Thriller

It's Thriller. You know, "best-selling album of all time" Thriller? "Respectable choice for best album ever" Thriller? "Beat It" Thriller? "Billie Jean" Thriller? Yeah, that Thriller. I didn't need to listen to it again to know it was a 5/5, but I did and I can confirm: it's still a 5. RIP MJ

Legendary album kinda Pedo though

I thought this was going to be better. A lot better. It's not. Yeah, it has the threee big numbers in the middle - and Billie Jean is by far the best of those btw. Beat it's OK and Thriller - well, relies on having seen the video a bit maybe? But the rest of it is utter bollocks. Turgid and really terrible at times - This girl is mine is particularly dreadful - I mean, honestly, a fucking awful way to close an album. And what the fuck was McCartney thinking about when he agreed to collaborate with the utter horseshit that is The girls is mine? And Pretty Young Thing hasn't exactly aged well as a concept has it? Genuinely can't understand the 4+ rating here. Yes, there are two, maybe three, decent tracks in the middle. Yes, the start of side 2 is pretty strong, but the end is so, so bad. I'm stuck between a 1 and a 2. I suppose it should be a 2 because it has some half decent tracks, but, in this instance, I'll bring in the man being into things. So it's my first one. And not just because of Jackson - I really, really disliked this and can't imagine I'd ever listen to it again.

Pedo rule applied

Close to taking one away for McCartney's cringeworthy involvement.

Off the Wall was a massive success, spawning four Top Ten hits (two of them number ones), but nothing could have prepared Michael Jackson for Thriller. Nobody could have prepared anybody for the success of Thriller, since the magnitude of its success was simply unimaginable -- an album that sold 40 million copies in its initial chart run, with seven of its nine tracks reaching the Top Ten (for the record, the terrific "Baby Be Mine" and the pretty good ballad "The Lady in My Life" are not like the others). This was a record that had something for everybody, building on the basic blueprint of Off the Wall by adding harder funk, hard rock, softer ballads, and smoother soul -- expanding the approach to have something for every audience. That alone would have given the album a good shot at a huge audience, but it also arrived precisely when MTV was reaching its ascendancy, and Jackson helped the network by being not just its first superstar, but first black star as much as the network helped him. This all would have made it a success (and its success, in turn, served as a new standard for success), but it stayed on the charts, turning out singles, for nearly two years because it was really, really good. True, it wasn't as tight as Off the Wall -- and the ridiculous, late-night house-of-horrors title track is the prime culprit, arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its momentum -- but those one or two cuts don't detract from a phenomenal set of music. It's calculated, to be sure, but the chutzpah of those calculations (before this, nobody would even have thought to bring in metal virtuoso Eddie Van Halen to play on a disco cut) is outdone by their success. This is where a song as gentle and lovely as "Human Nature" coexists comfortably with the tough, scared "Beat It," the sweet schmaltz of the Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine," and the frizzy funk of "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." And, although this is an undeniably fun record, the paranoia is already creeping in, manifesting itself in the record's two best songs: "Billie Jean," where a woman claims Michael is the father of her child, and the delirious "Wanna Be Startin' Something," the freshest funk on the album, but the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded. These give the record its anchor and are part of the reason why the record is more than just a phenomenon. The other reason, of course, is that much of this is just simply great music.

All thriller no filler. Could be a greatest hits album. Superb. Michael Jackson really touches me in a special place.

There are three bona fide amazing classics on here. Then some good songs, a couple of fillers, and one cringer. Sir Paul, the girl is yours, Michael didn't even like her.

One of the finest albums in the history of time. There is not one weak track on it. Thriller by name, Thriller by nature

The album that defined the modern pop genre. Instant classics such as Thriller, Beat It, Billy Jean, and P.Y.T. all help make this one of the most influential and commercially successful albums of all time. The excellent bass lines and arrangements in many of these tracks are overshadowed by MJ's iconic singing. Truly an album that deserves at least one listen by any music lover.

