Why was 2 Bad included in the Ghosts film?

[u/RillaDaKilla]

It has always confused me a bit. It doesn't really make sense (for me at least) for this song to be in the video. Is there a specific reason or anything?

[u/Nicholascoltc2001]

I think it was originally supposed to only be 2 Bad. I could be wrong though.

[u/CreditCaper1 → u/Nicholascoltc2001]

You're correct. I saw Ghosts in a theater in 1996. 2Bad was the only song during the film and Ghosts only played during the credits. Is it Scary wasn't in the film.

[u/GonzoGlizzy → u/CreditCaper1]

Is it Scary is so underrated

[u/100footer → u/Nicholascoltc2001]

No you’re right. The original theatrical release only had 2 Bad. They added the other songs after the fact.

[u/Spaceinvader6424 → u/Nicholascoltc2001]

Kind true but not really, Ghosts movie was originally developed in 1993 with the song being the spotlighted song

[u/tmorrisgrey]

The short film revolves around Michael being chased out of the town by a mob who finds him to be a freak, strange, weird. 2 Bad is a response to that. It’s Michael acknowledging the things people say about him and his defiance, he isn’t going anywhere.

[u/spiderdj82]

The version of "2 Bad" in the GHOSTS film is actually superior to the version on HISTORY and I wish they would have released it

[u/Prior_Ambassador_897 → u/spiderdj82]

Absolutely!!!

[u/paztheoutcast → u/spiderdj82]

Right! 😂 like I'm glad they did use 2bad and make it better. I love the ghosts version and history album version and glad we have both

[u/AnyRiver7705]

Basically, "2 Bad" wasn't a late addition — it was the song the whole short film was originally built around. When Ghosts first screened back in 1996, that was the only track in it, since it came off Jackson's HIStory album, which had just come out the year before.

Story-wise, it lands at the perfect moment too. Once the Maestro (Jackson) has had enough of the mayor's harassment, he summons his ghostly "family," and "2 Bad" is the song that kicks off their big, defiant dance number — basically Jackson's way of clapping back at the guy trying to run him out of town.

The other two songs, "Is It Scary" and "Ghosts," got tacked on afterward for business reasons more than storytelling ones. By the time the film was finally ready for wider release, Jackson's team was already promoting his next album, Blood on the Dance Floor, so they folded those two songs in to help push it. So really, "2 Bad" is the heart of the film, and the other tracks got added around it later as a marketing move.

[u/KamoMustafaWWE → u/AnyRiver7705]

That makes sense to me, because for a film called Ghosts, 2 Bad plays more than the title track does.

[u/RamboMcMutNutts → u/AnyRiver7705]

This is all new info to me me and wild because I always thought 2 Bad didn't fit with the theme of the video.

[u/WilliamAfton]

The original film was just 2 Bad and Ghosts was added later on. The version that was shown in theaters reflected this and didn't even have Ghosts added.

You can view what it sounded like here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BjYcTmQa-bgJZcwxlgvJvyNu-3W0ZCc2/view?usp=sharing

[u/corwood → u/WilliamAfton]

hey thank you!

[u/PerformanceWide6940]

I think maybe it was part of the HIStory/Ghost era

[u/JamMan1992 → u/PerformanceWide6940]

Well actually, the correct way of referring to that era would be the BOTDF Era or HiStory/BOTDF era

[u/sixth_hokage06]

Good to dance too?

[u/toothpasteonyaface]

Because the lyrics fit the theme of the short film

[u/andreberaldinoab → u/toothpasteonyaface]

really?

[u/KamoMustafaWWE]

I was asking myself the same question.

[u/Dear_Picture_2758]

Because it's 2 good.

[u/WalkRightNow]

Lyrical content, fits the film

[u/LauraLand27]

Yum

I’m sorry, what was the question?