As far as the horror story/movie genre, Michael Pan Jackson's greatest
album was _Thriller_, in the video of which he transforms from a
teenage boy dating a girl into a Wherewolf stalking her, thereby
weaving in the classic myth of "The Beauty and the Beast". He
features the voice of the classic horror film actor Vincent Price.
Thriller (album)
Thriller
Studio album by Michael Jackson
Released November 30, 1982
Recorded April 14 - November 8, 1982
Westlake Recording Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre R&B, dance, dance-pop, pop/rock, funk[1]
Length 42:19
Label Epic
EK-38112
Producer Michael Jackson
Quincy Jones
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau (A-)[2]
Melody Maker (unfavorable) 1982[3]
Q [4]
Rolling Stone [5]
Slant [6]
Stylus (favorable)[7]
The New York Times (favorable)[8]
Michael Jackson chronology
Off the Wall
(1979) Thriller
(1982) Bad
(1987)
Singles from Thriller
"The Girl Is Mine"
Released: October 18, 1982
"Billie Jean"
Released: January 3, 1983
"Beat It"
Released: February 14, 1983
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Released: May 8, 1983
"Human Nature"
Released: July 3, 1983
"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Released: September 19, 1983
"Thriller"
Released: January 23, 1984
2001 Special Edition
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist
Michael Jackson. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic
Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially
successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres
to those of Off the Wall, including funk, disco, soul, soft rock, R&B,
and pop. Thriller's lyrics deal with themes including paranoia and the
supernatural.
With a production budget of $750,000, recording sessions took place
between April and November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los
Angeles, California.[9] Assisted by producer Quincy Jones, Jackson
wrote four of Thriller's nine tracks. Following the release of the
album's first single "The Girl Is Mine", some observers assumed
Thriller would only be a minor hit record. With the release of the
second single "Billie Jean", the album topped the charts in many
countries. At its peak, the album was selling a million copies a week
worldwide. In just over a year, Thriller became--and currently
remains--the best-selling album of all time. Sales are estimated to be
over 50 million copies sold worldwide. Seven of the album's nine songs
were released as singles, and all reached the top 10 on the Billboard
Hot 100. The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the
1984 Grammys.
Thriller cemented Jackson's status as one of the predominant pop stars
of the late 20th century, and enabled him to break down racial
barriers via his appearances on MTV and meetings with President Ronald
Reagan at the White House. The album was one of the first to use music
videos as successful promotional tools--the videos for "Thriller",
"Billie Jean" and "Beat It" all received regular rotation on MTV. In
2001, a special edition issue of the album was released, which
contains additional audio interviews, a demo recording and the song
"Someone In the Dark", which was a Grammy-winning track from the E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial storybook.[10] In 2008, the album was reissued
again as Thriller 25, containing re-mixes that feature contemporary
artists, a previously unreleased song and a DVD.
Thriller ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest
Albums of All Time list in 2003, and was listed by the National
Association of Recording Merchandisers at number three in its
Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. Thriller was preserved by the
Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry, as it was
deemed "culturally significant".
Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Recording
3 Music
4 Release and reception
5 Influence and legacy
5.1 Music industry
5.2 Music videos and racial equality
5.3 Contemporary appeal
6 Reissues and catalog sales
7 Track listing
8 Personnel
9 See also
10 References
11 Notes
[edit] Background
Jackson's previous album Off the Wall (1979) was a critical success
and received generally favorable reviews.[11][12] It was also a
commercial success, eventually selling over 20 million copies
worldwide.[13]
The years between Off the Wall and Thriller were a transitional period
for the singer, a time of increasing independence and struggles with
his family. In 1973, Jackson's father Joseph began a secret affair
with a woman 20 years younger than he; the couple had a child in
secret. In 1980, Joseph told his family of the affair and child.
Michael, already angry with his father over his childhood abuse, felt
so betrayed that he fell out with Joseph for many years.[14] The
period saw the singer become deeply unhappy; Jackson explained, "Even
at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room sometimes and cry. It's so hard
to make friends ... I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night,
just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming
home."[15] When Jackson turned 21 in August 1979, he fired Joseph as
his manager and replaced him with John Branca.[16]
Jackson confided in Branca that he wanted to be "the biggest star in
show business" and "the wealthiest". The singer was upset about what
he perceived to be the under-performance of Off the Wall, stating, "It
was totally unfair that it didn't get Record of the Year and it can
never happen again."[17] He also felt undervalued by the music
industry; in 1980 when Jackson asked the publicist of Rolling Stone if
they would be interested in doing a cover story on him, the publicist
declined, to which Jackson responded, "I've been told over and over
that black people on the cover of magazines doesn't sell copies ...
