Michael Jackson's 'Bad': 34 Years Later*

I think of this as his "rock" album, even though it is mostly keyboards. A great many songs have a very rock attitude and energy to my ears. My fave MJ disc.

 

Never was a fan of MJ (or that kind of pop music for that matter). I WILL say that 'Off The Wall' is pretty good album. Don't own it but it had my head bopping.

 

The album title said it all.

 

0:31

 

I had a cassette of "Off The Wall" back in the day (and The Jacksons "Triumph" on vinyl) and enjoyed Michael's singles but I never bought another album. I never missed a TV première of one of his videos and I remember having goosebumps watching the "Bad" video.
I bought "Bad" later on CD for my daughter, so I must borrow it. So many great MJ songs on there.

 

Probably no album in music history arrived with more hype and expectations. I bought it the day of release, and to me, for the most part it met those expectations. No, it wasn't as good as Thriller, the songs are to an extent difficult to listen to, you can almost hear MJ straining under the weight of unbearable expectations, and i disliked the move towards the use of pure synth and digital technology to replace the real bass and drums on his prior releases.

But the bottom line is it did produce those five #1 singles and last year it was certified Diamond. And it did that in the teeth of extremely tough competition. Look at the album charts in late 1987 and in to 1988, and it is chock-full of monster records. I think that among the albums in the top 10 in December 1987, eight of them went Diamond.

 

Wish M.J. had a full band backing him on this album instead of the heavy keyboards. I feel it keeps Bad from hitting that upper echelon.

 

Well, there's some truth to fact. I didn't think Michael Jackson was white, but he looked noticeably different. Oddly enough, I thought he looked like Janet, aside from the familial resemblance, remember Control was a big hit all throughout mid 86 to the time Bad was released.

I like the album itself, it's good. Quincy Jones's style wasn't as sonicially apparent due to the changing times and perhaps his own absence from the sessions. "Bad" is a favorite, especially the version w/ more horns, "Another Part of Me" was fun and my absolute favorite "Smooth Criminal" still holds up. Really, I think the so-so songs like "Dirty Diana," "Liberian Girl" and "Speed Demon" diminish the album a bit...

 

Liberian Girl is one of MJ's best songs to me as is Dirty Diana.

 

Dirty DIana was the only standout cut here among an album of mediocre songs surrounded with great production. Working day and night was his highpoint and just went down from there

 

The song 'Smooth Criminal' was my introduction to MJ, I remember my brother used to moonwalk to it all the time.

 

I still think that MJ's run of albums from Thriller, to Bad, Dangerous and HIStory are flawless. His consistency as an album seller was CRAZY. Those 4 albums alone have sold 100M+ WW

 

I love this album and the fact that Michael wrote most of the songs (right?). To me it sums up all the different sides of him as a person and musician. It's a pretty personally-telling album much like HIStory was later.

It's my most played by him. Even the outtakes are pretty killer - "Loving You" and "Scared of the Moon" are definitely album-worthy, imo.

That being said the album is perfect as it is and there's nothing I'd take off or change. Even "Speed Demon" or "Just Good Friends".

 

HIStory might just be my favorite MJ album, it's highs are the highest of his career and it's amazing that even at that point (mid-90's) though the US had soured to him a bit nobody was touching him on a WW scale. I've just been thinking a lot about MJ lately and I've been listening to his music non-stop.

 

...............And still sucks !

Not implying, He's not a good songwriter.

 

The Way You Make Me Feel is my all time favourite MJ track, simply love its' bounce and that terrific video.

Marginally prefer Bad over Thriller, rank it just behind Off The Wall.

 

HIStory has been a hard ride for me to get into. For some reason it just seems really "inaccessible" after the first couple songs.

 

U wasn't really alive during this era. But I myself put this album and prefer it over Thriller.

 

Although Thriller is my favorite MJ album, Bad is still bad after 30 years.

After all the hype it received in 1987, TV specials, MTV coverage, Prime Time music video premieres, I originally did not think it lived up to the hype. I was disappointed. But I was young.

30 years later, this album has really grown, or as Steve Hoffman would contend, I have grown in my appreciation for the album and I think it is a true masterpiece.

 

Love the two MJ albums that preceded it, love much of the album that followed it, but Bad has never done a whole lot for me.

I could go into why I think that is, but I don't wanna be startin' somethin'.

 

Good, There will be no MJ badmouthing in this here thread.

 

I put it above thriller as well , don't care how many thriller has sold to date.

The intro's too speed demon and just another part of me and the duet with stevie wonder and the women's name I can't remember on I just can't stop loving you, 80's classic.

 

Great album, as is History!

 

Great album. Prefer it with Leave Me Alone included

 

Even Worse