“Bad,” the title track from Michael Jackson’s third major-label studio album, was written by Michael and released on this date as the album’s second single. The song was both a critical and commercial success, hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and topping the charts or reaching the Top 5 in more than 10 other countries. The song was the second of five consecutive #1 singles from the album – making Michael the first artist in music history to achieve this feat. To date, the album has sold more than 35 million records worldwide.
The short film for “Bad” was directed by Martin Scorsese and premiered as a primetime special on CBS-TV. In the film, Michael portrays Darryl, a student who returns to the inner city and is challenged by his neighborhood friends who claim he is no longer “bad.” The dance sequences, with complex choreography performed by Michael and numerous backup dancers, were filmed at the Hoyt-Schemerhorn subway station in Brooklyn, NY. The film also features actor Wesley Snipes in a breakthrough role. Watch the short film:
