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Thriller (album)

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This article is about the album. For the single, see Thriller (song). For the music video, see Thriller (music video). For other uses, see Thriller.
Untitled

Thriller is the sixth studio album by American pop singer Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records, quickly becoming the best selling album of all time. It was the first album at number one in the United States and United Kingdom simultaneously. Though sales figures vary with different sources, the album is cited as selling between forty-five and one hundred million copies worldwide. Seven of the nine songs on the album went on to be top 10 singles, including the title track, "Beat It", and "Billie Jean".[2]

Thriller cemented Jackson as the predominant pop star of the late twentieth century, enabling him to break down racial barriers by appearing on MTV, Rolling Stone and going to the White House. The album was the first to use music videos as successful promotional tools, with the videos for "Thriller", "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" all receiving regular rotation and critical acclaim.

The album itself also received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with All Music Guide and Rolling Stone giving near perfect scores. It won many awards, including a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2003, Thriller was ranked #20 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All time list.[3]

In 2001, the album was reissued as Thriller: Special Edition, which contained additional audio interviews, a demo recording and the Grammy winning song "Someone In the Dark". 2008 saw a second reissue as Thriller 25 which contained remixes with several contemporary artists, a previously unreleased sing and a DVD. Thriller 25 was a commercial success, selling more than one million six hundred thousand copies in only nine weeks.

Recording

Thriller was recorded between April and November in 1982, at a production budget of $750,000, with several members of the band Toto.[4] Thriller was the second Jackson album produced with Quincy Jones,[5] the pair worked together on three hundred songs for the album, of which nine were eventually used.[6] Jackson wrote four of Thriller's songs: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney), "Beat It", and "Billie Jean".[7] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper, instead dictating them into a sound recorder and when recording, he sang from memory rather than written words off paper.[8]

The relationship between Jackson and Quincy Jones became strained during recording, with Jackson spending much of his time rehearsing dance steps alone.[8] When the album's nine songs were completed, Jackson was unhappy with the result and remixed every song. Jones believed that "Billie Jean" was not strong enough to be included on the record; Jackson disagreed and kept it. Jones told Jackson that Thriller was unlikely to sell successfully like his previous solo album, Off the Wall because the market had since weakened, to which, Jackson threatened to cancel the release of the album.[9]

Jackson himself rarely commented on the recording of his work, only giving a few interviews a decade. Jones and Rod Temperton, however, 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 it remain because it made him want to dance.[7]

Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes spending weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It", a song for which Jackson wrote and played drums. Eventually they found Eddie Van Halen, who had never informed his band mates about the collaboration until the album was released.[7][8]

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.[8] Always wanting a notable person to speak the ending lyrics, Temperton brought in 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 follow the theme of the album.[7]

Thriller showcased Jackson as a creator of dance hits and ballads. While this preoccupation would continue in his future work, it would also be colored by various shifts and improvisations. Even in this early material, Jackson displayed notable paradoxes, mixing the melodious and comfortable sounds of "Lady in My Life" with the haunting and terrorized environments of "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."[10]

Release

Thriller was released on November 30, 1982 to high sales. It reached number one in the United States and the United Kingdom at the same time, becoming the first album to do so. During its peak, it sold 500,000 copies a week. Thriller was followed by the release of a large number of singles, including "The Girl is Mine". A pop duet between Jackson and Paul McCartney, the song led some to believe that the album would be a disappointment. Others suggested that Jackson was attempting to attract a white audience.[11] "The Girl is Mine" was followed by the hit single "Billie Jean", which made Thriller a chart-topper.[12][13] Success continued with the pop rock hit "Beat It", which featured guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather.[14] The title track "Thriller" was released as a single, also becoming a huge hit internationally.[15]

Thriller reached number one in France, Italy, Australia, Spain, Canada and a number of other countries.[16] The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, including Album of the Year.[17] That same year, Jackson also won eight American Music Awards, the Special Award of Merit, and three MTV Video Music Awards.[2]

Thriller was reissued in 2001 with additional material in an album called Thriller: Special Edition. The original tracks were remastered, along with a new booklet and additional material. The bonus material included the song "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.[7][18]

Epic Records announced the release of the album Thriller 25 in a press release on November 30, 2007, with Jackson serving as executive producer.[16] Released on February 11, 2008, Thriller 25 appeared on CD and vinyl with seven bonus tracks, a new song called "For All Time", Vincent Price's voice-over, and five remixes featuring Fergie, will.i.am, Kanye West and Akon.[16][19][20] It also included a DVD featuring three award-winning music videos, the Emmy-nominated Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance, and a booklet with a message from Jackson.[16] The ballad "For All Time" supposedly dates from 1982, but leaks often credit it as being from Dangerous sessions.[21] Both the leaked vocals and new performances were included on this track. Two singles were released from the reissue: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008".

