Bad is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records. The record was released nearly five years after his last studio album. Twenty years after its release, the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, and shipped 8 million units in the United States. Bad is the first, and currently only, album ever to feature five Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles.[3]
This album also saw Jackson have even more freedom over his album than he did with the two previous albums, Off the Wall and the world’s best selling album of all time, Thriller, as he wrote and composed nine of the album’s eleven tracks, and co-wrote and produced another, “Man in the Mirror”. This album also saw the squeaky clean pop idol turn “Bad” as he went through a surprising new image change.
The album continued its success in the late ’80s and won 2 Grammys, one for Best Music Video – Short Form for Leave Me Alone and one for Best Engineered Album – Non Classical won by Bruce Swedien & Humberto Gatica.[4]. Bad was also ranked number 43 in the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time of the MTV Generation in 2009 listed by VH1[5]. It was ranked number 202 on the Rolling Stone magazine 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[6].
Music video
The full music video for “Bad” is an 18-minute short film written by novelist and screenwriter Richard Price and based on the case of Edmund Perry. The video was directed by Martin Scorsese and Michael Jackson stars in it. Jackson portrays a boy named Daryl who has just completed a successful term at an expensive private school. He returns to the city by subway, arriving in a derelict neighborhood.
Daryl arrives to find his house empty (his mother is played by Roberta Flack, albeit in voiceover), but is greeted by his old friends, led by Mini Max (an emerging Wesley Snipes) and spends an evening with them. At first relations are friendly, if slightly awkward, but the situation deteriorates once the rest of the gang realize how much Daryl has changed, and in particular how uncomfortable he has become with their tendencies towards petty crime. In an attempt to show his friends he is still “bad”, Daryl takes the gang to a subway station (The Hoyt Schermerhorn Station in Brooklyn) where he attempts to mug an elderly man but bottles out at the last minute. Mini Max berates Daryl and tells him that he’s no longer bad.
After more abuse from Mini Max, the video jumps from black and white to color and Daryl, now dressed head to foot in leather and joined by a crowd of dancing punks, sings “Bad” (it is at this point that the edited video generally begins when played on television). His insistence that Max is headed for a fall are nearly Daryl’s undoing, but eventually his friend accepts that “that’s the way it goes down”, and, after a final handshake, heads off leaving Daryl. The scene shifts back to black and white as Daryl, alone and back in his tracksuit, watching them leave.
The full 18-minute-long version of the video for “Bad” first appeared on the DVD version of Video Greatest Hits – HIStory in 2001.
History
Recording
Jackson began recording demos for the anticipated follow-up to Thriller a few months after the 1984 Victory Tour with The Jacksons. Recording took place between November 1986 and July 9, 1987[7] (except for “Another Part of Me” which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986). Jackson wrote a reported sixty songs for the new album and recorded thirty, wanting to use them all on a three-disc set. Longtime producer Quincy Jones cut these down to a ten-track single LP. The CD release also contained a bonus 11th track, “Leave Me Alone”.
Jackson wrote nine of the eleven tracks himself. Terry Britten (writer of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It”) and Graham Lyle wrote “Just Good Friends”. Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote “Man in the Mirror”. Stevie Wonder sings co-lead vocal on “Just Good Friends”, and Steve Stevens contributes the guitar solo for “Dirty Diana”.
However, while recording the tracks for Bad, there was some debate between Jackson and Jones on which songs would be put on the album. For example, they both had a hard time deciding on either “Streetwalker” or “Another Part of Me” (which was recorded for Captain EO in 1986) to be put on the album. Jackson wanted “Streetwalker”, wheras Jones wanted “Another Part of Me”. Ultimately, it was decided by Jackson’s manager Frank Dileo. According to Quincy Jones from “Bad: Special Edition”, there was a meeting among the three. In the meeting, Jackson played “Streetwalker” first, and Dileo was not impressed. But Dileo started to dance when “Another Part of Me” came on. This is what eventually put “Another Part of Me” onto the album.
“Bad” was originally intended as a duet between Jackson and Prince. A rivalry had developed between the two over the years, and Jackson’s plan was to leak stories to the media about rising tensions between himself and Prince, culminating in the release of the song. Prince turned down the project, explaining to Jones that the song “would be a hit without (him) on it”.
“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” was supposed to feature a famous female singer. Reportedly Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston all turned down the offer, before Jones chose R&B singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett.