Just wait. Someday those magazines are going to be begging me for an
interview. Maybe I'll give them one. And maybe I won't."[17]
[edit] Recording
Jackson reunited with Off the Wall producer Quincy Jones to record his
sixth studio album. The pair worked together on 300 songs, nine of
which were eventually included.[18] Thriller was recorded between
April and November 1982, with a production budget of $750,000. Several
members of the band Toto were also involved in the album's recording
and production.[18] Jackson wrote four songs for the record: "Wanna Be
Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney), "Beat
It" and "Billie Jean".[19] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write
these songs on paper. Instead, he would dictate into a sound recorder;
when recording he would sing from memory.[20][21]
The relationship between Jackson and Jones became strained during the
album's recording. Jackson spent much of his time rehearsing dance
steps alone.[21] When the album's nine songs were completed, both
Jones and Jackson were unhappy with the result and remixed every song,
spending a week on each.[21] Jones believed that "Billie Jean" was not
strong enough to be included on the record, but Jackson disagreed and
kept it. Jones told Jackson that Thriller would be unlikely to sell
successfully like Off the Wall had, because the market had since
weakened. In response, Jackson threatened to cancel the album's
release.[18]
Jackson was inspired to create an album where "every song was a
killer," as with Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and developed Thriller
on that concept.[22][23] Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton gave
detailed accounts of what occurred for the 2001 reissue of the album.
Jones discussed "Billie Jean" and why it was so personal to Jackson,
who struggled to deal with a number of obsessed fans. Jones wanted the
long introduction on the song to be shortened; however, Jackson
insisted that it remain because it made him want to dance.[19] The
ongoing backlash against disco made it necessary to move in a
different musical direction from the disco-heavy Off the Wall.[23]
Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would
appeal to all tastes and spent weeks looking for a suitable guitarist
for the song "Beat It", a song Jackson wrote and played drums on.
Eventually, they found Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van
Halen.[19][21]
When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he originally wanted to
call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man" but settled on "Thriller"
because he felt the name had merchandising potential.[21] Always
wanting a notable person to recite the closing lyrics, Temperton
brought in actor Vincent Price, who completed his part in just two
takes. Temperton wrote the spoken portion in a taxi on the way to the
recording studio. Jones and Temperton said that some recordings were
left off the final cut because they did not have the "edginess" of
other album tracks.[19]
[edit] Music
"Thriller"
Excerpt of the album's title track, and one of Jackson's signature
pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984. Jackson utilizes
cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to
convey a sense of danger in his work.[24]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Human Nature"
"Human Nature", a top ten hit single in the US. It is the most notable
ballad on the album, praised for its moody, introspective lyrics and
sound.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Billie Jean"
"Billie Jean", a number one hit single in many countries. The song was
written and co-produced by Jackson. The track mixed uptempo funk and
disco with the somber themes of paranoia and obsession.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problems listening to these files? See media help.
According to Steve Huey of Allmusic, Thriller refined the strengths of
Jackson's previous album Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were
more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more
soulful.[25] Notable tracks include the ballads "The Lady in My Life",
"Human Nature", and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean"
and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine"
and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[1][5][6][25] "Wanna Be Startin'
Somethin'" was written a few years prior to 1982 and has a similar
sound to the material on Off The Wall. The song is accompanied by a
bass and percussion background and the song's centerpiece, a climaxing
Swahili chant, gave the song an international flavor.[26] "The Girl Is
Mine" tells of two friends' fight over a woman, arguing over who loves
her more and concludes with a spoken rap.[21][26]
Despite the light pop flavor of these two records, Thriller, more so
than Off the Wall, displayed foreshadowings of the contradictory
thematic elements that would come to characterize Jackson's later
work.[27] With Thriller, Jackson would begin his association with the
subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[5] This is evident on
the songs "Billie Jean", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and
"Thriller".[1] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan
who alleges he has fathered a child of hers; in "Wanna Be Startin'
Somethin'" he argues against gossips and the media.[5][25] In the
former song, Jones had Jackson sing vocal overdubs through a
six-foot-long cardboard tube, and brought in jazz saxophonist Tom
Scott to play a rare instrument, the lyricon, a wind-controlled analog
synthesizer. Bassist Louis Johnson ran through his part on a Yamaha
bass guitar. The song opens with a long bass-and-drums
introduction.[28] In the song "Thriller", sound effects such as
creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and
howling dogs can be heard.[21]
The anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story,
and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece.[25][29]
Jackson later said of "Beat It", "the point is no one has to be the
tough guy, you can walk away from a fight and still be a man. You
don't have to die to prove you're a man".[26] "Human Nature" is moody
and introspective, as conveyed in lyrics such as, "Looking out, across
the morning, the City's heart begins to beat, reaching out, I touch
her shoulder, I'm dreaming of the street".[26]
By the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well
regarded; Allmusic described him as a "blindingly gifted
vocalist".[11] Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless,
dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that
"Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinary beautiful. It
slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very