Reception

Critical

Thriller was critically received with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide gave the album a full five stars, stating that the record had something that would interest everyone. He commented that it was an improvement on Jackson's last album, as it showcased harder funk and rock while remaining "undeniably fun". He went on to to compliment "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Something", saying, "... The record's two best songs: 'Billie Jean,' ... and the delirious 'Wanna Be Startin' Something', the freshest funk on the album [but] the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded." [22]

Further praise came from a four-star Rolling Stone review by Christopher Connelly, who described Thriller as "a zesty LP" with a "harrowing, dark message". [23]

Despite the positive response, the title track came under the strongest criticism, with All Music Guide and Rolling Stone expressing similar sentiment:

... the title song, which at first sounds like a metaphoric examination of the same under-siege mentality that marks the LP's best moments, instead degenerates into silly camp, with a rap by Vincent Price. (Couldn't they get Count Floyd?).[23]

... the ridiculous, late-night house-of-horrors title track is the prime culprit, arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its momentum.[22]

Slant magazine also gave the album a full five stars, and like the reviews by All Music Guide and Rolling Stone, it paid particular compliment to the lyrics of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". All three reviews questioned the meaning behind some of Jackson's paranoid and controversial lyrics on the song.[24] The lyrics, "Somebody's always tryin' to start my baby crying," and the near-bitter: "You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable/They'll eat off you, you're a vegetable." have become popular with most critics. "Billie Jean", which became Jackson's best-selling single, was described by Blender as "one of the most sonically eccentric, psychologically fraught, downright bizarre things ever to land on Top 40 radio".[25]

Commercial

Thriller is one of only three albums to remain in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for a full year, spending thirty-seven weeks at number one out of the eighty consecutive weeks it was on the chart. 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 United States. Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America,[26] giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US.[16]

The album went to number one in Australia (selling one hundred and sixty five thousand copies), Argentina (selling six hundred thousand copies), Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK (selling nearly four million copies), and a number of other countries.[16][27][28][29]

Still popular today, Thriller sells an estimated one hundred and thirty thousand copies in the United States per year, having reached number two in the US Catalog charts in February 2003 and number thirty-nine in the UK in March 2007.[2] The album is cited as selling between forty-five and one hundred million copies worldwide,[30][31] while the Guinness Book of World Records, lists Thriller as selling sixty-five million copies as of 2007.[32]

Thriller 25 was a commercial success, doing particularly well as a re-issue. It peaked at number one in eight counties, Europe, and the United World Chart for two weeks. It peaked at number two in the United States, number three in the United Kingdom and reached the top ten in over thirty national charts. It was certified Gold in eleven countries, including the UK, doing even better in France, received a 2x Gold certification, and in Poland it received platinum certification.

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 stayed on the Pop Catalog Charts at number one for eight weeks, with the best sales on that chart since December 1996.[33][34][35] This was Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, with five hundred thousand copies in the United States,[36] and one million six hundred thousand copies sold worldwide in nine weeks.[37]

Highly publicized events

A number of highly publicized events, from 1983 to 1985, have been attributed to increasing the sales of the album. On March 25, 1983 Jackson performed "Billie Jean" live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. Debuting his signature move – the moonwalk – Jackson's performances during the event caused many to view him as one of the greatest dancers of all time. The performance was extraordinarily popular, with over forty-seven million views of the first televised airing, which was often compared to Elvis Presley and the The Beatles appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show.[38]

On January 27, 1984, Jackson began filming two Pepsi Cola commercials in front of a simulated live audience at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. As Jackson descended a podium, fireworks set his hair alight. Jackson was taken out of the building on a stretcher in front of the public and photographers. The accident was the lead story on most international television and newspaper reporters. Jackson received sympathy from the public, celebrities and even President Ronald Reagan. When the recording of the accident was released to the press, Thriller's sales were up one hundred and fifty thousand copies from the previous week.[39]

Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys. It was the highest-rated Grammys telecast in history (although it has since slipped into second place). The subsequent week saw Thriller have its second-best week sales figures ever in America.[40] Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the Jacksons' "Victory Tour", which began on July 6, 1984 showcased much of Michael Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans and increased the sales of Thriller.[41]

On March 7, 1985, the charity single song "We Are the World" was released worldwide to aid people in Africa and the United States. Written primarily by Jackson, with help from Lionel Richie, it became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly twenty million copies sold and millions of dollars raised for charity. It was the first instance where Jackson became seen as a humanitarian. Three months after the release of "We Are the World," sales of Thriller rose thirty percent over the sales of the prior three months.[42]

