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Michael Jackson was already a superstar in 1982, after years of performing with his brothers as part of the chart-topping groups The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons. But after falling relatively flat with a few so-so solo projects, he found success with the disco-inspired album “Off the Wall” in 1979.
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Three years later, Jackson was looking to outdo himself with his follow-up album and enlisted the help of Quincy Jones to help him create what we know and love as “Thriller.” The album was a certified hit, spending 37 weeks at number one on the charts and producing seven top 10 singles. Over 40 years after its November 1982 release, “Thriller” has sold over 70 million copies worldwide.
In honor of Black History Month, a new Michael Jackson movie slated this year and Jackson’s record-breaking success, we’re looking at the story behind the making of the musical masterpiece that is “Thriller.”
A Bad Time for The Industry
Michael Jackson was set to release his Thriller album in 1982, but while he’d already proven himself as a solo success with 1979's “Off the Wall,” the recording industry was in a major slump. Disco was all but dead, record sales were down and record companies were blaming people using cassettes to record mix tapes at home for the decline.
Finding a Producer
Jackson reached out to the legendary Quincy Jones to produce the “Thriller” album. The duo already had success on the R&B charts with his 1979 album “Off the Wall,” but they had high hopes of expanding their reach to the pop charts with this project. Jones, who was known as a talented jazz conductor and arranger commissioned 62 musicians and 22 singers for the project.
When asked for his favorite moment while working on the album, Jones told Entertainment Tonight “there’s no such thing.”
Jones called working on the album a spiritual process. “You can’t see music, you can’t taste it, you can’t touch it, you can’t smell it, but man you sure can feel it,” he said.
“The Girl Is Mine”
Record executives, worried about the reception Jackson’s new album would receive, chose “The Girl is Mine,” an easy listening duet with Beatles singer Paul McCartney as the first track.
But while the song they thought would be the best way to introduce Jackson’s project to a mainstream audience, reached the top of the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, it got a lukewarm reception from critics. Jones noted that some radio stations were hesitant to play “The Girl is Mine” because they didn’t like the idea of a song about McCartney and Jackson fighting over the same woman.
“Billie Jean”
“Thriller” had its first hit single with “Billie Jean.” The song spent a total of 24 weeks on the Hot 100 chart and seven weeks at number one.
The universal jam, which still makes people flock to the dance floor, is known for its funky baseline during the intro – something Jones said he originally tried to get Jackson to cut.
“You could shave on that intro,” he told Rolling Stone. “But he said, ‘That’s the jelly, that’s what makes me want to dance.’ And when Michael Jackson tells you that’s what makes him want to dance, well, the rest of us just have to shut up.”
Although Jackson never told anyone who the real “Billie Jean” was, he did write in his book “Moonwalk” that the song was a composite of women he’d encountered in the past.
“Beat It”
After “Billie Jean,” Jackson had another number one hit on his hands with the rock-infused “Beat It.” After 12 weeks at the top spot, the song spent a total of 25 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s famous guitar solo was performed by rocker Eddie Van Halen. In an interview with “Rolling Stone,” Jones told a story about some serious heat that went down in the recording studio.
“When we were finishing ‘Beat It,’ we had three studios going,” he told the magazine. “We had Eddie Van Halen in one; Michael was in another, singing a part through a cardboard tube; and we were mixing in another. We were working five nights and five days, with no sleep. And at one point, the speakers overloaded and caught on fire!”
The Debut of the Moonwalk
Michael Jackson made history on May 16, 1983 when he showed off the moonwalk for the first time on the special, “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” During a performance of “Billie Jean,” 47 million people lost their minds as they watched him glide across the stage performing what would be known as one of his signature dance moves.
“Thriller”
The title track of the “Thriller” album was even more successful than some of the others. The song was written by Rod Temperton, known for writing hits “Boogie Nights” and “Always and Forever.” “Thriller” spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four. Over 40 years after its release, it still rocks at Halloween parties.
“Thriller” Video
Never one to do things halfway, Jackson went all out for the creation of the “Thriller” music video. Jackson called on director John Landis, who was known for “The Blues Brothers” and “An American Werewolf in London” to help him create a nearly 15 minute mini horror flick with an amazing soundtrack. The Library of Congress calls the video, which premiered on MTV on Dec. 2, 1983, “the most famous music video of all time.”
“P.Y.T.”
Jackson scored his sixth top-ten hit with “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)“ which was released on September 19, 1983. The song, which has since been sampled by Kanye West, Monica and Memphis Bleek, spent 16 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. Fun fact: the track features background vocals from Michael’s sisters Janet and Latoya – the only other Jacksons to be included on the “Thriller” album.
The Song That Didn’t Make the Cut
The song “Carousel” was written in 1982 to be included on the “Thriller” album. But it didn’t make the final track list as it got bumped for “Human Nature.” The song was included on “Thriller 40,” a special rerelease of the album honoring its 40th anniversary.
Alternative Album Covers
Any Michael Jackson fan will immediately recognize the “Thriller” album cover photo, which features Jackson lying on his side in a white suit. But you may not know that other photos were considered for the cover art. In 2023, the alternative pics, taken by photographer Dick Zimmerman during a July 1982 photo shoot, were sold at auction along with the camera used to take them.
Serious Sales
Nothing tells the story of the success of “Thriller” like its record-breaking sales. The album is one of the most successful in any genre, selling 34 million copies in the United States and 70 million worldwide.
Grammy Success
Jackson and Jones reaped the benefits of all of their hard work at the 26th Grammys in 1984, when “Thriller” earned them eight awards, including Record and Album Of The Year and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. The feat broke the record for most GRAMMY awards won in one night.
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