Bad

"Bad" is the seventh studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records. The album was produced over a three-year period from 1985 to 1987 and marked Jackson’s third and final collaboration with producer Quincy Jones. A dance-pop and R&B release, it reflected increased artistic control by Jackson, who composed and co-produced all but two of its tracks. Its themes include celebrity, romance, world peace, and self-improvement, and it features guest appearances by Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder. Following the commercial success of "Thriller" (1982), expectations for the album were high. Jackson adopted a more assertive musical style, incorporating digital synthesizer technology and elements of hard rock and funk. The album was accompanied by a new public image, including changes to his appearance, which generated mixed public reactions in the United States. The associated "Bad" tour, Jackson’s first solo world tour, grossed approximately $125 million and became the highest-grossing concert tour at the time. Nine commercial singles and one promotional single were released from the album. "Bad" received critical acclaim, particularly for Jackson’s vocal performance and production, though some reviewers compared it unfavorably to "Thriller". It spent six consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and produced five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". "Smooth Criminal" reached the Top 10. Internationally, the album achieved strong commercial success, topping charts in numerous countries and becoming one of the fastest-selling albums at the time of its release, as well as the best-selling album of both 1987 and 1988. With worldwide sales exceeding 35 million copies, "Bad" is among the best-selling albums of all time and has been certified 11× platinum in the United States. It received Grammy Awards for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Best Music Video for "Leave Me Alone", and it was nominated for Album of the Year. The album has appeared in various rankings of notable popular music recordings and has been cited in discussions of Jackson’s influence on contemporary music. Jackson also received a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1989 American Music Awards in recognition of the album’s chart performance and commercial impact. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.