daringly".[12] With the release of Thriller, Jackson could sing
low--down to a basso low C--but he preferred to sing higher because pop
tenors have more range to create style.[30] Rolling Stone were of the
opinion that Jackson was now singing in a "fully adult voice" that was
"tinged by sadness".[5] "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", credited to
James Ingram and Quincy Jones, and "Lady in My Life" by Rod Temperton,
both gave the album a stronger R&B direction; the latter song was
described as "the closest Jackson has come to crooning a sexy, soulful
ballad after his Motown years" by Taraborrelli.[26] The singer had
already adopted a "vocal hiccup" which he continued to implement in
Thriller. The purpose of the hiccup--somewhat like a gulping for air or
gasping--is to help promote a certain emotion; be it excitement,
sadness or fear.[31]
[edit] Release and reception
Thriller was released on November 30, 1982, and sold one million
copies worldwide per week at its peak.[30] Seven singles were released
from the album, including "The Girl Is Mine"--which was seen as a poor
choice for the lead release and led some to believe that the album
would be a disappointment, and to suggestions that Jackson was bowing
to a white audience.[26] "The Girl Is Mine" was followed by the hit
single "Billie Jean", which made Thriller a chart-topper.[32][33]
Success continued with the single "Beat It", which featured guitarists
Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather.[34] The title track "Thriller" was
released as a single and also became a hit internationally.[26]
Thriller was mostly well received by critics. A four-star Rolling
Stone review by Christopher Connelly described it as "a zesty LP" with
a "harrowing, dark message". Despite the positive response, the title
track came under strong criticism. Rolling Stone expressed a negative
sentiment, criticizing its "degenerat[ion] into silly camp". The
magazine expressed confusion at the use of Vincent Price over Count
Floyd for the track's concluding rap.[5] The New York Times gave a
positive review of the album, and dedicated a large amount of its
coverage to the song "Human Nature". They described it as the most
"striking" song on the record, and wrote, "this is a haunting,
brooding ballad by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis with an irresistible
chorus and it should be an enormous hit". Concluding their review The
New York Times added; "there are other hits here, too, lots of them.
Best of all, with a pervasive confidence infusing the album as a
whole, Thriller suggests that Mr. Jackson's evolution as an artist is
far from finished".[8]
Robert Christgau published a positive (A-) graded overview of the
album a few days before its release. He acknowledged that there were
"fillers" on the record but still labeled it "almost classic". He
expressed the opinion that "Beat It" was the album's best track,
calling it "the triumph and the thriller", but criticized "The Girl Is
Mine" as "Michael's worst idea since 'Ben'". He was of the opinion
that the collaboration did not work well, but still praised it for
"getting interracial love on the radio".[2] A year after the album's
release, Time summed up the three main singles from the album, saying,
"The pulse of America and much of the rest of the world moves
irregularly, beating in time to the tough strut of "Billie Jean", the
asphalt aria of "Beat It", the supremely cool chills of
"Thriller".[30] Conversely, in a Melody Maker review, Paolo Hewitt
stated "[t]his is not a good LP"; in his opinion there were only "two
songs worthy of mention". "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was praised as
an "exciting", "uptempo electro-funk song", as was "Billie Jean".
Hewitt's stance was that as a whole, the album could only be described
as "bland", particularly the closing tracks. He summed up: "Jackson
seems to have lost his talent for turning gross into gold".[3]
The album won Jackson a record-breaking seven Grammy Awards in 1984,
including Album of the Year. The eighth Grammy went to Bruce
Swedien.[35][36] That same year, Jackson won eight American Music
Awards, the Special Award of Merit and three MTV Video Music
Awards.[37] Thriller was recognized as the world's best-selling album
on February 7, 1984, when it was inducted into the Guinness Book of
World Records.[38] It is one of only three albums to remain in the top
ten of the Billboard 200 for a full year, and spent 37 weeks at number
one out of the 80 consecutive weeks it was in the top ten. The album
was also the first of three to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top ten
singles, and was the only album to be the best-seller of two years
(1983-1984) in the US.[39][40]
On March 6, 2009 Thriller was certified 28x Platinum by the Recording
Industry Association of America, for shipments of at least 28 million
copies in the US giving it Double Diamond Award status there.[41][42]
The album topped the charts in many countries, sold 3.7 million copies
in the UK,[42][43] 2.5 million in Japan[44] and went 14x Platinum in
Australia.[45] Still popular today, Thriller sells an estimated
130,000 copies in the US per year; it reached number two in the US
Catalog charts in February 2003 and number 39 in the UK in March
2007.[37] The album is cited as having sold between 47 and 109 million
copies worldwide; the Guinness Book of World Records lists Thriller as
having sold 65 million copies as of 2007.[46][47][48][49][50]
[edit] Influence and legacy
[edit] Music industry
Blender described Jackson as the "late twentieth century pre-eminent
pop icon", while The New York Times gave the opinion that he was a
"musical phenomenon", and that "in the world of pop music, there is
Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[28][51] Jackson changed
the way the industry functioned: both as an artistic persona, and as a
financial, profitable entity. His attorney John Branca observed that
Jackson achieved the highest royalty rate in the music industry to
that point: approximately $2 for each album sold. As a result, Jackson
earned record-breaking profits from compact disc sales, and from the
sale of copies of the documentary, The Making of Michael Jackson's
Thriller, produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the film
sold over 350,000 copies in its first few months. In a market then
driven by singles, Thriller raised the significance of albums, yet its
multiple hit singles changed perceived notions as to the number of
successful singles that could be taken from an individual album.[52]
The era saw the arrival of novelties like the Michael Jackson doll,
that appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[30] Thriller
retains a position in American culture; biographer J. Randy
Taraborrelli explains, "At some point, Thriller stopped selling like a
