Product Description

Originally released in 1982, 'Thriller' became Michael Jackson's biggest selling solo album. 'Billie Jean', 'Wanna Be Startin' Something', 'Thriller' and his duet with Paul McCartney 'The Girl Is Mine' all reached the top ten. 'Beat It' was his only number one hit single from the album. Produced byQuincy Jones, 'Thriller' saw Michael Jackson expanding on his Motown influenced sound for the first time by fusing souland funk with edgy rock and pop.

Track Listing

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
2. Baby Be Mine
3. Girl Is Mine
4. Thriller
5. Beat It
6. Billie Jean
7. Human Nature
8. PYT (Pretty Young Thing)
9. Lady In My Life

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1327 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Michael Jackson's Thriller is the bestselling album of all time, with 45 million worldwide sales powered by eight Grammy Awards. The 1982 album was also a success from which the pop superstar never really recovered--subsequent albums seemed to have no other goal than to beat the records set by Thriller. The highly- polished sound of Quincy Jones's production sounds almost organic compared to Jackson's more recent work, and in the same regard, Thriller was significantly slicker than its predecessor, Off the Wall. Both albums established a Jackson style that aimed for the dance floor with songs built on a state-of-the-art bed of percussion and keyboards. Elements of milestone Thriller tracks like "Billie Jean" (arguably Jackson's best-ever performance) and "Beat It" (with its hard- rock solo by guitarist Eddie Van Halen) influenced not just Jackson's records, but those of the entire dance-pop world. On the song "Thriller", Jackson indulged his taste for the juvenile and invited Vincent Price to rap in a really scary voice. With Thriller the album, Jackson created a different kind of monster--a hit album of such magnitude that it would have an irrevocable impact not just on the singer's art, but on his altogether kooky life. --John Milward

Customer Reviews

A Poison Chalice
In the same way that one becomes colder the further away from the sun travel, the quality of MJs CDs/LPs diminished the further away he departed from his best CD Off the Wall. As this is the CD after the great 1979 release, he still has something in his favor. By & large he was still blessed to be working with Quincy Jones & the under valued Rod Templeton. At this time he wasn't chasing the title of King of Pop, or following the latest trends. He was also using live instruments ( the lack of which, I feel, diluted his future CDs) Add to this base, the writing skills of Toto, the guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen, the vocal 'rap' of Vincent Price, and you have all the ingredients of a major, major hit.
This was the first LP (as it was then) that I ever purchased, and I still have it to this day. Whilst this release has its poppier moments ('Beat It & Thriller' being prime examples) there are some quality moments on offer. I have a soft spot for 'The Girl is mine'. Maybe because I can remember hearing it on 'Top of the Pops' and being melted away with it. 'PYT' is another favorite (co-written by James Ingram, and featuring Janet Jackson as a vocal Pretty Young Thing) the much sampled Toto offering 'Human Nature', and the gorgeous 'Lady in My Life'
Subsequent releases from Mr. Jackson would suffer with being compared to this big money seller, and the quality would diminish as a result

This Is Thriller...
...Thriller night!

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. 10/10
2. Baby Be Mine. 9/10
3. The Girl Is Mine. 7/10
4. Thriller. 10/10
5. Beat It. 10/10
6. Billie Jean. 10/10
7. Human Nature. 9/10
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). 9/10
9. The Lady In My Life. 8/10

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
A new MJ fan is introduced every month, firstly buying "Bad" or the best-selling album of all time, "Thriller". Hats of to MJ, for making a timeless masterpiece that will never age, stating itself in the history of R&B-Pop-Dance-Rock-Funk.

Hats Off To Michael - A Timeless Masterpiece,
There's a reason why Thriller is the biggest selling album of all time, and there's a reason we're all still hooked on it 25 years later. It's the combination of a truly incredible artist, with a collection of truly incredible songs that seem to appeal to everyone, the stuff on this CD is mind blowing. It's genre is very mixed with elements of Funk, Rock & Pop, highlights for me include 'Wanna Be Startin' Somthin' a great upbeat and super catchy opener to the album, excuse the slighly stupid lyrics 'you're a vegetable', the funky & smooth 'Baby Be Mine', obviously the very Halloween 'Thriller' (who could ever forget), the rock track 'Beat It' very good, 'P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)' & 'The Lady In My Life', another two of my solid favourites again because of their funk influence. Overall all the materiel on this album is rock solid, much appreciate the bonus materiel because it is after all a reissue, i guess it gives something back to the album, but with or without it as a 9 track record breaking success, I'm sure we'll be listening to it for a long time to come.