Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Trying yet again to understand why people love Michael Jackson's music so much and I will say that I like the singles off of this one and the last two tracks but I really don't get why this is considered by some to be one of the best albums ever. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I can't say it's worth 5 stars
I really didn’t need to listen to this, but it’s been so many years since I heard the album in its entirety I thought it be a good idea to do so. Although I don’t love this album, it’s pretty strong…after all, it sold a gazillion copies. I even bought a copy of it on vinyl back in the day, because I thought it may be a collectible someday. I really haven’t listened to it much since it was current. Like a lot of folks, I think the girl is mine is a horrible song with some inane lyrics. I also don’t care for the sound of electronic percussion throughout the album. But, I do recognize the importance of this album and its quality, even though it doesn’t completely cater to my tastes. I can’t see giving it less than four stars.
This is produced immaculately, one of its biggest strengths. Very slick and smooth, but not in a way that's too squeaky clean that it feels sterile Woman Be Startin' Somethin' is probably my favourite track, I like the horns and lot. But also doesn't help the rest of the album to start at it's highest point Have I heard a different version of Beat It before this album? I thought the synths sounded more dated than I remember. Not really a complaint as it was still one of my highlights, just a bit odd Highlights: Woman Be Startin' Somethin', Beat It, Baby Be Mine
Great album. Full of hits
Muy bueno. Debo escucharlo de vuelta. Excelentes trabajos vocales melódicos y armónicos. Interesantes partes de guitarra para aprender.
For the best selling album ever, this is a disappointment. Not a terrible album by any means. Beat It and Billie Jean are great songs that totally stand the test of time. Wanna Be Starting Something is also pretty good though I don’t love the drums (frankly the drum machine on the whole album aren’t my favourite.) But can Thriller really be a classic pop song when it has been reduced to a Halloween novelty? The (Doggone) Girl is Mine has to be the worst song either Jackson orPaul McCartney ever recorded. And then the rest of the album is fairly charmless adult contemporary filler. Four stars on the strength of Beat It and Billie Jean.
This got even better with re-listens. I thought I liked Bad more than Thriller but I waa wrong.
Lots of bangers on this album
Starts and ends kinda slow but Thriller through PYT are S-tier bangers
Nostalgia-packed for me, and still a fantastic pop album 40+ years later.
Every song is worth playing. I’ve never really gotten into MJ but I’ve heard at least all the songs released as single at some point. For only 9 songs, this album feels like it has more to it. I get why it’s held in such high esteem. Song rankings after full play through 1) Thriller 2) PYT 3) Billie Jean 4) The Girl is Mine 5) Beat It 6) Human Nature 7) Baby Be Mine 8) Lady in My Life 9) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin
Wydaje mi się, że ciężko dać temu albumowi coś mniej niż 4. Tyle bangerów, ile tam zmieścili... "Thriller", "Beat It" i "Billie Jean" zna absolutnie każdy, kamienie milowe muzyki rozrywkowej. Za same te trzy kawałki zasługuje na wysoką ocenę. Duet z Paulem McCartneyem to ciekawe doświadczenie, przy ich partii mówionej trochę cringe'owałem, ale ogólnie uważam to za bardzo ciekawą i owocną współpracę, potem wypuścili jeszcze "Say Say Say", które bardzo lubię. Jeszcze jedno wyróżnienie dla "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", fajnie buja. Zresztą MJ zawsze miał fajne otwierające utwory, na "Off The Wall" ma "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough", na "Bad" ma tytularną piosenkę. Poziom produkcji, jaki ten gość otrzymywał też był nieziemski. Te aranżacje są naprawdę topowe.
Well this is obviously one of the biggest commercial albums and critically acclaimed pieces from the king of pop himself. Has some of his biggest career hits and best pop songs of all time, like Billie Jean, Wanna be Startin Somethin, Thriller, Beat It, PYT. Wanna Be Startin Somethin is honestly slept on, the grooves on the track are some of the most unreal things I've ever heard, especially in combo with the horns. The horns and synths on this thing are incredible throughout, and how I wish pop music was now -- bring me complex production that reaches the limit of listening comprehension, the point right before sounds become overwhelming. Some of the lesser known songs are good, especially Baby Be Mine. Not in love with The Girl is Mine at all, something about it I kinda can't stand, and I think Human Nature is incredibly boring. The impact this had on pop music moving forward is undeniable and warranted, in the moments where the album is at its highs.
Classic
So many bangers… but I would argue that there are fillers on here, like “The Girl (Beatles Song Collection) is Mine” and “The Lady in My Life”
Listening to “beat it” when you know this man is a pedo doesn’t quite hit the same… alas this is an exercise of separation of artist and art. PYT doesn’t age any better btw… ok - I tried putting myself in the shoes of someone hearing this when it came out in 1982 after years of rock n roll dominating the music industry. It must have felt quite liberating in some ways paving the way for artists to explore new dimensions for years to come. Do you get purple rain without thriller? There’s some absolutely brilliant pieces of composition paired with arguably the greatest performer the world has seen, at least solo performer. Billie Jean has been just been on repeat in my brain. It’s a shame he was such an awful person. Musically his talent was undeniable. Also, I wish the McCartney song was better!!
Classic
Last time I made a hehe haha joke, this time I'm bloody serious, it's a superb album
almost a 5 first time I really vibe with an MJ album. I get why he was popular because this is something else
Some obvious banger of course, great clean horn section
The hits are immaculate in billie jean, beat it, pyt and thriller. The rest does not really do it for me. "Wanna be starting something" is underwhelming and goes on too long, others are either solid to forgettable or straight up bad like "The girl is mine". The dog gone girl is mine, the dog gone girl is mine, the dog gone girl is mine, the dog gone girl is mine,
King of pop...
Amazing, classic, and, dare I say, thrilling album. Thank you, thank you, you can stop the applause now.
An all timer.
The king of pop has gain his fame for a reason, after all
very enjoyable but I wish he employed the beat it style more often
You know, in its essence, this album really is just a thrown-together collection of kind of cheesy 80's songs. However, with pretty much half of these songs being the cultural phenomenons they are (and the remaining few songs keeping up the quality pretty well), it somehow completely trancends that category. These songs work their formulas so well that they almost feel like a given fact, like musical axioms; and when you hear these songs, you don't hear RnB, pop, rock or anything, you hear Thriller. A true sui generis, not through subversion, but through perfecting the craft of the groovy pop song with the potential to appeal to anyone and their grandma's goldfish.
👍🏼
"You're a vegetable, ow!"
Obviously a classic
This was a fun album. I’ve never really had an issue with Michael Jackson, but because he’s always been such a big deal, I’ve tended to overlook him and focus on other artists. It’s not something I can see myself coming back to often unless there’s a specific reason, but it definitely wasn’t time wasted either.
classic!
The classics are amazing, the songs around it not so much. Close to a 5 star, still a good listen.
I always sort of preferred "Bad" but I'm still human so 4 stars
just monumental. how do you make an album with so many certified hits?
Off the Wall is the better record to one's ears, with the title track aging especially poorly now and the duet with Paul McC, unconvincing upon release, sounding even more so now. The totally overlooked "Baby Be Mine" is a pleasant surprise. "Billie Jean" and "Human Nature" and "Beat It" are all state-of-the-art, precision-engineered pop cuts. "Startin' Somethin'" and "PYT" are fine, too. It's hard to argue with the success on this scale, but one's begrudging admiration for it in the '80s hasn't really deepened or expanded. One just listened to What's Going On for this exercise, and Thriller pales in comparison. This record, perhaps as good as pop as top-of-the-market, commercially-oriented pop music could be at the time, will never get any better.
