Thriller

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.

Oh come on, do I really have to listen to this? I feel I have spent enough time listening to this record and seeing the video on MTV back in the day to be able to say I have heard it before I died. 2 stars - I recognize its technical quality and danceability, but I would get my coffee to go if I were someplace and they started playing this record.

This one left a bad taste. Had heard quite a few of them though.

There’s a paradox at work here. For all the sense I have of having enjoyed Michael Jackson – “Thriller”, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal” especially – I have never knowingly proactively listened to the man. I’ve wanted to watch the “Thriller” video as a 10-year old who’d seen a clip of it and never seen anything else like it before. I’ve insisted on listening to EVH’s solo in “Beat It” over and over again, often skipping the rest of the song entirely. I’ve been one of the six people on earth who first heard “Billie Jean” not as performed by MJ, but as a late 90s b-side by Ian Brown (to “Dolphins are Monkeys”, I think; around that time anyway, I remember Ian performing it on TFI… Friday) – and enjoyed it. And, no mum, Alien Ant Farm’s “Smooth Criminal” really wasn’t just a phase. Maybe it’s overexposure. Maybe it’s the increasing difficulty of separating art from artist. Maybe it’s just a record I don’t have to like any more than I do, which on the whole isn’t actually all that much. There’s undoubtedly an embarrassment of riches on “Thriller”, but I don’t personally feel any richer for having listened to them in the context of this record. I don’t mean it as an edgy opinion; I just don’t wake up to listen to Michael Jackson. And to be honest – if it hadn’t been already impossible by then to reverse out of the cultural fact of him, I’m not sure we’d much miss the guy. To his victims, I and every listener owes something. I’m not sure what precisely, but some sort of contrition at least. Yes, the songs are here to stay, that much seems clear, but still. We can’t ignore the cost of it. What’s a paradox but a fancy double standard anyway?

Some total dross mashed discontinuously into a few singles. Buy the greatest hits if you must

Hard to ignore that astonishing interview where Wacko confessed to sharing a bed with young children and was seemingly obliviously unaware that anyone would find this unnatural! The multiple sex abuse allegations and out of court settlements have forever tarnished his image. The album and the man are nothing short of massive cultural and musical icons and he should be applauded for his contribution to the advancement of black culture and shaping the future of pop music. Also the video to Thriller was iconic in itself. The hits from this album are good examples of pop music whilst I found the rest of it very underwhelming, including the cringe worthy duet with McCartney.

Certified loverboy, certified pedophile.

Album review 025 Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982) Rating 1/5 Ignoring context and taking this album for the music only, Thriller is exceptional. However, and it’s a pretty big however… Michael Jackson was “allegedly” abusing young boys from the late-70’s and, at the time of this recording, there were already several reports of him having regular unsupervised “sleep-overs” with children at both his home and in hotel rooms. As good as this album is, Michael Jackson was a predatory paedophile and I can’t separate him and his behaviour from his music.

The extracurricular activities are a no for me, dog. 0 stars, will not listen.

Epitomises everything that was wrong with 80s music.

I try to see the art apart from the artist, to a certain amount of my own moral point of views. That being said, I just cannot listen to songs named "Baby be mine" or "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson, without an awful pain in my stomach. So, the album might musically be real good, but that is not what I am rating here, as I cannot and will not listen to it, again.

Massive peado

Classic, but is a kiddy fiddler so marks down

Not willing to listen to

Not listening to this stupid cunt shit pedophile faggot

Heard it

This could honestly be a greatest hits type of album looking at the track list, easy 5 star album, one of the all time great pop records

5/5

Wow, on a Friday? I literally watched his biopic the day before. Easy day today. People know most if not all the songs here. They're catchy and groovy what else is there to say? (4.5-5)

Yep.

Well, not everything on this album is amazing. The two non-singles are just OK. “PYT” is somewhat better than that. Hit or not, I have always found “The Girl is Mine” to be fairly irritating. The part at the end where McCartney and MJ verbally “joust” over the affections of the lady in question is completely ludicrous. Which leaves us with five pretty much ace/killer tunes. But honestly this is not how we are to judge this album. The influence of this album, both musically and culturally, simply cannot be underestimated. It is highly influential on the following grounds: -he almost single-handedly broke the color barrier on MTV. -the premiere of the video for “Thriller” actually became destination TV, something simply unheard of previously. -his videos for the above song plus “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” raised music videos to an actual art form. I don’t remember too many other videos over the years, but I remember all three of those well. -this was one of the first mega-albums, spawning no less than SEVEN hit singles over two years. -this was the best-selling album over two consecutive years, again unheard of., and has gone on to be one of the few biggest selling albums of all time. Disrespect it at your peril.

