Thriller (song)
Encyclopedia
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson
, composed by Rod Temperton
, and produced by Quincy Jones
. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller
. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records
. The song has appeared on multiple greatest hits compilation albums from Jackson, including HIStory (1995), Number Ones (2003), The Essential Michael Jackson
(2005), and Michael Jackson's This Is It
(2009). The song, which has a voice-over from actor Vincent Price
, had originally been titled "Starlight".
The song's instruments include a bassline
and synthesizer. In the song, sound effects such as a creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard, and the lyrics contain frightening themes and elements. "Thriller" received positive reviews from critics, though the song was outshone by its music video. "Thriller" became Jackson's seventh top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart
from the album, while reaching the top of the charts in France and Belgium and the top ten in other countries.
"Thriller" was adapted into a highly successful music video, known independently as "Michael Jackson's Thriller". At fourteen minutes the video is substantially longer than the song, which ties together a narrative featuring Jackson and actress Ola Ray
in a setting heavily inspired by horror films of the 1950s. In the video's most iconic scene, Jackson leads other actors costumed as zombie
s in a choreographed dance routine. Though it garnered some criticism for its occult theme and violent imagery, the video was immediately popular and received high critical acclaim, being nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards
in 1984 and winning three. In 2009 it was added to the National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
, the first music video ever selected.
"Thriller" has been covered by multiple recording artists since its release in 1984, including Henry Mancini
(with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Ian Brown
, Ten Masked Men
and Imogen Heap
.
While Temperton was writing "Thriller" he stated that he'd "always envisioned" a "talking section at the end" on the song, but did not really know what "to do with it", until deciding "to have somebody, a famous voice, in the horror genre, to do this vocal." Jones' then-wife, Peggy Lipton
, who knew Vincent Price
, suggested Price for the vocal part, which Price agreed to do.
"Thriller", along with other songs from Thriller, was recorded by Jackson over the course of eight weeks, in 1982. Jackson recorded the song at Westlake Recording Studios
on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Bruce Swedien, the song's engineer, said of the song being recorded,
Swedien and Jones stated that Vincent Price recorded his introduction and voice-over rap for the song in two takes; Jones, acknowledging that doing a voice-over for a song is "difficult", praised Price and described his recording takes as being "fabulous". Swedien said of Jackson recording the song, that, "I tried all sorts of things with Michael - for instance, he would sing the main vocal part and we'd double it one time and then I'd ask him to step away from the mic and do it a third time and that really changed the acoustics in the room so it gave Michael's vocals a unique character … We recorded some of those background vocals in the shower stall at Westlake."
disco song. Set in the key
of C Modern Dorian, its instrumentation consists of synthesizer, guitar, trumpet, flugelhorn, saxophone, flute and trombone. The song has a moderate tempo
of 120 beats per minute. The lyrics and sound effects on "Thriller" pertain to frightful elements and themes. Throughout the song, sound effects such as a creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard. Bruce Cannon
, a sound effects editor for "Thriller", said that, "Things like the lightning may have come from old Hollywood movies - we'll never know which movies - but the best sound-effects editors do go out in the desert and find a coyote, so I have a feeling that was a real howl." The backing track
, especially the bassline
, has certain similarities to the 1981 number-one R&B
hit "Give It to Me Baby
" by Rick James
.
Ann Powers, of the Los Angeles Times, described "Thriller" as being a song that was "adequately groovy" with a "funked-out beat" with lyrics that are "seemingly lifted from some little kid's 'scary storybook'". After Jackson's death, AOL's Radio Blog released a list, entitled "10 Best Michael Jackson Songs", which placed "Thriller" at number-one on the list. In 2009 Melissa Cabrera, of AOL Radio Blogs, listed "Thriller" as being the fourth best song on their "Top 100 '80s Songs" list. Eliot Glazer, AOL's Radio Blogs, placed "Thriller" at number-one on a list entitled "Top 1984 Songs". "Thriller" was also listed at number-two on the "10 Best Halloween Songs" and "10 Best Party Songs" lists by AOLs Radio Blog.
top-ten single from his Thriller album. In "Thriller"'s second week of release, Billboard issue date February 11, 1984, the song charted at #20 on the Hot 100. The song entered the top ten the following week at #7. One week later, it reached #4, what would become its peak position. The song was certified both gold
and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) on December 4, 1989, for shipping 500,000 and one million units respectively, in the U.S. (the requirement for gold and platinum singles after 1989). The total number of digital sales
in the US, as of September 2010, stands at 2,432,000.
For the issue date February 25, 1984, "Thriller" charted at #19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart
. The following week, the song placed at #5. On March 10, 1984, it charted at #3, where it peaked. "Thriller" peaked at number 24 on Billboards Adult Contemporary Chart. "Thriller" debuted on the UK Singles Chart
on November 19, 1983 at number 24, and the following week charted at #10, where it peaked; the song appeared on the chart for 25 weeks. Beginning on February 5, 1984, "Thriller" peaked on the French Singles Chart
at #1 and topped the chart for four consecutive weeks. "Thriller" also topped the Belgian VRT Top 30 Chart
for two weeks in January 1984.
Following Jackson's death, his music experienced a surge in popularity. In the week of Jackson's death, "Thriller" was Thrillers and Jackson's best-selling track in the US, with sales of 167,000 copies on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart
. On July 11, 2009, "Thriller" charted on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart at #2 (its peak), and the song remained in the charts' top ten for three consecutive weeks. In the United Kingdom, the song charted at #23 the week of Jackson's death. The following week, the song reached its peak at #12 on the UK Single Chart. On July 12, 2009, "Thriller" peaked at #2 on the Italian Singles Chart. "Thriller" reached at #3 on the Australian ARIA Chart and Swiss Singles Chart and topped the Spanish Singles Charts
for one week. The song also placed within the top ten on the German Singles Chart, Norwegian Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart
, at #9, #7 and #8 respectively. "Thriller" also landed at #25 on the Danish Singles Chart. In the third week of July "Thriller" peaked at #11 in Finland.
, was filmed in various locations in New York and Los Angeles. Contrary to reports of $800,000 to $1 million dollar production budgets, Landis stated that the music video was made for $500,000. Jackson said of making the music video, in an interview that aired on December 11, 1999, for MTV's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made:
The music video of the song also included on the video albums: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
, HIStory on Film, Volume II
, Number Ones, on the bonus DVD of Thriller 25
and Michael Jackson's Vision
.
Following the release of the music video, a 45 minute documentary was released that provided candid glimpses behind the scenes of the music video's production. Entitled Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, it, like the music video, was shown heavily on MTV for a time and was the top-selling home-video release of all time at one point, with over nine million copies sold. MTV paid $250,000 for the exclusive rights to show the documentary; Showtime paid $300,000 for pay-cable rights; and Vestron Video
reportedly paid $500,000 to market the cassette, in a profit participation agreement.
) run out of gas near a dark wooded area. They walk off into the forest, and Michael asks her if she would marry him, she accepts and he gives her a ring. He warns her, however, that he is "different". A full moon appears, and Michael begins convulsing in agony, transforming into a werecat
. His date runs away in terror, but the werecat catches up to her, knocking her down and begins lunging at her with his claws. The scene then cuts to a modern-day movie theater where Michael and his date, along with a repulsed audience, are actually watching the scene unfold in a movie called Thriller. Michael's date leaves the theater as Michael hands his popcorn to a stranger, catches up to her, and assures her that "It's only a movie". Some debate follows as to whether or not she was scared by the movie: she denies it, but Michael disagrees. They then walk down a foggy road as Michael teases her by singing the verses of "Thriller". They pass a nearby graveyard, in which zombie
s begin to rise out of their caskets as Vincent Price performs his soliloquy. The zombies corner Michael and his date threateningly, and suddenly, Michael becomes a zombie himself. The zombies then break into an elaborate song and dance number, followed by the main chorus of "Thriller" (during which Michael was reverted to human form), frightening his date to the point where she runs for cover. Michael (who was somehow turned back into a zombie) and his fellow corpses back the frightened girl into the corner of a nearby abandoned house. Michael then reaches for his date's throat as she lets out a bloodcurdling scream, only to awake and realize it was all a dream. Michael then offers to take her home, and she happily obliges. As they walk out of the house, Michael eerily looks at the camera, thus revealing his yellow werecat eyes, as Price offers one last haunting laugh.
commented on the music video, "Every aspect of the 14-minute horror musical, directed with creepy-comical zest by John Landis, is beyond iconic, from Michael's red leather ensemble to the immortal (no pun) herky-jerky zombie dance and bwah-ha-ha Vincent Price narration." Though the video was met with widespread praise, it was also criticized for its content. In 1984, the National Coalition on Television Violence (NCTV) classified more than half of 200 MTV music videos surveyed as "too violent". Both "Thriller" and Jackson's duet with Paul McCartney
, "Say, Say, Say" made the list. The Los Angeles Times
quoted Dr. Thomas Radecki, chairman of the NCTV, as saying, "It's not hard to imagine young viewers after seeing 'Thriller' saying, 'Gee, if Michael Jackson can terrorize his girlfriend, why can't I do it too?' The music video was nominated for six awards at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards
, winning three out of six of the nominations. "Thriller" won Viewers Choice, Best Overall Performance
and Best Choreography
—but lost Best Concept Video
, Best Male Video
and Video Of The Year
.
The music video was listed as the "Greatest Video" on VH1's "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" in 2001. MTV listed the music video as being the "Greatest Music Video Ever Made" on their list, "MTV: 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made" in 1999. In July 2011, the music video was named one of "The 30 All-TIME Best Music Videos" by TIME magazine
.
, lasted sixteen months, from 1987 to 1989, for a total of 123 shows. "Thriller" was also performed during Jackson's second world tour, entitled the Dangerous Tour, which was attended by an estimated 3.5 million people. The Dangerous tour began in 1992, and was to be throughout 1993, but, after 69 shows, was cancelled early in 1993 due to health related concerns for Jackson and stress from child molestation accusations made against him
. Jackson performed "Thriller" for all of Jackson's 82 shows during his third, and final, world concert series, entitled HIStory World Tour
. During the Bad Tour, in both legs, the jacket had flashing lights in the middle of the song and at the end.
Jackson had planned to perform "Thriller" during his 50-show concert series, which would have been his fourth concert tour, entitled This Is It
from 2009 to 2010. For Jackson's performance of the song, he had planned for the stage that he was to perform on, to be set up with a background that looked like a "graveyard" (which was a brief setting in the music video) with 3-D effects. According to a setlist that was released in March 2009, "Thriller" was to close-out the 16-song show, although, the film Michael Jackson's This Is It
, which documents the concert series, lists 18 songs and "Man In The Mirror
" as the closing song for the planned shows.
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, composed by Rod Temperton
Rod Temperton
Rodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton is an English songwriter, record producer and musician most famous for writing a number of songs performed by Michael Jackson, including the title track of Jackson's Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.-Biography:As Temperton remembers music was in his bones...
, and produced by Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. The song has appeared on multiple greatest hits compilation albums from Jackson, including HIStory (1995), Number Ones (2003), The Essential Michael Jackson
The Essential Michael Jackson
-U.S. version:-Limited Edition 3.0 bonus disc:-Charts:-Year-end charts:-Certifications:-See also:* List of number-one albums of 2009 * List of number-one albums of 2009 * List of number-one albums from the 2000s...
(2005), and Michael Jackson's This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson album)
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a posthumous two-disc soundtrack album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released by Epic Records on October 26, 2009, This Is It features previously released music, as well as six previously unreleased recordings by Michael Jackson...
(2009). The song, which has a voice-over from actor Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, had originally been titled "Starlight".
The song's instruments include a bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
and synthesizer. In the song, sound effects such as a creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard, and the lyrics contain frightening themes and elements. "Thriller" received positive reviews from critics, though the song was outshone by its music video. "Thriller" became Jackson's seventh top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
from the album, while reaching the top of the charts in France and Belgium and the top ten in other countries.
"Thriller" was adapted into a highly successful music video, known independently as "Michael Jackson's Thriller". At fourteen minutes the video is substantially longer than the song, which ties together a narrative featuring Jackson and actress Ola Ray
Ola Ray
Ola Ray is an American model and actress most notable for co-starring alongside Michael Jackson in his short film for "Thriller" in 1983.She modeled for Playboy and was the Playmate of the Month for the June 1980 issue....
in a setting heavily inspired by horror films of the 1950s. In the video's most iconic scene, Jackson leads other actors costumed as zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s in a choreographed dance routine. Though it garnered some criticism for its occult theme and violent imagery, the video was immediately popular and received high critical acclaim, being nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in 1984 and winning three. In 2009 it was added to the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, the first music video ever selected.
"Thriller" has been covered by multiple recording artists since its release in 1984, including Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
(with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
, Ten Masked Men
Ten Masked Men
Ten Masked Men is a British death metal cover band who specialize in covering pop songs. The band was formed in 1996 when Mark and Dave Hutson did a cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" to annoy a friend. The song was much the same as the original, except it was played with distorted guitars and death...
and Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap
Imogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
.
Background
"Thriller" was written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. "Thriller" was originally titled "Starlight", contrary to other reports of the title "Starlight Love". While the song was titled "Starlight", the song's hook lyrics were "Starlight! Starlight sun...", but after the song was changed to "Thriller" the hook was rewritten to "Thriller! In the night...". Temperton commented,While Temperton was writing "Thriller" he stated that he'd "always envisioned" a "talking section at the end" on the song, but did not really know what "to do with it", until deciding "to have somebody, a famous voice, in the horror genre, to do this vocal." Jones' then-wife, Peggy Lipton
Peggy Lipton
Peggy Lipton is an American television actress. She played "Julie Barnes" in The Mod Squad, and Norma Jennings in Twin Peaks.- Personal life and background :...
, who knew Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, suggested Price for the vocal part, which Price agreed to do.
Recording
Westlake Recording Studios
Westlake Recording Studios is a well-known music recording studio in West Hollywood, CA.-History:The studio was founded as Westlake Audio in the early 1970s by Tom Hidley, and is credited as "one of the first big commercial efforts to produce acoustically standardised 'interchangeable' rooms"...
on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Bruce Swedien, the song's engineer, said of the song being recorded,
Swedien and Jones stated that Vincent Price recorded his introduction and voice-over rap for the song in two takes; Jones, acknowledging that doing a voice-over for a song is "difficult", praised Price and described his recording takes as being "fabulous". Swedien said of Jackson recording the song, that, "I tried all sorts of things with Michael - for instance, he would sing the main vocal part and we'd double it one time and then I'd ask him to step away from the mic and do it a third time and that really changed the acoustics in the room so it gave Michael's vocals a unique character … We recorded some of those background vocals in the shower stall at Westlake."
Composition
"Thriller" is considered an excellent funkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
disco song. Set in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C Modern Dorian, its instrumentation consists of synthesizer, guitar, trumpet, flugelhorn, saxophone, flute and trombone. The song has a moderate tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 120 beats per minute. The lyrics and sound effects on "Thriller" pertain to frightful elements and themes. Throughout the song, sound effects such as a creaking door, thunder, feet walking on wooden planks, winds and howling dogs can be heard. Bruce Cannon
Bruce Cannon
Bruce Cannon is an American film editor whose credits include Four Brothers, Higher Learning, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Sunset Strip, Things We Lost in the Fire, Rosewood, Boyz n the Hood.-External links:...