Does it matter that half of the album is barely mid-tier filler songs when it has the run of The Girl is Mine, Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean? No, it does not.
Brilliant album from start to finish. I'm taking this voyage through music and doing my best to ignore controversy, so I'll keep doing that here, but yeah. Every track is brilliant. No surprise it's a best seller.
What can you say about an album like this? I was 15 when it came out, and the singles (most of the songs on the record) were everywhere. Being the contrarian that I was (and still am), I didn't like anything that everyone else liked, and that included Michael Jackson. But 40 years on, I can see what an impressive feat it is -- there's a variety of styles, and they're all good. (And it made Tim move. Not much makes Tim move. He called it tasty.)
This is a classic. One of my most listened to records from my youth. Human Nature is the standout on this album to me.
One album with all of Jackson's biggest hits definitely deserves a 4 for how iconic it is, despite not being an album I anticipate myself listening much to.
Legendary production, legendary songwriting, legendary performances. Not got a tonne to say about this one, it’s great, everyone knows it’s great. Only one real stinker on the album and it’s The Girl Is Mine with Paul McCartney, which I think is pretty widely regarded as the worst song on the album. Felt like an unnecessary addition to an otherwise pretty flawless album. So for making me relisten to that song this album gets a 4.5 instead of a 5. On a side note I think I prefer the better songs on Off The Wall but there are a fair few more misses on that album than on here.
4.8 Pienso que se escucha muy bien: buen ingeniero de audio y buen producción; Michael tiene una voz agradable. Todas las canciones son buenas. Mi favorita: Human Nature.
sks
It's a well produced album from a star at their height before they went off the rails. Beat It and Thriller were the first two songs I have memory of loving as a small kid, so much that Bad was the first record I bought with my own money. In hindsight, Billy Jean is probably the best song on the album and P.Y.T. is pretty catchy as well. Outside of those four, it is solid for a pop album, even if it isn't particularly my thing. I'd give it three stars, but it gets an extra for childhood nostalgia.
I’ve always liked Michael Jackson well enough but never loved anything that I’ve heard. What a strange career to peak when you’re like, 12 years old. I feel the same way about this album as I feel about Prince’s Purple Rain. The tunes are solid but there’s often too much going on, resulting in songs that sound more theatric than enjoyable. This is especially true of the singles, which are by far the worst batch of tracks on this thing. The slower, sparser songs really shine through. I find it difficult to fully immerse myself in this album with Jackson’s reputation in the current day. The love songs are great, but are undoubtedly tainted by his actions. Overall pretty good!
Certified classic
I think we all should have known MJ was a creep from some of these lyrics. Either way still a quality album.
interesting. better than i was hoping for.
Q: What's Pee Wee Herman's favorite song ... ? A: Beat It
Three stinkers on this album. Michael got the short end of the shared duets with Paul, tho’ I suppose Say, Say, Say (the inifinitely better one) did more to elevate Macker’s album than The Girl is Mine did to hurt Thriller. Human Nature might be the sleeper here - beautiful melody, excellent synth rhythm and first rate performance by MJ. And of course all of the mega hits that made this one of the biggest albums ever, masterly produced by QJ. Mama say mama sah mama coo sah!
My parents had this album on vinyl and I wore it out. Undeniably a great album. Undeniably a complicated legacy. I honestly can't hear MJ and just enjoy it so loss of a star.
I liked this more than I expected but less than I hoped. Thriller/Beat It/Billie Jean is an absolute murder's row. Other than those, the album was 50% "I can see why some people really like this" and "jfc, what even is this". Is there an MJ album that just has songs in the vein of Billie Jean on it? That's all I really want.
Some really great stuff here - but you knew that already. The 2 songs I'm lukewarm on are The Lady In my Life and The Girl Is Mine. Everything else is fun pop - Michael had a knack for a hook. The EVH guitar solo in Beat It? Wasn't credited to Eddie Van Halen originally. He asked to be left off the credits, apparently to keep peace in Van Halen. A few weeks after released, Ed was in Tower Records and overheard two customers debating if it was Ed or not. Ed wandered over and set the record straight. (Can't confirm that story, but its too funny not to include here - I'd like to think its true.) And he was paid with 2 6 packs. No residuals from Beat It. I'll be Michael (and Quincy) was thrilled to keep that $$.
Really don’t like the girl is mine. The idea that Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson are fighting over the same girl is hilarious and absurd. Can’t go wrong with Billie Jean and Thriller though! I can’t not hear Weird Al’s “Eat it” whenever I hear “Beat it”.
Songs that stood out: Beat It, Billie Jean and Human Nature. All in all, a great album. Some really interesting and intricate beats. The vocals are impressive. Solid 4.
Thriller // Beat It // Billie Jean // P.Y.T. // The Lady in My Life
Very fun as always Michael thank you. I love the Paul song they did together
The jump from the admittedly quite funny dirge with Macca to one of the greatest three track runs of all time could have given me whiplash
One of, if not the best pop albums ever created
Pretty good stuff.
Classic album that I hadn't listened to in a long time.
Oh ya! from the first note. The legend at his best. Even better, my favorite tune by him (Billie Jean).
I unashamedly love this album - I remember getting the 25th anniversary edition of this on my 12th birthday and played it to death. That said, I'll acknowledge he's a problematic artist and whilst we may never know the truth behind those controversies, it's fair to say that musically MJ was a genius. The run of Thriller/Beat It/Billie Jean is *perfect*. The Girl is Mine is a big stinky pile of cringe though - I would probably attribute that mostly to Macca. ...Startin' Something and PYT are awesome songs that balance this record out, so overall it's a solid solid effort, with a couple of 'eh' songs and one I'd skip altogether.
4 stars for thriller, billie jean, and beat it, classics, played to death known songs.
finally, peak i lowkey skipped songs on this because i've already heard them a million times. this album is too iconic. whats more interesting are the songs that I haven't heard before. They're pretty good, especially Baby Be Mine.
There are some bad songs, mainly good though.
To me this isn't quite the life changing record people make it out to be, but it is still a collection decent to great pop songs
Thriller shows why Michael Jackson is such a famed musician. Apart from world famous classics like: "Thriller", "Beat it" and "Billie Jean", songs like "Wanna Be Startin' Something" also surprised me. Overall I am impressed how well Michael Jackson manages to replicate his formula, which makes ever song sound pretty well
Not an MJ fan but really enjoyed this. Would have been 5 stars but for the awful section where he and McCartney talk to each other over the music…
King of pop.. Excellent composition..
It's a fantastic album, but I can't quite bring myself to give it 5 stars. It feels slightly churlish giving MJ 4 stars, as I can see this actually brings the average score down a bit, but I'm sure the balance won't be too badly affected. Half of the album is out of this world, the other half is a little duller/ more generic, but still good.
i feel like this is one of those albums that we all acknowledge is one of the greatest of all time but we never actually consciously listen to it (at least in my experience)…maybe i should change that though because it is truly SO good- the “King of Pop” title is well deserved for this album alone. I ended up knowing a little over half of it already (all the singles) but even the lesser known album tracks were masterfully written, performed, and produced and i found a new favorite that i hadn’t heard before with “Baby Be Mine”
Obviously a classic, my grandma has this on vinyl and I think that's a good way to experience it. Some songs have a bit of a muzak/mario kart vibe like baby be mine and the girl is mine. Hits like Thriller and Beat It are amazing. Deserves its praise.
9/10
Starts and ends slow but has one of the best runs of three songs. 4/5
Repays hearing right through. Great production.
Buen disco mala persona
I’ll give him a four but it’s more like a 3.5 for me.
