10 Amazing Follow Ups To Classic Albums

There aren't too many musicians or even people for that matter who can hope to attain a fraction of the success that Michael Jackson had in the early '80s. Divorcing himself from his little kid persona for good, Thriller remains one of the best selling albums of all time, with over 75% of the track listing getting hand picked to be singles. Now all you have to do is follow that up...best of luck with that.

Though Quincy Jones and Jacko definitely had their work cut out for them on Bad, they truly did deliver in spades once the album was released. While not necessarily as airtight as Thriller was, every single track on here has the potential to be any other pop singer's greatest hit, with different producers and musicians brought in to accentuate Michael. It's almost as if you're being treated to subtle musical vignettes put on by Michael, whether it's the heartfelt Man in the Mirror or the massive return to the top on the title track.

This is also where Mike gets the chance to flex his musical muscles a little bit, from the supreme funk present on Speed Demon to the lyrically revealing hard rock of Dirty Diana. Even though Michael would probably never live down something like Thriller, Bad is living proof that there's no shame in placing second place on the totem pole.