, a sound effects editor for "Thriller", said that, "Things like the lightning may have come from old Hollywood movies - we'll never know which movies - but the best sound-effects editors do go out in the desert and find a coyote, so I have a feeling that was a real howl." The backing track
Backing track
A backing track is an audio or MIDI recording that musicians play or sing along to in order to add parts to their music which would be impractical to perform live.-Uses:...
, especially the bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
, has certain similarities to the 1981 number-one R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hit "Give It to Me Baby
Give It to Me Baby
"Give It to Me Baby" is the title of a 1981 song by American R&B / funk singer Rick James. Taken from his album Street Songs, the song charted on the Billboard Hot 100, spending two weeks at #40 in July of 1981. However, the song proved to be more successful with R&B and dance club audiences...
" by Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
.
Critical reception
"Thriller" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Ashley Lasimone, of AOL's Spinner.com noted that "Thriller" "became a signature for Jackson" and described "the groove of its bassline, paired with Michael's killer vocals and sleek moves" as having had "produced a frighteningly great single." Jon Pareles, of The New York Times, noted that Thrillers tracks, "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "the movie in the song 'Thriller'", were the songs, unlike the "fluff" "P.Y.T.", that were "the hits that made Thriller a world-beater; along with Mr. Jackson's stage and video presence, listeners must have identified with his willingness to admit terror."Ann Powers, of the Los Angeles Times, described "Thriller" as being a song that was "adequately groovy" with a "funked-out beat" with lyrics that are "seemingly lifted from some little kid's 'scary storybook'". After Jackson's death, AOL's Radio Blog released a list, entitled "10 Best Michael Jackson Songs", which placed "Thriller" at number-one on the list. In 2009 Melissa Cabrera, of AOL Radio Blogs, listed "Thriller" as being the fourth best song on their "Top 100 '80s Songs" list. Eliot Glazer, AOL's Radio Blogs, placed "Thriller" at number-one on a list entitled "Top 1984 Songs". "Thriller" was also listed at number-two on the "10 Best Halloween Songs" and "10 Best Party Songs" lists by AOLs Radio Blog.
Chart performance
Prior to "Thriller"'s official airplay release, it charted and peaked at number one on Billboards Dance Music/Club Play Singles Chart in 1983. Released on January 23, 1984, "Thriller" became Jackson's seventh and last Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
top-ten single from his Thriller album. In "Thriller"'s second week of release, Billboard issue date February 11, 1984, the song charted at #20 on the Hot 100. The song entered the top ten the following week at #7. One week later, it reached #4, what would become its peak position. The song was certified both gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) on December 4, 1989, for shipping 500,000 and one million units respectively, in the U.S. (the requirement for gold and platinum singles after 1989). The total number of digital sales
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
in the US, as of September 2010, stands at 2,432,000.
For the issue date February 25, 1984, "Thriller" charted at #19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. The following week, the song placed at #5. On March 10, 1984, it charted at #3, where it peaked. "Thriller" peaked at number 24 on Billboards Adult Contemporary Chart. "Thriller" debuted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on November 19, 1983 at number 24, and the following week charted at #10, where it peaked; the song appeared on the chart for 25 weeks. Beginning on February 5, 1984, "Thriller" peaked on the French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
at #1 and topped the chart for four consecutive weeks. "Thriller" also topped the Belgian VRT Top 30 Chart
VRT Top 30
The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992....
for two weeks in January 1984.
Following Jackson's death, his music experienced a surge in popularity. In the week of Jackson's death, "Thriller" was Thrillers and Jackson's best-selling track in the US, with sales of 167,000 copies on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart
Hot Digital Tracks
The Hot Digital Tracks chart is a song popularity chart that ranks the best selling digital tracks in the United States according to Billboard magazine...