A classic of course. Slipped the title track because it’s just not cool to listen to anytime outside of October.
Last time I listened this album must have been in the early '90s. I think I didn't notice the bass and guitar riffs back then. They are actually pretty cool. Also you can have mixed opinions about mr Jacksons singing style and voice, but somehow this album works to me right now. That funkish groove is there and it hits me. Only few of the last songs in this album lowered it's stars in my mind.
Has some great classics.
Wanted to dislike it but it’s great.
Classic
Good album, even better hit.
What do you need to say about this? A classic album with 3 of MJ’s absolute classic songs. Shame I’m not quite as into the ballads.
Obviously good stuff
goddd hi Paul McCartney thriller directly into beat it then Billie Jean is fucking crazzzyyy I wish I was alive in 1982
Great album!! Classic MJ
Wow, what a wikipedia entry. Never heard this album as a whole; it's wild that so many bangers are in the same album. It's very 80s. Wanna be somethin' has that very catchy bridge. Back in the day when I was a sucker for beatles-adjacent anything I really liked the girl is mine, but now I found that a) it clashes with the rest pretty hard and b) the talking part is cringeeee. Thriller's "narrator" (?) really took me out and kind of ruined the song for me, maybe it was an artifact of the time/music video craze. The back half is a snoozer, 4* because of that. Highlights: billie jean, beat it
Yeah Michael Jackson is Michael Jackson, but he's only one part of the greatest production job of the 80s. There hadn't been an album yet where the synths sounded this full, and the other instruments sounded this crisp. My old producer friend and I didn't agree on much, but I didn't fight him when he told me Baby Be Mine was his favourite song of all time.
Cha'mone!
я смотрела клип, очень круто, не ожидала. альбом не слушала но знаю несколько песен. это реально талант и крутая продюсерская работа. и танцевально и весело а иногда даже страшно
This is a tough decision to give it a four instead of a five. Arguably, any album that includes Billie Jean and Beat It could be an automatic five. The title track and wanna be starting something are also fine tracks, but after that, even though I’m familiar with the other songs, they just don’t quite grab me. The Paul McCartney song is lame and a couple of the other slower songs just don’t do it for me.
It’s thriller. What are you gonna do.
One part of this record has aged extremely well, another part not so much. Thriller, Beat it, Billie Jean are still incredible bangers. The Girl is mine, on the other hand, is just a terrible song by today's standards.
Thriller is the sixth studio album by Michael Jackson, originally released in 1982. Wow, I didn't realize this was his sixth album! This is probably the most iconic album of all time. I mean, virtually all of the songs are hits. And they're good hits, too. I wasn't yet born when this was released, but I'm sure it must've made waves. Especially after he debuted his signature moonwalk on live TV. It's a great album. However, I'm probably gonna be hated for this, but Thriller is the weakest track on here. It really doesn't fit the vibe of the other songs. Don't get me wrong, the music video is amazing. I just don't think it belongs on this record. If I'm being honest there's only a few tracks on here that I especially enjoy and will come back to, but this album is so influential and iconic I just have to give it a high score. I just couldn't help but groove while listening.
Back in the day!
Beat It and Billie Jean are the strong stand outs for me on this album. Lady in My Life was a fun surprise I had not heard before. Over all the album was very good but not everything was my cup of tea.
Scho 1 nices album. 3.8
wanna be startin something: Die Bläser und die Perkussion sind wahnsinnig on point. Baby be mine und the girl is mine punkten bei mir nur, weil sie Erinnerungen aufrufen daran, dass meine Mutter das Album früher immer im Auto gehört hat. Thriller geht komplett ab, das kann nicht mal Beat it schlagen (höhö). Billie Jean ist finde ich der beste Song vom Album. Die Bassline ist unglaublich ikonisch, die Brackgroundgesänge sind unschlagbar und die Instrumente schmelzen zusammen und kreieren einen spannenden Rhythmus- und Harmonie-Teppich, den man gar nicht mehr bemerkt, wenn man den Song zu oft gehört hat. Allgemein gefällt mir das am Album und an Michael Jackson: Die Rhythmen und Harmonien sind spannend, verschmelzen aber so sehr, dass man die Vielfältigkeit der Instrumente nicht mehr merkt und es nicht anstrengend zum Zuhören ist. Ein gutes Beispiel für so unanstrengende Musik ist auch Human Nature. PYT: Ich kann nicht anders als tanzen, die Perkussion und der Backgroundgesang (PYT / TLC) sind so Disco. The Lady in my Life hat einen sehr anderen Vibe. Das tut dem Album gut, trotzdem fange ich nicht so viel damit an, ich finde es fällt von der rhythmischen Komplexität her etwas ab. Wenn ich Thriller mit Off the Wall vergleiche, gewinnt für mich Off the Wall. Einige Songs in Thriller (Billie Jean, Thriller, PYT) finde ich zwar unglaublich gut, aber als Ganzes überzeugt mich Off the Wall mehr.
An album of hits and one awful miss (The girl is mine)
Un-cancellable
shocking proportion of bangers, but with a few biiiig stinkers i'm not convinced that there's much reason to visit this as an actual album over a greatest hits compilation
I wanted to hate this so much. I've not enjoyed the other two MJ albums I've had at all, they felt really flimsy and unemotional. But this is just absolutely undeniable - it's hit after hit after hit. They're all quite annoying in a sort of way, mainly because it forces you to think about Michael Jackson, which I'd rather not. In more positive associations, they also make me think a lot about 'Michael Jackson's Moonwalker' on the Megadrive, which I would pay good money (although not the $263 it's currently listed for on Ebay) to play again.
Ну это слэй
no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to wrap my head around MJ the way others seem to. This is a great record for sure, but also maybe a bit too sparkly and clean. Although it has some 'rough edges' like the subject matter of Billie Jean and the undeniable 'edgy-ness' of Beat It... it's all been so chopped up and heavily produced it is perfect.... but IMHO that makes it a bit less than it might have been if it were more real. I remember being a kid in the 80's/90's when people would say "oh those electronic acts don't make real music they're not performing anything it's just all playback by some machine" and I think you could make a similar criticism here. Surely they found a way to tour this music and I bet it was awesome but there is literally no way to perform most of this the way it appears on the record. Nonetheless it is an impressive piece of art and worth anyone's time for at least 1 listen. FYI the last track The Lady In My Life is legit just bad.
Før jeg skulle høre den her tænkte jeg bare det ville blive en klar 5'er. MJ er super fedt, og det er bare ærgerligt hans renome er ødelagt så man næsten ikke høre ham længere. Men af en eller anden grund connectede jeg ikke så dybt som jeg havde troet til det. Det er stadig rigtigt godt, men fik mig bare ikke helt op. Nævneværdig undtagelse vil være Human Nature, af en eller anden grund havde jeg lidt glemt den og den ramte bare godt
May not be a personal favorite but you cannot deny the greatness of this album. It's the best selling of all time for a reason and MJ's perfectionism shows. The sound is perfect and there's a lot of huge hits. 8.5/10 (4.25/5)
Huge. Usnahmswiid vom michael jackson recht vill mitbecho als Büebu well tante & onkle biz fans gsi sind. Mini musik ischs nüm, han ez selte-nie bock uf de jacky z lose, aber mit 3 vo 9 songs uf dem album isch mal eifach krass erfolgrich gsi. Darum usnahmswis ufgrundet: 4 vo 5 zimtschnegge für für de michael J. Btw: all mini 4 puntos mässige sprüch fühled sich biz falsch ah weg em michael sim verhalte.