Reception
By the time Jackson released this album, sales of its predecessor, Thriller, had already reached forty million, raising expectations for Bad. Bad became the first of Jackson’s albums to debut at number-one on the Billboard 200 where it remained for the next six consecutive weeks. The RIAA certified Bad for having sold eight million copies in the U.S. alone.[8] In the U.K, the album sold 500,000 copies in just five days and is currently certified 13x platinum, for sales of 3.9 million making it Jackson’s biggest-selling album in the UK. Globally, it’s Jackson’s overall third best-selling recording, behind Thriller and Dangerous, with 30 million copies sold.[9]
Jackson set another record with this album, becoming the first, and currently only, artist to have five songs to hit number-one from one album.[10] In July 2006, it was announced by the The Official UK Charts Company that Bad was the ninth biggest selling album in British history.[11] It turned out to be the last collaborative effort by Jackson and Jones, as Jackson moved on to write and produce more of his own records, particularly with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Rodney Jerkins.
Rolling Stone stated that “even without a milestone recording like “Billie Jean”, Bad is still a better record than Thriller.”[12] The magazine further went on to say that the “filler” content in Bad – including songs such as “Speed Demon”, “Dirty Diana” and “Liberian Girl” – is written by Jackson himself, making Bad “richer, sexier and better than Thriller’s forgettables.”[12]
Despite the records success, in a poll of 23,000 US citizens, released by Rolling Stone, Jackson won “worst album” for Bad and “worst single” for “Bad”. TIME gave the opinion that the singer was suffering a backlash in certain parts of the US. The publication suggested that the singer’s media image was triggering the poll, not the music.[13]
In 2001, a special edition was released with three new songs and a new booklet containing lyrics and never-before-seen photos.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 202 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[14]
Marketing
Main articles: Captain EO, Moonwalker, and Bad World Tour
During the Bad period was one of the first times Jackson used marketing to his advantage, more so than he had with Thriller. A year before Bad, Jackson used several tactics to get the media interested in his short film, Captain EO, during the recording of Bad. Jackson played a space captain in the mini-film, which was produced by George Lucas. By the time Jackson released Bad, he produced a commemorative special on his life, “The Magic Returns”, which aired on CBS. At the end of the documentary, the channel debuted Jackson’s “Bad” short film, which featured then up-and-coming actor Wesley Snipes. Jackson’s 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” and “Smooth Criminal”, the latter two released as sole videos at the end of the film. Jackson also used the opportunity to write about his life up until that point releasing 1988′s Moonwalk. Jackson’s tour for Bad did well, grossing $125 million by the end of its tenure. Though Jackson furthered his stance as a global pop superstar, in America, he failed to match to the sales of Thriller, the greatest selling album of all time, having some in the media calling it a “disappointment” compared to Thriller.[citation needed]
<h2>Notes</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li id=”cite_note-Bad-0″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Bad_0-0″>^</a></strong> "<a href=”http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9foxq95ld6e” title=”http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9foxq95ld6e” rel=”nofollow”>Bad</a>". <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AllMusic” title=”AllMusic”>AllMusic</a>. <a href=”http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9foxq95ld6e” title=”http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9foxq95ld6e” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9foxq95ld6e</a>. Retrieved on 2009-04-27.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Bad&rft.atitle=&rft.pub=%5B%5BAllMusic%5D%5D&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allmusic.com%2Fcg%2Famg.dll%3Fp%3Damg%26sql%3D10%3Ag9foxq95ld6e&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-1″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-1″>^</a></strong> "<a href=”http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1570944,00.html” title=”http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1570944,00.html” rel=”nofollow”>Album Credits for Bad</a>". <em>Artists Direct</em>. <a href=”http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1570944,00.html” title=”http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1570944,00.html” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1570944,00.html</a>. Retrieved on February 3 2006.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Album+Credits+for+Bad&rft.atitle=Artists+Direct&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.artistdirect.com%2Fnad%2Fstore%2Fartist%2Falbum%2F0%2C%2C1570944%2C00.html&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-2″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-2″>^</a></strong> <a href=”http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml” title=”http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/jackson_michael/artist.jhtml” rel=”nofollow”>MTV – Michael Jackson Biography</a></li>
<li id=”cite_note-Grammy-3″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Grammy_3-0″>^</a></strong> "<a href=”http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx” title=”http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx” rel=”nofollow”>Grammy for Bruce Swedien & Humberto Gatica</a>". Grammy. <a href=”http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx” title=”http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx</a>. Retrieved on 2009-02-25.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Grammy+for+Bruce+Swedien+%26+Humberto+Gatica&rft.atitle=&rft.pub=Grammy&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.grammy.com%2FGRAMMY_Awards%2FWinners%2FResults.aspx&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-Bad_43rd_Best_Album_of_All_Time_of_the_MTV_Generation_according_to_VH1-4″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Bad_43rd_Best_Album_of_All_Time_of_the_MTV_Generation_according_to_VH1_4-0″>^</a></strong> Bowman, Edith. "<a href=”http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1/chart/greatest-albums-ever” title=”http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1/chart/greatest-albums-ever” rel=”nofollow”>VH1 – Greatest Albums Ever</a>". VH1. <a href=”http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1/chart/greatest-albums-ever” title=”http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1/chart/greatest-albums-ever” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.mtv.co.uk/channels/vh1/chart/greatest-albums-ever</a>. Retrieved on April 09, 2009.