Michael's 'Bad' Album: More Ambitious Than 'Thriller'

CLEVELAND - With the stunning and historic success of Michael Jackson's Thriller album, his follow-up would have very huge shoes to fill. As it were, the album that followed didn't come close to its predecessor's success.

But it was far from a failure.

Bad, released two days after Michael's 29th birthday was extraordinary. It spawned more number one singles than Thriller and was arguably more ambitious. The title track was a less spectacular version of "Beat It" but was still a catchy tune with a thoughtful message. It's accompanying short film, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese continued Michael's trademark of foregoing the standard music video format in favor of something deeper and more creative. "The Way You Make Me Feel" was and remains one of my all-time favorite tracks. Michael sounds far more "romantically" confident than usual on the song, and the video showed him as something of a "charming stalker," but undeniably smooth with the ladies.

The anthemetic "Man In The Mirror" is arguably his most important song ever. It really spoke to Michael's thoughtfulness about changing the world by changing one's own self. This was an extraordinary expansion of the concern-with-global-issues he displayed in 1985's "We Are The World." Even though Michael's duet with music legend Stevie Wonder on "Just Good Friends" was disappointing, it was still great to hear two child prodigies-turned adult icons together on the same record. Even still, it had its moments, though Michael's 1982 collaboration with Paul McCartney on the similar "The Girl Is Mine" was superior.

"Another Part of Me" was used in Michael's 1986 space-themed short film Captain EO, and was a decent song, but even better when he performed it live in concert. The album's lead single, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" was a syrupy ballad that conveyed Michael's powerful ability to articulate love and unflinching emotion. Both "Dirty Diana" and "Smooth Criminal" are rambunctious in their tone, but are sheer classics because of their production and Michael's masterful vocal presence. The music videos for the two tracks enhance the experience of listening to the music.

The bonus track "Leave Me Alone" is a sobering view into Michael's post-Thriller world. The relentless presence of the media and paparazzi invading his life is palpable, especially in the ultra-creative music video. Add it all up, and Bad really reveals Michael to be a heavily talented, incredibly complex individual.

With the release of his autobiography "Moonwalk" in 1988, a feature-length VHS movie entitled "Moonwalker" in 1989 and the Bad world tour which spanned about a year and a half, Michael's visibility was at an all-time high and only expanded his overflowing legacy. I know it sounds crazy, but could it be that Bad was better than Thriller?

I'd say no. Bad was incredibly successful and sold a staggering 30 million worldwide. But compared to Thriller, which has sold 104 million copies globally, it was seen by some as a disappointment. I believe that Bad only did what it did because Thriller forced Michael to come bigger and badder than ever. It was more ambitious because Michael raised the bar for everyone.

But his only competition was himself.