auuuuu! also vor es paar jahr hetti‘s vo mir für die meisterleistig klar es 5 gäh… mittlerwille bini mer da nümm so sicher: einersiits us offesichtliche gründ und au musikalisch hani mi au scho mal meh uf de gliche wellelängi gseh wie de gueti alti michi obwohl ich s‘album scho guet kännt han, hani probiert mit eme früsche blick ah das ganze ane z‘gah… hed teilwiis no guet funktioniert und teilwiis nöd aber zämmegfasst cha mer sicher säge: en ziitlose klassiker wo chum us de musiggschicht weg z‘dänke isch, trotzdem nur 4 michis vo mir
This is a remarkable achievement. What a huge album. Because most of Jackson's best recognized tracks are from here, if you were born later, it's almost shocking to discover that and the story behind the album. I learned a lot that I didn't know before. For example, I knew that Eddie Van Halen played the famous guitar solo on Beat It but didn't know that basically the rest of the instrumentation was provided by members of Toto. I didn't know that MJ was mostly disco before this album and made a conscious decision to move away from that and avoid the ongoing backlash against disco. I knew 6 of the 9 tracks before listening. The three number 1s, Wanna Be Starting Something, the duet with Paul, and PYT. PYT is one of my favorite MJ songs and I don't actually like The Girl Is Mine. An hour after the album is over, I can't remember how any of the other 3 go, but I think I enjoyed them, it's just that the others totally eclipse them. It's no surprise to see this album here.
Like Gary Glitter, Michael Jackson was very good at making popular music. "Beat It" was one of the first singles I ever owned as a kid, and I still think that Eddie Van Halen's contribution to that track is one of the best guitar solos of all time. But, weirdly, I've never heard the whole album before. It is built like a pyramid, building up from some average songs at the start through the mid-tier (and slightly creepy) "The Girl is Mine" with Paul McCartney to a section of classics in the middle, "Thriller," "Beat it," "Billie Jean" and "Human Nature". Then there is "Pretty Young Thing" (How young?) which has a good groove, and finally "The Lady in my Life" which is forgettable. As I say, I've never listened to the whole album before, and I probably won't again. But the hits are a pleasant reminder of my 80s childhood like "Back to the Future," or Zoids. Can you separate the art from the artist? I guess it gets easier when they are dead.
Takes you straight back to the 1980’s more than time travel ever could…. Few more slow ballads than I remember but with hits you can’t argue with…
Many childhood memories connected to this album
Classic - perfect mix.
All the best MJ songs
Such a weird little freak boy but made some great music!
Didn’t realize it came out in 1982. Unlocked some memories of the excitement around the Thriller video, the regular one and the long form one. Saw the long form one at a roller skating rink off the Roosevelt Blvd in Philadelphia.
way more enjoyable than I expected
Obviously some absolute bangers on here. The middle of the album is amazing. I would say though it misses out on a 5 as there are a few weaker tracks, a questionable track and then there’s Paul McCartney.
Bops man bops. Timeless ones I say. Already familiar with almost this whole album. Thriller is the BEST spooky song and I wish more people went for that vibe. Good stuff man
Svært.. Jeg har et forhold til musikken. Men forholdet er minder om en radio som altid kørte i baggrunden. Det er vildt nok at jeg har hørt stort set alle numrene uafhængige af hinanden, og især når albummet er 7 år ældre end mig.
michii jacksoon bin da chli en kulturbanause, kenn sini nöd hits nöd würkli wanna be startin und baby be mine sind seehr smooth aber nüt krasses für mich... the girl is mine hani megaaa geil gfunde und au super feature (au wenn ich so titel nöd unglaublich super find hahaha) thriller, beat it und billie jean isch en insane run vo hits, best it gindi glaub allgemein sis beste lied und de beat vo billie jean isch so unglaublich eifach und geiil UND DENN D STRINGS DIRIRIRDUUUU han human nature zwrst chli langwilig gfunde aber mite ziit hetsmer immer besser gfalle...mega herzigs lied hahahahaha dass am luca pyt gfallt überraschtmi gaaar nöd nananananaaa ouh scho fertig? uhuere schnell verbiigange aber ja das wird es starchs 4i für mich. alli lieder sind echt guet, au wennmi nöd alles glich gecatched het
Sounds like The Bee Gees to me now 😂
I know this one gets all the glory. But I lived through this guy’s career from back when he was little Michael dancing and leading the Jackson 5. And I remember being so sick of this album being overplayed. It’s good, very good even. But I’m sticking with my opinion that Off the Wall is his solo best.
Sitting in anticipation for one of the strongest 3 song runs in album history - Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean. PYT them immediately gave me the creeps. Woops. Musically, this album is just very strong. It defined what got played on the radio for years following it, and it still holds up as a strong album to this day. 8.5/10
9 tracks 7 of them top 10 hits what more do you need to say. Great production from QJ as well. R.i.p.QJ
Some absolute classics on this. Are they all the killer hits MJ wanted? Not quite.
There are about 3 clunkers on here including Thriller and the Girl is Mine. Still think Off The Wall is a better album.
Ultimately, I have to draw the line at the Paul McCartney collaboration.
I guess almost everybody knows or has heard about this album. It was and still is an historically important for the history of pop/rock. But for me, despite its' historical relevance can not be more than a 4.
Well it's just great!
Arguably pop perfection. The middle track run I absolutely think is peak MJ.
Not many thoughts here, reliable, nostalgic, no skips, etc. wish i could give half stars. Haven't listened to this one all the way through in a very long time and enjoyed it but not quite 5 for me
You wanna be starting something? Yes. Maybe it’s a dance party. Maybe it’s getting late after a cordial backyard bbq where most people have gone home to put their little ones to sleep. Maybe yours is asleep. But you — you’re far from asleep. Maybe you’re ready to start something….anything. and because you’re a good neighbor you corral the 10 stragglers left who also want to start something and don’t care about their little ones getting enough sleep into the garage where the music can be turned up without waking a baby or a neighbor. And maybe you drop the needle on side one of Thriller and hear that fucking beat and look around to see the hips start to shake. You shove strollers and wrenches and baseballs out of the way to make space on the dusty cement floor of the garage so web developers and writers and project managers can move freely. A whiskey bottle appears, more champagne, a beer bottle explodes on the floor but you just laugh. You hear Michael talking about babies “if you can’t feed a baby, then don’t have a baby” — “is he talking to me”? you wonder through the fog of booze and push the thought away to keep dancing, hoping the music doesn’t wake your sleeping kid. The beat is pulsing and urgent. “You're a vegetable” you sing along (can that be the right lyric?) and if feels like a brass band is in the room with you. It starts getting hazy and Michael’s frenetic singing makes you feel like if you keep moving you’ll stop time and tonight you want to make it all stop and just stay in this moment, listening to this beat forever. Sweat is starting to drip from foreheads, as you dance together in a hypnotic rhythm to the familiar beat that’s been in your collective consciousness for your entire lives —moving more freely now like you did when you were 5 dancing to this song in your best friend's bedroom. Maybe you look around and see your friends flailing their limbs — also pushing out thoughts of babies and middle age and waking neighbors and crushing responsibility. Because tonight we have one — to start something and have it never end. We move and shake and start to clap in a state of ecstasy as we all scream “hee ha” together. It doesn’t matter what song comes after, because this song — this moment — seems to last forever. It feels like my birth and the release of Thriller happened at nearly the same time. There were nights sitting at the top of the stairs when my parents had a party below, this album playing too loud for me to sleep. It was the 80’s and they were in their prime. They’d shout “hee ha” while downing vodka gimlets and giggling, no doubt also wondering if they’d made the right choice about kids, worrying about their own crushing responsibility (me) and no doubt hoping that that moment could last forever. Maybe it’s still going. We’ll never have an album so strange and so popular and so good ever again. This was it. Nonsense words (tenderoni), breathy “huh huh ugh” and “the funk of 40,000 years” spoken by a ghoul will never again be on an album that is as mainstream as this one. But it all just worked. (All except the girl is mine…that song should not be on this album).