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=VH1+-+Greatest+Albums+Ever&rft.atitle=&rft.aulast=Bowman&rft.aufirst=Edith&rft.au=Bowman%2C+Edith&rft.pub=VH1&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mtv.co.uk%2Fchannels%2Fvh1%2Fchart%2Fgreatest-albums-ever&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-Bad_202nd_Best_Album_of_All_Time_according_to_Rolling_Stone_Magazine-5″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Bad_202nd_Best_Album_of_All_Time_according_to_Rolling_Stone_Magazine_5-0″>^</a></strong> "<a href=”http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time” title=”http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time” rel=”nofollow”>The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time</a>". Rolling Stone. <a href=”http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time” title=”http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time</a>. Retrieved on November 18, 2003.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=The+RS+500+Greatest+Albums+of+All+Time&rft.atitle=&rft.pub=Rolling+Stone&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2F5938174%2Fthe_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-6″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-6″>^</a></strong> <em>Bad (Special Edition), liner notes</em></li>
<li id=”cite_note-RIAA_certifications-7″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-RIAA_certifications_7-0″>^</a></strong> "<a href=”http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Michael%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=100″ title=”http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Michael%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=100″ rel=”nofollow”>Gold and Platinum</a>". <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America” title=”Recording Industry Association of America”>Recording Industry Association of America</a>. <a href=”http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Michael%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=100″ title=”http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Michael%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=100″ rel=”nofollow”>http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Michael%20Jackson&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=100</a>. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Gold+and+Platinum&rft.atitle=&rft.pub=%5B%5BRecording+Industry+Association+of+America%5D%5D&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riaa.com%2Fgoldandplatinumdata.php%3Ftable%3DSEARCH_RESULTS%26artist%3DMichael%2520Jackson%26format%3DALBUM%26go%3DSearch%26perPage%3D100&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-Bad_30_million_copies-8″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Bad_30_million_copies_8-0″>^</a></strong> Savage, Mark (2008-08-29). "<a href=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm” title=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm” rel=”nofollow”>Pop Superstars turn 50</a>". <a href=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm” title=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm” rel=”nofollow”>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7448908.stm</a>. Retrieved on 2008-11-25.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Pop+Superstars+turn+50&rft.atitle=&rft.aulast=Savage&rft.aufirst=Mark&rft.au=Savage%2C+Mark&rft.date=2008-08-29&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2F2%2Fhi%2Fentertainment%2F7448908.stm&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-9″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-9″>^</a></strong> <a href=”http://michaeljackson.com/lofi/history-main-1980s.html” title=”http://michaeljackson.com/lofi/history-main-1980s.html” rel=”nofollow”>Michael Jackson’s History in the 1980s</a></li>
<li id=”cite_note-10″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-10″>^</a></strong> <a href=”http://www.mirror.co.uk/northernireland/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18104022%26siteid=94762-name_page.html” title=”http://www.mirror.co.uk/northernireland/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18104022%26siteid=94762-name_page.html” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.mirror.co.uk/northernireland/news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18104022%26siteid=94762-name_page.html</a></li>
<li id=”cite_note-rollingstone-11″>^ <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-rollingstone_11-0″><em><strong>a</strong></em></a> <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-rollingstone_11-1″><em><strong>b</strong></em></a> "<a href=”http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/259584/review/6067877/bad” title=”http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/259584/review/6067877/bad” rel=”nofollow”>Album Reviews: Bad</a>". <em><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone” title=”Rolling Stone”>Rolling Stone</a></em>. 2001. <a href=”http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/259584/review/6067877/bad” title=”http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/259584/review/6067877/bad” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/259584/review/6067877/bad</a>. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Album+Reviews%3A+Bad&rft.atitle=%5B%5BRolling+Stone%5D%5D&rft.date=2001&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com%2Fartists%2Fmichaeljackson%2Falbums%2Falbum%2F259584%2Freview%2F6067877%2Fbad&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-12″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-12″>^</a></strong> TIME Monday, Feb. 29, 1988 <a href=”http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966810,00.html” title=”http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966810,00.html” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966810,00.html</a></li>