leisure item--like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie--and
started selling like a household staple".[53]
At the time of the album's release, a press statement from Gil
Friesen, the then President of A&M Records, read that, "The whole
industry has a stake in this success".[30] Time magazine speculated
that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its
best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated
total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion".[30] Time summed up Thriller's
impact as a "restoration of confidence" for an industry bordering on
"the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop". The
publication described Jackson's influence at that point as, "Star of
records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music
business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with
the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all
boundaries of taste and style and color too".[30]
[edit] Music videos and racial equality
Before the success of Thriller, many felt Jackson had struggled to get
MTV airing because he was black.[28] In an effort to attain air time
for Jackson, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff pressured MTV and
declared, "I'm not going to give you any more videos and I'm going to
go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play
music by a black guy".[28] His position persuaded MTV to begin airing
"Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", which led to a long partnership and
later helped other black music artists to gain mainstream
recognition.[54] MTV deny claims of racism in their broadcasting.[55]
The popularity of his videos, such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean",
helped to place the young channel "on the map", and MTV's focus
shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[54][56]
Jackson in the revolutionary Thriller videoJackson transformed the
medium of music video into an art form and promotional tool through
the use of complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and
cameo appearances by well known personalities.[25] When the
14-minute-long Thriller video aired, MTV ran it twice an hour to meet
demand.[57] The short film marked an increase in scale for music
videos and has been routinely named the best music video ever.[52] The
popularity of the video sent the album back to number one in the album
chart, but Jackson's label did not support the release of the third
music video from the album. They were already pleased with its
success, so Jackson convinced MTV to fund the project.[21][57] Author,
music critic and journalist Nelson George wrote in 2004, "It's
difficult to hear the songs from Thriller and disengage them from the
videos. For most of us the images define the songs. In fact it could
be argued that Michael is the first artist of the MTV age to have an
entire album so intimately connected in the public imagination with
its imagery".[24] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to
Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has been
frequently imitated.[19] The choreography in Thriller has become a
part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to
prisons in the Philippines.[58][59]
For a black artist in the 1980s to that point, Jackson's success was
unprecedented. According to The Washington Post, Thriller paved the
way for other African-American artists such as Prince.[60] "The Girl
Is Mine" was credited for getting interracial love on the radio.[61]
Time noted, "Jackson is the biggest thing since The Beatles. He is the
hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most
popular black singer ever".[30]
[edit] Contemporary appeal
A Michael Jackson celebrity impersonator for the 25th anniversary of
the album Thriller at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival with performers
from Step It Up and Dance.Today, the album is still viewed in a
positive light by critics some two decades later. Stephen Thomas
Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album the maximum five stars, and wrote
that the record had something to interest everyone. He believed it
showcased harder funk and hard rock while remaining "undeniably fun".
He went on to compliment "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin'
Somethin'" and said, "The record's two best songs: 'Billie Jean,
...and the delirious 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'', the freshest funk
on the album [but] the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson
ever recorded." Erlewine gave the opinion that it was an improvement
on the artist's previous album, although Allmusic was critical of the
title track, describing it as "ridiculous" and as having the effect of
"arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its
momentum".[1] Slant Magazine gave the album five stars and, like the
Allmusic review and the original Rolling Stone review, paid compliment
to the lyrics of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[6]
The author Nelson George wrote that Jackson "has educated R. Kelly,
Usher, Justin Timberlake and countless others with Thriller as a
textbook".[62] As a sign of the album's longevity, in 2003 Thriller
was ranked at number 20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of
All Time list, and was listed by the National Association of Recording
Merchandisers at number three of the Definitive 200 Albums of All
Time.[63][64] In 2008, 25 years after its release, the record was
inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and, a few weeks later, was
among 25 recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the
National Recording Registry as "culturally significant".[65][66] In
2009, music critics for MTV Base and VH1 both listed Thriller as the
best album released since 1981.[67] Thriller, along with other critic
favorites were then polled by the public. 40,000 people found Thriller
to be the Best Album of all time by MTV Generation, gaining a third of
all votes.[67][68]
[edit] Reissues and catalog sales
Thriller was reissued in 2001 in an expanded set titled Thriller:
Special Edition. The original tracks were remastered, and the album
included a new booklet and bonus material, including the songs
"Someone In the Dark", "Carousel", and Jackson's original "Billie
Jean" demo, as well as audio interviews with Jones and Temperton
discussing the recording of the album.[19][69] Sony also hired sound
engineer and mixer Mick Guzauski [70][71] to work with Jackson on
creating 5.1-channel surround sound mixes of Thriller, as well as all
his other albums, for release on the then-new Super Audio CD format.
Despite numerous retries, the artist never approved any of the
mixes.[72] Consequently, Thriller was issued on SACD with the stereo
mix only.
