Bad (album)

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This article is about the Michael Jackson album. For the LL Cool J album, see Bigger and Deffer.

Bad

Studio album by Michael Jackson

Released August 31, 1987

Recorded January 5 – July 9, 1987

Studio Westlake Recording Studios

(Los Angeles, California)

 Pop
Genre
 dance

 funk

 soul

 rock

 hard rock

Length 48:16

Label  Epic
 CBS
 Producer  Quincy Jones

 Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson chronology

Anthology Bad The Original Soul

(1986) (1987) of Michael
Jackson
(1987)

Singles from Bad

1. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"

Released: July 20, 1987

2. "Bad"
Released: September 7, 1987

3. "The Way You Make Me Feel"

Released: November 9, 1987

4. "Man in the Mirror"

Released: January 16, 1988

5. "Dirty Diana"
Released: April 18, 1988

6. "Another Part of Me"

Released: July 11, 1988

7. "Smooth Criminal"
Released: October 21, 1988

8. "Leave Me Alone"
Released: February 13, 1989

9. "Liberian Girl"
Released: July 4, 1989

Bad is the seventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released
on August 31, 1987 in the United States by Epic Records and internationally by CBS
Records.[1] It was released nearly five years after Jackson's previous solo studio
album, Thriller (1982). Bad was recorded during the first half of 1987. The lyrical themes
include media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement and world peace. The
album cemented Jackson's status as one of the most successful artists of the 1980s.
Bad saw Jackson exercise even more artistic freedom than he did with his two previous Epic
releases (Off the Wall and Thriller); Jackson composed nine of the album's eleven tracks, and
received co-producer credit for the entire album. Nine of the eleven songs on Bad were released
 as singles; one was a promotional single, and another was released outside of the United States
and Canada. Five of the singles hit No. 1 in the United States, while a sixth charted within the top
ten, and a seventh charted within the top twenty on the Hot 100. Bad peaked at No. 1 in thirteen
countries and charted within the top twenty in other territories. The only songs on the album
which were not released as commercial singles were "Speed Demon" and "Just Good Friends".
The album continued Jackson's commercial success in the late 1980s, and garnered
six Grammy Award nominations, winning two. Apart from commercial success, the album was
well received by contemporary critics. The album produced a record five Billboard Hot 100
number one singles. Bad was ranked No. 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV
Generation in 2009 by VH1 and number 202 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums
of All Time. Bad has sold an estimated 35 million copies worldwide and has been cited as one of
the best-selling albums of all time. In 2017, the album was certified Diamond by the Recording
Industry Association of America, denoting sales of over ten million copies in the United States.
The album marked the final collaboration between Jackson and producer Quincy Jones.

Contents
[hide]

 1Production
 2Composition and lyrics
 3Release
o 3.1Promotion
o 3.2Singles
 4Critical reception
 5Legacy
o 5.1Accolades
 6Bad 25
 7Track listing
 8Personnel
 9Charts
o 9.1Weekly charts
o 9.2Year-end charts
o 9.3Decade-end charts
 10Certifications
 11See also
 12Notes
 13References

Production[edit]
Jackson in 1988

Jackson's previous albums, Off the Wall and Thriller, were critically and commercially
successful,[2][3]eventually selling over 20 million and 65 million units worldwide,
respectively.[4][5] Jackson's aim for Badwas that it would sell 100 million copies.[6]
The first studio album Jackson released in almost five years since the release
of Thriller, Bad was the third, and final, musical collaboration between Jackson and Quincy
Jones. It was produced by Jones, with co-production credit given to Jackson.[7] Jackson began
recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller a few months after the 1984 Victory
Tour with the Jacksons and throughout 1985 while preparing for Disney's 4D film
experience Captain EO, which featured an early pre-album extended cut of "Another Part of Me."
Album development for Bad began in November 1986[8] and recording took place between
January 5, 1987 and July 9, 1987,[7][9] at Westlake Audio, where a special wooden stage was built
to allow Jackson to dance while recording.[10]
Jackson wrote a reported 60 songs for the new album and recorded 30, wanting to use them all
on a 3-disc set.[8] Jones had suggested that the album be cut down to a ten-track single
LP.[8] When the album was released on CD, a bonus 11th track, "Leave Me Alone", was
included.[7] It was later released as a single. Later reissues of the LP also include this song.
Jackson was credited for writing nine out of eleven of the songs on the album.[8]Other writing
credits included Terry Britten and Graham Lyle for "Just Good Friends" and Siedah
Garrett and Glen Ballard for "Man in the Mirror".[7]

Composition and lyrics[edit]

Bad (1987)

MENU

0:00
A 25-second sample of
Jackson's "Bad" song where
the chorus is played. The
song's lyrics pertain to
boasting, which was viewed
by some music critics as
Jackson referring to his
stardom.
 Problems playing this file? See media
help.

