Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” became a worldwide hit following its release as a single from the Bad album. The song had the distinction of becoming the fifth consecutive single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from one album, the first time any artist achieved this milestone. The song also topped the singles chart in Belgium and reached the Top 10 in most of Europe and Canada.
Written by Michael and featuring a hard-rock guitar solo by Steve Stevens, “Dirty Diana” tells the story of a groupie who won’t leave the protagonist alone. The short film for the song was directed by Joe Pytka, and features Michael performing on stage, interspersed with scenes of “Diana,” played by model Lisa Dean. It was named the Viewers Choice No. 1 Video at the World Music Awards in 1989. Watch the short film:
