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Released on November 30, 1982, Thriller was a major marker of Michael Jackson's success, and it also changed the landscape of pop music forever. Despite already being quite a star, Jackson’s name really took off after Thriller. Almost overnight, the songs from Thriller, “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and the title track itself, became a major part of American pop culture.

The Making of Thriller

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Thriller was released at a transitional point both for Jackson and for music in general. Jackson's sixth studio album was released on November 29, 1982, by Epic Records and produced by Quincy Jones. Jackson and Jones reunited after working together on Jackson's 1979 album Off the Wall and recorded Thriller in Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. The album's development was marked by a shift from the disco backlash of the early 1980s. Thriller was darker than his previous works and saw him experimenting with various music genres and fusions, incorporating rock music for the first time. The album's content, writing, and production, along with Paul McCartney's guest appearance on "The Girl Is Mine," marked Jackson's first credited featured artist appearance on one of his albums.

The album received widespread acclaim from music critics, and it became Jackson's first No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it stayed for 37 non-consecutive weeks. The album's singles “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became two of his signature songs. The success of the music videos for both songs and the moonwalk dance performed, alongside Jackson becoming one of the first African-American musical artists with a heavy rotation on MTV in the form of the album's music video “Thriller,” resulted in the album selling an estimated 32 million copies by 1984. It became the best-selling album of all time.

A Global Legacy

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Its influence is similarly timeless. A year after its release, “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller” had become the heartbeat of America and much of the world. Critics have lauded the album not just for its unprecedented commercial success, but for its artistic audacity: its blend of fantasy and fear, sensuality and introspection. Nearly four decades later, Thriller remains a masterwork that redefined pop music, reimagined the world, and enshrined Michael Jackson as the King of Pop.

Thriller's unprecedented success made Jackson a figure of immense international influence, and the first African American entertainer to achieve such a high degree of crossover success. At the peak of its global acclaim, the album redefined the public's perception of popular music and made Jackson one of the most globally recognized figures of the 20th century.

In addition to its cultural impact, Thriller revolutionized the music industry itself. Released during the album era, at a time when the full-length record was considered the gold standard for musicians' artistry and commercial viability, it stretched the limits of the format. Its unmatched succession of hit singles reinvigorated the singles market and redefined what could be achieved by a single album project in terms of number of hits. Jackson's creative and business vision reimagined the album cycle, establishing a new standard for promotion, visual presentation, and worldwide marketing.