Go on, then. This is the sort of album I expected to be on this list and I am happy for Thriller to be the Halloween selection. I am old and therefore I remember when this was released. I also remember not being especially all that fussed by the various singles (even though they were all solid), certainly not enough to actually want the album. But yet decades later, I know the album inside out, despite never having owned it. (Metallica's Black album is like that too!). The production of Thriller is great, both minimalist and maximalist when it needs to be. Maybe there are a few dud tracks. I love the Mac n Jack "Say Say Say" but "The Girl is Mine" feels lacklustre. On the other hand "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is an incredible opening number. It's a cool album and also MJ is staggeringly beautiful on the album cover.

All those kids. Not to mention all those animals. All that plastic surgery. OK, Michael Jackson, in addition to his giant entertaining talent, really is kinda weird. Again, like everything else the King of Pop was recording during his glory years, Thriller also includes lots of romance (albeit the irresponsible baby-making kind of ‘Baby Be Mine’), the sexy closer, ‘The Lady In My Life’(with this marvelously cheesy lyric: ‘Meet me in paradise, lay back in my tenderness’), and of course the famous duet with Paul McCartney, ‘The (doggone) Girl Is Mine.’ Again, Michael is in your face, with songs like, ‘Beat It,’ but most of the real fight is being waged down around the hips. Well, there is that other infamous fight with ‘Billie Jean,’ in which Michael claims that she’s ‘not (even) my lover. She’s just a girl who claims that I am the one. But the kid is not my son.’ I love Michael. He manages to even steer this whole train wreck of a relationship back to, yep, the dance floor, where it belongs! ‘For 40 days and 40 nights the law was on her side. But who can stand when she’s in demand, her schemes and plans? ‘Cause we danced on the floor in the round.’ And then, of course, ‘Thriller,’ the title track, perhaps Michael’s greatest, biggest hit, ever. And still fun. It’s the very first opening track that puzzles me, one of the… well, there were actually more hit singles on this LP than not! That’s Beatles’ territory, there, man. Anyway, Michael is, as usual, safely exercising his anger management training on the dance floor, asking the immortal Michael Jackson-esque question: ‘(Do you) Wanna be startin’ something?’ And then there’s all kinds of allegations made about someone, apparently, trying to start some shit with MJ. Get in line, dude (or dame). I’m betting there’s going to be a bit of a wait. In the meantime, we’re all gettin’ down, and then out of the blue this drops: ‘You’re a vegetable… still they hate you. You’re a vegetable. You’re just a buffet… they eat off of you. You’re a vegetable.’ WTF? LMAO. Yeah, Michael was a weird dude. So was Mozart. Perhaps that’s part of the cost for both his massive talent and global fame. Hey, I didn’t live with him, so what do I really know? Except that Thriller still thrills. That’s all I wanted to know anyway.

Shamone. Phenomenal. Paul McCartney does his best to ruin the funk on that one track but still a solid 5 stars.

This is not for me-hee-hee.

At the end of my Bad review, I made the claim that I preferred it to Thriller, despite how much I hated that album. Having listened to Thriller all the way through for the first time in ages, I’m not actually sure if that’s true. In fact, it’s one of those complicated feelings that arise when trying to criticise art you don’t like. In my opinion, Bad is actively worse as music, it has more baffling decisions musically, lyrically, and production wise. But listening to Thriller reminded me just how boring it is. The music is in general better, it has more Post-Disco edge than the safe Pop sound that Bad attempts, the lyrics have less ridiculous posturing, which means that they’re less funny but also less interesting. Honestly there are two songs that actually I like, Baby Be Mine and Billie Jean, but Billie Jean’s been so overplayed that I can’t enjoy it any more. But so many of the songs rely on the trick of repeating Jackson’s vocals with an echo affect and badly synthesised keyboard beeps, coupled with a dry, hollow-sounding production, that I’ve always just hated the experience of listening to the album. It sounds like a commercial product rather than a piece of art that someone has bled, sweated, and cried over. And if the artist can’t be bothered to seem passionate about their work, I don’t see why I should be either

Favorite is "Wanna be startin something." which is apparently about gossip magazines. This was his global breakout, and went 33x Platinum. Its the highest selling record of all time with 66 million copies. Crazy how many hits are on this one. Same with "Bad." I guess critics say this is the first time he uses a full adult voice.

Such a great album. Amazing rhythms, song writing and of course essentially all played by Toto with guest guitar from EVH. Play it loud!

The album is really satisfying to listen to from the first track. There is so much complexity in the syncopated percussion, layered bass, interesting chords and vocal harmonies. The arrangement and production is ingenious and almost alien-like, when certain chords hit (like the thriller chord) it almost brought a tear to my eye. I have to say I believe that Jackson was a paedophile who exploited children that admired him. He was clearly a very damaged individual who had a traumatic life, but this does not excuse his crimes. It would be easy to give this 1/5 but there is no point lying, I still listen to this album and think it is incredible. As I’ve said in other reviews, I can separate an album from the artist so it is still getting 5/5 from me, but I want to be clear that I think Jackson did some horrific things in his life and I think people need to accept that.

Greatest pop album of all time. Number one selling album of all time. Made Michael Jackson the king of pop.

**Lyrics:** The lyrics of "Thriller" traverse a range of themes, from love and romance to horror and the supernatural. Tracks like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" explore themes of personal relationships and societal issues, while songs like the title track "Thriller" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" venture into the realm of horror and the macabre. Jackson's songwriting prowess shines through in his ability to craft catchy hooks and memorable lines that resonate with listeners across generations. **Music:** The musical arrangements on "Thriller" are a testament to Jackson's versatility as an artist. The album seamlessly blends elements of pop, R&B, funk, rock, and disco, creating a sound that is both timeless and innovative. Tracks like "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" feature infectious basslines and danceable rhythms, while songs like "Human Nature" showcase Jackson's emotive vocals and melodic sensibility. The album's diverse sonic palette keeps listeners engaged from start to finish, making it a quintessential pop masterpiece. **Production:** One of the defining characteristics of "Thriller" is its meticulous production. Jackson enlisted the help of legendary producer Quincy Jones, who brought his unparalleled expertise to the project. Together, they assembled a team of top-notch musicians and engineers to create a polished and dynamic sound. From the crisp percussion to the lush orchestration, every element of the album is carefully crafted to perfection. The attention to detail in the production elevates "Thriller" from a mere collection of songs to a cohesive musical experience. **Themes:** Thematically, "Thriller" explores a wide range of topics, from love and desire to fear and paranoia. The album's title track, "Thriller," evokes the suspense and excitement of a horror movie, while songs like "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" tackle themes of conflict and empowerment. At its core, "Thriller" is a celebration of life, love, and the human experience, with Jackson's dynamic performances breathing life into each track. **Influence:** The influence of "Thriller" on popular culture cannot be overstated. The album's groundbreaking music videos, including the iconic short film for the title track, set new standards for visual storytelling in the music industry. Jackson's signature dance moves, such as the moonwalk, became cultural phenomena, inspiring countless artists and entertainers. "Thriller" also helped to break down racial barriers in the music industry, demonstrating the universal appeal of Jackson's music and paving the way for future generations of artists. **Pros:** 1. Iconic singles: "Thriller" boasts some of the most memorable singles in music history, including "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and the title track. 2. Versatile sound: The album's diverse musical palette appeals to a wide range of listeners, transcending genre boundaries. 3. Meticulous production: Quincy Jones's masterful production elevates "Thriller" to legendary status, setting a new standard for excellence in pop music. 4. Cultural impact: "Thriller" has left an indelible mark on popular culture, influencing music, fashion, and entertainment for decades to come. **Cons:** 1. Limited lyrical depth: While the lyrics of "Thriller" are catchy and memorable, they may lack the depth and complexity found in some other albums. 2. Overplayed singles: The album's most popular singles have been played extensively on radio and television, leading to potential listener fatigue. 3. Short tracklist: With only nine tracks, some listeners may find "Thriller" to be relatively short compared to other albums. In conclusion, "Thriller" remains a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences around the world. From its infectious grooves to its groundbreaking visuals, the album represents the pinnacle of Michael Jackson's artistic achievement and stands as a defining moment in music history.

A superb album by one of the greatest pop stars of all time. Timeless album with memorable songs that are easily recognizable from the first note. Such a groovy and get-down-on-the-floor sounds that are so infectious. Amazing sound sonically with great vocals and accompaniments to support. Overall, a very easy listen over and over again.

Not surprising, almost all of these songs are absolute hits. What is surprising is Michael not only banged a carny to lose his virginity but he didn't die from some disease.

Pop bom, pop raiz, pop de qualidade!

There are some duff tracks on this, though the willy-fencing with Macca is entertaining on one of them, but this is one of the greats. The production is great, striking while always subservient to the singer: Jones built a perfect setting for Jackson.

I expected much from this album. Was disappointed. Not only because every time I hear Michael Jacksons voice, I have to actively blend out thoughts about those South Park episodes and him being a child molester, but also because most of these tracks are just generic disco pop tracks with trivial lyrics. Of course, you have your three standouts: Thriller, Billie-Jean, and Beat It, but to be honest, Thriller isn't even that great. So overall, we have two songs that I can actually enjoy listening to today. Inclined to give it 2 starts, but it probably deserves a molestation condemnation compensation bonus

I was terrified by zombie Michael Jackson in the Thriller video as a kid in the 80’s.

Such incredible music from a kiddie fiddler.

Clearly, Michael Jackson and his album, Thriller are iconic, it can't be denied, as this album is the best selling album of all-time. 70 million copies have been sold worldwide, so 70 million can't be wrong, can they? I am NOT one of those 70 million, but it seems over my lifetime, I've been forced to listen to songs from this record at least that many times. Just because a record gets endless airplay, music videos have been viewed billions of times, millions of people have seen him live and all those copies of the album were sold doesn't mean it's any good. Not to forget, that glove, that dance, his zoo, the kids...!! I had seen this album in bargain bins more than any other album, so you know people's parents bought this record because it was popular. The next generation that has followed have also been tricked into thinking this is a great piece of music...spoiler alert, it isn't!

This is not a great album. Its tree great songs in a row. The rest is pretty average.

I mean…..greatest album ever???

Michael Jackson was formative for me, and this album has what was my favorite song as a kid, "Billie Jean." It's just a complete classic.

An absolute banger this one, I love it!

Classic album, maybe one of the best ever in my opinion. Every song on this album is fantastic. I remember when the video for Thriller came out, it blew everyone away. My older sister went to see him in concert and she said it was an amazing show.

I was at a bar for a Halloween party this weekend. In between bouts of generic, shitty EDM, the DJ spun up Thriller. The crowd went fuuuucking nuts. We're talking an average age of maybe 25. If a song can create that much excitement, 42 years after its release, with a group of people whose parents were still kids when it came out, you know it's special.

Fire front to back. Human Nature, Billie Jean, and Beat it round out my top 3. This is the GOAT for a reason.

No one should need to review this album. Rating it anything less than 5* is a crime

Oh boy a great album from one of the GOATs! Such a musical mind!

banger

funky-pop, we all know the songs

It’s tempting to be contrarian with the highest-selling album of all time, but there’s a reason 34 million people bought it. Despite years of overplay, Thriller is just plain fun to listen to, with diverse sounds ranging from pop, R&B, funk, rock, and disco. Quincy Jones brought the heat on the production to accompany Michael at the height of his powers. It has the most top 10s from an album of all time (I don’t care about the Mickey Mouse Spotify-era records of Taylor Swift, Drake, and 21 Savage). I debated dropping it to a 4 due to some down-ballot clunkers (“The Girl is Mine” = cringe). However, an album this catchy, with this much cultural impact, and this many hits has gotta qualify as a 5, or else I’m setting myself an unreasonable standard.

he definitely touched those kids. this albums slaps tho 🔥🔥🔥

I mean... Two of these songs weren't even top 10 hits? Let's try a little harder next time, Mike.

