Man in the Mirror

Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard wrote it after Quincy Jones invited songwriters to his home and told them, in Garrett's recollection, that all he wanted was hits. Ballard played a keyboard figure, Garrett wrote the lyrics, and they recorded a demo over a week. At Jackson's request they wrote a longer middle eight and changed some of the lyrics. Jackson recorded it between May and June 1987, with the Andrae Crouch Choir singing the gospel vocals. The song goes up a semitone, from G major to A-flat major, after 2:53.

Released in January 1988 as the fourth single from Bad, it reached number one on the Hot 100 on 26 March 1988 and stayed for two weeks. It was nominated for record of the year at the 1989 Grammys. Don Wilson made the video, a montage of historical events and figures. Jackson sang it at the 1988 Grammys, all profits from the single went to charity, and an instrumental version was played at his memorial service. In the UK it reached 21 in 1988 and two after his death in 2009. Josh Tyrangiel of Time called it the best-ever use of a gospel choir in a pop song.