Aiming for an edgier image and sound, Michael Jackson took the reigns of his seventh studio album, Bad, diving further into rock influences and dark subject matter. On the title track—written, composed and co-produced by Jackson himself—he attempts a transformation into tough guy, threatening to "take you right" and "hurt your mind" over a funky bass riff. It's an invigoratingly peppy pop song, with an emphatic chorus that practically demands the listener join in the self-worship, but the sensitive Jackson is clearly playing dress-up in his bad-boy attitude. Cooing his way through sneering provocations, "Bad" comes across as more West Side Story than Boyz N the Hood. B+
25 years ago this week, "Bad" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
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