Song · Michael Jackson
“Bad” by Michael Jackson
From the album Bad (1987)
“Bad” by Michael Jackson appears on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1988 and 2026. It was first released in 1987 on the album Bad. Its best result is #93 on the Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1988). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #7,223 alternative song of all time.
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"Bad" gave Michael Jackson's 1987 album its title and its second single on Epic, and it's the sound of pop's smoothest operator baring his teeth. Jackson wrote it alone and co-produced it with Quincy Jones, spinning it out of a true story he'd come across: a kid who went to private school hoping to leave poverty behind, and was killed when he came home.
Bruce Swedien recorded and mixed a jabbing funk track, with synthesizers from John Barnes, Michael Boddicker and Greg Phillinganes, Christopher Currell on Synclavier, John "JR" Robinson on drums, Jimmy Smith on Hammond organ, plus two trumpeters and two saxophonists. Critics heard a tougher Jackson. Martin Scorsese directed the video, which cast Jackson and his crew as a street gang dancing through a subway station, took a cue from West Side Story and gave Wesley Snipes one of his first screen appearances.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 93 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1988) | 100 |
| 2023 | 153 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
| 2026 | 162 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
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