Off the wall is still better, but this was a monster in 82

the sound can feel dated at times, but it is almost hilarious that 3 of MJ's most legendary songs are in a row

Barely a 4 because the parts of this album I hadn't heard before were surprisingly bad (e.g., the girl is mine)

This album is pretty good. For one of the best selling albums of all time though, it does have quite a few misses imo. Billie Jean is the best track for sure. Also like Wanna be Startin Somethin, Beat it, and P.Y.T. The rest range from mid to downright goofy AND YES THAT INCLUDES THRILLER ITS GOOFY AF

Obvs, nonce, yes. This is still home to some all time brilliance though. Question is does the rest hold up? Will it be the same story as Off the Wall, 60% magic, rest a bit shit? Wanna be starting something is an absolutely irresistible pop song which remains so throughout...6 minutes? Yeah I had to double check. I stuck Soul Makossa on immediately after - Obviously they nicked the refrain but not much else, so it works as a coda to the song. Baby Be Mine, meh, also, very questionable key change near the end. Always hated The Girl is Mine, it was already unfeasibly cheesy in the 80s (even before the excruciating spoken section), and Macca's contribution to Off the Wall wasn't much better. Thriller is Thriller. I mean what can you say about it. It's silly, it's camp, it's funky, it's Halloween. Its...ALSO 6 minutes long? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. A ha ha. Beat it kicks arse. Billie Jean is a cracking tune, the lyric always made MJ look a disdainful, responsibility shirking dickhead though even before I really understood what was going on. Human Nature stands as one of the very few genuinely great Jackson ballads that actually stands up in my opinion. PYT (or, the Nonceing National Anthem) might be a banging tune but you can't really listen to it anymore. A bit like if Gary Glitter had snuck a lyric saying he loves to touch kids into Rock n Roll. (Except he didn't so that one's still ok, Joker fans) Lady in my Life, it's another meh. Overall, got to say pretty much the same feeling as Off the Wall, with more or less the same reservations.

Nr. 16/1001 Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 4/5 Baby Be Mine 4/5 The Girl is Mine 4/5 Thriller 5/5 Beat It 5/5 Billie Jean 5/5 Human Nature 4/5 P.Y.T 4/5 The Lady in My Life 3/5 Average: 4,22 Awesome album. Really enjoyed it more than I remembered. This is my best rated album so far, taking over from Vol. 4 - Black Sabbath (3,78)

The singular 80s record. A new standard in just about every way. An onslaught of hits.

Thriller is all killer no filler? Sure, it's a pillar of pop iconography, but the shillers that can't see the weaknesses really need to chill here. It absolutely has some of the best pop songs ever written on here. But Human Nature is good not great; The Lady in My Life is just a step above mid; and good god in heaven The Girl Is Mine is so dogshit it makes me question two of music's biggest icons. The bops still outweigh the flops by a mile, but there ARE flops. This isn't the greatest pop album of all time; it's not even The King of Pop's greatest album (or even second greatest).

Ok, so here's where I lose a lot of cred with most folks: I don't actually like Michael Jackson. Never have. This record, however, is the one MJ album I have on vinyl. It's probably his best known (follwed closely by Bad), is the best selling album of all time, and on top of that, has some pretty good tracks on it. I play it once a year on or near Halloween and that's enough MJ to last me a whole year. I totally get why this is on the list. It's a good album. I'm just not much of a fan.