The album's song lyrics relate to romance and paranoia, the latter being a recurring theme in
Jackson's albums.[2] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted that Bad moved Jackson
"deeper into hard rock, deeper into schmaltzy adult contemporary, deeper into hard dance –
essentially taking each portion of Thriller to an extreme, while increasing the quotient of
immaculate studiocraft."[2]

Dirty Diana

MENU

0:00
The lyrics to "Dirty Diana"
pertain to a sexual predator,
but unlike "Billie Jean", the
sexual challenge is
optional.[11]

Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Bad" was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and musician Prince.[8] Other artists
that were supposed to be featured on the album included Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Aretha
Franklin and Barbra Streisand, but none of those collaborations ended up happening.[8] The song
was viewed as a revived "Hit the Road, Jack" progression with lyrics that pertain to
'boasting'.[11] "Dirty Diana" was viewed by AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine as
"misogynistic"[2] and its lyrics, describing a sexual predator, do not aim for the "darkness" of "Billie
Jean", instead sounding equally intrigued by and apprehensive of a sexual challenge, while
having the opportunity to accept or resist it.[11] "Leave Me Alone" was described as being a
"paranoid anthem".[2] "Man in the Mirror" was seen as Jackson going "a step further" and offering
"a straightforward homily of personal commitment", which can be seen in the lyrics, "I'm starting
with the man in the mirror/I'm asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been
any clearer/If you wanna make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself and then make a
change."[11] The lyrics to "Speed Demon" are about driving fast.[12]

"The Way You Make Me

Feel (1987)"

MENU

0:00
"The Way You Make Me
Feel" is the album's token
love song, which was
written by Jackson.

Problems playing this file? See media

help.
"Liberian Girl"'s lyrics were viewed as "glistening" with "gratitude" for the "existence of a loved
one".[11] "Smooth Criminal"'s recalled "the popcorn-chomping manner" of "Thriller".[11] The track
was thought of as an example of "Jackson's free-form language" that keeps people "aware that
we are on the edge of several realities: the film, the dream it inspires, the waking world it
illuminates".[11] The music in "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", a duet with Siedah Garrett, consisted
mainly of finger snaps and timpani.[11] "Just Good Friends", a duet with Stevie Wonder, was
viewed by critics as sounding good at the beginning of the song, ending with a "chin-bobbing
cheerfulness".[11] "The Way You Make Me Feel"'s music consisted of blues harmonies.[13] The
lyrics of "Another Part of Me" deal with being united, as "we".[13]

Release[edit]

Jackson performing "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the Bad world tour

