Dirty Diana

Michael Jackson, 1987, from Bad. Solo by Steve Stevens.

Stevens brings Billy Idol-era fire and dramatic whammy flourishes to Jackson's darkest hit of the Bad era.

Dirty Diana is the darkest, most rock-driven track on Michael Jackson's Bad, and Steve Stevens, best known for his work with Billy Idol, gives it real menace. His solo is full of dramatic flourishes: whammy dives, fast bursts and a heavy, aggressive tone. He plays with a showman's sense of theatre, matching Jackson's intense, almost desperate vocal. The track proved that pop's biggest star could embrace hard rock without it feeling like a gimmick. Listen for the whammy-bar swoops and screaming high notes near the end, and for how Stevens contrasts short, snarling phrases with bursts of speed, giving the solo a sense of danger rather than just technique.

Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson is featured in our Pop (#10) list. The solo is played by Steve Stevens and the song was released in 1987.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Pop Guitar Solos — #10
• The Best Steve Stevens Guitar Solos — #6

Sources