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With Halloween fast approaching, Michael Jackson’s spooky song “Thriller” is receiving more and more airplay every day.
Thriller, Jackson’s sixth album, was released in 1982, and this album helped give Jackson his status as the King of Pop. In addition to “Thriller,” the album has several iconic upbeat hits and love ballads as well.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, and it has sold over 70 million copies. In 1984, the album won eight Grammy Awards and another eight American Music Awards.
The iconic album cover art is Jackson posing sideways in a white suit and black shirt. The album title is scripted in gold in the top left corner.
The title track, “Thriller,” is the perfect Halloween anthem. Lyrics like “Night creatures call / And the dead start to walk in their masquerade / There’s no escaping the jaws of the alien this time” add to the horror. The track also features Vincent Price, an actor known for his horror films, reciting lines at the end.
The “Thriller” music video is known to many as one of the best ever. The 14-minute-long mini-movie has been religiously watched by fans every year since it was first released.
The video stars Jackson and actress Ola Ray as his girlfriend. Jackson transforms into a zombie and has several choreographed dance routines. At the end of the video, it is revealed that it is all a dream … or is it?
In 2008, it was the first video added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, and was also added to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
“Beat It,” another iconic Jackson song, is on this album as well. This song features a guitar solo from legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen. Fun fact: The knocking right before the solo is Jackson knocking on the studio door while Van Halen is recording. The music video for “Beat It” is also iconic and the dances in the video have been recreated by many.
The album ends with “The Lady In My Life,” a beautiful ballad with lyrics like “And baby through the years / Even when we’re old and gray / I will love you more each day / ‘Cause you will always be the lady in my life” contributing to the romantic mood.
This track also shows the duality of Jackson’s voice: He can grind out the harsh vocals of “Beat It” and then seamlessly switch to a beautiful tone in this song.
“The Girl Is Mine” features Paul McCartney, and the seemingly unlikely duo works well vocally. Some of the vocals are spoken, with Jackson initiating an argument and McCartney acting as a mediator. This was also the first appearance of a featured artist on a Jackson album.
Overall, “Thriller” can be played on repeat at a Halloween party, but the other songs on the album should also be played year-round.
