The lyrics describe a narrator who finds a bloodstained carpet and an unconscious body. It is in the key of A minor, and Jackson's vocal spans from G 3 to C 6. 'Smooth Criminal' evolved from an earlier song written by Jackson, 'Al Capone' (named after real life gangster Al Capone), released on the 2012 reissue Bad 25. 'Smooth Criminal' was re-released in 2006 as a single as a part of Jackson's Visionary: The Video Singles boxset. It has appeared on numerous greatest hits albums and was performed on all of Jackson's solo tours. Rolling Stone wrote that it was 'his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material'. Retrospective reviews have described it as one of Jackson's best songs.

The song reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Spain.

It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It reached number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. 'Smooth Criminal' reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the sixth top-10 single from Bad. In the video, Jackson and the dancers perform an apparently physically impossible 'anti-gravity lean'. The 1930s setting and Jackson's white suit and fedora pay tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon. The music video for 'Smooth Criminal', which premiered on MTV on October 13, 1988, is the centerpiece of the 1988 film Moonwalker. The lyrics address a woman who has been attacked in her apartment by a 'smooth criminal'. It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. ' Smooth Criminal' is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 14, 1988, as the seventh single from his seventh album, Bad (1987).

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