09.07.2026 23 Jähriger Michael - krasse Stimme, coole Beats, hört sich nicht veraltet an. Ruhiger Vibe, entspannend. Viel Frauenbezug. Zeitloses Album 5/5 1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - 5/5 2. Baby Be Mine - 4/5 3. The Girl Is Mine - 3/5 (morning jam) 4. Thriller - 5/5 5. Beat It - 5/5 6. Billy Jean - 5/5 7. Human Nature - 4/5 8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 4,5/5 9. The Lady in My Life 3/5

Hit after hit and loved actually listening to them myself rather than out

Forgot how much we used to listen to this album growing up! We used to play the CD all the time during school, listening to this album brought back those memories. Obviously 5/5 ⭐️

A perfect album, no notes. Every song is certified fresh.

I'm torn. Because the main tracks are pure genius but the ballads... Not so much. However, I'm going to be generous and go full marks.

Ow!

INMEJORABLE

The absolute goat (also problematic)

Somehow I actually had never listened to it start to finish. Doing that for the first time, I finally put it into context, that from the public's perspective none of these songs existed before this album dropped and then suddenly there they all were. They listened to them in sequence for the first time, the same way I'm now listening to a new album every day and wondering if I'll ever hit one that becomes an all timer on first listen. It's hard to disentangle the fact that I've been listening to MJ hits since before I could form full sentences but I did try to listen to all these songs with fresh ears including the ones I knew, not letting them just wash over me as feel good background music. They are insanely good pop songs I'm not gonna say a single unique thing about. The only flaw of this record is that its first half is so ridiculously stacked that the rest can't quite live up because what the fuck are you supposed to follow the stretch of thriller/beat it/Billie Jean with. Well I guess dirty Diana/smooth criminal/leave me alone a few short years later Standouts: the obvious ones okay it's Michael Jackson not rocket science his most famous songs are also his best ones. But: confession I had never heard the girl is mine. How had I never heard it. Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson gently teasing each other is a fever dream I never want to wake up from

One of the greatest funk singers of all time, working with one of the greatest producers ever, created the soundtrack of the '80s. Naïve but necessary.

If you were an alien visiting Earth with only passing knowledge of the planet's pop music, you'd probably think that this was legitimately a greatest hits album. It's the best-selling album of all time for a reason. The "King of Pop" pretty much earned his title here, as disco was pretty much through in the US and it was time for pop to just dominate the airwaves. But "pop" doesn't just have one sound and "Thriller" reinvented the genre in many ways, giving things an R&B/soul/funk flourish. A testament to not only MJ, but Quincy Jones and the efforts of everyone else involved in the production here. This really did release at the perfect time in history, as the album era was pretty much at its peak and the music videos that resulted from these singles are also among the most iconic of all time (I mean, I always hear about the hype surrounding the premiere of the "Thriller" music video on MTV. Imagine that nowadays!) Just a pop culture phenomenon through and through. Easy 5.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is golden. One of my favorite albums ever. It has the iconics "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" which completely rewritten Pop music after their release.

I was a metal kid when this came out so I couldn't be caught dead with a copy of this next to my Diary of a Madman and Screaming for Vengeance tapes. So, this is actually my first time listening all the way through. Not surprising I knew 7 of the 9 songs. This one is an all timer of all timers. The Van Halen solo in Beat It is top notch in an album full of kick ass top notch dance tunes. Michael and Quincy were dialed in on this album.

It's the best selling album for a reason. MJ at his best. Easy 5.

Wow, yet another of my desert island albums — the fourth in a month! Listening to this album brings up all kinds of great childhood memories.

