Michael Jackson’s Dirty Diana – The King of Pop Forays into Rock

With record sales worldwide at an estimated 100 million copies, there is no doubt that Michael Jackson richly deserved his moniker as the King of Pop.  No other singer before or since has had as much influence both on the music industry and pop culture.  During the height of his career the Gloved One released the 1988 album “Bad”.  Among the release’s most popular and memorable singles was “Dirty Diana.”  Released in April, the song was the fifth single from the album and was released to critical acclaim.  Even today, Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” rates as a clear fan favorite.

The song was written by Michael Jackson and produced by longtime collaborator Quincy Jones.  Of special significance is that this song was generally regarded as a rock song rather than the typical pop or R& fare Michael was known for.  Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” was compared at the time to “Beat It”, another rock-influenced smash hit off the “Thriller” album.  To bolster the song’s rock credentials, Jackson recruited guitarist Steve Stevens from Billy Idol’s band.  Stevens’ haunting guitar and vibrant solo gave “Dirty Diana” just the punch Michael Jackson was looking for, and helped propel the song to the number one spot in Billboard’s top 100.

Michael Jackson returned to a familiar theme for the song’s lyrics.  Similar to 1983’s “Billie Jean”, Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” of 1988 made reference to overly enthusiastic and amorous female fans.  There were rumors that the song was about an alleged affair with lifelong friend Diana Ross, but these were later dismissed as false.  Strangely enough, rumors even swirled that the song’s lyrics were in reference to Britain’s Princess Diana. Though this was of course untrue, it is reported that the late Princess told the King of Pop in person that it was her favorite Michael Jackson song.

Accompanying the release of the hit song was an equally popular music video.  For the “Dirty Diana” music video Michael eschewed the normally high levels of production and choreography he was famous for and opted for a much more simple approach.  The seven minute video was filmed while he performed the song live standing on stage under only a pair of blue lights.  The austere production values of the video for Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” were meant to showcase his immense talent as a live performer, and featured many simple shots of the star seemingly alone on stage.  The video captured the true essence of Michael Jackson’s brilliance as both an artist and a performer, and ranks as one of his best.