. On July 11, 2009, "Thriller" charted on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart at #2 (its peak), and the song remained in the charts' top ten for three consecutive weeks. In the United Kingdom, the song charted at #23 the week of Jackson's death. The following week, the song reached its peak at #12 on the UK Single Chart. On July 12, 2009, "Thriller" peaked at #2 on the Italian Singles Chart. "Thriller" reached at #3 on the Australian ARIA Chart and Swiss Singles Chart and topped the Spanish Singles Charts
PROMUSICAE
Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry...
for one week. The song also placed within the top ten on the German Singles Chart, Norwegian Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, at #9, #7 and #8 respectively. "Thriller" also landed at #25 on the Danish Singles Chart. In the third week of July "Thriller" peaked at #11 in Finland.
Music video
The music video, directed by John LandisJohn Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
, was filmed in various locations in New York and Los Angeles. Contrary to reports of $800,000 to $1 million dollar production budgets, Landis stated that the music video was made for $500,000. Jackson said of making the music video, in an interview that aired on December 11, 1999, for MTV's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made:
The music video of the song also included on the video albums: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
Video Greatest Hits – HIStory is a collection of Michael Jackson's music videos, excluding "Man in the Mirror" and "She's Out of My Life", relative at the first disc of the double album HIStory released initially on VHS, Video CD and Laserdisc in 1995 by Sony Music Video Enterprises, and then on...
, HIStory on Film, Volume II
HIStory on Film, Volume II
HIStory on Film, Volume II is a collection of music videos released by Michael Jackson in 1997 released by Sony Music Video Enterprises.-Side one:# Programme Start# HIStory Teaser Trailer - 3:58# "Billie Jean" - 5:05# "Beat It" - 4:56...
, Number Ones, on the bonus DVD of Thriller 25
Thriller 25
Thriller 25 is a 25th anniversary special edition reissue of the Michael Jackson album Thriller, the world's best selling album. The prospect of a "second chapter" to Thriller was first publicly discussed on Access Hollywood in late 2006. Jackson said he would discuss the idea with collaborator...
and Michael Jackson's Vision
Michael Jackson's Vision
Michael Jackson's Vision is a deluxe DVD box set released on November 22, 2010. It includes three DVDs, featuring 4.5 hours of content of 42 music videos by Michael Jackson, with newly restored color and remastered audio. Michael referred to each of these productions as a "short film" and not a...
.
Following the release of the music video, a 45 minute documentary was released that provided candid glimpses behind the scenes of the music video's production. Entitled Making Michael Jackson's Thriller, it, like the music video, was shown heavily on MTV for a time and was the top-selling home-video release of all time at one point, with over nine million copies sold. MTV paid $250,000 for the exclusive rights to show the documentary; Showtime paid $300,000 for pay-cable rights; and Vestron Video
Vestron Video
Vestron Video was the main subsidiary of Vestron, Inc., a home video company based in Stamford, Connecticut that was active from 1982 to 1992. It is considered to have been a pioneer in the home video market....
reportedly paid $500,000 to market the cassette, in a profit participation agreement.
Concept
Set in the 1950s, the video opens with a person named Michael. Michael and his unnamed date (Ola RayOla Ray
Ola Ray is an American model and actress most notable for co-starring alongside Michael Jackson in his short film for "Thriller" in 1983.She modeled for Playboy and was the Playmate of the Month for the June 1980 issue....
) run out of gas near a dark wooded area. They walk off into the forest, and Michael asks her if she would marry him, she accepts and he gives her a ring. He warns her, however, that he is "different". A full moon appears, and Michael begins convulsing in agony, transforming into a werecat
Werecat
A werecat is a therianthropic creature of folklore, horror, and occultism, described as being a shape-shifter similar to a Werewolf....