In February 2008, Epic Records released Thriller 25; Jackson served as
executive producer.[42] Thriller 25 appeared on CD, USB and vinyl with
seven bonus tracks, a new song called "For All Time", Vincent Price's
voice-over, and five re-mixes featuring American artists Fergie,
will.i.am, Kanye West, and Akon.[42][73][74] It also included a DVD
featuring three music videos, the Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance,
and a booklet with a message from Jackson.[42] The ballad "For All
Time" supposedly dates from 1982, but is often credited as being from
Dangerous sessions.[75] Two singles were released from the reissue:
"The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008".
Thriller 25 was a commercial success and did particularly well as a
reissue. It peaked at number one in eight countries and Europe. It
peaked at number two in the US, number three in the UK and reached the
top 10 in over 30 national charts. It was certified Gold in 11
countries including the UK, received a 2x Gold certification in France
and received platinum certification in Poland.[76][77][78] In the
United States, Thriller 25 was the second best-selling album of its
release week, selling one hundred and sixty six thousand copies, just
fourteen thousand short of reaching the number one position. It was
ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release but entered the
Pop Catalog Charts at number one (where it stayed for ten
non-consecutive weeks),[79] with the best sales on that chart since
December, 1996.[80][81][82] With the arrival of Halloween that
November, Thriller 25 spent an eleventh non-consecutive week atop the
US catalog chart. This brought US sales of the album to 688,000
copies, making it the best selling catalog album of 2008.[83] This was
Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, selling three million
copies worldwide in 12 weeks.[84]
After Jackson's death in June 2009, Thriller set additional records.
It sold more than 100,000 copies, placing it at number two on the Top
Pop Catalog Albums chart. Songs from Thriller also helped Jackson
become the first artist to sell more than one million song downloads
in a week.[85]
[edit] Track listing
All songs written and composed by Michael Jackson, except where noted.
# Title Length
1. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" 6:02
2. "Baby Be Mine" (Rod Temperton) 4:20
3. "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney) 3:42
4. "Thriller" (Temperton) 5:57
5. "Beat It" 4:17
6. "Billie Jean" 4:54
7. "Human Nature" (John Bettis, Steve Porcaro) 4:05
8. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (James Ingram, Quincy Jones) 3:58
9. "The Lady in My Life" (Temperton) 4:59
2001 Special Edition
# Title Length
10. "Interview with Quincy Jones #1" 2:18
11. "Someone in the Dark (previously unreleased)"
(Bergman/Bergman/Temperton) 4:48
12. "Interview with Quincy Jones #2" 2:04
13. "Billie Jean (Demo) (previously unavailable)" (Jackson) 2:20
14. "Interview with Quincy Jones #3" 3:10
15. "Interview with Rod Temperton #1" 4:02
16. "Interview with Quincy Jones #4" 1:32
17. "Voice-Over Session from "Thriller" (previously unreleased)"
(Temperton) 2:52
18. "Interview with Rod Temperton #2" 1:56
19. "Interview with Quincy Jones #5" 2:01
20. "Carousel (previously unreleased)" (Sembello/D. Freeman) 1:49
21. "Interview with Quincy Jones #6" 1:17
[edit] Personnel
Brian Barns - keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Michael Boddicker - keyboards, synthesizers
N'dugu Chancler - drums
Paulinho da Costa - percussion
David Foster - keyboards, synthesizers
Gary Grant - trumpet and flügelhorn
Eddie Van Halen - guitar ("Beat It")
Jerry Hey - trumpet and flügelhorn
Michael Jackson - co-producer, lead and backup vocals, drums
Paul Jackson - guitar
Louis Johnson - bass guitar
Quincy Jones - producer
Steve Lukather - guitar, bass guitar
Anthony Marinelli - synthesizer programming
Paul McCartney - vocals ("The Girl Is Mine")
David Paich - keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Dean Parks - guitar
Greg Phillinganes - keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Jeff Porcaro - drums, horn and string arrangements
Steve Porcaro - keyboards, synthesizers, programming
Vincent Price - voice-over ("Thriller")
Bill Reichenbach - trombone
Bruce Swedien - recording engineer, mixer
Rod Temperton - keyboards, synthesizers
David Williams - guitar
Larry Williams - saxophone and flute
Bill Wolfer - keyboards, synthesizers
[edit] See also
List of best-selling albums worldwide
List of best-selling albums in the United States
[edit] References
George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection
booklet. Sony BMG.
Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta,
WV: Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4.
[edit] Notes
^ a b c d e Erlewine, Stephen (February 19, 2007). "Thriller
Overview". Allmusic.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A9kqog44ttvjz. Retrieved
on June 15, 2008.
^ a b Christgau, Robert (December 28, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer
Guide, Dec 28th, 1982". Robert Christgau.com.
http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv12-82.php. Retrieved on July
3, 2008.
^ a b Maker, Melody (1982). "Thriller Review". Uncut Presents NME
Originals 80's (2005): 68.
^ "Review: Thriller". Q (January 2000): 138.
^ a b c d e f Connelly, Christopher (January 28, 1983). "Michael
Jackson: Thriller". Rolling Stone.
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/albums/album/303823/review/6067536/thriller.
