Singles #2: Michael Jackson - Bad (1987)

This was the second single off MJ's Bad album. The first single was I Just Can't Stop Loving You, which was a duet with Siedah Garrett and hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This single quickly hit Number 1 as well. However, this was not the end of MJ's streak as he culled three more Number 1 singles off the Bad album, making it the only album in history to have five Number 1 singles.

The only other album in recent times to go near the record is Usher's Confessions album, which contained the Number One singles Yeah, Burn, Confessions Part II, and My Boo, a duet with Alicia Keys. However, note that My Boo was added onto the special edition version of the album, and it was not in the original tracklist of the album.

Back to the Bad single. The Bad single was originally released in 1987, but the one you see above is, I believe, a re-release of the single, as it includes an obi strip with the words "HIStory Japan Tour '96". So I believe it might have been re-released when MJ had his Japan leg of the HIStory tour in 1996.

The song Bad is more often remembered for its video, which was directed by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. There are two versions of it. The longer version was seldom seen and was included in the DVD release of MJ's HIStory Video Greatest Hits only a few years back. The shorter version of the video was included in the laserdisc release of the same title and it features the music per se, whereas the longer one had more of a backstory and some acting by MJ.

While not one of his best tunes, Bad remains an insanely catchy song and and it introduced the world to the word "shamon", which really is "come on", but MJ took liberties and improvised with its pronunciation. The opening line, Your butt is mine" sounds like "Your bird is mine" even. Well, I guess when you're on top of the world, you can pretty much do anything you want.

The second version of the single is a 7" vinyl and it's in pretty good condition.