. His date runs away in terror, but the werecat catches up to her, knocking her down and begins lunging at her with his claws. The scene then cuts to a modern-day movie theater where Michael and his date, along with a repulsed audience, are actually watching the scene unfold in a movie called Thriller. Michael's date leaves the theater as Michael hands his popcorn to a stranger, catches up to her, and assures her that "It's only a movie". Some debate follows as to whether or not she was scared by the movie: she denies it, but Michael disagrees. They then walk down a foggy road as Michael teases her by singing the verses of "Thriller". They pass a nearby graveyard, in which zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s begin to rise out of their caskets as Vincent Price performs his soliloquy. The zombies corner Michael and his date threateningly, and suddenly, Michael becomes a zombie himself. The zombies then break into an elaborate song and dance number, followed by the main chorus of "Thriller" (during which Michael was reverted to human form), frightening his date to the point where she runs for cover. Michael (who was somehow turned back into a zombie) and his fellow corpses back the frightened girl into the corner of a nearby abandoned house. Michael then reaches for his date's throat as she lets out a bloodcurdling scream, only to awake and realize it was all a dream. Michael then offers to take her home, and she happily obliges. As they walk out of the house, Michael eerily looks at the camera, thus revealing his yellow werecat eyes, as Price offers one last haunting laugh.
Reception
Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
commented on the music video, "Every aspect of the 14-minute horror musical, directed with creepy-comical zest by John Landis, is beyond iconic, from Michael's red leather ensemble to the immortal (no pun) herky-jerky zombie dance and bwah-ha-ha Vincent Price narration." Though the video was met with widespread praise, it was also criticized for its content. In 1984, the National Coalition on Television Violence (NCTV) classified more than half of 200 MTV music videos surveyed as "too violent". Both "Thriller" and Jackson's duet with Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, "Say, Say, Say" made the list. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
quoted Dr. Thomas Radecki, chairman of the NCTV, as saying, "It's not hard to imagine young viewers after seeing 'Thriller' saying, 'Gee, if Michael Jackson can terrorize his girlfriend, why can't I do it too?' The music video was nominated for six awards at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards
1984 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1984 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 14, 1984, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1983, to May 2, 1984. The show was hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
, winning three out of six of the nominations. "Thriller" won Viewers Choice, Best Overall Performance
MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Overall Performance in a Video was first given out at the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. The last of this award was given out in 1987....
and Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....
—but lost Best Concept Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Concept Video was first given out in 1984, awarding the best videos that involved the conceptual interpretation of a song. As the years went on, however, the majority of videos aired on MTV became concept videos, and so the need for this category diminished. ...
, Best Male Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video is one of the four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
and Video Of The Year
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...
.
The music video was listed as the "Greatest Video" on VH1's "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos" in 2001. MTV listed the music video as being the "Greatest Music Video Ever Made" on their list, "MTV: 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made" in 1999. In July 2011, the music video was named one of "The 30 All-TIME Best Music Videos" by TIME magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.
Live performances
Jackson performed "Thriller" on all three of his solo world concert tours. Despite Jackson performing multiple songs from his Thriller album, "Thriller" was not included on The Jacksons setlist during their Victory Tour in 1984. He wasn't satisfied with the way the song sounded live. Jackson performed "Thriller" during his first world tour as a solo artist, entitled the Bad World TourBad World Tour
The Bad World Tour was the first solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson that visited Japan, Australia, the United States and Europe. Sponsored by Pepsi and spanning 16 months, the tour included 123 concerts to 4.4 million fans across 15 countries...
, lasted sixteen months, from 1987 to 1989, for a total of 123 shows. "Thriller" was also performed during Jackson's second world tour, entitled the Dangerous Tour, which was attended by an estimated 3.5 million people. The Dangerous tour began in 1992, and was to be throughout 1993, but, after 69 shows, was cancelled early in 1993 due to health related concerns for Jackson and stress from child molestation accusations made against him
1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
In 1993, Evan Chandler accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing his thirteen-year-old son, Jordan. The relationship between Jackson and Jordan began in May 1992. Evan initially welcomed and encouraged the friendship, and bragged about his connection to a celebrity. The friendship became well...
