"Bad" – Michael Jackson
You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians
Peter Martin
4.9 • 770 Ratings
🗓️ 9 February 2026
⏱️ 80 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Impossible follow-up: Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad. Five years after Thriller changed everything, Michael returned with a record that would become one of the best-selling of all time, win two Grammys, feature some of the greatest musicians in the world (hey, Stevie Wonder!) ... and somehow still gets called a letdown.
We've covered two of Michael's albums produced by Quincy Jones: Off the Wall and Thriller. What about Bad? Could it actually be better than its predecessor? Jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness deliver their final verdict on this 80s pop sensation.
Along the way, you'll hear behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the album. Plus - we break down the tracks (with keyboards) to highlight the music theory behind this album's most compelling moments.
“Annie, are you OK?” Sometimes the best hooks come from the strangest places - find out where in the YHI newsletter: https://youllhearit.com/newsletter
00:00 - Intro: "Smooth Criminal" - Michael Jackson
01:30 - Michael Jackson's Bad (1987)
6:40 - Quincy's Smaller Role on Bad
7:50 - The Quincey Jones Brain Trust
11:00 - "Bad" - Tough Guy Michael
15:00 - Too Much Programming?
18:40 - That Organ Solo? Jimmy Smith!
22:40 - The Tragedy Behind Bad
23:45 - "The Way You Make Me Feel" - Sweet Michael
29:15 - How WE Really Feel (About Bad vs Thriller)
30:30 - "Speed Demon" - A Nostalgic Track
31:55 - Can We Be Honest?
32:50 - "Liberian Girl" - The Mid-Album Dip
35:30 - "Just Good Friends" - Stevie Can't Save It
41:00 - "Another Part of Me" - Pure Joy
45:00 - How "Man in the Mirror" Got Its Name
45:55 - "Man in the Mirror" - The Apex
53:00 - Why We Don't See Songs Like This Today
57:30 - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - Rejected By Babs
1:01:00 - "Dirty Diana" - Phil Collins Vibes
1:02:50 - "Smooth Criminal" - That's MJ's Heartbeat!
1:06:25 - "Leave Me Alone" - The Shuffle
1:09:15 - Apex Moments: Phillinganes and That "Woo!"
1:10:55 - Final Verdict: Bad vs Thriller
1:14:05 - Open Studio Plays "Smooth Criminal"
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today we're listening to perhaps the most anticipated album of all time. |
| 0:07.0 | The follow-up to the monster hit thriller. |
| 0:09.0 | Even though this album sold 50 million copies, and is undoubtedly an artistic masterpiece, |
| 0:15.0 | many people believe that it was a massive let-out, which frankly, I think is criminal. I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm Fantastic arrangement, Adam. |
| 1:14.1 | But is it Michael Jackson bad or sad? |
| 1:17.7 | Music I'm Adamannis. |
| 1:35.6 | And you're listening to the You'll Hear at podcast. |
| 1:37.6 | Music Explored. |
| 1:38.8 | Brought to today by Open Studio. |
| 1:41.0 | Go to Open Studio. |
| 1:42.5 | Go to Open Studio.JasJas.com for... |
| 1:45.5 | What are your jazz lessons? Hell's yeah. Hells yeah, Peter. I just been wantingudiojazz.com for... What are your jazz lesson is? |
| 1:46.1 | Hell's yeah. |
| 1:46.6 | Hells yeah. I just been wanting to say that all day. Well, it's a big day, so I get it. I get it. Hells yeah. We're listening to Michael Jackson's 1987 classic. Okay, bad. Bad. I love this album. Me too, man. I really do love it. Where did you first consume this? |
| 1:59.8 | What format? |
| 2:00.7 | Because this was in a, this is 1987. |
| 2:02.8 | This was a, this is 1987. |
| 2:02.8 | This was a, I remember that you're well. |
| 2:05.1 | There was a lot of formats drifting around. |
| 2:06.5 | It was an in-betwixt time for formats. |
| 2:08.3 | It was between LPs and CDs, a little something we used to like to call cassette tape. |
| 2:13.8 | Is that where you originally had it? |
... |
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