Bad is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's bestselling album. Bad itself has sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide, certified 9 times Platinum in the United States alone, and has been cited as one of the 30 bestselling albums of all time. The album produced a record five Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, the first and one of only two albums to do so, the second being Katy Perry's 2010 album Teenage Dream. Similar to Jackson's previous music material, the album's music features elements of R&B, pop and rock.