Pop masterpieces amalgamation of dance The king reigns supreme
emplacou hit atrás de hit
I thought I wasn't much into MJ but this grew on me. I even enjoy him and Paul McCartney fighting over a girl, as silly as it sounds
More than 40 years later, Thriller is just as exciting as it was when Jackson was becoming a global phenomenon. Of course, many of these tracks have become so culturally ubiquitous that it is nearly impossible to evaluate them free of that context, but I did find that even throw away tracks like "Baby Be Mine" are still fantastic singles-in-waiting, elevated by Jackson's very presence on them. Production is truly phenomenal: the synths lack the cloyingly cheap sounds that soon overtook all pop music, horns sound at least mostly acoustic, and the sonic bells and whistles that Quincey Jones sprinkles throughout the album (nowhere more beautifully than on the glittering "Human Nature") never sounds dated or embarrassing -- a feat that few producers would achieve in the early/mid-80s, as cheap synths seemed to lower the quality bar for everyone. All of this having been said, the album suffers from two completely unnecessary tracks that do drag the record down: "The Lady in My Life," which feels lost and forced onto this album, unbefitting of its status as the closer; and "The Girl Is Mine," a ridiculous duet with Paul McCartney that is cute enough, but beneath both artists. 4.5 out of 5
I had truly forgotten what a magnificent vocalist Michael Jackson was. That seems stupid as I write it, but his work on Thriller is so much more supported and nuanced than his later work, free of breathy unsupported tone and overaccentuated frilly consonants. The same can be said of Quincy Jones' production; quintessential early 80's synthesized sound which will eventually be overdone, but here still have human nuance to them. The other thing which occurred to me is how much more I *watched* this album than listened to it. It's honestly hard to hear Thriller, Billie Jean, or Beat It and not play the video in my head.
Catchy, but not my type
This album is from my era and I knew more songs on it than unexpected. I’m not a huge MJ fan but it’s a really solid album.
Brilliant songs off this album although I had heard them all before. The other songs which I have not heard before are ok.
fire
Classic
Not a huge Michael Jackson fan. Still expected more. But compared to the other stuff in here it was still good
I'm a bigger fan of Off the Wall than Thriller, but this is still a great album!
Struggle with this because of artist. Will give it a go. So many hits. So smooth. Hardly any skips, no wonder it took off. Incredibly coherent, defining sound. R&B is just not my favourite genre. Great album.
Probably one of the most iconic albums of all time across genres! Three absolute classics in a row with Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean. Not all songs are great though. Favorite track is probably Human Nature.
It’s obvious why this was the best selling album of all times.
A classic. A few weaker songs bring it down from 5 to a high 4*
Banger after banger
The middle chunk of this album is great. In my opinion, it carries the rest of the album. The rest of kind of mid.
Michael is dubbed the "King of Pop" and this is his coronation. Highlights: "Wanna Be Startin' Something", "Billie Jean", "Human Nature", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
banger after banger. Genre spanning. Shame about the paedophilia
Not bad. High highs and low lows though.
Pop, 1982 -> 4
Thriller is obviously massive but to me it has three incredible songs and then some that are somewhere between good and terrible (Paul McCartney is definitely not needed :D ). I think the strength of Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat It plus the quality of production are enough to get this to a 4 by itself but the rest of it doesn't come close and can't get into the sort of 5 territory something iconic like this challenges you to grade it as.
Disappointing, albeit from pretty lofty expectations. I can't remember listening to this MJ album in full before, and aside from the Thriller/Beat It/Billie Jean run, it's pretty mediocre (with a shout out to the ending of the Paul McCartney song which is excruciating). Did Like Wanna Be Startin' Something as well though. Basically, most things that he does with a bit of oomph and energy work for me, when he gets ballady it tends to be a lot less good. Low 4/5.
goid tunes
Y'know, for the best selling album of all time, it's pretty good, but any time a big blockbuster album of the 1980s drags in an artist from another generation for a cameo, the capitalism of the endeavor really shines through and I feel like I've been taken for a ride.
It’s a testament to Jackson’s hit-making abilities that despite having heard many of these songs countless times, I still love a lot of what this project has to offer… except “Human Nature”.
First time I’ve listened to him in ages. Undoubtably fantastic album. 9/10
Three iconic songs, some other cool grooves, but a couple of cringe-worthy bring down the score. A weak 4 for me...
Thrilling. But Purple Rain is better.
Me at the start: I guess I have to listen to this. :shrug: Me 34 minutes later: I WANNA LOVE YOU!! P Y T! PRETTY YOUNG THING!!
One cannot simply ignore the impact on pop MJ had. Are the allegations against him hugely problematic? Of course but we are not trying him here for that. It does make listening to PYT extra icky though. That said the three song run of Thriller-Beat it-Billie Jean has got to go down as the best of all-time. I defy you not to groove and find some happiness there. Not perfect mind you. The Girl is mine is maybe the most insincere duet since Ebony and Ivory… Sir Paul the 80’s were not kind. This is the pinnacle of Pop from a captivating people’s imagination sense. It’s not wonder all the fame and attention sent him essentially mad. Who among us wouldn’t? I dare say none of us are inappropriate with kids however… So we’re back there now. Music alone it’s earned it’s 5 but I can’t go any higher than 4.
Favourite song - Beat it
Back when I was a little kid, there was a neighbor kid who described this album to me as "scary" and said that in his house you were considered brave if you could listen to it all the way through. Sometime after that, this album came up in conversation with someone else and I repeated what I had heard from the neighbor kid. The person I was talking to was like, what do you mean? And I didn't know how to respond. I think about that a lot. Now all these years later I'm listening to the album for the first time and it occurs to me that the kid was probably talking specifically about the song and not the album.
While this is not my style, you can’t deny that it’s an incredible album. There’s a reason that he was the king of pop
Some good songs on it for sure.
Some of MJs biggest hits with some lesser known stuff. Baby Be Mine was a nice surprise. It kinda loses steam towards the end with some terrible lyrics, including the McCartney train wreck. Still all the way up to Billie Jean, it's a pretty solid album. An extra star for not being that British noise this list continues to throw at me.
4.1/5 listened 3x. Best MJ album
4 out of 5. Didn't know this album had so many bangers like Beat It too. The production value throughout was my favorite part of the whole thing.
This has too many classics to be denied really. I’m not sure what they were putting in certain music at this time to make it pop the way it does. Wanna Be Startin Something is a cool high tempo start, the Paul McCartney feature is random to say the least, but then the album really takes off. Thriller is cinematic and awesome, always reminding me of that one Preston Hedges performance we did, but Billie Jean steals the show. Michael Jacksons moonwalk routine during the instrumental is etched in my memory. I cant hear it without seeing it! One of the best songs ever for sure. -1 star for PYT because, lets be honest, thats aged a bit badly 😵
Great album but definitely not the GOAT like a lot of people say, not even close. The good tracks are very good but there are a couple of duds - including the Paul McCartney one, surprisingly. You can see why it’s a classic though. Thriller / Beat It / Billie Jean as a three track run is just ridiculous. This album has been overplayed in my lifetime from 1999 onwards - I can only imagine the craze this caused in the 1980s.
Probably his best album. The last one I had felt very boring outside the singles, but here even the other tracks were interesting to listen to.
