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25 Reasons We Love Michael Jackson - Last month, on August 29, we celebrated Michael Jackson’s birthday. Today, we celebrate the birthday of one of his kids. No, we’re not talking Prince or Paris; we’re talking about Bad, Michael’s seventh studio album — and one of his best — released 25 years ago today. Bursting with blockbuster hits like “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror” and the title track, Bad sold more than 30 million records worldwide, and cemented MJ’s status as the King of Pop. Here, in honor of the 25 years since the landmark album, BET.com counts down 25 reasons we love Michael Jackson. Sure, there are a whole lot more reasons to love him than that, but we’d be here all day. —Alex Gale (Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

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25. His Jacket Game - From that red and gold number in “Beat It” to the all black jump-off from the cover of “Bad,” Michael’s crazy jackets — with their bling-y tassels, dangling zippers and regal epaulets — were swag on another level.  (Photo: CBS /Landov)

Photo By CBS /Landov

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24. His Collaborations - From “Can’t Help It” (written by Stevie Wonder), to “Scream” (his duet with sister Janet) to “Say Say Say” (with Paul McCartney) to Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” (Jackson sung the chorus) — when Michael stepped out of his comfort zone to work with other musicians, the results were golden.  (Photos from left: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images, Carlo Allegri/Getty Images, Tim Whitby/Getty Images)

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23. He Was A Boss - Sorry, Rick Ross and Meek Mill. MJ was making eye-popping business moves that make today's stars' moves look like chump change. Much to the chagrin of former friend Paul McCartney, Jackson paid $47 million for the publishing rights to the Beatles back catalogue in 1985. 10 years later, he sold a share off to Sony in 1995 for $95 million.  (Photo: PA Photos /Landov)

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22. He Had Game - He may have seemed shy, but MJ had a way with the ladies — check the video for “The Way You Make Me Feel.” Over the years, he was linked with such beauties as Brooke Shields, Madonna, Stephanie Mills, Lisa Marie Presley and Tatum O’Neal.  (Photos from left: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images, AP Photo/Michael A. Mariant, File, Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

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21. "Remember the Time" Video - Musically, "Remember the Time" was definitely a triumph, gracefully melding MJ with R&B’s new sound and proving he could succeed without Quincy Jones’ golden touch. But we’ll always love the video in particular. John Singleton directed, Fatima Robinson was on choreography and the casting was incredible: Iman, Eddie Murphy, Magic Johnson, the Pharcyde. But best of all was the setting, in Ancient Egypt — a huge, very intentional rebuke to the whitewashed history Hollywood has pumped out for decades. (Photo: Epic Records)

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20. His Relationship With Quincy - Nowadays, artists treat producers like hired guns, and the biggest hit gets the biggest paychecks. Where's the loyalty? But MJ and Quincy were different; their relationship a whole lot deeper. The pair’s amazing collaborations on Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad were truly a half-and-half, left-hand/right-hand partnership, the work of two geniuses at the peak of their powers.  (Photo: Barry King/WireImage)

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19. The Wiz - Forget the critics. The Wiz is a classic, no small thanks to MJ’s sweet, heartfelt portrayal of the Scarecrow. (Photo: Universal Pictures)

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18. He Came From Nothing - Mike was born on August 29, 1958, in the hard-scrabble industrial city of Gary, Indiana. He was the eighth of 10 children born to Joe, a steel-mill worker, and Katharine, a homemaker and devout Jehovah’s Witness. 50 years later, when he died, his fortune was estimated to be between $4 billion and $8 billion. Talk about a come-up.  (Photo: Ron Wolfson /Landov)

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17. His Video Premieres Were Events - When Mike unveiled a new video, it was must-see TV: one of the three major networks would always air it (and during primetime), kids would race home, entire families would sit glued to the tube. The next day at school, guess what every kid was talking about?  (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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16. The "Smooth Criminal" Lean - You know what we’re talking about. Our jaws still drop when a zoot-suited MJ and his backup dancers do that inhuman, defying-the-laws-of-physics lean. Mind-blowing.(Photo: Epic Records)

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15. He Kicked Down Doors - His classic clip for “Billie Jean” was the first video by a black artist to air on MTV.  (Photo: REUTERS/Havakuk Levison)

