An experimental work, Dangerous is considered an artistic change for Jackson, with his music focusing to more socially conscious material, and a broader range of sounds and styles. It features catchy pop hooks and choruses while also introducing underground sounds to a mainstream audience. The album’s tone is noted by critics as gritty and urban, with sounds including synthetic basslines, scratching, and drum machine percussion, as well as unconventional sounds like honking vehicle horns, sliding chains, swinging gates, breaking glass, and clanking metal. Throughout the album Jackson also implements beatboxing, scat singing, and finger snapping.

Dangerous debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Top Albums chart, as well as in ten other countries, and was the best-selling album worldwide of 1992. Nine singles premiered between November 1991 and December 1993, including two exclusively released outside the United States. The album produced four singles that reached top ten of the Billboard Hot 100: “Remember the Time”, “In the Closet”, “Will You Be There” and the number-one single “Black or White”. The Dangerous World Tour grossed $100 million (equivalent to $177 million in 2019) which made it one of the highest-grossing tours of the 1990s.

Dangerous is one of the best-selling albums of all time having sold over 32 million copies worldwide, and was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 2018. An influence on contemporary pop and R&B artists, it has been included in several publications’ lists of the greatest albums. At the 1993 Grammy Awards, it received four Grammy Award nominations, winning Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while Jackson was awarded the Grammy Legend Award. Jackson won three American Music Awards at the 1993 American Music Awards, including the inaugural International Artist Award. Jackson was also honored with Billboard Music Awards for Best Worldwide Album, as well as Best Worldwide Single for “Black or White.”

Tracks

1  Jam (Michael Jackson; Bruce Swedien; Rene Moore; Teddy Riley) 05:39 
2  Why You Wanna Trip on Me (Michael Jackson; Bernard Belle) 05:25
3  In the Closet (Michael Jackson; Teddy Riley) 06:32
4  She Drives Me Wild (Michael Jackson; Teddy Riley; Aqil Davidson) 03:42
5  Remember The Time (Michael Jackson; Bernard Belle; Teddy Riley) 04:01
6  Can’t Let Her Get Away (Michael Jackson; Teddy Riley) 05:01
7  Heal The World (Michael Jackson) 06:25
8  Black Or White (Michael Jackson; Bill Bottrell) 04:16
9  Who Is It (Michael Jackson) 06:35
10  Give In To Me (Michael Jackson; Bill Bottrell) 05:29
11  Will You Be There (Michael Jackson) 07:41
12  Keep The Faith (Michael Jackson; Glen Ballard; Siedah Garrett) 05:57
13  Gone Too Soon (Larry Grossman; Buz Kohan) 03:22
14  Dangerous (Michael Jackson; Bill Bottrell; Teddy Riley) 07:00

Musicians

1 Jam

Drums - Teddy Riley
Drums - Bruce Swedien
Guitar - Teddy Riley
Keyboards - Rene Moore
Percussion - Bruce Swedien
Keyboards - Teddy Riley
Keyboards - Brad Buxer
Keyboards - Bruce Swedien
Synthesizer - Michael Boddicker
Synthesizer - Rhett Lawrence
Synthesizer - Brad Buxer
Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Rap - Heavy D
Vocals - Michael Jackson

2 Why You Wanna Trip on Me

Guitar - Paul Jackson Jr
Guitar - Teddy Riley
Keyboards - Teddy Riley
Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Vocals - Michael Jackson

3 In the Closet

Keyboards - Teddy Riley
Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Vocals - Michael Jackson
Vocals - Mystery Girl

4 She Drives Me Wild

Keyboards - Teddy Riley
Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Vocals - Michael Jackson

5 Remember The Time

Keyboards - Teddy Riley
Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Vocals - Michael Jackson

6 Can’t Let Her Get Away

Keyboards - Teddy Riley
Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Vocals - Michael Jackson

7 Heal The World

Drums - Jeffrey Porcaro
Keyboards - David Paich
Keyboards - Brad Buxer
Synthesizer - David Paich
Synthesizer - Michael Boddicker
Synthesizer - Steve Porcaro
Background Vocals - John Bahler Singers
Vocals - Christa Larson
Vocals - Michael Jackson

8 Black Or White

Bass - Terry Jackson
Drums - Bryan Loren
Guitar - Bill Bottrell
Guitar - Tim Pierce
Guitar - Slash
Keyboards - Jason Martz
Keyboards - John Barnes
Keyboards - Brad Buxer
Moog - Bryan Loren
Sequencer - Kevin Gilbert
Sequencer - Michael Boddicker
Percussion - Brad Buxer
Percussion - Bill Bottrell
Rap - Bill Bottrell
Vocals - Michael Jackson