Bad was released on August 31, 1987.[13][14] By September 26, it had debuted at No. 1 on
the Billboard 200,[15] remaining there for the next six consecutive weeks.[16] The Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Bad ten times platinum for having shipped ten
million copies in the United States alone.[17] Though Jackson furthered his stance as a global pop
superstar, in the United States, Bad failed to match the sales of Thriller, causing some in the
media to label the album a "disappointment" in comparison.[8][18]
Internationally, Bad was commercially successful. In the United Kingdom, the album sold
500,000 copies in its first five days of release, and as of 2008 is certified 13× platinum, for sales
of 3.9 million, making it Jackson's second biggest-selling album in the United
Kingdom.[19] Bad peaked at No. 1 in 25 countries[20] including Austria,[21] Canada,[22] Japan,[23] New
Zealand,[24] Norway,[25] Sweden,[26] Switzerland[27] and the United Kingdom.[28]The album also
charted at No. 13 in Mexico[29] and at No. 22 in Portugal.[30] Bad has received various certifications
worldwide. It was certified 7× platinum for the shipment of over 700,000 units in Canada by
the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[31] In Europe, the 2001 reissue was certified
platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for the sales of one
million units.[32] The album was also certified platinum by the IFPI for the shipment of over 20,000
units in Hong Kong.[33] Globally, Bad is Jackson's overall second best-selling album,
behind Thriller, with a reported sales between 30 and 35 million units.[34][35]
Promotion[edit]
Main articles: Moonwalker and Bad (tour)
By the time Bad was released, Thriller had already sold millions, raising expectations for the new
album. A commemorative special on Jackson's life, The Magic Returns, was aired
on CBS around the time of the release of Bad.[13] At the end of the documentary, the channel
debuted the video of the title song from the album, "Bad", which was directed by Martin Scorsese
and featured then up-and-coming actor Wesley Snipes.[13] The marketing strategy, mastered by
Frank DiLeo among others, also included Jackson producing another mini-movie around the time
of the Bad World Tour. That film, Moonwalker, included performances of songs from Bad,
including "Speed Demon", "Leave Me Alone", "Man in the Mirror" and "Smooth Criminal", the
latter two released as sole videos at the end of the film.[36][37] Jackson's tour for Bad was a major
financial success, grossing $125 million by the conclusion.[38][39]
Singles[edit]
The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" became the first of five of the album's singles to
rocket to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song shot to No. 1 on September 19, 1987. It
also charted on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking
at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively.[40] Internationally, the song also peaked at No. 1, in three
territories, United Kingdom, for two weeks,[41] four weeks in the Netherlands[42] and seven weeks
in Norway.[43] The album's second single, "Bad", peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on
October 16, 1987.[44] The song charted within the top 10 internationally.[45] "The Way You Make
Me Feel" became the album's third consecutive single to peak at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot
100.[46] The song primarily charted within the top ten and twenty internationally.[47] "Man in the
Mirror" then charted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in March 1988[48] and charted at Nos. 4, 8
and 10 in New Zealand, Australia and Austria.[49] On July 2, 1988, "Dirty Diana" became the fifth
consecutive, and final, single to peak at No. 1 on the Hot 100.[50] It was successful internationally,
charting within the top ten in several countries.[51]
"Another Part of Me" charted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping
the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.[40][52] Internationally, it was a mid success compared to its
previous singles, peaking at Nos. 5, 14 and 32 in the Netherlands, New Zealand and
France.[53] "Smooth Criminal" became the sixth top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100,[40] and saw
similar success internationally, charting within the top ten in five territories.[54] Released outside
the United States and Canada, "Leave Me Alone" topped the Irish charts,[55] as well as peaking
within the top ten in five other countries.[56] The album's last official single was "Liberian Girl",
which did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but was generally successful internationally,
charting mainly within the top twenty.[57]
The singles success of Bad was extremely successful in the UK, where seven of the singles from
the album all reached the UK top ten by 2009 (six initially, until "Man in the Mirror" jumped from
position 21 to 2 in 2009), just like Dangerous achieved in 1991–1993. This was a record for any
studio album in the UK until Calvin Harris broke this in 2013.

Critical reception[edit]
Professional ratings

Review scores

Source Rating

AllMusic [2]

Encyclopedia of Popular Music [58]

Entertainment Weekly B+[59]

Los Angeles Times [60]

MusicHound R&B 3.5/5[61]

 Rolling Stone [11]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide [62]

The Village Voice B+[63]

