Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, Bad) but never listened to the album as a whole. Amazing pop album. Faves: Liberian Girl, Dirty Diana, Just Good Friends

The nonceing he did was very 'Bad' in my opinion, loses a point for that

It's no Thriller, but it's still MJ.

8/10

Half of this album is filler, but the other half is so damn good that it's hard to care. Still, can't quite give it a 5, so we'll go with 4.5 stars.

What can I say... The highs are in the sky, i mean the half album is a compilation of the greatest hits and he truly is a pop icon. As a Album it ha few songs i wouldnt need to listen with every album play so it goes in the 4.0/5.0 Star Category but many songs are on that list of the greatewst songs of all time!

Thoughts before listening: I think this is my favorite MJ album. While his brand of 80s/90s pop and r&b isn't typically what I gravitate toward, it's hard to deny that his hits are bangers...and there are a lot of hits on this album. Review: The hits are great..."Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", "Dirty Diana", and "Smooth Criminal" are all iconic songs for a reason. I also like "Speed Demon" and "Leave Me Alone" which weren't hits but are really fun songs. That's 7 out of 11 songs that I really like so I'll give this a 4.

Michael at the peak of his powers. His Kingdom of Pop had bloodlessly conquered the world. As the capstone to his trilogy of albums with Quincy Jones, this thing dropped MTV and radio hits like breadcrumbs. And then things got real weird. Four stars. Not a five because I liked his earlier work much more, and I was always more of a Prince guy, anyway.

7 great songs. 4 forgettable songs.

King of Pop

Some amazing songs on this album. Some that don't add much. Overall the highs are very high. Masterful unique vocal performance from MJ. Encapsulates the era perfectly. Light 8

Good stuff.

Iconic one. Although for the moment I think I know only "Bad", maybe another song but I don't know yet. Of course smooth criminal as well. Even though it can feel a bit repetitive at times, the musics of this album will always be so groovy you just feel better after listening to it. Some song didn't really age so well, but it's globally alright. I did like listening to it.

Patchy and horrible cover but songs are good

Before listening: Hmm. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like MJ but I've never listened to a full album. And I know this one wasn't as well received as Thriller. I also kinda hate MJ for the things he did, allegedly. After listening: Amazing! Those singles are timeless and for me I especially love the ballads. The non single tracks though sound a bit too dated for me. A bit too 80s and a bit too funky for my taste, and that's coming from an RHCP fan.

cool!

Classics on there

Smooth Criminal brought this one from a 3 to a 4

Der er virkelig mange sange som har været på repeat på alle radiokanaler. Men der er godt nok også noget lort hist og her på den her plade - Speed Demon & Liberian girl sutter virkeligt 😅

7/10

It's a classic for a reason

Better than I remember. Really hard to follow up Thriller but this is a pretty good album. And his last decent

Grew up listening to MJ and gotta say there are some bangers on here. Takes me way back.

Elmegy. A két szám oké

The challenge to top thriller is impossible, but this album is a valiant effort

A few sleepers on here that I never listened to much but it has a couple of my favorites. There will never be another artist as big as Michael Jackson was.

Not a fan of MJ, but this album is really good.

This album contains a few of the funkiest pop songs I know. Four stars because the rest of the tracks are pretty generic.

Classic. Kinda rocky first half after a couple of hits, but amazing back half. Surprised some of these well known songs came from this album.

Bad - bass line sounds like NIN! The way you make me feel - yes, please, all the time. Speed demon - hard pass Liberian girl - fun beat, but not a favorite Just good friends - like it, feels like a classic MJ song Another part of me - another good bass line! Man in the mirror - 😭 love this song I just can't stop loving you - sweet, like this one Dirty diana - not as good as I was expecting, but the guitar is pretty solid. Too much repetition in the lyrics, otherwise I like the music Leave me alone - fine, but forgettable

I love Michael Jackson.

Thriller is better.

This album goes way harder than I remember it, but then it's also got its soft side with The Way You Make Me Feel, Liberian Girl, and Man in the Mirror. It's stacked with hits, all the 80's synth and hand claps you could want, and it's no surprise that this is one of the best selling albums of all time.