. Jackson performed "Thriller" for all of Jackson's 82 shows during his third, and final, world concert series, entitled HIStory World Tour
HIStory World Tour
The HIStory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American megasuperstar Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts and was attended by approximately 4.5 million fans, beating his previous Bad Tour...
. During the Bad Tour, in both legs, the jacket had flashing lights in the middle of the song and at the end.
Jackson had planned to perform "Thriller" during his 50-show concert series, which would have been his fourth concert tour, entitled This Is It
This Is It (Michael Jackson concerts)
This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 Arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through to March 2010. However, with all concerts sold out, Jackson died less than three weeks before the first concert date...
from 2009 to 2010. For Jackson's performance of the song, he had planned for the stage that he was to perform on, to be set up with a background that looked like a "graveyard" (which was a brief setting in the music video) with 3-D effects. According to a setlist that was released in March 2009, "Thriller" was to close-out the 16-song show, although, the film Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson's This Is It is a 2009 American documentary–concert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. It...
, which documents the concert series, lists 18 songs and "Man In The Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
" as the closing song for the planned shows.
Personnel
- Written and composed by Rod Temperton
- Produced by Quincy Jones
- Michael Jackson: Solo and background vocals
- Featuring: Rap by Vincent PriceVincent PriceVincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
(Not featured on original edited single version)
- Featuring: Rap by Vincent Price
- Greg Phillinganes, Rod Temperton & Brian Banks: Synthesizers
- Anthony Marinelli: Synthesizer programming
- David Williams: Guitar
- Jerry Hey, Gary Grant: Trumpets, flugelhorns
- Larry Williams: Saxophone, flute
- Bill Reichenbach: Trombone
- Vocal, rhythm and synthesizer arrangement by Rod Temperton
- Horn arrangement by Jerry Hey
- Effects by Bruce Cannon and Bruce Swedien
Charts
| Chart (1983/1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian VRT Top 30 VRT Top 30 The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992.... |
1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
3 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
4 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
3 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
24 |
| US Dance Music/Club Play Singles (Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... ) |
1 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 |
| Belgium 30 Back Catalogue Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
2 |
| Belgium 30 Back Catalogue Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flemish) |
3 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 25 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 16 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 11 |
| French Digital Singles Chart | 3 |
| German Singles Chart | 9 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
8 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Japan Singles Top 100 Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
41 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 7 |
| Spanish Singles Charts PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 10 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
Track listing
- 7" Single:'
- Thriller (Special Edit) - 4:37
- Things I Do For You (Live) - 3:31
- 7' Single:
- Thriller - 5:57
- Thriller (Instrumental) - 5:57
- 12" Maxi:
- Thriller - 5:57
- Thriller (Remixed Short Version) - 4:05
- Things I Do For You (Live) - 3:31
- CD-Single:
- Thriller (Remixed Short Version) - 4:08
- Can't Get Outta The Rain (Album Version) - 4:09
- DualDisc-Single:
- Thriller (Remixed Short Version) - 4:09
- Thriller - 5:58
- Thriller (Music Video) - 13:40
See also
- "Michael Jackson's Thriller"
- List of most expensive music videos
- Thriller (viral video)Thriller (viral video)Thriller is a viral video featuring the dancing inmates of a high-security penitentiary. In 2007, the inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center , a maximum security prison in Cebu, Cebu, the Philippines, imitated the zombie dance featured in the music video of Michael Jackson's...
- Thrill the WorldThrill the WorldThrill the World is an annual international dance event and world record breaking attempt, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance seen in the music video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and the title of the event is an allusion to another of Jackson's songs, Heal the World...