1988 Classic No. 1 Hit Was Released 38 Years Ago Today

The "King of Pop" released a chart-topping single on this day 38 years ago. Michael Jackson was already seven studio albums into his career in 1988, but he was, without question, on top of the world. Released on Aug. 31, 1987, Bad, Jackson's seventh record, was his last collaboration with the legendary producer Quincy Jones, and it gave birth to "Dirty Diana." Musically, the track is more hard rock, in the same vein as "Beat It" from 1982's Thriller.

"Dirty Diana" was the fifth single from Bad, which is one of the best-selling albums of all time. Initially, it was widely believed to poke fun at Jackson's close friend Diana Ross, but this was debunked, with Jackson and Jones clarifying that the song was about groupies. Ross playfully used the song as an overture during her concerts.

In an interview with broadcast journalist Barbara Walters, Jackson also confirmed that the track wasn't about Diana, Princess of Wales. However, the princess told him that it was her favorite tune of his.

The 1988 single eventually catapulted to the No. 1 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 on July 2, after nine weeks on the chart. It also ranked within the top 10 and top 20 charts worldwide. It marked Jackson's tenth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Dirty Diana" was also the multi-hyphenate's fifth consecutive number-one single. The tune achieved Platinum certification in five countries, including the US, while hitting Gold in Germany.

Critically, the song received mixed reviews despite its commercial success. Music critic Robert Christgau lambasted "Dirty Diana" as "misogynistic," while another reviewer deemed it a "confused, lumbering slog of a song." However, Davitt Sigerson of Rolling Stone remarked that songs like "Dirty Diana" and "Speed Demon" made Bad "richer, sexier, [and] better than Thriller's forgettables."

source https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/michael-jackson-dirty-diana-april-18-1988-bad-album-music-history-on-this-day