"Thriller" is the sixth studio album by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, was released on November 29, 1982, by Epic Records. Produced by Quincy Jones, who had previously collaborated with Jackson on his 1979 album Off the Wall, Thriller represented Jackson's desire to create a collection of songs that would all be considered hits.
In light of the growing backlash against disco music during that time, Jackson chose to explore new musical styles, resulting in a fusion of pop, post-disco, rock, funk, and R&B sounds. As a result, Thriller stands as a testament to Jackson's ability to seamlessly blend various musical genres into a cohesive and groundbreaking work.
One of the standout features of Thriller is the use of darker themes and motifs of paranoia, which foreshadowed the contradictory themes of Jackson's personal life. With this album, Jackson broke new ground in popular music, paving the way for future artists to experiment with different genres and themes.
Thriller also marked the first time a featured artist was credited on a Michael Jackson album, with Paul McCartney appearing on the track "The Girl Is Mine." Recording for the album took place over a period of seven months, from April to November 1982, at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. The recording budget was set at $750,000, a significant sum for that time.
Thriller has gone on to become the best-selling album of all time, with over 70 million copies sold worldwide. It is also the best-selling non-compilation album and the second-best-selling album overall in the United States. In 2021, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it 34x platinum, a testament to its enduring popularity and cultural significance.
At the 1984 Grammy Awards, Thriller won an unprecedented eight awards, including Album of the Year, while the hit single "Beat It" won Record of the Year. Jackson also took home a record-breaking eight American Music Awards that same year. In the decades since its release, Thriller has consistently appeared on lists of the greatest albums of all time and has been recognized by numerous cultural institutions for its significance.
In 2008, Thriller was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the same year, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant recordings." Today, Thriller remains a cultural touchstone, a testament to the talent and creativity of Michael Jackson, and a milestone in the history of popular music.