Jackson wanted to create an album where "every song was a killer". It’s close but the ballards tend to let it down for me. The girl is mine is pure celebratory dazzle dazzle nonsense. lady in my life has got that weak fey voice and cheeseball lyrics. And I can’t stand Human Nature although I can see its appeal. But cmon. Beat it. Wanna be starting something. Thriller. Billie Jean. The sounds of the 80s.
Really strong opener with Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean easily cement this as a fantastic album and a single listen to this album would make any rational person an MJ truther. Didn't gel much with The Girl Is Mine and The Lady in My Life, the rest of the songs were good.
just bliss, except the closer also perfect for workout somehow
The middle part of this album is absolutely perfect, but the last few songs keep me from giving this a 5
He's a nonce
I'll give it 4 just because of its gargantuan status. Some good stuff, but some of it sounds quite dated. I think Michael himself summed it up: You're a vegetable, ow!
it’s not perfect but it’s good
The guitarist for Toto totally shreds on this record.
Excellent singing and musicianship in one of the biggest pop albums of all time: MJ is in great form here. The upbeat pop songs here are instantly catchy and danceable, while the slower soul songs are good efforts but don’t hold my attention as well. A lot here has stood the test of time.
Obviously a real classic, not a 5-star for me though
An obvious all-timer, being deducted one star for an obvious reason (I hate to listen to both Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney say “doggone” over and over).
Possibly the only album made worse by a Beatle appearing, and the man was not a good guy, but as an album it is both really good and very important. Falls just short of full marks for me; for the duet and the crimes.
++: Baby Be Mine, Thriller, Billie Jean, P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing) +: Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', The Girl Is Mine, Beat It +-: Human Nature, The Lady In My Life 8,9/10
It's Thriller. The Girl is Mine is terrible. The rest of it, especially the run of singles in the middle is God like. He was a nonce.
This was a milestone in my/our adolescence: who doesn't remember being stunned by the video, practically a short film by John Landis? And the handful of songs that you could listen to from one end to the other and put the needle back to the beginning and repeat? God, we were so happy and we didn't know it :-)
Really solid album.
Je commence à comprendre comment ce gars là a conquis la planète
Honestly a lot less exciting than I expected. Songs are a little dragged out and sounds a little flat. A lot fewer surprises on this album compared to the others I’ve heard this week. Know this is a foundational album - I’ll give it a few more listens!
Enjoyed
There's a lot of best parts of this album, but my favorite has always been the inner gatefold photo of MJ with a baby tiger. A classic, the pop blueprint for a generation, even the cheesy Paul McCartney duet is just so well made that I love it.
What a contrast to what I had to listen to just before this. Pay attention Scritti Politti: *this* is how you make an 80's pop record. If that's your bag ;)
Classic.
P.Y.T. best MJ song ever Thia album hasn't aged, there are some strong classics on this one!
Amazing hits, good songs and some filler. Without those filler songs this would've been the perfect score
Thriller is a song I feel I was gas lit into liking at school because everyone else did and we used it as a PE warm up song. It's Horror pop so it should be my jam, but I can never tell if I like it or not. The rest of the album is most good, but the last two tracks let it down. Favourite track: Human Nature
A great album that I actually had on vinyl when it was released.
Funky jams, but not quite as funky as Off The Wall, a bit more pop- and rock-focused. Still, incredible number of hits for one album, incredible production, songwriting and vocals are on point. Just missing a bit of a soul.
A lot of classics but the b-sides were the jewels to hear.
A mammoth album, some seriously brilliant songs. 4.5
Strong 8/10 the hits are awesome especially Beat It. Paul McCartney collab sucks so I can't justify a 9. Also feels too samey for anything higher.
Full of hits. Like a greatest hits album. But MJ does not get me excited
Everyone in the world knows this album….EVERYONE. It is a phenomenal album. My only hesitation about praising this album is forcing myself to separate the artist from the person. I do believe MJ had a horrible childhood at the hands of his parents and other adults in his life. I also believe that, and these around him who only focused on appeasing him, led him to make choices as an adult that led to others having traumatic experiences as children. That being said - I will focus on the artists. It would be impossible for me to pick a favorite song…..but as a challenge to myself I’ve decided to rate them….least favorite to more favorite. 9. The Lady in My Life - even for the 80s, when cheesy romance songs seemed to praised, this is “mid”, at best. 8. Baby Be Mine - an ok mid-tempo song. The background vocals were on point. 7. P.Y.T. - a fun song. I still belt out the “PYT” as if I am backing him up. 6. The Girl is Mine - I prefer Say, Say, Say. For me, the choices of rankings get a bit tricker at this point. 5. Human Nature - I absolutely love the music on this that has been sampled numerous times. SWV, did the best at using this music with Right Here. 4. Thriller - As I write about most of these songs the videos and hype around them automatically pop into my head. The video for this song was so massive that, at one point, they played it every hour. And we planned our day around watching it because my family did not have the means to buy a vcr. This song and album made MTV become relevant to all. Rarely did the play music from black artists before MJ. As for the song, when it comes on people pay attention and automatically get into it. It’s funky, poppy, and a classic. 3. Billie Jean - I do really like this song. It’s a classic, but not my fav. 2. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ - such an underrated funky jam. I will till belt out ma-me-sa, ma-me-sa, ma-me-coo-sa whenever this comes on. Fun song to listen to, sing along to, and dance to. 1. Beat It - Fantastic song. It has great rhythm, Eddie Van Halen, and even a great parody song made about it.
It's impressive there are like 3 songs on here that I know.
Day 8 - June 9th, 2024 I still hate the Thriller music video with every ounce of my body. 4/5
I expected me to handwave a 5 star here, because it's Thriller (and my enjoyment of an artist's work *prior* to me finding out they're unlikeable human beings isn't retroactively deeply tainted), but... this is honestly not that great. A collection of songs with three of the greatest 80ies pop bangers, yes, but outside of admiring Quincy Jones' work here, there isn't much else for me. If we had decimals, a perfect 3.8.
Bit dated but a classic
great ablum with great songs, and a great disco sound, but the last two songs let it down a little bit
I'm not a huge Michael Jackson fan but I guess this is as good as it gets
Some average tunes on here but also absolutely huge hits
Classic
I listen to this all the time in my car with my CD player. I don't skip any of the songs though there are a few that aren't held to the same standard as others. Thriller is one of the best songs of all time though.
Awesome run from Thriller to Billie Jean. Classic.
One of the most famous albums in the World, with some of the most famous song ever on it. Well, it's greatness it's pretty undeniable, but at the same time I, was a little bit disappointed with the overall quality of this record. Very catchy beats and riffs, amazing voice, but it lacks something substantial. I don't really think this album ages finely. But surely it deserves a spot in the museum of music as one of the greatest album of its era.
I think one of the worst things about the world is that abuse perpetuates itself. Michael Jackson was abused as a child and then he grew up to abuse children. Sometimes I think that the best thing we as humans can hope to do is to be a dam in the giant river of shit running downhill and refuse to visit the cruelty we experienced onto other people when we have the power to do so. There are probably better things to aspire to than "I won't abuse vulnerable people the way I was abused when I was vulnerable" but if you manage to do that then you are pretty okay in my book. According to an overwhelming body of evidence, Michael Jackson did not manage to do that. However, I am rating this album as a work of art and not Michael Jackson as a person. The problem with trying to rate this album as a work of art is that it’s the best-selling album of all time. I’ve heard “Beat It” and "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Human Nature" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Thriller" somewhere approaching an infinite number of times and so it’s impossible to hear them with fresh ears. Not only that, but every song I’ve heard since this album came out was recorded by someone who has heard most of these songs approaching an infinite number of times. So every song I’ve heard that has come out in the last 42 years has been influenced to some degree by these songs. How do you rank an album like that? In terms of sales, influence, probably innovativeness at the time it was released, “Thriller” unquestionably deserves full marks. But there is never a time when I am flipping through my record collection and see “Thriller” and think, “oh cool, I’ll put this on.” So because my rankings are based on my subjective enjoyment of an album and not some attempted universal scale of quality, I will give this four stars. To the extent I can hear this album, I think that I like it. But I can’t really hear it, so it is just a guess. This is neither here nor there but I think the fact that this broken, demented pedophile is either the greatest selling artist of all time, or one of the top two or three (along with Elvis and Drake, both of whom could also be described with those same words), speaks to how sad and weird humanity is. God help us.
