Bad (album)

Bad is the seventh studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records. Highly anticipated, the album took three years to produce between 1985 and 1987, and was Jackson's third and final collaboration with producer Quincy Jones. A dance-pop and R&B album, it captures Jackson with greater artistic freedom, as he composed and co-produced all but two of its tracks, discussing celebrity, romance, world peace, and self-improvement. The album features appearances from Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder.

Following the enormous success of his previous album, Thriller (1982), Jackson faced greater expectations than ever before. He adopted an edgier sound, incorporating new digital synthesizer technology and elements of hard rock and funk, among other styles. However, his radical new image, particularly his altered facial appearance, generated backlash and a decline in popularity in the US. The Bad tour, Jackson's first solo world tour, grossed $125 million to become the highest-grossing concert tour at the time. Nine commercial singles were released along with a promotional single.

Bad received acclaim from critics, particularly for Jackson's vocals and its musical arrangements, though some felt it failed to match the peaks of Thriller. It remained atop the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart for six consecutive weeks and produced a record five number 1 hits 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", while "Smooth Criminal" was a Top 10 hit. Worldwide, it became the fastest-selling album in its first week, topped the charts in twenty-four other countries, and was the best-selling album of both 1987 and 1988.

Bad is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with sales of over 35 million copies worldwide, and is certified 11× platinum in the US. The album earned Grammy Awards for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Best Music Video (for "Leave Me Alone"), and was nominated for Album of the Year. It has been included in numerous lists of the greatest albums and praised as part of Jackson's influence on contemporary music. Jackson received the special Award of Achievement at the 1989 American Music Awards for the album's Hot 100 and commercial successes.