Bad was the first solo

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

by American singer

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, launched in support of his seventh studio album '' Bad'' (1987). Sponsored by

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...

and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts for over 4.4 million fans across 15 countries. It grossed a total of $125 million, making it the second highest-grossing tour of the 1980s after Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason tour, and earning two new entries in the ''

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

'' for the largest grossing tour in history and the tour with the largest attended audience. It was nominated for "Tour of the Year 1988" at the inaugural International Rock Awards. At the end of the Bad tour, Jackson made a public statement that he intended for it to be his last as a touring artist, as he had plans to transition to filmmaking; however, it was followed by the

Dangerous World Tour The Dangerous World Tour was the second world concert tour by American singer Michael Jackson to promote his eighth studio album '' Dangerous.'' The tour was sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. All profits were donated to various charities including Jack ...

in 1992–1993 and the ''HIS''tory World Tour in 1996–1997. Except for two shows in Hawaii during the ''HIS''tory Tour, this would be the only time that Jackson would tour the United States as a solo artist.

History

First leg (1987)

Following business negations (made by family friend and one time rival

Jimmy Osmond James Arthur Osmond (born April 16, 1963), also known as Little Jimmy Osmond, is an American singer, actor, and businessman. He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six gold r ...

the Osmonds The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group ...

) a deal was made that allowed sponsorships from

Nippon Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and

. It was then announced on June 29, 1987, by Jackson's manager

Frank DiLeo Frank Michael DiLeo (October 23, 1947 – August 24, 2011) was an American music industry executive and actor, known for his portrayal of gangster Tuddy Cicero in Martin Scorsese's ''Goodfellas''. From 1984 to 1989, and again in 2009, he was ...

that Jackson would embark on his first solo world

. The tour began in large stadiums in Japan, marking Jackson's first performances in the country since 1973 as part of

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

. The first nine scheduled concerts that began on September 12 sold out within hours, and five more were added due to high demand.Campbell 1993, p. 208. Over 600 journalists, cameramen and fans waited for Jackson's arrival to the country at Tokyo's Narita International Airport.Bad Tour Programme (1988), Far East Report His pet chimpanzee Bubbles, who took a separate flight, was greeted by more than 300 people. A chartered

jumbo jet A wide-body aircraft, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft, is an airliner with a fuselage wide enough to accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats abreast. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin ...

was used to carry 22 truckloads of equipment, along with Jackson's entourage of 132 for the tour. The stage set used 700 lights, 100 speakers, 40 lasers, three mirrors, and two 24-by-18 foot screens. Performers wore 70 costumes, four of which were attached with

fiber optic An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means t ...

lights. While in Tokyo, Australian pop music critic Ian "Molly" Meldrum conducted an exclusive interview with Jackson and DiLeo that was featured on '' 60 Minutes'' in the United States and Australia. On September 18, Jackson was handed the Key to the Osaka Castle by Yasushi Oshima, the mayor of

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

. He was accompanied by Bubbles, who was the first animal allowed inside the city's town hall. Jackson dedicated his Japanese concerts to Yoshiaki Hagiwara, a five-year-old boy who was kidnapped and murdered, and gave ¥1,614,701 (around $15,017) to the parents of Hagiwara. Attendance figures for the first 14 dates in Japan totaled a record-breaking 450,000. Crowds of 200,000 were what past performers could manage to draw for a single tour. Jackson performed five concerts in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Sydney, and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

in Australia in November. While off stage, he spent time visiting sick children at their homes in the Sydney suburbs.

Second leg (1988–1989)

Rehearsals for the tour's 1988 leg took place at the

Pensacola Civic Center Pensacola Bay Center (formerly Pensacola Civic Center) is an indoor arena located in Pensacola, Florida. It is owned by Escambia County and operated by ASM Global. The Bay Center has a capacity of 8,049 for hockey games, and as much as 10,000 ...

in Pensacola, Florida from January 22 to February 18, 1988.

Vincent Paterson Vincent Paterson (born May 4, 1950) is an American director and choreographer who has had an expansive career in many parts of the entertainment industry including film, Broadway, concert tours, opera, music videos, television and commercials. He ...

, who had worked with Jackson on several videos, was brought in to choreograph and co-direct the tour with Michael. On the last day of preparation, Jackson allowed 420 school pupils to watch him perform a full

dress rehearsal A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure t ...

after the children made him a rap music video in his honor. The first performances were to begin in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, yet Pepsi officials objected as the city was home to rival drinks company

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...

.Campbell 1993, p. 212. For both Atlanta shows, Jackson gave 100 tickets to the Children's Wish Foundation for terminally ill children.Campbell 1993, p. 213. The first of three concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City in March served as a benefit to raise $500,000 to the

United Negro College Fund UNCF, the United Negro College Fund, also known as the United Fund, is an American philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 37 private historically black colleges and universities ...