The king of pop, yeah they’re all bangers, yeah he weird with kids. 4.0
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album front to back before, but I knew pretty much every song save one or two. It’s solid all around without feeling bloated by filler. Not something I see myself dipping into often but definitely understand why the album had the impact it did
I cannot begin to tell you how much I *loathed* Michael Jackson when I was a teenager. My sister was huge into him of course and this album was utterly inescapable. The only thing I found cool about it at all was Eddie's "Beat It" solo. Fast forward a bunch of years and my take on this has softened quite a bit -- because there are so many solid songs on here that turned into hits. But it's still bubblegum, as it's supposed to be. He was the King of Pop, after all. Anyway, interesting to return to bad 80's production and an album that literally blew up the charts like nothing seen until the last 20 years, when musical consolidation left the charts to like six rappers and Taylor Swift.
Josiah - 4 Elen - 3
Makes sense that this album would be on this list. That's a relief. I've heard this album a million times. I've heard some of these songs even more than that. Amazingly, some of these songs still sound fresh. It's a good pop album. Ends on a lower note than I'd appreciate, but that's just me. I have no desire to ever hear this album again
There’s some truly amazing songs on this album, but some of the others are kinda meh
Iconic album. However while the music is phenomenal, what set this album apart from everything else was the music videos. The album would not be as highly regarded aa it is were it not for the videos and dance choreography that MJ brought to the table
Great song.
I'll start this review noting that Michael Jackson the person I believe has done some monstrous, truly vile things in his personal life, and no amount of alleged abuse and suffering he had to endure as a child can excuse it. That being said, this is my review of this album just based on the music alone. One of the best-selling pop albums ever recorded, and for good reason. Massive hits like "Thriller", "Billie Jean", and my personal favorite "Beat It" (featuring an all-time guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen) push this record into the top tier of pop records. Couple that with lesser-played but still smash hits in "P.Y.T." and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", it's no wonder this album is iconic. Some of the lyrics on this album puzzled me, and to be honest Jackson's vocal performance has only ever been slightly above average to me. But the overall grandeur and spectacle that this album provides easily pushes this into 4-star territory for me. 8/10
Does it deserve to be the top selling album of all time? No. But it's a lot of fun.
One of the great pop albums of all time. Almost every song is fantastic and lives up to the name.
Right?
Classics
I feel like this album is really a tough one for me to rate, through no fault of Jackson a lot of this album gets that kind of overdone feeling from something thats so good but because it's so good it's everywhere, like vanilla and blue jeans. I quite liked baby be mine. The instrumental to the girl is mine is quite pleasant and almost sounds like some japanese city pop ballad. It's just a shame I can understand the lyrics. The Thriller/Beat it combo makes me wish for a timeline where this album is a campy gothic-tinged rock epic a la Bat out of Hell.
Good
Twas grand PYT is the banger kf the album fr
There's no way around it, if you want to enjoy this record you're going to have to separate the artist from the art. With that it mind, this record is an absolute masterpiece. You got Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean and Human Nature... Banger after banger.
Minus 1 for nonce
4.5
Aight. Honestly not my favorite but a classic still. Billie jean is dope
great groove, to the very last vowel in a line of the lyrics, he places the timing very well he knows when exactly, which millisecond to utter (or stop uttering a word), and the instrumental as well, so good "just remember to always think twice" melodically so good
Great record, not great person.
The second of Michael Jackson's 1979-1987 trilogy of albums produced by Quincy Jones. Whilst 'Off the Wall' was a triumph of production but a songwriting disappointment, this is the full package. Crisp and classy perfect pop production coupled with great songs. Seven of the nine tracks were singles, including the monster classic hits 'Thriller', 'Billie Jean', 'Beat It', and 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin''. The bass lines to the first two of those are something else. To have a song called 'P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)' is a bit chilling, knowing what we know now. This review is in art/artist separation mode. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Thriller Date listened: 24/04/24
Some classic pop hits. The "alleged" kiddy fiddling is hard to forget about though
I can´t understand the hype about Michael Jackson now, hadn´t understood it than. Ok - This is a well-produced, million-selling album. And with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" it contains some of his all-time favourite songs and most popular pop-songs ever. "Wanna Be Startin Somthin", "Thriller" and "Human Nature" are ok too. But that´s it for me - and I strictly rate the music on this album and do not rate his controversial personality. 3,5
Big three and the rest. Still 4 stars.
The bangers bang hard but there are 3 or 4 really naff songs on this record.
3 canciones TOP y el resto de canciones bien.
God there are some stinkers here. But the highlights are just too good to be ignored.
If you owned a radio anywhere on Earth in the 1980s, you knew Michael Jackson. This album is popular for a reason, and that reason is that it’s absolutely phenomenal. Nobody made pop music this good before, and nobody has made pop music this good since. The King of pop is, and will always be, Michael Jackson.
Whole album goes harder than I remembered
Biggest selling album of all time, and it's mostly aged well. The McCartney Duet The Girl Is Mine is just cringey now, but I liked it well enough when it came out. Only 2 songs were not singles, and I'd pick Baby Be Mine as the standout. The big singles of course speak for themselves - it's peak MJ as far as I'm concerned.
huh
This was, simply, massive at the time. I remember the singles just seemed to keep on coming out. I still rate most of the singles as quality pop songs, but, as then, they're not really my thing. Actually that's being a bit grudging: Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller did have huge impact and are great tracks. Wanna Be Starting Something is probably my favourite these days, as it still sounds quite 70s Jacksons and I like that stuff now. I can't give it five, because the slower "romantic" tracks are so uncomfortable to listen to but I'll give it 4 for its quality and impact.
Don’t like MJ but have to grudgingly admit it’s a very good pop album.
This album should receive top marks based solely on the strength of Beat it, Billie Jean and Thriller but, man, some of those other songs really creeped me out. In honor of shawn-knutson, who doenst seem to be around here anymore, I will be deducting one full point for MJ being a scumbag (allegedly) 3.5
Classic album. Some of the best MJ did in his career.
This album is hit after hit for me. Human Nature was my favorite.
When reviewing albums, should you separate the art from the artist? No where is this question more relevant than with Michael Jackson. The artist (allegedly) committed unforgivable crimes. Though depression and mental health issues may have explained this, we shouldn't dismiss the seriousness or the long term effects on his victims. On the other hand, this is one of the best selling album of all time by (arguably) the biggest pop star who ever lived. It's an album full of huge hits and was trailblazing in many respects. The blending of styles, the innovative use of music videos as art form. Jackson carried the torch from the ashes of disco's remains, and brought in the likes of Paul McCartney, Eddie Van Halen, and Vincent Price to help cement his status. This album broke racial barriers like none before it. Jackson couldn't even get on magazine covers due to his race, and yet he still managed such a huge impact with this album. And not just in America, but all over the world. Michael Jackson was more well known than most US presidents. So how do we reconcile these two things? For the purpose of this challenge, I'm separating the art from the artist. Put another way, I want to hear this album as it would have been heard on its release. So I'm putting aside (for a moment) the feelings of discomfort about Michael Jackson the man, to focus on Michael Jackson the artist, singer and performer. And I mean, it's a great album. Not all songs are equal quality but the sheer number of hits is more than enough to save it. Case in point, Jackson and McCartney arguing over a girl is a bit cringeworthy but it leads directly into the incredible title track. I hate that this album is marred by history because I really want to like it more.
