Michael Jackson’s band think ‘Bad’ is his most "definitive expression".
Three members of the late singer’s team – keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, guitarist Jon Clark, and choreographer Vince Patterson – spoke about the affect the album had on his career, 25 years after its release in August 1987.
Greg told Vibe magazine: "’Bad’ showed off his solo artistry because Michael was more involved production wise and songwriting wise.
"You saw the transition of Michael becoming more of a solo force behind the scenes and away from the Jacksons.
"Michael started bringing in different producers to express his musical ideas. I think ‘Bad’ is the most definitive expression of Michael’s craft."
He added that Michael’s aim was to "simply wanted to top his previous album ‘Thriller’" by selling 100 million copies.
Vince also joked about how much of a perfectionist the star was, giving an example from the set of the ‘Smooth Criminal’ video.
He said: "There’s this one dance phrase that repeats itself in the video. I gave it to Michael and he stood in front of the mirror for four hours doing just the same count again and again and again.
"I kept coming over and saying, ‘Michael come on. You can take a break.’ And Michael told me, ‘No, Vincent, I want to do this until it’s perfect.’ Michael was a taskmaster on himself."
Michael’s album was re-released yesterday (28.09.12) as ‘Bad 25’, a deluxe package featuring three discs including a remastered version of the original album, remixes, and the first ever DVD of a 1988 Wembley Stadium concert in London from Michael’s record breaking ‘Bad’ tour.
Michael passed away aged 50 in June 2009 from acute Propofol intoxication. In the 12 months following his death he sold 35 million copies of his albums worldwide.