Retrieved on June 15, 2008.
^ a b c Henderson, Eric (2003). "Michael Jackson: Thriller". Slant
Magazine. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=358.
Retrieved on June 15, 2008.
^ Rosenberg, Tal (19 June 2007). "Review: Thriller". Stylus Magazine.
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/diamond/michael-jackson-thriller.htm.
Retrieved on 13 June 2009.
^ a b Rockwell, John (December 19, 1982). "Michael Jackson's
Thriller': Superb Job". The New York Times.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E4D71F39F93AA25751C1A964948260.
Retrieved on July 3, 2008.
^ artist development
^ "Grammy Award Winners". The Recording Academy.
http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=Michael+Jackson&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1.
Retrieved on February 14, 2008.
^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "Off the Wall Overview". Allmusic.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A7cu1z85ajyv6. Retrieved
on June 15, 2008.
^ a b Holden, Stephen (November 1, 1979). "Off the Wall: Michael
Jackson". Rolling Stone.
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/259585/review/6067502/off_the_wall.
Retrieved on July 23, 2008.
^ "Michael Jackson: Off the Wall - Classic albums - Music - Virgin
media". Virgin Media.
http://www.virginmedia.com/music/classicalbums/michaeljackson-offthewall.php.
Retrieved on December 12, 2008.
^ Taraborrelli, p. 196
^ Taraborrelli, p. 206
^ Taraborrelli, p. 190
^ a b Taraborrelli, p. 191
^ a b c Taraborrelli, pp. 220-221
^ a b c d e f Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition Audio.
^ Taraborrelli, pp. 209-210
^ a b c d e f g h "Michael Jackson's Monster Smash". The Daily
Telegraph. November 25, 2007.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/25/sv_thriller.xml.
Retrieved on April 20, 2008.
^ Ebony Magazine: Michael: 25 Years After Thriller, December 2007, pg. 97-98
^ a b Jackson, Michael. Interview with Jesse Jackson. March 2005.
^ a b George, p. 23
^ a b c d e Huey, Steve. "Michael Jackson - Biography". Allmusic.
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kifuxqe5ldae~T1.
Retrieved on November 11, 2006.
^ a b c d e f g Taraborrelli, pp. 223-225
^ Pareles, Jon (September 1987). "Critic's Notebook; How Good Is
Jackson's 'Bad'?". The New York Times.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1DC1F38F930A3575AC0A961948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fJ%2fJackson%2c%20Michael.
Retrieved on April 19, 2007.
^ a b c d "Michael Jackson, "Billy Jean"". Blender. October 2005.
http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=1777. Retrieved on April
11, 2007.
^ "Michael Jackson: Biography". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
2004. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaeljackson/biography.
Retrieved on February 14, 2008.
^ a b c d e f g h Cocks, Jay (March 1984). "Why He's a Thriller".
Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,950053-1,00.html.
Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
^ George, p. 22
^ "Sold On Song Top 100". British Broadcasting Corporation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/billiejean.shtml.
Retrieved on April 5, 2008.
^ "Sold On Song". British Broadcasting Corporation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/thriller.shtml.
Retrieved on April 5, 2008.
^ "Sessions". Steve Lukather. 2006.
http://www.stevelukather.net/Biography.aspx. Retrieved on April 5,
2008.
^ "Grammy for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and Bruce Swedien".
Grammy. http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx.
Retrieved on February 25, 2009.
^ Guinness World Records (2006). Guinness World Records 2007. New
York: Guinness World Records Ltd. ISBN 1-904994-12-1.
^ a b Jackson, Michael. Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet.
^ Taraborrelli, p. 482 (pictures)
^ "The Billboard 200 Albums - 1983".
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+200&g=Year-end+Albums&year=1983.
Retrieved on 2009-07-07.
^ "The Billboard 200 Albums - 1984".
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+200&g=Year-end+Albums&year=1984.
Retrieved on 2009-07-07.
^ "Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=tblTop100&action=.
Retrieved on April 8, 2008.
^ a b c d e "Sony announce Thriller 25". Reuters. November 30, 2007.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS58333+30-Nov-2007+PRN20071130.
Retrieved on April 17, 2008.
^ Day, Elizabeth (March 16, 2008). "The whole world in his hands". The
Guardian.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2265010,00.html#article_continue.
Retrieved on April 21, 2008.
^ "Michael Jackson Remains A Global Phenomenon". Billboard magazine.
July 2, 2009.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/michael-jackson-remains-a-global-phenomenon-1003990447.story?pn=5.
Retrieved on July 3, 2009.
^ "ARIA Charts-Accreditations-2009 Albums". ARIA.
http://aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupagesARIACharts-Accreditations-2009Albums.htm.
Retrieved on June 6, 2009.
^ George, p. 53
^ White, Jim (March 12, 2007). "Michael Jackson's Thriller is old
hat". The Daily Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/12/03/do0302.xml.
Retrieved on May 10, 2008.
^ "Michael Jackson Opens Up". CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS). November 6,
2007.
http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/06/music/main3461884.shtml??source=RSS&attr=_3461884.
