Bad (Michael Jackson song) Bad (Michael Jackson song) "Bad" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on September 7, 1987 as the second single from Jackson's third major-label and seventh studio album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones and Jackson. Jackson stated that the song was influenced by a real-life story he had read about, of a young man who tried to escape poverty by attending private school but ended up being killed when he returned home. "Bad" received positive reviews, with some critics noting
Dangerous (Michael Jackson album) including 8 million in the United States alone. According to "Chicago Tribune" journalist Kelley L. Carter, it is the most successful new jack swing album of all time. It produced four singles that reached the top ten on the "Billboard" Hot 100, including the number one "Black or White". After completing the Bad tour in January 1989, which spanned 123 concerts attended by 4.4 million people, Jackson developed projects for two greatest hits albums, "Decade 1979–1989" and "Decade 1980–1990." The albums would comprise songs from his studio albums "Off the Wall" (1979), "Thriller" (1982), and "Bad", plus four new songs.