Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is a song by the American pop singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, from his seventh studio album, Bad (1987). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The lyrics address a woman who has been attacked in her apartment by a "smooth criminal".
| "Smooth Criminal" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Michael Jackson | ||||
| from the album Bad | ||||
| B-side | "Smooth Criminal" (instrumental) | |||
| Released | November 14, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | November 1986 – April 1987 | |||
| Studio | Westlake (studio D), Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:18 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Jackson | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Michael Jackson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
| ||||
The music video for "Smooth Criminal", which premiered internationally on MTV on October 13, 1988, is the centerpiece of the 1988 film Moonwalker. The 1930s setting and Jackson's white suit and fedora pay tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon. In the video, Jackson and the dancers perform an apparently physically impossible "anti-gravity lean".
"Smooth Criminal" reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the sixth top-10 single from Bad. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Retrospective reviews have described it as one of Jackson's best songs. Rolling Stone wrote that it was "his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material". It has appeared on numerous greatest hits albums and was performed on all of Jackson's solo tours. "Smooth Criminal" was re-released in 2006 as a single as a part of Jackson's Visionary: The Video Singles boxset.