Really good follow up to Thriller, but Liberian Girl will always kinda creep me out.

The highs are so high but too much meh

Inaccurate name. This isn’t bad.

Amazing voice, solid hits

Me compré este disco en su momento, como todo el mundo, claro. Sí, está claro que es un disco que hay que escuchar para entender el progreso del pop. Sin embargo, personalmente me parece un disco tremendamente empalagoso. Empiezas a escucharlo como empiezas a comer esa tarta de chocolate tan bonita, pero rápidamente te vas cansando.

Really good album, it flows really nicely, but I would not buy it 4*

A lot of classic songs. Instantly catchy and infectious production and lyrics. Classic on all fronts.

Love him, or hate him

Dijk van een plaat. Michael is naast een vies mannetje natuurlij echt een legende. Thriller vind ik echter wel beter. Beste nummer: smooth criminal

It's a really fun album. They don't call him the King of Pop for nothing. Man in the Mirror absolutely slays.

Solid album. I've only heard the hits from this one (which there are plenty) but all the tracks flow nicely as a whole. I didn't find myself enjoying the slower songs as much, but they were a nice break from the crazy production. The highlights are obvious but I really enjoyed Another Part of Me - I've never heard that one before.

It got the kids dancing whilst emptying the dishwasher which has got to be a good thing...

4,3/5.

Such a huge difference between this albums highs and lows.

Goed zeg

Nicht sein bestes Werk - aber immer noch gut.

Catchy bass hooks, bouncy 80s guitar, and Michael's signature singing. His voice can hit high registers but also have a gruff quality in the lower range. After the first two songs, which are two giant singles, the album starts to slow down a bit. Speed Demon is fine, but feels like it is trying a little too hard. Liberian Girl is good, I don't think I've ever heard it, but it is just missing that oomph. Just Good Friends has "[incomprehensible]" as part of the lyrics haha, but it was a fine song. Man in the Mirror heads the direction back to classic singles, this one with a great message. I Just Can't Stop Loving You was better than I thought, but gave me big Disney song vibes. Dirty Diana has a great structure with periods of calm and bright intensity, and fantastic vocals. Next is Smooth Criminal which is just a classic, that bass line and the tempo of the song are iconic. Album ends with a very solid Leave Me Alone. Overall, the album drags a bit in the early middle I think, but starts and finishes strong. 4/5 Favorite Songs: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal Least Favorites: Speed Demon

Classic

MJ ubija, https://youtu.be/_swYVKA8kUM?si=wdthMDbeZCyLpOOZ

Classic!

Bad is good. Mais ça ne vaut quand même pas un 5.

Re-invention since, Thriller!

Superb album.

It's *really* hard to listen to this with fresh ears. "Speed Demon" and "Liberian Girl" are a skip. "Just Good Friends" and "Another Part of Me" are pretty good ("Just Good Friends" is much better than "The Girl is Mine," for example). The back half of the album is better than the front half, but also I don't know how to rate these songs collectively or singularly, seeing as all of them have been overplayed for decades. "Man in the Mirror," "Smooth Criminal," and "The Way You Make Me Feel" especially: both classics, and both on constant rotation that they're as much part of the air as they are music.

Good album, notably the best of the Weird Al parody covers. 4/5

A weak to middling 4. The singles are good, really really good. The filler is bad, really really bad.

The King of Pop! His music will continue to stand the test of time. Not my favorite MJ album but still love it. Huge fan!

most of these are *the* defining mj songs. i don't listen to these regularly, but some hugely influential music

Gefällt mir gut.