In my last review for this list I stated that pop music could be so much better. Then I got Thriller and my point was immediately proven correct. This is a masterpiece. Say what you will about Jackson as a person. This album is banger after banger. 5/5

Total 5. It may not have been my favourite album when it came out, but there is no denying its imperial consequences on the music of that era. Really, there's pretty much something for everyone here; personally, I remember hearing Beat It - and not knowing who the artist was but immediately recognizing Eddie Van Halen's solo. I could not understand what I was listening to ... but I liked it. Other tunes have grown on me over the years (Wanna Be, PYT), and others are still completely skippable (Girl is Mine). But, wow, what an LP.

It's MJ, it can't be less than a 5. It's not my ultimate favourite album, but every one of his albums are favourites of mine. So many bangers, not a bad song in sight. Even a bit of EVH on there. Come on... stop hating this guy.

Classic album is classic. This is an absolute masterpiece.

I absolutely love this album, it’s just full of hits. Thriller is the kind of record that works for any occasion and any season. 'Thriller' for Halloween; 'P.Y.T.' and 'Billie Jean' for spring/summer, or as get-up-and-go songs in the morning when my brain is still asleep. I remember 'The Girl Is Mine' from road trips with my parents (it was perfect for napping to). I must have listened to this album dozens of times during my first year of journalism studies because one of my professors was completely obsessed with Michael Jackson. Fun fact: Michael Jackson visited Poland in 1997 (a year after playing a massive concert in Warsaw, which was basically the event of the century) and wanted to buy the huge, historic Cistercian Abbey in Lubiąż to serve as his European headquarters and museum. Unfortunately, the deal fell through, apparently, the renovation costs were just too high... My professor was incredibly disappointed by this (and to be honest, so was I when I found out).

good vibe, for morning dance with a coffee

Obligatory, he’s a really bad person. Unfortunately, he’s also incredibly talented. I’ve heard Thriller about 100 times, and it still gave me a little chill up the spine. I find the idea that MJ and Paul McCartney fighting over the same woman absurd. There are a lot of hits on this one, and it’s considered one of the best pop albums of all time. For good reason. The songs are great, well produced, catchy, with insane staying power. An absolutely top notch album.

One of my all time favorite albums.

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (★★★★★) -Fav 2. Baby Be Mine (★★⯨☆☆) 3. The Girl Is Mine (★★★⯨☆) 4. Thriller (★★★★★) -Fav -Posiblemente con el videoclip más influyente de la historia... 5. Beat It (★★★★★) -Fav 6. Billie Jean (★★★★★) -Fav 7. Human Nature (★★★☆☆) 8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (★★★⯨☆) 9. The Lady in My Life (★★⯨☆☆) -TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,89) -Imposible valorarlo con 4 estrellas como me sugiere el promedio. Definitivamente es un álbum para el que pesa la historia y su influencia, por lo que lo convierte en 5 estrellas.

nunca decepciona

Ahh yes, my favorite MJ songs: 1. Ay yo, wanna start some shit?! 2. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 3. Of course my girlfriend would cheat on me with Paul-fucking-McCartney 4. I’m bouta make you shit your pants 5. The Crips and the Bloods?? I barely know em’ 6. YOU AINT MY BITCH, AND IM NOT PAYING THAT CHILD SUPPORT 7. Night pweeety 8. Damn gurl, you FINE 9. The Lady in my Life

No notes

Wow. This album is so good. I've never heard an album that has so many banger good songs. It's literally one after another. I knew most of the songs but the ones I didn't know I now really like and will be listening to more. Like Baby Be Mine and The Girl is Mine with Paul McCartney. The one song I didn't like is The Lady in My Life. While I like the message, it doesn't have enough groove or energy for me, but it is a nice song.

10/10

Another test of “is this song good or do I just already know it?” And I can confirm that these songs are good. Thriller-Beat It-Billie Jean might be the greatest three song run on any album ever.

Love it or hate it, this is undeniably one of the great pop albums of all time. It’s just hit after hit after hit.

"You're a vegetable" - Michael Jackson

9 1/2 - last song kinda sucks, everything else is an all timer

what a coincidence. i already listen to this

No sabría decidir entre un 9 o un 10 así que diré que es un 5/5. Hit tras hit, es un gran álbum verdaderamente. Es el típico que te pones para cocinar y te cantas todos los temas.

Uno dei migliori dischi di Michael, il disco più venduto di sempre, incredibile

It’s the GOAT- what else is there to say?

