Thriller (song)
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| "Thriller" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Michael Jackson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Thriller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | Can't Get Outta the Rain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | January 23, 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | 7", 12", CD single | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Dance-pop Funk |
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| Length | 5:57 (Album Version) 5:12 (2003 Radio Edit) 4:37 (Special Edit) 4:09 (Remixed Short Version) |
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| Label | Epic Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Rod Temperton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michael Jackson singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Thriller" is a 1984 hit single recorded by Michael Jackson for the Epic label. In the U.S., it reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number one on the Radio & Records singles charts,[1] while in the UK, it peaked at number ten. On February 20, 2006, the single, as well as the video, was re-released as part of the Visionary: The Video Singles package. The 14-minute video is regarded by MTV[2] as the greatest music video of all-time, and the song itself is considered to be one of Jackson's signature songs. The single was released in the United Kingdom, in November 1983.
The song remains popular as evidenced by sales of over 1,159,000 digital downloads in the U.S. alone[3] and regularly returns to the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart,[4] since the chart's inception in 2005.
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[edit] Song information
Written by Rod Temperton, produced by Quincy Jones, and featuring a guest soliloquy from the late Vincent Price, "Thriller" is one of Jackson's signature songs, in no small part because of its music video.
The original U.S. 7" single does not feature the rap by Vincent Price.
The original name for "Thriller" single was "Starlight Love" and demos put it as "Starlight Sun". The hook was changed to "Thriller! Thriller night..." from "Starlight! Starlight sun..."
The song is included on Jackson's Thriller album, which was released on December 1, 1982, and was the seventh and final single pulled from it.
A voice-over recording session of "Thriller" appears on the special edition version of the album, released in 2001. This session features additional verses of the rap performed by Vincent Price, which were removed from the final version of the song.
The backing track, especially the bassline, has certain similarities to the 1981 number-one R&B hit "Give It to Me Baby" by Rick James.[5]
A new edit of the song, omitting much of the intro, was made in 2003 for the compilation Number Ones.
Jackson performed the song on his Bad Tour, Dangerous Tour, and his HIStory Tour. He planned to perform it on his This Is It concert series but the concert series was cancelled when he suddenly died.
[edit] Music video
[edit] Credits
- Written and composed by Rod Temperton
- Produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
- Featuring: Speech by Vincent Price
- Co-Starring: Ola Ray
- Synthesizers: Greg Phillinganes, Rod Temperton and Brian Banks (keyboardist)
- Synthesizer programming: Anthony Marinelli
- Guitar: David Williams
- Trumpet and flügelhorn: Jerry Hey
- Trumpet and flügelhorn: Gary Grant
- Saxophone and flute: Larry Williams
- Trombone: Bill Reichenbach
- Vocal, rhythm and synthesizer arrangement by Rod Temperton
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
- Effects by Bruce Cannon and Bruce Swedien
[edit] Charts
| Chart (1983/1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Charts | 4 |
| Belgium Singles Chart | 1 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 3 |
| French Singles Chart | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 21 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 20 |
| UK Singles Chart | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| Australian ARIA Charts | 3 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 25 |
| Finnish Singles Chart[6] | 11 |
| French Digital Singles Chart[7] | 3 |
| German Singles Chart[8] | 9 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[9] | 7 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 8 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 4[10] |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 |
| Spanish Singles Charts | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3[11] |
| UK Singles Chart | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs[12] | 1 |
[edit] Track Listing
Visionary Single
- Cd Side:
- Thriller (Remixed Short Version) - 4:09
- Thriler (Album Version) - 5:58
- Dvd Side
- Thriller (Music Video) - 13:40
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Cashbox, Billboard, Radio&Records NO. 1 Singles (1984)
- ^ http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/mtv100.htm rockonthenet.com
- ^ Paul Grein, Chart Watch - Week Ending March 15, 2009: The Idol With The Most, music.yahoo.com
- ^ "Thriller - Hot Digital Songs Search Results, Billboard.com, Retrieved June 16, 2009
- ^ "Review of "Anthology" by Rick James". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0jfwxql0ldte. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ Suomen virallinen lista
- ^ Download France Single Top 50
- ^ Michael Jackson - Thriller - Music Charts
- ^ Michael Jackson: Thriller - VG-lista. Offisielle hitlister fra og med 1958
- ^ "Italian Singles Chart". http://www.fimi.it/classifiche_digital.php.
- ^ "Swiss Singles Chart Archives". hitparade.ch. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Michael+Jackson&titel=Thriller&cat=s. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ^ US Hot Digital Songs Chart
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