Influence and legacy

Music industry

Jackson at the White House in 1984

Blender called Jackson the "late twentieth century pre-eminent pop icon",[25] while The New York Times called Jackson a "musical phenomenon", commenting that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else."[43] Time magazine explained 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."[44] Thriller retains a position in American culture, with J. Randy Taraborrelli explaining, "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."[45]

Thriller revolutionized the music industry, breaking numerous records. Gil Friesen, President of A&M Records, said "the whole industry has a stake in this success."[44] The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold over three hundred and fifty thousand copies in a few months of sales.[44] Thriller raised the importance of albums, but multiple hits also changed notions about the number of singles to release.[46] 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".[44]

Music videos and race

It is often claimed that Jackson was the first to turn music videos into an art form with influential storytelling and choreography styles.[47] Short films like "Thriller" largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has been frequently imitated. Also, the choreography in "Thriller" has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to prisons in the Philippines.[48][49]

Jackson in the revolutionary "Thriller" video

Central to Jackson's success with music videos was the rock music TV channel MTV. Before the success of Thriller, Jackson had struggled to get MTV airing because he was African American.[25] In an effort to get Jackson on the air, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff pressured MTV, saying, "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".[25] This stance persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson and helping other black music artists gain recognition.[50]

When the fourteen-minute-long "Thriller" video aired in December 1983, MTV ran it twice an hour to meet demand. The short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the best music video ever.[46] The popularity of the video sent the album back to number one in the album chart, but surprisingly, Jackson's label was not in support of releasing the third music video from the album. They were already happy with its success, so Jackson funded the project himself, recouping the loss later.[8] MTV, which was then a new music cable channel, became popular, with Jackson's videos were credited as "putting MTV on the map," and MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[51][52]

Jackson's success was unusual for a black artist in the 1980s but his popularity saw him one of the first African Americans on a Rolling Stone cover, and was one of the first to have a replica doll made of him.[53] Thriller put black music on US radio for the first time in years, paving the way for other acts like Prince.[54] On May 14, 1984 Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award. The event, notable because Jackson was African American and he met a Republican President, was seen as a positive move forward in social views towards race.[55]

Contemporary artists

Template:Sound sample box align left Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end Thriller influenced, among others, some of the biggest stars of the last decade, such as Mariah Carey,[56] Usher,[57] Britney Spears,[56] Beyoncé Knowles, Justin Timberlake[58] and Rap artists such as Kanye West praised and sampled Thriller as well.

In 2001, Timberlake and Spears had a meeting with their idol Jackson. They both praised him, with Timberlake saying:

How about when you did the moonwalk on the motown show? Man, that was fucking cool. You are the coolest, Michael. I can't believe I am standing here with Michael Fucking Jackson...How about the "Thriller" video? That was the best. You revolutionized videos, dude. You are the fucking best.[59]

The album has been sampled by various contemporary artists. In 1993, "Right Here/Human Nature" by SWV sampled "Human Nature," and three years later, LL Cool J and Boyz II Men sampled "Lady In My Life" for their Grammy-winning single, "Hey Lover".[60][61] "The Way It Is" by The Prodigy recreated the bassline from "Thriller" and in 2006, Charlotte Church and Amy Winehouse sang "Beat It" at the end of the The Charlotte Church Show's first series.[62][63] As the twenty-fifth anniversary of Thriller approached, two further tributes to the album were made: the Kanye West song "Good Life" featured keys from "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" sampled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[64][65]

In 2008, twenty five years after its release, Thriller was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[66]

Track listings


Thriller 25 bonus content

Original album credits

    		•
    • Keyboards/synthesizers: Michael Boddicker, David Foster, Bill Wolfer, Rod Temperton
    • Synthesizer programming: Anthony Marinelli
    • Horn and string arrangements: Jerry Hey
    • Backup vocals: James Ingram, Bunny Hull and Becky Lopez
    • Recording engineer/mixer: Bruce Swedien
    • Technical engineer: Matt Forger
    • Producer: Quincy Jones
    • Co-producer, lead and backup vocals: Michael Jackson

