I’m Just Johnthan’s Top Michael Jackson Albums

In the midst of the 2026 Michael biopic’s release, I, like others, have been feverishly revisiting Michael Jackson’s discography. One of the biggest complaints I had about the biopic is this: it kind of glosses over most of Michael’s albums between 1972 and 1988. We get fifteen-to-twenty minutes dedicated to Off the Wall and we get highlights of the classic Thriller album. This makes sense: it’s a 2h7m movie that was recut to downsize, remove parts and is in sore need of a director’s cut. The film was great, from a fan standpoint — but could’ve been much longer and even more in-depth.

After seeing the movie, I’ve seen people giving Thriller even more of its (well-deserved) flowers. That’s great, because Thriller is, quite possibly, the most-famous album of all-time (as well as the highest-selling album ever). I’ve also seen people approaching Off the Wall with more appreciation, specifically because it positions Michael Jackson as more of an adult powerhouse than the young singer we were introduced to a decade or so prior. Crazily enough, my personal favorite Michael album was a literal bookend for the movie. I’m talking about none other than Bad.

For me, MJ’s top three (four?) goes like this:

1. *Bad*
2. Thriller (2A) / [Off the Wall (2B)](https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZytN2cY4Zjrr9ukb2rqTP)
3. *Dangerous*

I list Thriller and OTW as 2A/2B for a few reasons.

Thriller is, quite literally, a movie. There’s nothing new I can say about Thriller that hasn’t already been said ad nauseum. It’s that damned good. However, it’s still slightly transitional in its appeal. Thriller was the album that put Jackson on the map as a superstar — but it’s shorter than I would’ve liked it to be. It’s legendary, but I feel that one of the cut tracks from the re-releases could’ve been added to throw it over the top for me. It’s an album that focuses on the climb to superstardom, and less about the consequences and “issues” that arose from being a superstar and quickly becoming one of the GOATs. That’s why Bad always edges out Thriller for me. That said, the title track’s video is still my favorite music video, ever.

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Inversely, OTW effortlessly blends some of the last vestiges of disco with the more-futuristic sounds of the late 1970s, leading into the even-less-restrained sounds of the 1980s.

To liken it to another musical genius, Off the Wall was like MJ’s Prince.

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This would, for me, Thriller along the lines of 1999. After all, both albums tried something completely different than what was expected from the artists at the time of their release. Like Prince, Off the Wall features MJ experimenting and working within parameters that result in classic music — but still not (what I feel is) his absolute best. It was the first time MJ teamed up with Quincy Jones and has a definitive zip to it missing from his albums prior to 1979,. This, of course, matches the fact that it’s Jackson’s first “adult” album. However, you can’t have Thriller without OTW and vice versa. They’re almost joined at the hip, for me, in terms of their importance. That said, there’s still something “lacking” that keeps me from putting either at the top of my Jackson lists (while “Rock with You” is a very crucial song for the MJ discography).

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Now, like Thriller and OTW, Dangerous is an album that sees MJ working with legends like Teddy Riley. He moves away and on from Quincy Jones in many ways and broadens his musical horizons. Again, Dangerous is a great album that has bangers for days. “Remember the Time” is one of my all-time favorite songs and one of my top-ten videos. “Black or White” further positioned Jackson as a revolutionary and activist.

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However, it’s, for me, my fourth-favorite MJ album.

Granted, “fourth-best Michael Jackson album” still clears many other artists’ best work. But Dangerous, at times, feels slightly bloated by the creativeness Jackson was able to exhibit here. Where, for me, Bad focuses on “what happens when Jackson is at the top of his creativity,” Dangerous feels like Jackson’s trying to balance the multitude of creative juices with wanting to branch out as well as wanting to be an activist, humanitarian and dealing with his own personal issues that arose around the time of the album. That said, I wouldn’t cut anything from it. It’s long, yes. But it needs to be long because, while I say it’s “bloated,” I more so mean that there’s so much to digest. Even with it being a longer album, I still believe we need every song to completely tell the story of who Michael Jackson was at that point in time and who he was in the process of becoming.

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But, it’s still not Bad.

What makes Bad stand out as my favorite Michael Jackson album is that it feels more succinct that the other three albums in my ranks. For me, Bad blends the anthemic nature of Thriller, the relentless playfulness and sexuality of Off the Wall and the humanitarianism of Dangerous. He does this while still paying homage to his past and looking forward to his future. From Michael starting off the album with the line “your butt is mine” through the defiant-but-somewhat-melancholy nature of “Leave Me Alone,” Bad defines who Michael Jackson is/was to me.

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It shows him at a creative zenith, blending power ballads, anthems, incredible visuals and a mix between R&B, pop, soul, funk and even a bit of proto-New Jack Swing (which he further explored in Dangerous).

On Bad, we get songs such as “Dirty Diana,” which takes the raw sexual energy of an Off the Wall and blends it with a somewhat-cautionary tale a la “Billie Jean.” Plus, Steve Stevens’ guitar solo there ranks as one of my favorites due to the intoxicating nature of the licks. “Diana” also features something people may actually underrate Jackson for: his storytelling abilities. Songs like “Dirty Diana” show that Jackson’s ability to paint a scene was second-to-none, regardless of genre.

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We also get “we’ve got to do better” humanitarian-flavored songs like “Man in the Mirror.” “MITM” contrasts, and feels superior to, songs such as “Black or White” for one simple reason. “Mirror,” for me, puts the onus of change on Jackson himself to start. It’s a moment of “I can’t heal the world unless I begin to heal myself first.” This bit of vulnerability is something we don’t necessarily get on later Jackson songs of the same ilk. It paints Jackson less of a savior and more of someone who’s still in the trenches, doing the necessary work to enact change.

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Later songs, for me, still feature MJ in the trenches — but less so in the sense that he’s looking out onto everyone and commenting on ways we can alter our worldly trajectories.

Plus, who can forget “Smooth Criminal.” I don’t think I need to say anything about that song other than it’s one of his best for many a reason, both visually and sonically.

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Overall, Bad is one of those albums that may not have the legendary status of a Thriller. What does, if we’re being honest? Bad, for me, though, feels like a more-comprehensive album and experience. It blends past and present with thoughts on a future yet to be realized. It mixes what listeners expect with what listeners didn’t see coming to create a testament to Jackson’s creativeness and genius, while — as stated — creating an album that has more of a gritty, “in the trenches” feel to its humanitarian thoughts and efforts. Overall, you can’t go wrong with any MJ album. However, if you’ve seen the biopic and need even more of a King of Pop taster, I recommend revisiting Bad.