Hi, and welcome to the Michael Jackson Thriller Phenomenon, celebrating 25 years since the release of Michael Jackson’s
album Thriller.
December 1982 saw the introduction of Michael’s second solo offering from CBS/Epic Records, following the hugely
acclaimed Off The Wall album, which spawned four Top 10 hits on both sides of the Atlantic, two of which were
Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers in the States.
There was a lot of anticipation surrounding Thriller, especially after Off The Wall’s worldwide success, so much so that
Michael put himself under immense pressure. It’s now well documented that the final playback of Thriller, before
releasing the master tapes to Epic Records, were a huge disappointment to both Michael and co-producer Quincy Jones.
But in adversity and doubt came triumph. It was decided to remix each track individually, until the right sounds
were achieved, and the rest we can now safely say is history.
For those who lived through the Thriller years, you will undoubtedly remember how slowly it all began, with The Girl Is Mine,
a duet with Paul McCartney in October 1982, and how it suddenly picked up a momentum that exploded into
Michaelmania.
It wasn’t until March 1983 that the ignition was lit, with both the Thriller album and the second single release, Billie Jean,
topping the charts in both America and the UK simultaneously. Billie Jean topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks,
thanks to the mysteriously contrived Steve Barron video. Beat It, inspired by the classic musical Westside Story, returned
Michael to the top of the Billboard charts within a week of Billie Jean having been replaced by Dexy’s Midnight Runners’
Come on Eileen. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and Human Nature (in the US) quickly followed, and the airwaves were
full of a constant flow of Thriller tracks daily. The record industry had been in a decline for some time during this period,
but suddenly record stores were seeing an upturn in trade, and many attributed this to the successful sales of
Thriller.
Thriller quickly became the biggest selling album of the year worldwide, long before the half way period of 1983 was reached.
Sales were given a huge boost when Michael agreed to appear at the Motown 25th Anniversary show, to perform Billie Jean,
where he showcased for the very first time the now legendary Moonwalk. Thriller’s sales went into orbit, and it seemed
nothing could stop it.
Just when it seemed that the album had peaked, Michael got together with film director Jon Landis, to create the most
innovative video of all time – and once again people were on the edge of their seats, and desperate to go out and buy
Thriller once again.
The hits singles kept coming, with P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) and the title track, Thriller. By the end of its reign,
Thriller had achieved a then record breaking seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts, and five Top 10 hits in the
UK.
But the story of Thriller was not just about the hit singles and album. Various other spin offs and stories contributed to its
success, including numerous record breaking achievements at the American Music and Grammy awards, the Jacksons’ Victory
Tour, and uccessful collaborations with Diana Ross, Paul McCartney and Rockwell, that provided more chart success.
The period of 1982-1984 was relentless.
Here, for the very first time on a dedicated website to the Thriller album, we try to capture that time period. We have
taken the entire album’s tracks to create different sections, for you to view. This is by far incomplete, but it goes some way
to understanding the mania surrounding Thriller.
Following this introduction, Wanna be Startin’ Somthin’, we present:
BABY BE MINE:
An exclusive archive section displaying all the news, reviews, advertisements and stories from 1982-1984. There should
be something here to view for even the most loyal and dedicated fan, and it’s probably the most unique way to follow
what was happening during this exciting era. Look out for clippings on:
1. The Hair On Fire Incident
2. The American Music Awards
3. The Grammy Awards
4. The Thriller Celebration Party
Please note, there is only a small mentioning of the Victory Tour, as we will be providing a separate section for this due
to the extensive material we have. We are sure you’ll enjoy reliving the tour when we upload it in early 2008.
THE GIRL IS MINE:
Here we follow the spin offs Michael was involved with from 1982-1985 (March). The first section on this page will
deal with his collaborations during this period; you’ll also find some interesting reviews and clippings here too.
The second part deals with 1982 to the present:
Tributes (1982-1984)
Covers (1982 – present)
Samples (1982 – Present)
THRILLER:
This is our section to display record sleeves from around the world. We hope to increase the coverage on here during
the coming months, so keep filing back to view it.
BEAT IT:
Book releases from around the world from 1982 – 1985 (March).
BILLIE JEAN:
Front page magazine covers from around the world, featuring Michael during 1982-1985.
HUMAN NATURE:
An exclusive discography from the UK & USA.
P.Y.T. (PRETTY YOUNG THING):
Thriller’s chart performance worldwide.
THE LADY IN MY LIFE:
Thriller merchandise from around the world.
CAROUSEL:
A series of articles from around the world from 1982-1985, scanned and in text form only.
SHE’S TROUBLE:
Relive the Victory tour with the news, gossip, single and album releases, reviews and advertisements.
STARLIGHT:
Exclusive competition to win the Thriller 25 anniversary release.
FOR ALL TIME:
All the 25th anniversary news.
STAND TALL:
Links and thanks to all our contributors.
We hope you enjoy your visit, and if you have any questions or inclusions to put on the website, please don’t hesitate to
contact us.
Thanks go to Damiano, Philippe at mjcollectorland.com, Anja at mj-covers.com and Thom for supplying some very rare
scans for us.
Also thanks to Craig Halstead for the exclusive chart page.
CC & CC