This is legitimately an amazing album. Yes, it's a lot of pop music, but it hits STRONG and has some absolute bangers. I'm not gonna say it's my favourite album of all time, but if someone told me it was theirs, I would nod and understand. 5/5

10/10 - Probably the best pop album in history

not a perfect album but damn near it, it’s best tracks might just be the least listened to ones. i’m giving it 5 stars but just know it’s more like a 95/100

the grooves and tracks on this thing are incredible. shame about the artist but what a collection of tunes. easy 5.

An absolute banger factory and certified hood classic. 10/10, 5/5, whatever. Also Paul McCartney continues to show his cheese here. Love it. Somehow I've never heard their “it’s my girl” tug-of-war skit before. Hilarious.

Great. Classic

Truly a stellar album with so many hits it feels like a greatest hits album. There’s no way you’re a human on earth and haven’t heard these bangers. Having DJ’d many weddings, thank you MJ

Given the man was never found guilty of anything I will give this a proper review. I don’t know if I’d actually listened to this front to back for whatever reason, but now that I can say definitively that I have, I’ll keep it simple. This is one of the greatest pop records of all time, packed with hits, and the numbers will tell you that basically every track on the album was considered a hit, a crazy achievement. Rightfully deserves its place in discussions of the greatest albums of all time. 4.5/5

Legendary

갓앨범 짱

Everyone knows and likes Michael Jackson! This album has so many HUGE hits on it. Not necessarily a criticism but listening to it in 2026 I noticed that some of keyboard and synthesizers sounded dated/cheesy and that the production was relatively simple.

Great album. Every song is good, most are huge hits. Classic. Probably a 4.5 upping to 5.

One of the greatest albums of all time, PERIOD. Just a banger from start to finish that should not be missed.

Yeah, this album is perfect in every single way. There is not a single and I mean one flaw. There is not a drawback or any second of this album I did not thoroughly enjoy listening to. Out of this world production paired with MJ’s vocals. I mean, how could it not be perfect. The three song run of thriller, beat it and Billie Jean is the greatest three song run in modern music history, and this album is probably the best album in history.

I choose to separate art from artist. And this album is one of the reasons why. It is pure perfection and goes above and beyond in every possible category you can judge music by. This is certainly a contender for the greatest album of all time. I wish I could give it a 6.

Not my favorite MJ album, but nearly. It's been a few years since I've heard this, today I was listening with a critical ear, and honestly, it's very impressive. It sounds like the 80s without grating excess amounts of cheesy production. Vocal skill is exquisite, general composition is solid. Most albums have a few star tracks and a bunch of listenable filler, while this effort has a couple of "regular" songs and a bunch of eternal classics. What I remembered the least was the tracklist order, and it's been a lot of fun hearing these songs weave through each other. I think it's a little overrated, but it's really hard ignoring the importance this record carries. We've got McCartney on a friendly dispute before MJ bought his catalog behind his back, we've got a song where MJ insists Billy Jean's child wasn't his, we've got Thriller itself which is STILL one of the the most recognizable pieces of choreography ever, Vincent mother fucking Price lends his eerie voice. Let's just top this off with Quincy Jones, Toto and Eddie Evan Halen. Bangers. Everywhere. The only reason this isn't a strong 5 is because I'm not a fan of the intense 80s influence, and because it's been impossible to escape this brand of pop since he perfected it on this record. 4.6/5

I have had a few rough albums lately so it was nice to get back on track with a certified classic.

Almost lost a mark for the hideous spoken interlude in the Girl Is Mine. Let’s not bring back this trend. Still a 5 though, full credit to QJ

Greatest album of all time

Great album💗

Icónico, muito bom.

Wow truly a classic pop album. Here MJ has evolved his earlier disco style to a R&B funky sound. Pretty much no misses, even The Girl Is Mine is kind of endearing to me.

Not a fan, but even I can understand it’s one of the best produced albums ever.

The best album ever containing some of the greatest hits of all time. MJ is such an icon hee-hee. 10/10

Wild that I never listened to this straight through

It's one of, if not the, best selling albums of all time. What can I honestly say that hasn't already been said? Every track is a banger. 10/10 Would I listen again? Absolutely

A masterpiece. Absolute bangers there. I think the biggest flaw is The Lady in my Life (personal opinion).