I never danced to this at the time so it has no specific memories apart from chart action and the MTV videos. Jackson was not cool for 17 year olds back in 82/83. Surprising how many songs I recognise, only 3 I didn’t remember hearing. However that this remove in the cold light of day Billie Jean is a great track, human nature quite good but the rest leave me pretty cold. I’m one of the 70 million people who bought this (I was surprised to see I owned the 25th anniversary edition of this) but it wouldn’t come near my top 500 favourite albums list. 3/5

Automatic star deduction for Paul McCartney and pedophilia. Honestly 3/4 of Thriller is amazing. 2 songs I would skip. Quincy Jones’ production is great and MJ is at the height of his talent.

used to love this, now hard to listen to given the weirdness and perversion following. Far better than Gary Glitter in a musical sense, but rating adjusted accordingly for similar behaviors

I always liked Billie Jean but aside from that song I wasn't a fan of the rest of this album on release or of Michael Jackson in general. After he died and we were bombarded with all the music he made I warmed up to him. I enjoyed listening to Beat It today. Truth be told, I know the lyrics to Weird Al's Eat It much better than I know the lyrics to Beat It. I remember Ray Davies introduced Lola as the song Van Halen made famous. For me, Beat It was the song Weird Al got me to like. Go figure. Vincent Price makes an appearance on Thriller. It's OK but his role pales in comparison to his role introducing Black Widow on Alice Cooper's Welcome to my Nightmare LP. There are a few too many weenie songs on this album. Human Nature and The Lady in my Life are good examples of songs that are so weenie they're hard to stomach. The worst though is This Girl Is Mine. It seems Michael was trying to adopt a cool image with the red leather jacket, etc. Who told him a duet with Paul McCartney would be cool? Makes ya wonder.

Really not my thing. I understand he's seen an icon, but I still think his music is shit and so is he.

Nonce

Everyone has heard this album. Its not that good

PYT is creepy as fuck

Nonce

Yuk. An uneven and overrated album and that’s before bringing in the singer’s history.

can't listen to a pedophiles music

Good album but unbearable to listen to given what we know about the artist now

I can't be doing with Michael Jackson. Okay, this is good if you like this mix of pop/funk/r&b, but the best selling album of all time? That just shows the vacuity of a large percentage of the record buying public. ;)

Vile

Heard it

This album has many hit songs from the king of pop. What a fun album to listen to.

MJ is such a goat I saved 75% of this album. So many genres in a cohesive piece, all bangers

Unschlagbar! Sensationelles Album Ich finde allerdings Lied 2 & 3 und das letzte Lied des Albums nicht so toll wie die Bekannten! Dinge das hat schon seine Begründung warum die anderen bekannter sind. Mein Liebling: Human Nature - unfassbar schöner Song

Simply fantastic

ну король же

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

An all-time classic.

king stay the king

classics all around

Yeah!

Brilliant

What else is there to say about the king

Even the bad song is great

September 3, 2021 I had no idea so many songs I'd heard before were on this album - a classic pop record for sure!

Tons of classic songs on here. Enjoyed it way more than I thought I would

awesome idk what else to say

Classic album

This is the jam. Hard not to have heard all of these songs hundreds of times. I never owned this album though so it was good to listen straight through. Classic.

Micheal Jackson has just an otherworldly vocal talent. Half of this album is 8/5 stars and those are the songs you know. The other half is a solid 3/5. It’s just fun delicious pop. I’d probably say 4.5/5 but I’ll round up!

Au!

epic epic epic!

I mean, was there any other choice and 5 stars? Still probably the greatest pop record ever.

one of the best albums of all time.

A masterpiece

Absolute belter of an album

Erg dubbel: Muziekaal 5 sterren, echt een geweldig album. Maar de persoon MJ roept inmiddels nogal wat weerzin op. En dan druk ik het nog voorzichtig uit.

best

I mean...

Easily one of the greatest albums ever that should be a benchmark across popular genres on how to create a masterpiece product.

This is obviously a classic album and is absolutely stacked with hits. The production is incredible, and the arrangement has aged very well. However, I would be remiss not to mention that in light of the renewed allegations of child sexual abuse against Michael Jackson, it's difficult to listen to this music as a non-involved listener. I can't say for certain what did or didn't happen, but the persistence of these allegations is troublesome to say the least.

Looking at the track list, HOW is all of this on one album. Stacked.

Sailed through it. A wonderful album.

Great listen. The Girl Is Mine is always a good listen. True classic.