. Jackson presented a check of $600,000 to the fund.Campbell 1993, p. 189. On March 2, 1988, Jackson performed at the

30th Annual Grammy Awards The 30th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1988, at Radio City Music Hall, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Album of the Year went to U2 for ''The Joshua Tree'', and Song of the Year went ...

, receiving an enormous standing ovation after performing "

The Way You Make Me Feel "The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 9, 1987, as the third single from his seventh studio album, '' Bad''. It was written and composed by Jackson, and pro ...

" and "

Man in the Mirror "Man in the Mirror" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released on February 6, 1988, as the fourth single from Jackson ...

". Jackson's album, ''Bad'' was also nominated for Album of the Year at the ceremony. Jackson began his European tour in Rome at the Flaminio Stadium on May 23, 1988. Police and security guards rescued hundreds of fans from being crushed in the crowd of 35,000. Police reported 130 women fainted at the concert in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

on June 2. On June 17, Jackson traveled to the town of

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...

to meet

Oona O'Neill Oona O'Neill, Lady Chaplin (14 May 1925 – 27 September 1991) was an actress who was the daughter of Irish-American playwright Eugene O'Neill and English-born writer Agnes Boulton, and the fourth and last wife of English actor and film-maker Ch ...

, the widow of comic actor Charlie Chaplin. "I have fulfilled my biggest childhood dream", said Jackson after the visit. The most successful of the European dates were those in London at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...

. Ticket demand for the five July dates exceeded 1.5 million, enough to fill the 72,000 capacity venue 20 times.Campbell 1993, p. 216. Jackson performed seven sold-out shows, beating the previous record held by Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

. More shows could have been added, but the venue had reached its quota for live performances. The third concert on

July 16 Events Pre-1600 * 622 – The beginning of the Islamic calendar. * 997 – Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouranos at the Spercheios River in Greece. * 1 ...

was attended by Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles.Campbell 1993, p. 217. On September 8, Jackson was entered into the ''

'', the first of three times from the tour alone. The Wembley shows were attended by a record 504,000 people. Management also presented him with a special award.Halstead 2003, p. 80. On July 30,

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

aired ''Michael Jackson Around the World'', a 90-minute special documenting the singer on tour. On August 29, after a birthday performance in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

, Jackson donated $130,000 to Give For Life. The final European show was held in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

on September 11, staged at Aintree Racecourse. 1,550 fans were reported injured among the crowd of 125,000. Between September 1988 and January 1989, Jackson toured the United States for the second time. This would be the last time he toured his native country, aside from two shows in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

during the

HIStory Tour The ''HIS''tory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American singer and recording artist Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts spanni ...

and a handful of one-off appearances in 2001 and 2002. On October 23, 1988, he donated $125,000, the net proceeds of the first show in

Auburn Hills Auburn Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city in 1983, the area was part of the now-defunct Pontiac Township. It is home to Oakland University ...

, to the city's

Motown Museum "Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters and recording studio. The house (formerly a photographers' studio) is located at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan, near the New Center area. The house was pu ...

. The American tour alone grossed a total of , the sixth largest of the year. The tour was planned to end in Tokyo, but Jackson suffered from swollen vocal cords after the first of six concerts in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

in November. The remaining five were rescheduled for January 1989. Due to this rescheduling,

Greg Phillinganes Gregory Arthur Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and musical director based in Los Angeles, California. A prolific session musician, Phillinganes has contributed the role of keyboards to numerous alb ...

had to disembark from the tour in early January, having already made commitments to tour with Eric Clapton. Studio musician John Barnes would be hired to take Phillinganes' place during these shows. During the December 9 or 11 show in Tokyo, nine-year-old Ayana Takada was selected to receive a certificate by Jackson to commemorate the four millionth person to attend the tour. Five performances in Los Angeles were held to conclude the tour on January 27, 1989. In 16 months, Jackson performed 132 concerts in 15 countries to an audience of 4.5 million for a total gross of .Campbell 1993, p. 236. The American tour alone grossed a total of , the sixth largest of the year. ''Guinness World Records'' recognized the tour as the largest grossing in history and the tour to play to the most people ever. In April 1989, the tour was nominated for "Tour of the Year 1988" at the inaugural International Rock Awards. It lost to Amnesty International.Halstead 2003, p. 85.

Concert film and other recordings

A live album and DVD of the July 16, 1988, concert in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

titled ''

Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 ''Live at Wembley July 16, 1988'' is a live concert DVD by American recording artist Michael Jackson released on September 18, 2012. It was included with the ''Bad 25'' reissue, as well as by itself. This is the third Jackson tour stop released on ...

'' was released along with the special edition reissue of the '' Bad'' album titled ''

Bad 25 ''Bad 25'' is the 25th anniversary edition reissue of American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's seventh studio album '' Bad'' (1987). This is the second album by Jackson re-released on its 25th anniversary, the first being ''Thriller 25'' (20 ...