Perfect album by the King of Pop. Quincy production, feat. Toto and Eddie Van Halen

Awesome songwriting, amazing performances by Michael and his legendary friends. This album couldn’t be any better, and was a big part of is soundtrack of my youth. No one else comes close to being as good at him as a dancer, performer, writer, and singer. He’s the complete package.

Vamos hoy con otro álbum que es un "Ufff". ¿Qué se puede decir de novedoso de éste, uno de los mejores trabajos de Michael Jackson? En lo personal, me conecta con mi infancia. Sus videoclips y su modo de cantar y de estar en escena me volvían loco y lo imitaba frente al espejo. El disco entero, más allá de Thriller, Beat It y Billie Jean me emociona. Se me eriza la piel con los recuerdos y con las ganas de jugar a ser alguien como él. Muchas gracias por el regalo y hasta el viernes.

An all around iconic album. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' is an epic opener, and the Thriller / Beat It / Billie Jean run is maybe the best three song run ever. There are a few slower R&B tracks that I don't like quite as much, but this is an easy 5.

The king keeping his perfect record

The King. Too tier album.

you cant go wrong with michael jackson so i enjoyed every single song!!!

Timeless.

Bon, je partais avec l'idée que c'était peut-être overrated comme album, mais en l'écoutant, je me rends compte que c'est quand même de la bombe. A peu près toutes les tounes sont des gros hits. Shout out à la toune avec McCartney et à Human Nature qui sont mes prefs personnelles. Quincy Jones savait ce qu'il faisait!

sucesión de pepinos

This is one of the best selling albums of all time for a reason. It is hard to overstate how important and ground breaking this was. I sometimes wonder what will survive culturally 500 years from now, like Shakespeare as a touchstone to current culture, that has stood the test of time. I am certain this will be one of those cultural touchstones.

Where do you start with this one... Huge cultural impact, amazingly written, Amazing voice,3 huge tracks. I think there really are like top 100 albums on this list you really need to hear and this one is probably in the top 5. Almost heard all tracks before but the ones I haven't I Would defiantly listen to again.

Great of all time

Obviously

Almost every song is a hit! Very creative and has a unique energy.

Mama-say, mama-sa, the phrase of "mama appelsap" took me a while to realize which song they were talking about. Hee-ha 😃 An album with hits like these can't help but get the absolute highest score.