Obviously Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean and PYT are premium tier songs but the other songs are kinda mid and The Girl Is Mine is straight up bad.
It is hard to imagine that most people have not already heard most of this album as most ot the songs have had radio play. Best songs include Thriller and Beat It. The Girl is Mine with Paul McCartney is, for my taste, too syrupy and a waste of their respective talents.
Frábær plata. Fyrstu 3 rólegu svolítið svona mellow. Svo koma þrjú dúndur í röð sem er frábært. Svo síðustu 3 smá svona softer. Þetta er náttúrulega ótrúlegt verk hjá Mikka. En eins og með hinar plöturnar finnst manni hann smá óþægilegur.
- he is the king of pop - Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean may be the best 3 song stretch in history - the rest of the album is okay, enough for 4 stars
- the King of Pop! - almost every song is a hit - loved the Paul McCartney duet - such an iconic voice
Too many hits not to be a classic.
It's full of classics for a reason. Unfortunately, I have to agree with some white girls I know. Favourites: baby be mine (haha 4:20 min long), beat it, billie jean (she's just a girl), human nature. 4/5
Lots of classics, a few of the songs I wasn't too big of a fan of but I liked the instrumentation on almost all of them and I like his voice. Favourites are Beat It (lol) and The Lady in My Life. I didn't enjoy the album as a whole too much but it's definitely pretty good. 4/5
Ikke så god som Bad men stadig med en stor nok andel af bangers til at jeg ikke kan rate den lavere :( Thriller -> Beat It -> Billie Jean er for sindssyg en sekvens. Har et soft spot for Human Nature fordi den blev samplet på mit yndlingsnummer med Nas 🤓
We've fallen a long way from "the doggone girl is mine" to songs like WAP
I was prepared to hate this album. I'm a biased Prince fan after all. It's good. Really good. I thought I was looking at a greatest hits track list. Still... nothing I would be likely to return to often.
cheesy, but genious
Plenty of big hits, one of the biggest albums of all time. Still, amazingly, was my first time listening to the whole album thru
Amazing time capsule. Michael was a savant and creative genius.
This album truly begins with the song THRILLER. The three songs prior SHOULD be forgotten. WOW-bad! All other songs are good, great, or epic! Listening again, could excuse song 1 (starting something), but 2 and 3 are terrible ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Enjoyed this gem of an album
mj is classic. hasn't aged that well tho.
Peak teenage MTV
Ok finally going in on Thriller. Yes to opening bars. Lol at the girl is mine. School memories. Beat it was always one of my faves. Billie Jean has never been one of my faves Had to bop to PYT Nah to the following ballad Oh and that's the last track? It is good but deducting for my personal opinion of Billie Jean, the balladry oh and because he is surely cancelled these days??
It's for sure a classic album, one that will be enjoyed for a long time by many people. As for my personal tastes, I never understood why he was such a an icon. His music is alright and his singing is unique and impressive, but it's not something I go out of my way to listen to or even choose to.
Massive album, with some massive songs of course. Although some songs are pretty standard early 80's R&B, and I do like that kind of music but they're not mindblowing. Mark it down a little as a whole album but no doubt still great for the most part.
Musically, this is a 5/5. Just a shame about, you know...
You hate to like it but....
4.5 The hits were HITS. The weird ballads were not. Somehow I never realized PYT was MJ…
A great record, except for The Girl Is Mine. That's quite possibly one of the worst pop songs ever written. But there's not much else to say about this album that hasn't been said. It still holds up pretty well 40+ years later. I throw it on the turntable a few times a year. 4/5 because any album that includes The Girl Is Mine can't be 5 stars.
It is not without reason that this is the world's most sold album.
When it works, it's on fire. It's tight, it's funky, it's on the floor. The highs are incredibly high, but the rest (notably the Paul McCartney collaboration) are just OK.
8/10 Solid listen. Its been awhile since I've heard this and without it being as ubiquitous as the air we breath, I remebered how good every song is here. 2-28-2024
Forgot how many great songs are on this album!
I've never personally liked Michael Jackson, but I have to give the album an honorary three stars just for its popularity and importance alone. Plus one because I can still enjoy it if I'm in the right mood.
Wildly great, some sleeper hits, McCartney one is meh, but the highs are some of Jackson's best
Insane that this album had so many generational banger back to back to back. Very vibrant in the sound 7/10 Would be higher if I wasn’t so sick of all the songs (generational bangers)
I was 9 years old when this album came out. Everyone in our generation knows this album whether you love it or hate it. 1.) Wanna Be Starting Something - One of the best songs on this album. The beat and groove is so electric. I've been singing along with Michael for 40 years on this song and I still have no idea what we are singing about. It doesn't even matter. We are starting something. Too high to get over. Too low to go under. And we are starting this something for 6 damn minutes cuz this groove just keeps giving. And I always thought that “mama-say-mama-sa-mama-coosa,” meant some wise thing in an African language but it turns out it might possibly mean"dance"... we aren't really sure... and there are copyright lawsuits involved. 2.) Baby Be Mine - such a smooth love song. 3.) The Girl is Mine - no! this is so cheezey. I will take Say! Say! Say! over this crap any day. Nobody is believing that these two are gonna rassle for a girl. 4.) Thriller - Thank you Michael Jackson for inspiring generations of kids to dress up like zombies for dance recitals. They are still doing it. Thriller will never die. R.I.P. Vincent Price 5.) Beat it! - It's impossible for me to not feel 10 years old when I listen to this song. I just want to beat it so bad. 6.) Billie Jean - Even at 10 years old I knew that Billie Jean was serious business. I should take his advice and think twice before I dance in the floor in the round. The kid is not his son! We've clearly danced into a child support issue that may require a blood test but the boogie is so hot! 7.) Human Nature - smooth. very smooth. 8.) PYT - YES! This song grooves so hard. And I want to love this song but due to the suspicions about Michael's character, it's hard to dance to this song and not feel awkward. I mean... I hear Michael saying he wants to take me there but I'm not sure I wanna go there with all the TLC on the PYTs. I never heard the chipmunk at the end of this song before. Yep. That's a chipmunk. ALVIN!!! 9.) Lady in My Life - Beautiful love song. I never listened to this one as a kid. I didn't even know it was on the album. I can appreciate it alot more as an adult. Kinda got a Stevie Wonder vibe to it.
This is the one those records that it seemed like EVERYONE had on vinyl in the mid 80’s. It’s definitely an undisputed classic but it’s nowhere near being “the best album of all time”, even though it’s one of the highest selling records. Billie Jean is a perfect song. Thriller is king of Halloween. My favorite is actually one of the only songs on this album that was not a hit…The Lady In My Life. Smooth and velvety. I wish MJ had more like it.
I don’t think MJ is for me. He’s amazingly talented but I’m just not a huge fan.
8 of the 9 tracks are all-timers.
Some instances require the complete separation of the quality of the human being from the quality of the art they created. Thriller is a moment where one album changed music progress. It’s a great album.
Hätte nicht gedacht, dass das Album schon so alt war als ich in den Genuss kam, es erstmals zu hören. Mag mag über Michael Jackson selbst denken, was man will, aber das Album ist lohnenswert.
4- Stars (10/15)