Bad
Though it sold in the eight-figure range worldwide, to some  earsBadsuffered in comparison to its predecessor,Thriller. While not as  visionary as that record-breaker andOff the Wall, the 1987  album does find Jackson and producerQuincy Jonescontinuing to work their craft at a high level. As it had withThriller, radio embraced nearly every cut. Airplay saturation  helped make the likes of "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Smooth Criminal,"  and the title track major hits in their day; they ring with confidence  and good feeling more than a decade later. The self-involvement that  would make the new material onHistory(1995) sound  so curdled had yet to overtake Jackson; even his plea to "Leave Me  Alone" displayed a sure wit, particularly in its video version. While  the third best of his first three Epic solo discs,Badcarries a  lot of what people love about Michael Jackson's music.--Rickey  Wright