Looking back on Michael Jackson’s best (and worst) albums

Leah Greenblatt, Kevin JacobsenSat, August 29, 2026 at 1:20 PM UTC

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Michael Jackson performing at Super Bowl XXVII on Jan. 31, 1993, in Pasadena, CalifCredit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

Michael Jackson was a once-in-a-generation artist who left a permanent mark on pop culture. His charisma, dynamic performance style, and earworm melodies helped make him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Despite a career spanning more than four decades, Jackson released just 10 solo studio albums during his lifetime, beginning with 1972’s Got to Be There. His first four Motown albums established him as a solo artist, but his career reached another level with 1979’s Off the Wall and, three years later, Thriller, which became the best-selling album of all time. In 2015, Thriller was certified 30x platinum.

Each of the four studio albums he subsequently released — Bad, Dangerous, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, and Invincible — topped the Billboard 200 and went multiplatinum.

Ahead, we look back at each of Jackson’s solo studio albums, highlighting their biggest songs and how they fit into the evolution of his career.

Got to Be There (1972)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Got to Be There’ album coverCredit: Motown Records

Already an industry veteran at the tender age of 13, Jackson made this first official solo foray — a canny move by Motown head Berry Gordy to further capitalize on the Jackson 5’s immense popularity. Highlights include a jaunty cover of “Rockin’ Robin,” the wistful title track, and the soaring “I Wanna Be Where You Are.“

Grade: B+

Ben (1972)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Ben’ album coverCredit: Motown Records

Jackson’s second solo effort — released just seven months after his first — will always be defined by its title track, the theme song to the rodent-centric 1972 film of the same name. Jackson’s delicate rendering of the shamelessly soggy boy-meets-telepathic-rat ode (which scored a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination) is a testament to his talent, as is his inspired handling of the rest of the covers-heavy album.

Grade: B

Music & Me (1973)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Music & Me’ album coverCredit: Motown Records

On the cusp of a deepening, more adult voice, Jackson began transitioning into grown-up material, including the contemplative title song, a grab bag of subdued show tunes (“Morning Glow“ from Pippin, “Happy“ from Lady Sings the Blues), and a devastatingly fragile cover of Stevie Wonder‘s “With a Child’s Heart.”

Grade: B

Forever, Michael (1975)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Forever, Michael’ album coverCredit: Motown Records

The LP cover of Jackson’s Motown swan song reveals an Afroed 16-year-old clearly on the brink of manhood, and its comparatively adult soul sound confirms he was ready to move on from his days as Gordy’s bubblegum boy wonder. Still, the fairly standard mid-tempo grooves do little to foreshadow the sonic revelations that were soon to come.

Grade: B–

Off the Wall (1979)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Off the Wall’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

Together with producer Quincy Jones, Jackson created the first real record of his adulthood: a featherweight rapture of disco-flecked R&B, replete with instant dance-floor dazzlers (“Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You,” “Workin’ Day and Night“), a few mid-tempo charmers (“It’s the Falling in Love,” “Girlfriend“), and, well, one pretty maudlin ballad (“She’s Out of My Life“). For all its spangled glitter-ball flair, the album easily transcends its polyester era.

Grade: A–

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Thriller (1982)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

Decades of cultural ubiquity tend to obscure the sheer ingenuity and creative genius behind the record, which has sold more than 34 million units in the U.S. alone since its release. From the urgent funk of opener “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’“ and sweet synth stutter of “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)“ to the iconic rock stomp of “Beat It,”Thriller offers pure, transporting euphoria in pop form.

Grade: A

Bad (1987)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

How to follow an untoppable blockbuster? Jackson took his time. But, ultimately, he delivered — offering immediate radio jams (“Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel“), stirring ballads (“Man in the Mirror,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You“), and outré rock experiments (“Smooth Criminal,” “Dirty Diana“) amid a few lesser but still worthwhile album cuts.

Grade: B+

Dangerous (1991)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Dangerous’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

Forsaking Quincy Jones for, among others, new jack swing king Teddy Riley, Jackson’s first ‘90s album revealed a grittier, funkier outlook, marked by flashes of lyrical darkness and paranoia. Still, four top 10 singles, including “Black or White“ and “Remember the Time,” proved his continued ability to craft a hit.

Grade: B+

HIStory (1995)

Michael Jackson’s ‘HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

A double-disc greatest-hits collection, the epic HIStory also served as a conduit for Jackson to explore his increasingly troubled relationship with fame on 14 new tracks (most notably, “They Don’t Care About Us“ and “Scream“). Additionally, he covers a Beatles classic, “Come Together“ (by then, he owned the rights to their catalog), and finds his sentimental ballad sweet spot with the No. 1 hit “You Are Not Alone.”

Grade: B

Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix (1997)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

Primarily an album of HIStory remixes, this hard-edged collection also contains five new songs, none of which furthered Jackson’s artistry much. But some, like “Ghosts“ and the syncopated, slow-building title track, still managed to intrigue, and the involvement of more contemporary artists like the Fugees, as well as his sister Janet‘s longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, added further allure.

Grade: B–

Invincible (2001)

Michael Jackson’s ‘Invincible’ album coverCredit: Epic Records

His final solo studio album before his death is — even in light of its eventual multiplatinum status — the least artistically successful of Jackson’s discs, especially in the context of his unmatchable earlier work. Released just weeks after 9/11, the nearly 80-minute work feels oddly airless and disconnected, its bland R&B sketches and tremulous ballads largely lacking the singer’s previous dynamism, despite minor hits like “You Rock My World.”

Grade: C+

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