| Artist: Michael Jackson |
| Format: | CD |
(w%2f+Bonus+DVD) "Pin It")
Song Listing
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Originally released in the US 25 years ago on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second with producer Quincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for the Jackson 5 into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducing the ""robot"" and the ""moonwalk"" into the international lexicon of clubland dance moves via the pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jackson revolutionized all aspects of mainstream pop culture -- from radio airwaves to the newly emerging art form of music videos -- becoming the world's most popular entertainer in the process.
The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in the American Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album's original nine tracks became Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individual singles from Thriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.
Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).
Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records named Thriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievement which remains unsurpassed to this day."
| Epic/Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's biggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded Deluxe Edition of the phenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone. The Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album in its entirety as well as seven bonus tracks and a DVD featuring Michael Jackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller (Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean) and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakout performance of Billie Jean from the legendary Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983). The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres six tracks previously unreleased in any form: Beat It 2008 with Fergie; a new Kanye West remix of Billie Jean; a new 2008 version of Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' with Akon; Will.i.am remixes of The Girl is Mine and P.Y.T.; and For All Time, a rare unreleased cut from the original Thriller recording sessions, newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson. The deluxe Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition packaging contains a personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release. |
Album Notes and Credits
Notes & Personnel Info |
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Personnel includes: Michael Jackson (vocals, percussion); Paul McCartney (vocals); Vincent Price (spoken vocals); Steve Lukather (guitar, bass); Eddie Van Halen, Dean Parks, Paul Jackson (guitar); Larry Williams (flute, saxophone); Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn); Bill Reichenbach (trombone); David Paich (piano, synthesizer); Greg Phillinganes (Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, programming); Steve Porcaro (synthesizer, programming); David Foster, Rod Temperton (synthesizer); Tom Bahler (Synclavier); Louis Johnson (bass); Ndugu Chancler, Jeff Porcaro (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Brian Banks (programming); LaToya Jackson, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, Becky Lopez, Janet Jackson (background vocals). |
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Principally recorded at Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, California. |
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Personnel: Michael Jackson (vocals, drums, hand claps, background vocals); Paul McCartney (vocals, background vocals); Vincent Price (rap vocals); Steve Lukather (guitar, electric bass); Dean Parks, Eddie Van Halen, Paul Jackson, Jr. , David E. Williams (guitar); Larry Andrew Williams (flute, saxophone); Tim Izo (saxophone); Gary Grant, Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn); Printz Board (trumpet); William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. (trombone); David Paich (piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Greg Phillinganes (Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, synthesizer, hand claps); will.i.am (keyboards, synthesizer, drums); Keith Harris , Steve Porcaro, Bill Wolfer (keyboards, synthesizer); Anthony Kilhoffer, Anthony Caruso, Jeff Bhasker (keyboards); Michael Boddicker (synthesizer, vocoder); Greg "Frosty" Smith, Anthony Marinelli, Rod Temperton, David Foster, Brian Banks (synthesizer); Tom Bahler (Synclavier); Louis Johnson (electric bass, hand claps); Jeff Porcaro, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (drums); James Ingram (hand claps, background vocals); Steven Ray (hand claps); Paulinho Da Costa, Chuck Prada (percussion); Giorgio Tuinfort, Aliaune "Akon" Thiam (programming); Becky Lopez, Howard Hewett, Julia Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters, Bunny Hull (background vocals). |
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Audio Mixers: Bruce Swedien; Mick Guzauski. |
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Audio Remixers: Michael Jackson; Alex Dromgoole; Anthony Kilhoffer; Dylan Dresdow; will.i.am. |
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Recording information: Ocean Way Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA (04/14/1982-11/??/2007); Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, CA (04/14/1982-11/??/2007). |
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Photographer: Dick Zimmerman. |
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Unknown Contributor Role: Greg "Frosty" Smith. |
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Arrangers: Quincy Jones; James Ingram ; Rod Temperton. |
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The finest example of perfect disco pop, and a record that should be prescribed to musical snobs and manic depressives. The album is a true ambassador of what pop music can be. Jackson whoops and dances through a suite of unforgettable melodies that should be danced to with a smile on your face. Each track offers at least one musical hook, whether it is the beauty of 'Human Nature' (who can resist the 'dada dada da da da') or the 'whoo whoo' of 'Billie Jean'. It's all too good. |
Producer: Michael Jackson; Quincy Jones |
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Engineer: Bruce Swedien; Craig Johnson; Aaron Hook; Humberto Gatica; Bradford Cobb; John Strother; Matt Forger; Aya Takemura; Bruce Swedien |
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Musical Guests | |
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Eddie Van Halen |
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Paul McCartney |
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Steve Lukather |
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Vincent Price |
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David Foster |
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Janet Jackson |
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Jeff Porcaro |
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Will.I.Am |
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Akon |
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Fergie |
Compilation Appearances
Associated Artists and Works
Technical Info
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Release Date : 02/11/2008 |
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Original Release Date : 1982 |
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Catalog ID : 88697179872 |
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Label : Epic (USA) |
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Number of Discs : 2 |
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Studio/Live : Studio |
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Mono/Stereo : Stereo |
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SPAR Code : n/a |
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UPC : 00886971798722 |
Professional Reviews
- 5 stars out of 5 -- "THRILLER was MJ at his breathiest and most salacious, and his most beautifully fragile....[A] work of genius."
- Ranked #20 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...There was a time when he was truly the King of Pop. This is it..."
- Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The 80s" survey.
- Ranked #20 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...There was a time when he was truly the King of Pop. This is it..."
- Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The 80s" survey.
- "[A] masterpiece....THRILLER was a collection of songs that cohered as the statement of a young artist proclaiming his freedom..."
- Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"
- 5 stars out of 5 - "...The music stands undimmed by time....delivers some of the greatest ever pop-soul-dance-whatever...hardly a weak moment, and still no one goes 'aow' quite like Michael Jackson."
- Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"
- 5 stars out of 5 - "...The music stands undimmed by time....delivers some of the greatest ever pop-soul-dance-whatever...hardly a weak moment, and still no one goes 'aow' quite like Michael Jackson."
- 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]racks like 'Wanna Be Starting Something' remain slabs of total pop, whose genius should never by obscured by a blizzard of sales stats."
- Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century
- Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century
(p.86)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's genius....This is a profoundly quirky and omnivorous R&B mash-up, making room for hard-rock guitar and soft-serve balladry."
(p.113)
- "[A] magnificent helping of pop history, due in no small part to Quincy Jones's immaculate production."
Bio
Michael JacksonOriginally released in the US 25 years ago on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second with producer Quincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for the Jackson 5 into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducing the "robot" and the "moonwalk" into the international lexicon of clubland dance moves via the pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jackson revolutionized all aspects of mainstream pop culture -- from radio airwaves to the newly emerging art form of music videos -- becoming the world's most popular entertainer in the process.
The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in the American Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album's original nine tracks became Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individual singles from Thriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.
Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).
Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records named Thriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievement which remains unsurpassed to this day.