Retrieved on April 5, 2008.
^ Winterman, Denise (November 30, 2007). "Thrills and spills and
record breaks". British Broadcasting Corporation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7117000.stm. Retrieved on
April 6, 2008.
^ "Music Icon Quincy Jones Kicks-Off New Series in Tribune
Newspapers". PR Newswire. January 16, 2009.
http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-16-2009/0004956264&EDATE=.
Retrieved on January 24, 2009.
^ "Michael Jackson At 25: A Musical Phenomenon". The New York Times.
January 1984.
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40F10FB3A5C0C778DDDA80894DC484D81.
Retrieved on May 15, 2007.
^ a b "Michael Jackson". VH1. 2007.
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/jackson_michael/bio.jhtml. Retrieved on
February 22, 2007.
^ Taraborrelli, p. 226
^ a b Gundersen, Edna (August 25, 2005). "music videos changing
places". USA Today.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-08-25-mtv_x.htm.
Retrieved on April 6, 2008.
^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_14_110/ai_n16807343/
^ "Why Are Michael Jackson's Fans So Devoted?". ABC News. February 23,
2005. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/LegalCenter/story?id=464753&page=1.
Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
^ a b Taraborrelli, pp. 270-271
^ "1500 Prisoners Perform Thriller Dance". The Wrong Advices. July 21,
2007.
http://thewrongadvices.com/lazy-monkey/1500-prisoners-perform-thriller-dance/.
Retrieved on April 5, 2008.
^ "Jacko goes bollywood". TMZ.com. October 3, 2006.
http://www.tmz.com/2006/10/03/jacko-goes-bollywood/. Retrieved on
April 8, 2008.
^ Harrington, Richard (October 1988). "Prince & Michael Jackson: Two
Paths to the Top of Pop". The Washington Post.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/73636369.html?dids=73636369:73636369&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Oct+9%2C+1988&author=Richard+Harrington&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=g.01&desc=Prince+%26+Michael+Jackson%3A+Two+Paths+to+the+Top+of+Pop.
Retrieved on May 21, 2007.
^ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: Artist 932". Robert
Christgau.com. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=932.
Retrieved on June 27, 2008.
^ George, p. 24
^ "20) Thriller". Rolling Stone. November 3, 2003.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6598091/20_thriller. Retrieved
on April 21, 2008.
^ "Definitive 200". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. 2007.
http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/definitive-200. Retrieved on April
8, 2008.
^ "2008 Grammy Hall of Fame" (PDF). The Recording Academy. 2008.
http://www.grammy.com/PressReleases/443_466_Hall%20of%20Fame%20release%20FINAL.pdf.
Retrieved on April 5, 2008.
^ "Thriller, Joni Mitchell album make the cut for US recording
registry". CBC News. May 14, 2008.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2008/05/14/08us-recregistry.html.
Retrieved on May 14, 2008.
^ a b "MTV's Greatest Album Ever - The Results". MTV. (April 9, 2009).
http://www.mtv.co.uk/entertainment/greatest-album-ever/competition/mtvs-greatest-album-ever.
Retrieved on April 9, 2008.
^ "Michael Jackson's album Thriller voted best album since 1981".
Daily Mirror. (April 9, 2009).
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/04/09/michael-jackson-s-album-thriller-voted-best-album-since-1981-115875-21265620/.
Retrieved on April 9, 2008.
^ Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition booklet.
^ Paul Verna (May 1, 2001). "Interview with Mick Guzauski". Mix
Online. http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_mick_guzauski/. Retrieved on
July 7, 2009.
^ Kevin Becka (June 1, 2006). ""Mix Interview: Mick Guzauski"". Mix
Online. http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_mick_guzauski_2/.
Retrieved on July 7, 2009.
^ Roger Friedman (July 23, 2001). "First Jackson Effort Rejected, New
One Not Ready". Fox News.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,30233,00.html. Retrieved on July
7, 2009.
^ "Kanye West, Will.I.Am On New Edition Of Michael Jackson's
Thriller". MTV (Music Television).
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1575462/20071130/west_kanye.jhtml.
Retrieved on December 7, 2007.
^ "Kanye, Akon Help Jackson Revisit 'Thriller'". Billboard. December
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^ "Zona Musical" (in Spanish). zm.nu.
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Retrieved on 2009-07-03.
