Your 'Bad' Experience (30th Anniversary Edition)

MikeFann

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As we all may know, today--August 31, 2017, marks the 30th anniversary of one of Michael Jackson's most recognized albums (and Short Films).

I may have told this story before, but though I wasn't (most unfortunately) around back in 1987 to witness the hype and release firsthand, I was exposed to the BAD album since I was real young. Even during that period of time, I had always enjoyed the title track and in the early 2000's, became really obsessed with the song. It was in late 2005 that I finally purchased the 2001 special edition on CD.

When did you first purchase the BAD abum? Was it the vinyl, the cassette, or the CD (bonus points if it was the longbox!)? What were your initial reactions to hearing the songs and seeing the music video for the first time?

Of course, you can share any stories relating to the BAD album if you wish! :)

WHO'S BAD??
 
I had just graduated from high school in June 1987 and had my first ever job (in the library) and I was already completely in love with Michael after everything that happened with Thriller and the Victory Tour. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the vinyl and I even bought the CD, new technology back then. (No longbox.) The cover was stunning and I remember the hype with IJCSLY and...MTV was the place to to get news and view the video 'premiere.' Of course, I LOVED the short film, the story, the choreography.

He was everywhere in print, radio, and television especially when Bad came out and I loved all the hype for each subsequent video, tour, Moonwalker. Still my favorite Michael 'era.'
 
It was my first album. It was bought for me on cassette and I played it endlessly for years.

I upgraded it to CD in 1994.
 
My Dad got the album while working at a radio station in Battle Creek, Michigan. I loved that album. It was for a long time my favorite album until Dangerous really took steam and I fell in love with that album.

My 1st Bad purchase I believe was with my allowance money or birthday money. I think I bought the tape or cd.
 
I never got to experience the Michael Madness. I only witnessed the Invincible era a little bit when You Rock My World came out. Gosh, I wish I had the opportunity to witness the Bad and Dangerous era.
 
I never experienced MichaelMania myself and I was just a baby the time the album came out officially.

I bought the Special Edition of the Bad album, I think in the spring of 2005, just during the trial and my final year in high school and that made "Bad" my favourite album of all time.
 
I was 14 or 15 years old. A classmate of mine discovered I am an MJ fan. Talked to me about some stuff she knew about him and told me her dad has the Bad cd.

We could not afford an MJ cd then, because they were expensive and old albums were rare in record stores. She lent it to me and I think I returned it after a week or so. It was the second MJ album I laid my hands on. The first one was HIStory, after a friend of my dad's lent us an original bought from US.
 
I first heard Michael's music in 1988, as an eight-year-old kid. I think it was a mix cassette or something, because I don't recall seeing the album artwork for Bad until I was maybe ten. Even now, I can't tell you which of Michael's songs I heard first; those days are just one big blur for me.
 
Till fall 92 I wasn´t interested in a singer named Michael Jackson - I knew he is very famous, but I´ve heard a lot of silly rumors, I´ve heard only 2 songs some years ago. !Until I saw the Bukarest-concert.

From that moment on I asked the people around me "do you have any records of Michael Jackson which you would lend to me?" No one in my surrounding had it or was interested in having one. It was very frustrating. But then the father of a friend of my daughter (just little kids) gave me a tape, a cassette without any clarification, without any songtitles. I definitely didn´t know what I was listening to. So I went to all record-stores in my town, I looked into the shelfs with "Michael Jackson" , for instance for a song named "Annie are you walking":laughing: - and so I found out;): my cassette is BAD. The more I listened to tape, the more I loved the songs! All songs! Not only Smooth Criminal:laughing:. And I was fascinated by the pictures of the breathtaking beautiful artist in the sleeve of the record.

But finally - I´m a kid of the Dangerous-Era. A bit later I bought Dangerous on cassette and that blew me away even more.
 