As a kid, I had this idea that you were either a "Beat It" fan or a "Bad" fan, when it came to Michael Jackson's music. Maybe it's because Weird Al parodied both of them? Either way, if forced to choose between "Beat It" and "Bad," I'd always choose "Beat It." There's just something about "Bad" that I've never enjoyed listening to. But really listening to "Bad," instead of just hearing it on the radio or on a playlist of some kind, I can appreciate it, and the whole album. I really like the sound of the title track, especially those little synthesizer notes that kick in at the end of each line of the verse, and they synthesizer notes during the build up to the chorus. "Dirty Diana" is fantastic as well; I love the audience cheers that are interspersed throughout the song, the guitar playing, the rhythm of the lyrics, and Jackson's powerful singing during the chorus (belting out "Dirty Di-Anna" along to this song is a blast). I enjoyed "Smooth Criminal" as well. As a teenager, I became familiar with Alien Ant Farm's version, and I'm not even sure at what point in my life I learned that it was a cover (I actually got to see Alien Ant Farm at the Engine Room in Houston about 20 years ago. Fun times). Just like the other songs that I enjoyed on this album, "Smooth Criminal" has some fantastic synthesizer parts, some simple but effective percussion, and an excellent falsetto from Jackson during the chorus. The "Just Good Friends" duet with Stevie Wonder was really enjoyable as well, simply for the fact that we get to hear two of the most talented musicians of all time sing together. "Man in the Mirror" is great too, and has some fantastic lyrics and vocals. But my favorite track of all on this album, and possibly my favorite Michael Jackson song of all time, is "The Way You Make Me Feel." What an apt name, because this song makes me feel fantastic. I love the opening 'woo-ing' and exclamations by Jackson, the amazing synthesizer parts, and the percussion that sounds like pipes banging, which really add to the whole 'Bad' aesthetic of this album. Jackson's vocals are amazing on this song, and I always try and fail miserably to sing along. The trumpet and saxophone playing are outstanding as well, and they really give this song the punch and feel that make it so great. The rest of the album is good, but the other songs that I didn't mention just kind of feel like filler. It's good filler, but I felt like they're noticeably not as good as the other songs. As a whole, this is still a great album though. Quincy Jones knocks it out of the park once again with his fantastic production work, and Michael Jackson lives up to his title of the King of Pop. I liked that this album shows that Michael Jackson was changing and adapting as music was changing during the late eighties. His sound is still great, even as he utilizes more synthesizers and drum machines, and the overall 'Bad' mood of the album clicks really well. A great listen, but short of five stars for me.

I understand the classic-ness, though still believe the radio releases were the best cuts from the album.

So good. Would be 5 stars but MJ. Love Criminal and Way You Make Me Feel.

Great album, RIP The King

It's just hits on hits. Starting with Bad and ending with diana, criminal and leave me alone. Damn. I'd give it a 4 as most of them do hit but I'm a bit cold on liberian girl (which for like 6-7 years I've thought was liberarian girl lmao), and another part of me. Apart from that

So many songs that I've enjoyed when I was a kid.

Pedo. I refuse to listen. It's too bad.

A classic that could be heard everywhere in its time. Listening to it now I was a bit surprised by the number of slower songs that I didn’t really enjoy so I can’t quite give it that 5 stars but it is rare to find the sheer quality of the title track, The Way You Make Me Feel and Smooth Criminal, all sitting together on one record. 11/1001

Auch ein Meilenstein - in diesem Fall des Pop. rip, Michael.

Great album Bad is probably my favorite MJ album

Great Album.

Legendaarinen

Great pop album, full of hits and style 4/5

Þegar ég var lítill, um 6 ára fékk ég Bad á kasettu og fór á Michael Jackson dansnámskeið. Þessi snælda var spiluð út í gegn og ekkert var meira töff þegar maður var 6 ára en að labba um með einn hvítan hanska. Nostalgíueinkunn en líka bara góð plata.

49 year old me: 2 12 year old me: 5

some really good songs on this album. but he depends a little much on the "hehe" shtick. But I guess that's his signature, for better or worse.

Though there are a bunch of pretty lame songs on here, the electronic beats are too prominent (dating this and making me think of Harold Faltermeyer and the Thompson Twins) and he ended up being a giant creep... there's enough pop wonderment in here that I can recognize that this was definitely better than average.

Tough to follow Thriller. Don't think he succeeded. Still good bangers.

The vocal quality and production is stellar. You can tell this album was made to be more about image and presence vs just audio. Smooth Criminal is so strong. This is an attitude album for sure but it almost has a "you know I'm the best" attitude vs being overly unique or strong. 3.5 so either a 3 or 4.

4.5

5 or 6 good songs, but the rest were mediocre

The only man talented enough to turn the word bad into a good thing Best song: Smooth Criminal Worst song: Speed Demon

Man, man in the mirror, the baddest banger of them all

Some may point to Thriller as the ultimate MJ album (and something tells me that will show up on here eventually too), but Bad, to me, is his magnum opus. The album produced a total of nine singles over a near three year period. The only question remains - Did Alien Ant Farm do it better????

Two MJ Albums in about a week. This one, same as the other, is just riddled with hit after hit. Michael knew how to make a jam with staying power. Sure he was maybe a kid-diddler, but he certainly knew how to make music.

More than just a pop album I think - lots of interesting techniques like slap bass and harmonics which made it a far more exciting listen

HEEHEE

Classic. Lots of household names. Funky.

so good its bad by michael jackson

Misleading title cause it was a good album

Has all the classics that make Michael Jackson as iconic as a musician and performer, was slay, had 80s vibes that I appreciated, particularly "just good friends" was a personal favourite. 💜

this is the peak of the "king of the pop". iconic and masterclass vocals and song-writing. while thriller might have slightly better album coherence, bad has stronger songs throughout. very close to a 5 but that category is very exclusive to me, a high 4

I know this is an 80s album, but it soooo much more 80s than I remember. MJ was big on the pops when I was young and this was one of my first albums in tape. A few absolute classics. Just eating the music today.

Well not bad at all I suppose. He certainly was, but his mid-80s music was a notch up from that.

It's full of bops. Obviously the hits are great but the rest of the tracks are solid too. So familiar that it'll never be in my regular rotation but it's iconic and had really stood the test of time.

know it by heart Won't listen

There's some filler in here but for the most part this is full of top tier pop. Catchy. Memorable. Classic. 9/10

King of Pop with some killer tracks.

Only the hits would make this a 5 star. But it's all so good. Even the non-singles are great.

Well, I like most of the songs that got released as singles. The rest just I just could get that into. They aren’t bad, but not what I would choose to listen to.

Who's bad

Did not realize how many hits were on this one album.

Some of my favorite Michael Jackson songs are on this album!

Even after all this time, this album holds up. The songs were as polished as you'd expect MJ's music to be. Each song could stand on its own and worked together to make this an album that has stood the test of time. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

kinda surprised how much i enjoyed this. for an 80’s pop album, the track listing is surprisingly tight. and as many have pointed out, the production sounds like a sega genesis game. man in the mirror hasn’t aged too well tho, that shit corny as hell.

Viscerally 80's, god the bass on the speed demon chorus!! This is my favourite collection of sonic songs Pretty fun album, the middle meanders around and is kinda boring.. 3.5 stars

Went into this feeling cynical about Michael Jackson. Hard to detach him from his place in the zeitgeist, for better or (much) worse. But with each passing song I was like “Well, shit.” It’s not all good with Jackson, but this record, and a couple others that I’m sure are on this list… my god. Who will ever top this guy from a straight pop perspective?

Klassiker. Faktiskt bättre än jag mindes.

I forgot how many of these songs... Aren't on Thriller...

Rating: 8.5/10 Great pop album. The production and Michael Jackson's singing were great throughout, no bad songs on this album. Overall really fun to listen to, the upbeat songs are my favorites but some of the ballads are very good as well. Jackson and Quincy Jones also implemented more hard rock elements on this album, it's a bit more hard-hitting than his previous albums which I quite enjoy. Favorite songs: Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Liberian Girl, Man In The Mirror, Smooth Criminal. Worst song: I Just Can't Stop Loving You.

It's a very good album and I think man in the mirror is one of the best pop songs ever written. A relisten does reveal a surprising amount of filler though.

It’s a great album from him even though I’m truly not a Michael Jackson fan.

Som classic hits. Some tunes I've never heard before. Good all round.

Jeg liker dette, men det er jo ikke et album jeg aktivt vil lytte til. Jeg er jo og har aldri vært en Jackson-fan.

MJ!

There are a few weaker tracks toward the beginning, and it's not Thriller or Off The Wall, but it's pretty damn good. Man In The Mirror is an all time classic.

Good, really good

My god I love this album.

solid album I think

Classic Michael Jackson, really enjoyed some songs but some songs weren’t my taste probably give it a 3.5/5

Mostly a great album that is still tough to listen to. Fave track: Smooth Criminal

Great album. The things he does with his voice, the production and the musicians he manages to pull together. Awesome!

Was not a huge fan when this came out but the musicality of this album will stand the test of time.

Shite by MJ of course it's fire.

Great pop album

All around great

I feel like this album gets overlooked in MJs category, it might night be quite as strong as Thriller or Off the Wall but it is pretty solid.

An album with some of the most well-known singles kept me interested the whole way. Some of the other tracks were fun to listen to the first time, but some of MJ’s best work.

Some filler but Annie is, in fact, okay.

There was a time when The Way You Make Me Feel was my #1 favorite song. God this album is good. -1 for the artist himself.

Toujours des rythmes réguliers très accentués, des hooks mélodiques irrésistibles. Michael est évidemment inimitable, même si certaines chansons ont plutôt mal vieilli.

He sure can diddle those notes.

One of the all time greats at his peak. It is undeniable how groovy this album is. It is not at the same level as off the wall or thriller to me but it has almost as many great hits. Plus weird al's parody was awesome. Man in the mirror is a beautiful ballad. Dirty Diana and the Way you Make me feel are up there for top tracks. Smooth criminal is badass. I’m also loving deeper cuts like the song speed demon and the closer leave me alone feels like a desperate cry for him to get the public off his back. Despite this title, this album is nowhere close to "bad" lololololol I'm done.

cheap Ghostbusters OST knock off but man in the mirror doesn't make this album so BAD lol

Great album. Cool cool cool

Classic

4-

Huge album. Incredible talent, and probably pretty defining of pop music at the time. You can tell it influenced nearly everything that came after it. The hits are great, but not much else stuck out at me. Easy to listen to in the background.

Better than I would have thought. The guitar a bit boring. A bit hard at time to distinguish song an music. It had some really great songs.

Sounds just like I remember it did on CD in the early 90s.

a classic

3.5/5

"Bad" is not the classic that "Off the Wall" or "Thriller" is, but I still think it has a lot of amazing songs. Songs like Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, and Smooth Criminal are top tier Michael Jackson songs, and songs like Speed Demon and Dirty Diana are highly underrated songs. I was a huge Michael Jackson fan, as a kid, and "Bad" was likely the height of it, though I think it started with "Thriller" and lasted through "Dangerous." Michael Jackson's voice, dancing, and overall physicality was still at its height during "Bad," and I definitely think it is still one of the greatest pop albums ever made.

Great songs, production sounded of it's time with the synths

Banger after banger - can’t knock any of it. It’s ore of those records though that the songs outshine the album - because the single’s gravitational pull just makes the in between tracks feel pale in comparison even if not. But then Bad or Smooth Criminal come up and you find yourself dancing again. Good fun.

Great album, especially Liberian girl, Bad and Smooth Criminal

Familiar with about 50% of album prior to listen, mostly bangers except for “Liberian Girl”. Would listen again

Classic!

I'm kind of surprised to get an album from an artist as big as Michael Jackson this early on, but it's definitely a pleasant surprise. There's not really a ton to say about Bad. Contrary to its name, this album is quite good. Obviously, Michael's vocals are very unique and good. Some of the songs on here are quite forgettable, but the memorable ones are great! Obviously, the title track, as well as Smooth Criminal, are absolute classics. The sound of the album is very 80s. Even though I haven't heard it yet, I do feel like this album has a hard time living up to Thriller, but it is definitely a pretty good successor from an all-time great artist, even if that artist may have allegedly been pretty weird with kids. Still, I am making it a goal to separate the art from the artist for this project. High 4/5.

Great songs, great production. Not as impactful as Thriller. 7.5/10