Preceded by
Business as Usual by Men at Work
Flashdance by Various artists
Synchronicity by The Police
Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie Billboard 200 number-one album
February 26 - June 24, 1983
July 9-22, 1983
September 10-16, 1983
December 24, 1983 - April 20, 1984 Succeeded by
Flashdance by Various artists
Synchronicity by The Police
Synchronicity by The Police
Footloose by Various artists
Preceded by
"Lies" / "Beach Culture" by Thompson Twins Billboard Hot Dance Club
Play number-one single (all cuts)
January 22 - April 2, 1983 Succeeded by
"Jeopardy" by Greg Kihn Band
Preceded by
Business as Usual by Men at Work
War by U2
True by Spandau Ballet
Now That's What I Call Music - Various Artists UK Albums Chart number one album
March 5-11, 1983
March 19-25, 1983
May 21, 1983 - June 24, 1983
January 28, 1984 - February 3, 1984 Succeeded by
War by U2
The Hurting by Tears for Fears
Synchronicity by The Police
Touch by Eurythmics
Preceded by
1983 The Hot Ones by Various artists
The Number Ones by The Beatles
Thru the Roof '83 by Various artists
1984 Shakin' by Various artists Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
June 13-19, 1983
June 27 - July 10, 1983
January 23 - March 4, 1984
March 19 - April 1, 1984 Succeeded by
The Number Ones by The Beatles
Synchronicity by The Police
1984 Shakin' by Various artists
The Swing by INXS
[show]v * d * eMichael Jackson
Main articles Health and appearance · Neverland · 1993 accusations of
child sexual abuse · Living with Michael Jackson · People v. Jackson ·
Death · Memorial service
Studio albums Got to Be There · Ben · Music & Me · Forever, Michael ·
Off the Wall · Thriller · Bad · Dangerous · HIStory · Invincible
Compilations The Best of Michael Jackson · Anthology · Number Ones ·
The Ultimate Collection · The Essential Michael Jackson · Visionary:
The Video Singles · King of Pop
Other releases One Day in Your Life · E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ·
Farewell My Summer Love · Looking Back to Yesterday · Blood on the
Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix · Thriller 25 · Michael Jackson: The
Stripped Mixes · Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection
Concert tours Victory Tour · Bad World Tour · Dangerous World Tour ·
HIStory World Tour · This Is It
Videography The Wiz · Thriller · Captain EO · Moonwalker · "Stark
Raving Dad" · Ghosts · Miss Cast Away · Dome Project
Video releases Dangerous - The Short Films · Video Greatest Hits -
HIStory · HIStory on Film, Volume II · Number Ones · The One · Live in
Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour
Assets Northern Songs · Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Influence on society Moonwalk · Heal the World Foundation · Thrill the
World · Thriller (viral video) · Michael Jackson tribute concert
Related articles Jackson family · The Jackson 5 · Singles discography
· Awards · Records and achievements · Moon Walk · Bubbles · Michael
Jackson's Moonwalker · Lisa Marie Presley · Debbie Rowe
[show]v * d * eQuincy Jones
Albums The Birth Of A Band, Vol. 1 · The Quintessence · The Great Wide
World Of Quincy Jones: Live! · Big Band Bossa Nova · In The Heat of
The Night · Walking In Space · Gula Matari · Smackwater Jack · You've
Got It Bad, Girl · Body Heat · Mellow Madness · I Heard That!! · Roots
· Sounds...And Stuff Like That!! · The Dude · Back on the Block ·
Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux · Q's Jook Joint · Basie And Beyond ·
The Original Jam Sessions 1969
Compilations Ndeda · The Best · From Q With Love · Q: The Musical
Biography Of Quincy Jones
Singles "Soul Bossa Nova"
Other Thriller · E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial · Discography · Category · Tamia
[show]v * d * eGrammy Award for Album of the Year
1959
1960s The Music from Peter Gunn · Come Dance with Me! · The
Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart · Judy at Carnegie Hall · The First
Family · The Barbra Streisand Album · Getz/Gilberto · September of My
Years · Sinatra: A Man and His Music · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band · By the Time I Get to Phoenix
1970s Blood, Sweat & Tears · Bridge Over Troubled Water · Tapestry ·
The Concert For Bangla Desh · Innervisions · Fulfillingness' First
Finale · Still Crazy After All These Years · Songs in the Key of Life
· Rumours · Saturday Night Fever
1980s 52nd Street · Christopher Cross · Double Fantasy · Toto IV ·
Thriller · Can't Slow Down · No Jacket Required · Graceland · The
Joshua Tree · Faith
1990s Back on the Block · Unforgettable... with Love · Unplugged · The
Bodyguard · MTV Unplugged: Tony Bennett · Jagged Little Pill · Falling
into You · Time Out of Mind · The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
2000s Supernatural · Two Against Nature · O Brother, Where Art Thou? ·
Come Away with Me · Speakerboxxx/The Love Below · Genius Loves Company
· How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb · Taking the Long Way · River: The
Joni Letters · Raising Sand
Complete List · Winners (1959-1970) · Winners (1971-1990) · Winners (1991-2010)
Stephen King wrote in the endnotes for his story collection Just After
Sunset (2008) that his newly published novella N. was "strongly
influenced" by Machen's piece, which he noted, "surmounts its rather
clumsy prose and works its way relentlessly into the reader's
terror-zone. How many sleepless nights has it caused? God knows, but a
few of them were mine. I think "Pan" is as close as the horror genre
comes to a great white whale." In another interview he stated: "Not
Lovecraft; it's a riff on Arthur Machen's "The Great God Pan," which
is one of the best horror stories ever written. Maybe the best in the
English language. Mine isn't anywhere near that good, but I loved the
chance to put neurotic behavior--obsessive/compulsive disorder--together
with the idea of a monster-filled macroverse." [2]
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