9 Who Is It

Bass - Louis Johnson
Bass (synthesizer) - Bill Bottrell
Drums - Bryan Loren
Drums - Bill Bottrell
Keyboards - Brad Buxer
Keyboards - David Paich
Keyboards - Jai Winding
Keyboards - Michael Boddicker
Keyboards - Steve Porcaro
Cello - Larry Corbett
Vocals - Linda Harmon
Vocals - Michael Jackson

10 Give In To Me

Bass - Bill Bottrell
Drums - Bill Bottrell
Guitar - Slash
Guitar - Bill Bottrell
Mellotron - Bill Bottrell
Vocals - Michael Jackson

11 Will You Be There

Drums - Bruce Swedien
Drums - Brad Buxer
Keyboards - Greg Phillinganes
Keyboards - Brad Buxer
Synthesizer - Michael Boddicker
Synthesizer - Rhett Lawrence
Percussion - Bruce Swedien
Percussion - Brad Buxer
Background Vocals - Andrae Crouch Choir
Vocals - Michael Jackson

12 Keep The Faith

Bass - Jai Winding
Drums - Rhett Lawrence
Drums - Bruce Swedien
Guitar - David Williams
Piano - Jai Winding
Synthesizer - Rhett Lawrence
Synthesizer - Michael Boddicker
Percussion - Rhett Lawrence
Percussion - Bruce Swedien
Background Vocals - Andrae Crouch Choir
Background Vocals - Shanice Wilson
Background Vocals - Siedah Garrett
Vocals - Michael Jackson

13 Gone Too Soon

Bass - Abraham Laboriel Sr
Keyboards - David Paich
Synthesizer - David Paich
Synthesizer - Michael Boddicker
Synthesizer - Steve Porcaro
Vocals - Michael Jackson

14 Dangerous

Synthesizer - Teddy Riley
Synthesizer - Brad Buxer
Synthesizer - Rhett Lawrence
Vocals - Michael Jackson

Liner Notes

Producer – Michael Jackson (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Producer – Teddy Riley (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14)
Producer – Bruce Swedien (Track 1)
Producer – Bill Bottrell (Tracks 8, 9, 10)
Producer (Executive)  – Michael Jackson
Arranged By – Michael Jackson (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14)
Arranged By – Teddy Riley (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14)
Arranged By – René Moore, Bruce Swedien (Tracks 1)
Arranged By – Teddy Riley (Tracks 3, 4, 5, 6)
Arranged By – Marty Paich (Tracks 7, 13)
Arranged By – John Bahler (Track 7)
Arranged By – George Del Barrio, Brad Buxer (Track 9)
Arranged By – David Paich (Tracks 9, 13)
Arranged By – Andraé Crouch, Sandra Crouch (Tracks 11, 12)
Arranged By – Johnny Mandel (Track 11)
Arranged By – Glen Ballard, Jerry Hey, Rhett Lawrence (Tracks 12)
Arranged By (Strings)- George Del Barrio (Track 9)
Concertmaster – Endre Granat (Track 9)
Conductor – Marty Paich (Tracks 7, 13)
Conductor – Johnny Mandel (Track 11)
Engineer, Sound Designer – Matt Forger (Track 8)
Engineer (Additional) – Dave Way, Jean-Marie Horvat, Kevin Gilbert, Matt Forger, Richard Cottrell
Engineer (Assistant) – Bart Stevens, Brad Sundberg, Dan Bosworth, Elaine Anderson, John Chamberlain, Julie Last, Rail Rogut, Thom Russo
Mastered By – Tom Coyne
Mixed By – Bruce Swedien (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14)
Mixed By – Teddy Riley (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14)
Mixed By –  Matt Forger (Track 7)
Mixed By – Bill Bottrell (Tracks 8, 9, 10)
Recorded By – Bruce Swedien (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14)
Recorded By – Teddy Riley (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14)
Recorded By –  Matt Forger (Track 7)
Recorded By – Bill Bottrell (Tracks 8, 9, 10)
Recorded By – Jean-Marie Horvat, Thom Russo (Track 14)
Recorded By (Guitars) – Jim Mitchell (Track 10)
Recorded By (Assistant) – Craig Brock (Track 10)
Technical Director – Brad Sundberg, Thom Russo Art Direction – Nancy Donald, Mark Ryden
Illustration – Mark Ryden Mastered At Sterling Sound
Mixed At Larrabee Sound Studios
Mixed At Record One, LA
Mixed At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At Larrabee Sound Studios
Recorded At Record One, LA
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At Westlake Audio
Recorded At Smoketree Ranch
Recorded At Toad Hall Studio
Recorded At Record Plant, LA
Phonographic Copyright MJJ Productions Inc
Copyright MJJ Productions Inc