My first copy of it was on a cassette tape. I was 11 and got it within a few month of it coming out. I was just old enough to buy the occasional tape here and there, but my parents were quite strict and monitored what music I listened to. They had no problems with Michael Jackson then, as they knew he was not over sexualised or singing violent and pro drug/sex/drinking type lyrics, so he got the green light.:laughing:

It was a few weeks after release, as I remember "The way you make me feel" was the current hit when I bought it. I loved IJCSTLY and really like Bad even more, with TWYMMF I knew it must have been laden with great songs. The cassettes in those days cost $12.95 and I only got like $5 pocket money for a fortnight, because I wanted those cool songs, I raided my piggy bank with a knife and borrowed $2 off my brother and bought a tape. I remember most kids in the school had it and I was one of many, we all knew the songs and had like Michael Jackson dancing contests at school and drew him in art class etc.

I was already quite familiar through the Thriller singles (But never bought them, I was just far too young, only getting a dub of Thriller in 1989 or 1990, but well before Dangerous, but as Bad was the first album I bought, it was the tru beginning of my fandoms. That tape lasted a few weeks before it snapped (I had a cheap tape player) and I got another tape. That lasted until 1989 when I gave it to my cousin as I bought another tape and someone had borrowed the 2nd tape that chewed.:mj5: This second tape came quite easily, I can't remember if I got it with birthday money ($25) for my 12th birthday (April 1988) or it was a present.

My cousin was 5 and loved Michael, so I got him into him. My parents got a bit suspicious when stories about Plastic surgery and Bubbles got out, but otherwise Michael was mine to enjoy and I remember putting it on after bed time in 1988, when I got a Philips moving sound walkman (A hideous 80s triangular shaped pizazz type thing). Of course I got caught as my parents could hear all this "Aow!!" and "Hee Hee" coming out of the darkened bedroom. Great memories.:clap::punk:

Those tapes are long gone now and I just have CD's of Bad special edition and Bad25. I still love it and consider Bad the best Michael Jackson album of all time.:punk::heart: It was not just the Bad singles that compelled me to buy it, but also the Thriller songs and Off the Wall, as I knew it was Michael Jackson and the album would be great and cool all rolled into one.

CD's did not come to me until 1993, so they were way out of reach and we pretty much stopped with vinyl in 1986/87.
 
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I was 7 years old in 1987. So I hardly even remember the era. All I really remember from that era is seeing Michael's Bad video in May of 1988. When I had gotten the most biggest crush on him. A commercial for Moonwalker in late 1988. At the time I didn' know what that was for. All I remember was that Michael was in a white suit. And was wearing a white hat. Back in the late 80s I did remember seeing a tv commercial that Michael did. And for years all that I had ever remember from that commercial was that Michael dancing under a street light. And that there was a child in that commercial. And I couldn't remember whether it was for Pepsi or LA Gear. Since I knew he did commercials for both. Some years ago I saw the commercial again on you tube. And that it was a commercial for LA Gear high tops. Which would explain why I was so heavily obsessed with those sneakers back then. And I remember getting a pair of the MJ ones back in 1990. Which I didn't realized until the next day. When I went to go put them on. That these are one of the MJ pairs. They automatically became my most favorite pair to wear. Because of who's initials were on them. I wish I could have kept them. But at least I can still clearly remember them. Any way about the album I didn't actually get the Bad album until about 7 years later when I was 14. And it was in cassette tape form. I didn't get the Bad cd until sometime in the mid to late 90s. I do remember of course loving the Bad album. But I had really prefer the Dangerous album more. Since I remember the Dangerous Era more than I did with the Bad era. You older fans are so lucky that you got to really remember that era. It just makes me wish that I was born in 1970 instead of 1980. That way I would have been old enough to really remember the Bad era as well.
 
I first had Bad on cassette. I remember 'Leave Me Alone' was this exclusive bonus thing that I didn't have on my tape, but for some reason was on the CD i'd look at in the store! (was it an issue of space or an incentive to get the cd/vinyl?)

I probably watched MOONWALKER religiously every day on a betamax dubbed copy from a rental my parents made. I re-enacted the Leave Me Alone video with my stuffed animals :D
I'd have them laid on top of me, and i'd slowly sit up like they were the roller coaster track.
 
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