'' on September 18, 2012, as well as a stand-alone DVD. Video of the September 26, 1987, Concert in

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, Japan, was broadcast on Nippon Television and is available on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

. A number of amateur-shot concerts and short snippets were leaked on

a few years later. Half-show footage of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

(May 23, 1988) and

(November 28, 1987), and a high-quality 30-minute segment of live footage of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

(December 9, 1988), as well as full low-quality leaks of

(September 12 & 13, 1987) and

(October 10, 1987) are also available online. Audio recordings of the final

(January 27, 1989) concert have been crowdfunded and released on YouTube. Audio recordings from the rehearsal at

Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

(February 18, 1988) have also been released as well.

(April 13, 1988),

(October 24, 1988) have been leaked.

Opening acts

* Kim Wilde (Europe) *

Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...

(Europe - August 5–23, 1988)

Setlist

Tour dates

Cancelled dates

Known rehearsal dates

Personnel

;Lead vocals *

(lead vocals, co-director, dancer and co-choreographer) ;Creative directors * Michael Jackson (lead vocals, co-director, dancer and co-choreographer) * Jaun C. Marin (assistant director) *

(co-director, choreographer) * Tom McPhillips (set designer) * Allen Branton (lighting designer) ;Production *

(personal management) * Sal Bonafede (tour coordinator) * John Draper (tour manager) * Benny Collins (production manager) * Nelson Hayes (production coordinator) * Rob Henry (production coordinator) * Gerry Bakalian (stage manager) * Tait Towers, Inc. (set construction) * Clair Bros. (sound) * Kevin Elison (house sound engineer) * Rick Coberly (monitor engineer) * Ziffren, Brittenham and Branca (attorneys) * Gelfand, Rennert and Feldman (business management) * Solters/Roskin, Friedman Inc.(public relations) * Bob Jones (VP of communications, MJJ) * Glen Brunman (media relations, Epic Records) * Michael Mitchell (tour publicist, MJJ) * Gretta Walsh Of Revel Travel (travel agent) * Patrick "Bubba" Morrow (nocturne video) * Mo Morrison (production team) ;Dancers * Randy Allaire * Evaldo Garcia * Dominic Lucero *

LaVelle Smith Jr. LaVelle Smith Jr is an American choreography, choreographer and dancer. Known for his work in the music videos of singers such as En Vogue, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Beyoncé Knowles, Smith has won the MTV Video Music Award for MTV Video M ...

* Tatiana Thumbzten (Kansas City and 1st New York City shows) * Keith "DJ Proper" Jordan (child dancer, Los Angeles shows) ;Band *

(main keyboards, synthesizers, musical director) * Rory Kaplan (auxiliary keyboards, synthesizers) * Christopher Currell (synclavier synthesizers, digital guitar, sound effects) *

Ricky Lawson William Riser III (November 8, 1954 – December 23, 2013), better known as Ricky Lawson, was an American drummer and composer. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he worked extensively as a session musician, collaborating with Stevie Wonder, Mich ...

(drums, percussion) *

Jennifer Batten Jennifer Batten (born November 29, 1957) is an American guitarist who has worked as a session musician and solo artist. From 1987 to 1997 she played on all three of Michael Jackson's world tours, and from 1999 to 2001 she toured and recorded wit ...

(rhythm and lead guitar) * Jon Clark (lead and rhythm guitar) * Don Boyette (bass guitar, synth bass) * John Barnes (lead keyboards, synthesizers) (1989 Los Angeles concerts only) ;Background vocals * Darryl Phinnessee (vocal music director) *

Dorian Holley Dorian Jose Holley is an American musician, backing singer and a vocal coach. He began his professional career as an on-stage backing vocalist for American entertainer Michael Jackson during his Bad World Tour in 1987. He staged a series of live c ...

* Sheryl Crow * Kevin Dorsey ;Stylists and assistant * Karen Faye (Hair & Make-up) * Tommy Simms (Stylist) *

Bill Frank Whitten Bill Frank Whitten (October 4, 1944 – April 8, 2006) was a Hollywood fashion designer who designed stage clothing and high-end fashion for musicians and celebrities. In 1974, Whitten's custom shirt business in West Hollywood, Workroom 27, was d ...

, Dennis Tompkins & Michael Bush (Costume Designers) * Jolie Levine (Michael's Personal Assistant) * Meredith Besser (Assistant) ;Sponsors *

* Nippon Television (Japan only)

Notes

References

Citations

Sources

* * {{Michael Jackson Michael Jackson concert tours 1987 concert tours 1988 concert tours 1989 concert tours Concert tours of North America Concert tours of the United States Concert tours of Europe Concert tours of the United Kingdom Concert tours of France Concert tours of Germany Concert tours of Ireland Concert tours of Oceania Concert tours of Australia Concert tours of Asia Concert tours of Japan