<li id=”cite_note-13″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-13″>^</a></strong> <a href=”http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time” title=”http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time” rel=”nofollow”>"The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"</a>, <em><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone” title=”Rolling Stone”>Rolling Stone</a></em> (<span title=”2003-11-18″><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003″ title=”2003″>2003</a>-<a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_18″ title=”November 18″>11-18</a></span>).</li>
<li id=”cite_note-Bad_Secial_Edition-14″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Bad_Secial_Edition_14-0″>^</a></strong> "<a href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson/dp/tracks/B0002W1ANC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1″ title=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson/dp/tracks/B0002W1ANC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1″ rel=”nofollow”>Bad/Dangerous</a>". www.amazon.co.uk. <a href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson/dp/tracks/B0002W1ANC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1″ title=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson/dp/tracks/B0002W1ANC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1″ rel=”nofollow”>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson/dp/tracks/B0002W1ANC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1</a>. Retrieved on 2008-08-25.<span title=”ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.btitle=Bad%2FDangerous&rft.atitle=&rft.pub=www.amazon.co.uk&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FBad-Dangerous-Michael-Jackson%2Fdp%2Ftracks%2FB0002W1ANC%2Fref%3Ddp_tracks_all_1%23disc_1&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Bad_(album)”> </span></li>
<li id=”cite_note-15″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-15″>^</a></strong> Michael Jackson: For The Record. Chris Cadman, Michael Haystead.</li>
<li id=”cite_note-autogenerated2-16″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-autogenerated2_16-0″>^</a></strong> Michael Jackson , The Ultimate Collection, Booklet</li>
<li id=”cite_note-Michael_Jackson_Info-17″><strong><a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_%28album%29#cite_ref-Michael_Jackson_Info_17-0″>^</a></strong> <a href=”http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin” title=”http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin” rel=”nofollow”>IFPI Austria – Verband der Österreichischen Musikwirtschaft</a></li>
</ol>
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I have a (1980′s, VINTAGE)life sized, (stand-up) cardboard, cut-out of Michael from the “BAD” album cover..(6 foot tall)…just like the pick of him on here…It looks so realistic it’s eerie…It was used when the album came out….what a piece of history !!!….the modern reproductions aren’t half as nice ….and Michael stood right next to mine….Hee Hee…
When great artists die, we can set aside what they became. We can go back in time and relive those moments when their future… and ours.. was wide open.
Michael Jackson videos are among the most groundbreaking pop-culture events of our era. Before your eyes boundaries dissolve – of race, of sex, of class – even boundaries between historical eras. And it’s not the songs themselves – it’s the dancing. It’s the moves. Where did they come from? All over. The young Michael Jackson studied James Brown and his slides and wild funky exuberance. He worshiped Fred Astaire and his long limbs and easy elegant stride…and hats! And from Jerome Robbins’ choreography for West Side Story, for with its roots in ballet. Beat It, where he makes peace between warring gangs is a direct homage.
Jackson took these disparate influences and magically unified them. Partly because he saw himself as a musical messiah. The black white, masculine feminine, man child, hip-hop Fred Astaire. Truly, the King of Pop.
It was in Beat It and, of course, Billie Jean, where he found his blend of dearness and aggression. In Billie Jean he’s a ghostly mirage pulling up his collar, outmaneuvering the stalkers, bursting over in anger and finally dematerializing.
The moonwalking moment from Motown 25th anniversary confirmed that he was, indeed, supernatural.
The video, Thriller, redefined the genre. Jackson’s whole life was about transformation. Now, in an instant, he could leap between angry monster and sweet lover. Thriller crossed another boundary. An alleged MTV color barrier that kept black music out.
But everyone agreed on Michael Jackson. Each video would now be an event.
In the songs on the album Bad, his dancing was sharper than anyone’s … and looser than anyone’s. The breathlessly inventive Smooth Criminal is his gangster Fantasia, his Guys and Dolls.
But oddly as Jackson’s features were becoming more Diana Ross girlish, he was doing more macho posturing. The Way You Make Me Fee has real drive but surprisingly crude pelvic thrusts. Needless to say, the man had issues.
Michael Jackson could have revolutionized the movie musical especially if he found his Ginger Rodgers, female or male, to penentrate his bubble.
Instead, he became a solitary figure even as he gave himself over as the role of messiah, world savior introduced in HIStory’s beginning stellar sequence, his haunting Earth Song and the musical coup of They Don’t Care About Us filmed in a shantytown of South America.
But as the stories of his private life became more thwarted, his songs could still transport you with the depth of their emotion.
When you watch him sing the lovely ballad, You are Not Alone, your heart breaks – but no one was singing a song like that to him.
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Bad is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records. The record was released nearly five years after his last studio album. Twenty years after its release, the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, and shipped 8 million units in the United States. Bad is the first, and currently only, album ever to feature five Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles.[3]
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I have a (1980′s, VINTAGE)life sized, (stand-up) cardboard, cut-out of Michael from the “BAD” album cover..(6 foot tall)…just like the pick of him on here…It looks so realistic it’s eerie…It was used when the album came out….what a piece of history !!!….the modern reproductions aren’t half as nice ….and Michael stood right next to mine….Hee Hee…