    • See also

    Notes

    1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Michael Jackson - Thriller". Artist Direct. Retrieved 2006-02-03.
    2. ^ a b c Jackson, Michael. Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet.
    3. ^ "20) Thriller". Rollingstone. 2003-11-03. Retrieved 2008-04-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    4. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 220
    5. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 220
    6. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 220
    7. ^ a b c d e Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition Audio.
    8. ^ a b c d e "Michael Jackson's Monster Smash". telegraph. 2007-11-25. Retrieved 2008-04-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    9. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 221
    10. ^ Pareles, Jon (September 1987). "Critic's Notebook; How Good Is Jackson's 'Bad'?". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-19.
    11. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 223
    12. ^ "Sold On Song Top 100". BBC. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
    13. ^ "Sold On Song". BBC. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
    14. ^ "Sessions". Steve Lukather. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
    15. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 224
    16. ^ a b c d e f "Sony announce Thriller 25". reuters. 2007-11-30. Retrieved 2008-04-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    17. ^ Guinness World Records (2006). Guinness World Records 2007. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-12-1.
    18. ^ Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition booklet.
    19. ^ "Kanye West, Will.I.Am On New Edition Of Michael Jackson's Thriller". mtv.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    20. ^ "Kanye, Akon Help Jackson Revisit 'Thriller'". billboard.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    21. ^ Paphides, Pete (2008-02-08). "Michael Jackson: Thriller 25". The Times. Retrieved 2008-04-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    22. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. "Thriller overview". allmusicguide. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
    23. ^ a b Connelly, Christopher (1983-01-29). "Thriller review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-04-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    24. ^ Henderson, Eric. "Thriller review". slant magazine. Retrieved 2008-04-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    25. ^ a b c d "Michael Jackson, "Billy Jean:". blender.com. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
    26. ^ "Gold and Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
    27. ^ "Pagina de SonyBmg - Sony sales". Sony BMG. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
    28. ^ "RIANZ". rianz.org. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
    29. ^ Day, Elizabeth (2008-03-16). "The whole world in his hands". guardian. Retrieved 2008-04-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    30. ^ Huey, Steve (2007). "Michael Jackson". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-04-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    31. ^ "Michael Jackson Opens Up". CBS. 2007-11-06. Retrieved 2008-04-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    32. ^ Winterman, Denise. "Thrills and spills and record breaks". BBC. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
    33. ^ Caulfield, Keith (2008-02-20). "Big Grammy Gains For Many; King of Pop Returns". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
    34. ^ Hasty, Katy (2008-02-20). "Johnson Remains No. 1; Winehouse, Hancock Soar". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
    35. ^ "US fans shun CD". BBC. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
    36. ^ Friedman, Roger (2008-04-10). "Three million dollars not enough". fox news. Retrieved 2008-04-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    37. ^ Global Album Chart: week 09 / 2008, week 10 / 2008, week 11 / 2008, week 12 / 2008, week 13 / 2008, week 14 / 2008, week 15 / 2008, week 16 / 2008, week17 / 2008. United World Chart. Retrieved on March 30, 2008.
    38. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 238–241
    39. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 279–286
    40. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 291–297
    41. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 315–319
    42. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 340–344
    43. ^ "MICHAEL JACKSON AT 25: A MUSICAL PHENOMENON". New York Times. January 1984. Retrieved 2007-05-15. {{cite news}}: line feed character in |publisher= at position 10 (help)
    44. ^ a b c d Cocks, Jay (March 1984). "Why He's a Thriller". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    45. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 226
    46. ^ a b "Michael Jackson". vh1.com. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
    47. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 245–247
    48. ^ "1500 Prisoners Perform Thriller Dance". The Wrong Advices. 2007-07-21. Retrieved 2008-04-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    49. ^ "Jacko goes bollywood". tmz.com. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
    50. ^ Gundersen, Edna. "music videos changing places". usatoday. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
    51. ^ "Why Are Michael Jackson's Fans So Devoted?". abcnews.com. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
    52. ^ "Music videos changing places". abcnews.com. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
    53. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 191
    54. ^ Harrington, Richard (October 1988). "Prince & Michael Jackson: Two Paths to the Top of Pop". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
    55. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 304–307
    56. ^ a b "Michael Jackson". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
    57. ^ "Usher, Usher, Usher: The new 'King of Pop'?". cnn.com. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
    58. ^ "Man in the Mirror". citypages.com. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
    59. ^ Taraborrelli, p. 226
    60. ^ Kaufman, Gil (2007-02-19). "Where have you been?". MTV. Retrieved 2008-04-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    61. ^ Coker, Cheo H. (1996-02-08). "Review of "Mr. Smith"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-04-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    62. ^ McLean, Craig (2004-08-23). "Prodigy and more". telegraphy. Retrieved 2008-04-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    63. ^ Empire, Kitty (2007-02-25). "good girl gone bad". guardian. Retrieved 2008-04-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    64. ^ West, Kanye. Graduation booklet.
    65. ^ Rihanna. Good Girl Gone Bad booklet.
    66. ^ "2008 Grammy Hall of Fame" (PDF). The Recording Academy. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    67. ^ Jackson, Michael. Thriller 25 booklet.

    References


    Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
    February 26 – June 24 1983
    July 9 – July 22 1983
    September 10 – September 16 1983
    December 24 1983 – April 20 1984     		Succeeded by


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