Claim: Dirty Diana is a recording.

`` Dirty Diana '' is a song by American artist Michael Jackson . It is the ninth track on Jackson 's seventh studio album , Bad . The song was released by Epic Records on April 18 , 1988 as the fifth single from the album . It presents a harder rock sound similar to `` Beat It '' from Thriller and a guitar solo played by Steve Stevens . `` Dirty Diana '' was written and co-produced by Jackson , and produced by Quincy Jones . The songs lyrics pertain to groupies . `` Dirty Diana '' has a moderate tempo and is played in the key of G minor .   `` Dirty Diana '' received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics , but was a commercial success worldwide in 1988 , charting at No. 1 on the United States Billboard Hot 100 . The song also charted within the top ten in multiple countries , including the United Kingdom , France , Italy , and New Zealand . `` Dirty Diana '' was the fifth and final Hot 100 number one single from Bad . In 2009 , after Jackson 's death in June , the song re-entered charts , mainly due to digital download sales . A music video for `` Dirty Diana '' was filmed in front of a live audience and released in 1988 .