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, Jon Pareles called Bad "a well-made, catchy
dance record by an enigmatic pop star". He said while nothing on the record compared to
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", the music's "concocted synthesizer-driven arrangements" were
"clear" and carried "a solid kick".[13] In USA Today, Edna Gundersen called it Jackson's "most
polished effort to date," that is "calculated but not sterile."[64] Davitt Sigerson from Rolling
Stone wrote that "even without a milestone recording like 'Billie Jean', Bad is still a better record
than Thriller." He believed the filler, such as "Speed Demon", "Dirty Diana" and "Liberian Girl",
made Bad "richer, sexier and better than Thriller's forgettables."[11]
Richard Harrington of The Washington Post felt that while the album could not live up to post-
Thriller expectations, it would be "considerably fairer to compare" Bad with Off the Wall. His
overall opinion on Bad was that it was "a very good record" that is "immaculately produced and
with some scintillating vocal performances from Jackson".[65] Richard Cromelin of the Los Angeles
Timescalled Bad "a fair-to-strong array of soul and rock blends", commenting that the record was
"not bad" and was more "reminiscent of Off the Wall's uniform strength than Thriller's peaks and
valleys." Cromelin felt that it would be "disappointing" if this album's "creative level" is where
Jackson wants to stay.[66]
Robert Christgau was more critical in The Village Voice. He said its "studio mastery", along with
Jackson's "rhythmic and vocal power", had made for "the strongest and most consistent black
pop album in years", but lamented its lack of "genius" in the vein of "Beat It" or "Billie Jean" and
panned the underlying themes in Jackson's lyrics. "He's against burglary, speeding, and sex
('Dirty Diana' is as misogynistic as any piece of metal suck-my-cock), in favor of harmonic
convergence and changing the world by changing the man in the mirror. His ideal African comes
from Liberia. And he claims moonwalking makes him a righteous brother. Like shit."[63]
Bad was the recipient of six Grammy Award nominations, winning two. In 1988, it was nominated
for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male, Best R&B Vocal Performance –
Male[67] and Record of the Year for "Man in the Mirror" the following year.[68] Bad won Best
Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1988[67] and Best Music Video – Short Form for "Leave
Me Alone" in 1990.[69] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated
that Jackson "approached" Bad much the same way he approached Thriller, which was to "take
the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward." While the album
"rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and
panache," it still made Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends
it", according to Erlewine.[2]
In the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Colin Larkin wrote, "In musical terms, Bad certainly broke
no fresh ground; appealing though its soft funk confections were, they lacked substance, and
represented only a cosmetic advance over his two earlier albums with [Quincy Jones]."[58] Joseph
Vogel was more enthusiastic about the record. "On Bad, Jackson's music is largely about
creating moods, visceral emotions, and fantastical scenarios....[with] each song work[ing] as a
dream capsule, inviting the listener into a vivid new sound, story, space." He called Bad "a
compelling, phantasmagorical album, which a handful of critics recognized from the beginning."[70]

Legacy[edit]
Jackson wore a gold-plated military styled jacket with a belt during the Badera to give himself an edgier
look.[8]

Bad made history as being the first album to have five of its singles peak at number one on
the Billboard Hot 100 consecutively, as "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You
Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana" all charted at number one on the music
chart. The record has still not been surpassed,[8] but was tied years later by Katy Perry's Teenage
Dream, which spawned the number-one singles "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework",
"E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" between 2010 and 2011, becoming the only one other
album to achieve this.[71]
Jayson Rodriguez of MTV, noted that "following the twin cannons that were Off the
Wall and Thriller wouldn't be an easy task for most, but Jackson's follow-up, 1987's Bad, was
formidable by all accounts."[18] Rodriguez commented that the album was "wrongfully dismissed
by critics because it wasn't the sales blockbuster that Thriller was" and that during the Bad era,
Jackson's vocal hiccups and stammered "shamone" would become staples in his music that
were "heightening and highlighting the emotion of his lyrics."[18] Rolling Stonecommented that "the
best way to view" Bad was not as "the sequel to Thriller.[11] In 2009, VH1 said of the album:
Understandably, the expectations for the album were ridiculously high, and grew even higher
after Jackson planned duets with the likes of Prince (on the title track) and Whitney Houston (and
Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand). None of those collaborations ended up happening, but
they only increased the hype for the album. Bad was a deeply personal project for Jackson – he
wrote nine of the 11 songs – one that saw him gain further independence and debut a harder-
edged look and sound.[8]
In 2009, Jim Farber of the Daily News wrote that Bad "streamlined the quirks" of Jackson's two
previous albums to "create his most smooth work of pop to date."[72] A writer for The Daily
Telegraph commented that while Bad was another worldwide commercial success, the album
"inevitably failed to match the success of Thriller despite Jackson's massive and grueling world
tour".[73] In 2009, a writer for the Miami Herald reflected back on the anticipation for Bad,
describing the album's release as being the "most hotly anticipated album in history".[74] That
same year, Stephen M. Silverman, a writer for People magazine, viewed Bad as being "when
some slippage" in Jackson's "popularity began to show".[75]
In July 2016, it was announced by the Official Charts Company that Bad was the ninth best-
selling album in British history with sales of 4 million units, charting behind Thriller.[76]Bad, along
with other studio albums released by Jackson, is among the best-selling albums of all-time.[77] In
2003, the album was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest
Albums of All Time".[78] It was also included in the book titled 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before
You Die.[79] In 2009, VH1 listed Bad at number 43 on their list of "100 Greatest Albums of All Time
of the MTV Generation".[80] In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the album at number 48 on its list of
"Best Albums of the 1980s".[81]
The album's songs have been covered and parodied by multiple recording artists since its
release in the late 1980s. Notable cover versions include Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth
Criminal" and Shakaya's cover of "The Way You Make Me Feel". Notable parody versions
include "Weird Al" Yankovic, who had previously recorded a parody of Jackson's song "Beat
It".[82] Yankovic parodied "Bad", titling his version "Fat" in 1988; the song won a Grammy Award
the same year for Best Concept Music Video.[82]
Accolades[edit]