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14. His Videos Were Like Movies - Mike elevated the music video to high art. Starting with the iconic "Thriller," MJ’s videos, with their groundbreaking special effects, breatktaking choreography, dramatic plots, big-name directors (John Singleton, Martin friggin' Scorcese) and longer running times, seemed too big for the small screen. (Photo: Epic Records)

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13. We’ve Known Him Since He Was This High - Michael Jackson was like family — through the highs and lows, we watched him grow up, from precocious, Afro’ed boy band leader to shining solo star to the indisputable King of Pop. (Photo: Chris Walter/WireImage)

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12. His Live Shows - MJ’s larger-than-life shows were life-changing events. The screaming, crying fans — 4 million of them on the Bad World Tour alone —  are just one measure.  (Photo: Kyodo/Landov)

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11. The Moonwalk - Though James Brown and Cab Calloway rocked a similar step years earlier, Michael Jackson brought the moonwalk to, well, outer space. Folks old enough, and lucky enough, to remember the first time he performed it on national television, on the 1983 special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, will never forget it. After that night, the moonwalk became his signature move and a global sensation. (Photo: EPA/JAN NIENHEYSEN /Landov)

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10. He Made Bad - Some people sleep on Bad. These people are stupid. MJ evolved fiercely on this 1987 blockbuster, mixing the clean disco-pop of Thriller and Off the Wall with a harder, darker electro-rock sound and a new, bad-ass attitude. Classics like “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror” and “Smooth Criminal” were the result. It’s the fifth best-selling album of all time for a reason.(Photo: Barry King/WireImage)

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9. His Evolution - MJ’s musical growth throughout his four decades in the spotlight is nothing short of astonishing. From ’60s teen idol and Motown funkster to ’70s disco star to ’80s pop master to ’90s new jack swinger, Mike mastered genre after genre, trend after trend, decade after decade, and never looked back.  (Photos from left: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images, Mark Mainz/Getty Images)

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8. He Made Off the Wall,Too - Off the Wall is the album that took MJ from teen sensation to grown-man superstar. He rocked the disco workouts “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You,” popped it out with Sir Paul on “Girlfriend” and crafted soulful, ethereal jazz with Stevie on “I Can’t Help It.” And he was just getting started. (Photo: Epic Records)

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7. Did We Mention He Also Made Thriller? - Really that should be ’nuff said right there. But in case you didn’t know, Thriller, MJ’s sixth LP and his musical and commercial peak, is home to “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “P.Y.T.,” “Beat It,” “Human Nature,” “Billie Jean” and, of course, the title track. Talk about an embarrassment of riches. No wonder it’s the best-selling album of all time. (Photo: Epic Records)

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6. His Music Had a Message - Mike was never content to just write dance-floor-owning hits. From “Man in the Mirror” to “Black and White” to "We Are the World (which he co-wrote)," MJ’s music took on society’s illest ills head on, with both courage and sensitivity.   (Photo: MJ Kim/Getty Images)

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5. His Charity Work - Michael put his money where his music was. He donated 100 percent of the profits from "Man in the Mirror" to charity. Between 1985 and 1990, he gave $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund. All the profits from his Dangerous tour went to his Heal the World foundation, which supported charities for underprivileged children. In 2000, he actually took the Guinness World Record for most charitable entertainer.  (Photo: REUTERS/Kieran Doherty /Landov)

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4. The Jackson 5 - As lead vocalist, along with brother Jermaine, for the Jackson 5, Michael’s soaring, pre-pubescent falsetto is the crown jewel on classic Motown anthems including “I’ll Be There,” “I Want You Back” and “ABC.”  (Photo: William Milsom/Getty Images)

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3. He Was the Total Package - Singer, dancer, songwriter, businessman, philanthropist — Michael Jackson did it all, and he did it better than anyone else.  (Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

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2. He Brought Us Together — and Still Does - Michael Jackson was Black, American and sang pop and R&B, but he was by no means restricted or defined by any of those things. Michael Jackson truly belonged to the world, and his death made that even more obvious: Four years later, people from all different colors and walks of life still take to the streets and dance floors of New York, L.A., London and around the globe to celebrate his life and legacy.  (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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1. He Was One of a Kind - No musician has ever had such a big impact on so many across the world. There’s never been another like MJ, and we’re not sure there ever will be.  (Photo: George Rose/Getty Images)