Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)

Michael Jackson’s eighth studio album, Dangerous, came out on Epic Records on November 21, 1991, four years after his previous release, Bad. For this project, Jackson split from his longtime collaborator Quincy Jones and co-produced the album with Bill Bottrell, Teddy Riley, and Bruce Swedien. Guest artists included Heavy D, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, Slash, and Wreckx-n-Effect. The music blended new jack swing, pop, R&B, and hip-hop, with Jackson writing or co-writing most of the songs. The lyrics touched on lust, unity, social issues, and self-improvement.

Critics saw Dangerous as a creative shift for Jackson, marked by more socially conscious themes and a wider variety of sounds—including industrial, funk, electronic, gospel, classical, and rock. Nine singles were released between November 1991 and December 1993, one of which, “Give In to Me,” came out only outside North America. To promote the album, Jackson launched the Dangerous World Tour, which grossed $100 million.

The album was generally well-received by critics, who praised its artistic growth compared to Jackson’s earlier work. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and held that spot for four weeks, also reaching number one in fourteen other countries. In 1992, it became Jackson’s third straight album to be the year’s best-seller worldwide. “Black or White” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Remember the Time,” “In the Closet,” and “Will You Be There” all made the top ten.

Dangerous has sold 32 million copies globally, making it one of the best-selling albums ever. It is certified eight-times platinum in the United States. The album has appeared on several best-album lists and won awards, including Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical at the 1993 Grammy Awards, and Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Song (for “Remember the Time”) at the 1993 American Music Awards. Critics have since called it Jackson’s last “classic” album and his most artistically ambitious.

Background After Bad (1987), Jackson wanted more independence and creative control. He parted ways with producer Quincy Jones to avoid the idea that his success depended on him. He began working on new tracks in 1989 with some of the Bad B-team, including Matt Forger and Bill Bottrell.