Organization Country Accolade Year Source

Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical

Grammy Awards United States 1988 [67]
(Bad)

Best Music Video – Short Form ("Leave Me

Grammy Awards United States 1990 [69]
Alone")

Quintessence 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You

United Kingdom 2003 [79]
Editions Ltd. Die (No rank)

500 Greatest Albums of All Time (Ranked

Rolling Stone United States 2003 [78]
#202)

100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV

VH1 United States 2009 [80]
Generation (Ranked #43)

Bad 25[edit]
Main article: Bad 25
It was announced on May 3, 2012, that the Estate of Michael Jackson and Epic Records would
be releasing a 25th anniversary album of Bad. The album was named Bad 25 and was released
on September 18, 2012.[83] Since the release of Bad 25, there has been a discontinuation of the
2001 special edition.

Track listing[edit]
 All songs produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Michael Jackson.
No. Title Writer(s) Length

1. "Bad" Jackson 4:08

 2. "The Way You Make Me Feel" Jackson 4:59

3. "Speed Demon" Jackson 4:03

4. "Liberian Girl" Jackson 3:55

5. "Just Good Friends" (with Stevie Wonder) Terry Britten, Graham Lyle 4:09

6. "Another Part of Me" Jackson 3:55

7. "Man in the Mirror" Siedah Garrett, Glen Ballard 5:21

8. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett) Jackson 4:27

9. "Dirty Diana" Jackson 4:42

10. "Smooth Criminal" Jackson 4:20

[show]bonus track on CD and all re-releases post-2001

[show]2001 special edition bonus tracks

Notes
Re-issues of Bad feature a number of changes when compared to the original 1987 release:

 "Bad" – The original mix was replaced with the 7" single mix. The most notable difference is
the lack of horns in all the choruses except for the last two. Horns are also missing from the
second and third pre-choruses. The rhythm guitar during the choruses is also turned up
along with the hi-hats.
 "The Way You Make Me Feel" – The full-length remix used for the single with louder vocals
and ad libs added to the end replaced the original album mix.
 "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" omits Michael Jackson's spoken intro.
 "Dirty Diana" is replaced with the single edit of the song.
 "Smooth Criminal" went through two changes on the album. It was remixed to make the kick
drum heavier and the bass synth fatter. The quick-sequenced synclavier behind the bass has
been rendered mono as well. The first version of this mix left the breathing intact, but was
later removed after some time.
 "Leave Me Alone" was not included on the original vinyl nor cassette releases but was
included on the CD release and now is included in all releases.

Personnel[edit]
Personnel as listed in the album's liner notes are:[7]
 Writer (tracks 1–4, 6, 8–11), composer (1–4, 6, 8–11), vocal arrangement (1–4, 6, 8–11), co-  Sounds engineered:
producer (all tracks), solo vocals (all tracks), background vocals (1–4, 6–11): Michael Jackson  Percussion: Paulinh
 Producer: Quincy Jones (all tracks)  Keyboards: Stefan S
 Recording engineer (all tracks), executive producer, mixing (all tracks), Chief of Police speaking  Saxophones: Kim Hu
part (track 10) : Bruce Swedien  Synclavier keyboard
 Background vocals: Siedah Garrett (tracks 7–8), The Winans (7), and The Andraé Crouch Choir (3): Christopher Cur
(7)
 Bass guitar: Nathan East (track 8)
 Hammond B-3 organ solo: Jimmy Smith (track 1)  Synthesizers: John B
 Synthesizer solo: Greg Phillinganes (track 1) Phillinganes (1–3, 5
 Drums: John Robinson (tracks 1–4, 9–10), Miko Brando (3), Ollie E. Brown (3, 5), Ndugu 5, 11), Glen Ballard
Chancler (8), Bill Bottrell (10), Bruce Swedien (5, 10), Humberto Gatica (5)  Piano: John Barnes
 Drum programming: Douglas Getschal (tracks 1–4, 9), Cornelius Mims (5), Larry Williams (11)  Rhythm arrangeme
 Guitar: David Williams (tracks 1–3, 6, 9–10), Bill Bottrell (3), Eric Gale (2), Danny Hull, Steve Christopher Currell
Stevens (solo, 9), Dann Huff (7–8), Michael Landau (5), Paul Jackson Jr. (6, 9, 11) Ballard (7), Jerry He
 Trumpets: Gary Grant and Jerry Hey (tracks 1–3, 5–6, 10)  Horn arrangement:
 Synthesizer program
Young (11)
 Midi saxophone sol

Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit] Year-end charts[ed

Peak Chart (1987

Chart (1987–2015)
position

Austrian Albums (Ö3 A

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[84] 2

Canada Top Albums/CD

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[21] 1

French Albums (IFOP)[8

Brazilian Albums (ABPD) [85] 3

Germany (Official Germ

Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) [22] 1

Japan (Oricon)[98]
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[86] 3

UK Albums (OCC)[99]
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[87] 36

US Cash Box[100]
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[88] 1

Chart (1
French Albums (IFOP)[89] 1

Austrian Albums (Ö3 A

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[90] 1

Germany (Official Germ

Italy (Sorrisi & Canzoni)[91] 1
Japan (Oricon)[23] 1 New Zealand Albums (R

Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[29] 13 UK Albums (OCC)[99]

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24] 1 US Billboard 200[104]

Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[25] 1 US Cash Box[105]

Decade-end charts[
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[92] 4
Chart (1980–1

Portuguese Albums (AFP)[30] 22

Austrian Albums (Ö3 A

Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[93] 2

UK Albums (OCC)[99]

Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 1

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 1

UK Albums (OCC)[28] 1

US Billboard 200[15] 1

US Billboard Top R&B/Black Albums[94] 1

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/Sales

Australia (ARIA)[107] 6× Platinum 420,000^

Austria (IFPI Austria)[108] 4× Platinum 200,000*

 Region Certification Certified units/Sales

Canada (Music Canada)[109] 7× Platinum 700,000^

Denmark (IFPI Denmark) 100,000[110]

Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[111] Gold 51,287[111]

France (SNEP)[112] Diamond 1,795,000[113]

Germany (BVMI)[114] 4× Platinum 2,000,000^

India (IMI) 200,000[115]

Italy (FIMI) 1,000,000[116]

Japan (RIAJ) 1,000,000[117]

Mexico (AMPROFON)[118] Platinum+Gold 350,000^

Netherlands (NVPI) 500,000[119]

New Zealand (RMNZ)[120] 9× Platinum 135,000^

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[121] 3× Platinum 300,000^

Sweden (GLF)[122] 2× Platinum 200,000^

United Kingdom (BPI)[123] 13× Platinum 4,000,000[124]^

United States (RIAA)[125] Diamond 10,000,000^

 Region Certification Certified units/Sales

Summaries

Europe (IFPI)[126]
1× Platinum 1,000,000*
For sales in 2009

*
sales figures based on certification alone
^
shipments figures based on certification alone

See also[edit]

 Michael Jackson portal

 Bad (tour)  List of Top 25 album
 Bad 25  List of Billboard 200
 List of best-selling albums  List of number-one
 List of best-selling albums in the United States  List of number-one
 List of best-selling albums in France  List of UK Albums C
 List of best-selling albums in Germany
 List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom
 Michael Jackson albums discography

Notes[edit]
1. Jump up^ Dyson 1993, p. 60.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Michael Jackson – Bad". AllMusic. All Media
Network. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
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References[edit]
 Brooks, Darren (2002). Michael Jackson: An Exceptional Journey. Chrome Dreams. ISBN 1-
84240-178-5.
 Campbell, Lisa D. (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden Books. ISBN 978-0-
82831-957-7.
 Dyson, Michael Eric (1993). Reflecting Black: African-American Cultural Criticism. University
of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-2141-1.
 Grant, Adrian (2009). Michael Jackson: The Visual Documentary. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-
1-84938-261-8.
 Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta, WV:
Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4.

Awards and achievements

Japan Gold Disc Award for Album of

Preceded by Succeeded by
the Year
True Blue by Madonna New Jersey by Bon Jovi
1988

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 Michael Jackson: Bad

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Michael Jackson

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Quincy Jones

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UK best-selling albums (by year) (1970–1989)

Categories:

 1987 albums
 Albums arranged by Quincy Jones
 Albums produced by Michael Jackson
 Albums produced by Quincy Jones
 CBS Records albums
 Epic Records albums
 Michael Jackson albums
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