Thriller! One of my Favorite Albums of All Time? -- Yes! (Third favorite) ~~~ What an album. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' kicks the album off with some of Michael's quirkiest lyrics and avant-garde vocal stylings. The uniqueness of his inflections and the technical vocal skill he delivers always pull me deeply into the album. You know that you're not getting a run-of-the-mill pop album here; there's already artistic risk and a polished sound to back up the project's reputation. I particularly like the cheeky Billie Jean mentioned in one of the later verses and the mamma-se chorus at the end of the track. Moments like these spark and craft the glittery, high-powered, and distinctive world of Thriller, paving the way for the rest of Jackson's pop masterpiece. Baby Be Mine, one of the two Thriller tracks not to be released as singles, stands out as one of the record's more underrated moments. The song features a jazzier, R&B-centric style that differs from much of the record, neatly tying back to Michael's earlier work on Off The Wall. At the track's end, Baby Be Mine's backing vocals swell, moving up in pitch and bringing back some of the energy lost in the song's initial melodic pace. Had this song been released as a single, I think it would have seen greater mainstream success. It's like a shiny green emerald surrounded by pure diamonds; impressively gorgeous, but overlooked due to its positioning. The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney) is a gem. Glittery and smooth, the track features a melodic battle over a dreamgirl fought by Paul and Michael. (um, who would pick Paul???) Michael's vocals glide across the verses and contrast well with Paul's, who offers a softer, less glitzy sound. I go back and forth on considering this a novelty song, especially considering the faux-argument at the song's tail end, but even if it is a bit kitsch, The Girl is Mine is beautifully catchy and provides the perfect contrast for the following track. ...Thriller! Thril-ler night! I remember watching this music video in my seventh-grade Computer class and acting like I was "too cool" to be scared by MJ's transformation into a yellow-eyed werewolf. I thought about it all October. Disregarding the iconic music video, the track is great! While I don't think the song would have the cultural reach it does if not for its synonymousness with Halloween, Thriller itself is catchy. Apparently, when Michael and his producer, Quincy Jones, were developing the song, they often quibbled over the length of the spooky, minute-long intro, with Quincy wanting to scrap it, and MJ wanting to keep it. Personally, I think Quincy might have had the better take here. The intro is a bit difficult to get through when streaming the song independently of the album (although I would argue that the intro nicely breaks up the airy The Girl is Mine and the darker Thriller.) Other than that, I love the sound effects, the layered vocals on the "Thriller Rrr!" chorus. I also just like the word "thriller," I think. It's such a fitting name for the glitzy, polished, culturally dominant, and intensely interesting best-selling album of all time. (The initial demo of this song was called "Starlight," with the chorus being "Starlight sun" instead of "Thriller night." I think Michael would have lived two very different lives had he kept the initial title!) It is the perfect song to follow up Thriller. The tough-guy vibes bleed through the two songs perfectly and nicely pave the way for the passive-aggressive Billie Jean. I love the catchy baseline and the infamous guitar solo(played by an uncredited Van Halen!) on this song. Listening to the rock sound indicated by the guitar shows an evolution of Jackson's sound, as he shrugs off R&B and shows a willingness to keep up with the emerging glam-rock craze of the eighties. ...Is this a good time to mention that Beat It is my least favorite song on Thriller? Rarely do I consider a Michael Jackson song to sound dated. Of its time? Yes. But not dated. I really can't say the same for Beat It. Something about the Rock influence on the song just seems to cement the song so deeply in the 80s. It sounds like a good Bon Jovi Song, and Bon Jovi sounds like hairspray, perms, neon, and days gone by. I don't think Beat It is a bad song by any measure, but it certainly isn't one of my favorites. Billie Jean. What can I say about Billie Jean that hasn't already been said about Billie Jean? Containing, arguably, the most famous baseline ever conceived and the most intriguing plot of any major pop song, Billie Jean is burned into our collective consciousness. I think you could sing Billie Jean to anyone on the planet, and odds are they could finish the melody. Technically, I love the way the elements of the song gradually appear throughout the song's intro. I love the way Michael enunciated on the song, making his voice almost sound like an additional string on the track. So many different elements of this song combine to create a pop masterpiece. And as a bonus, you can Moonwalk to it! Or watch other people badly Moonwalk to it, which is twice as fun! scoot scoot Human Nature is my favorite song off Thriller. As a New Yorker, I know I'm biased, since this city IS, in fact, an apple, and I DO want to take a bite! Again, MJ crafts a glitzy and smooth melody that pairs perfectly with the visual of fraught love in 80's New York. Human Nature is a fan favorite for a reason, and I wish I heard it in public more often. If you get the chance, walk around Manhattan at night with the song in your ears, and pay attention to the world around you. It's a gorgeous experience. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) repeat after me! God, do I love this song. P.Y.T. is my second favorite off Thriller, largely due to how infectiously catchy the chorus is, and the Na-Na--na-na chant at the song's end. Such a smart callback to the mama-se chant at the end of Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'! This song gets stuck in my head constantly. I really can't understate how genius the layered, chanted "PYT" backing vocals are on this song. I also love its proximity to Human Nature, since he talks a bit about "city light" here. You could really see the two tracks as halves of the same story. The Lady in My Life closes Thriller softly, bringing down the glittery energy of PYT to the smoother, calmer melody of a more R&B-style song. Like Baby Be Mine, Lady in My Life was not a single, and remains the least-streamed Thriller song on Spotify (with only a meager one hundred million listens. ha!) The song sounds like something that Michael would put out on Dangerous or Invincible, when he leaned further into the polished '90s-esque R&B sound of the later third of his career. It's a solid track, but I understand why it wasn't pushed as a single, as it is fairly slow and mellow. Nonetheless, I think it's a great track of his and often come back to it One of Thriller's strong suits is a perfectly balanced tracklist which blends slower tunes into more upbeat, danceable tracks, often grouping similar songs together. You can listen to the album absentmindedly and never find yourself caught off guard by a sudden shift in vibe or subject matter. I've used the words throughout my review, but "glittery" and "smooth" seem to be the defining adjectives of the album, and MJ combines them masterfully. Final Song Rankings: 1. Human Nature 2. PYT (Pretty Young Thing) 3. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin 4. Billie Jean 5. The Girl is Mine 6. Thriller 7. Baby Be Mine 8. Lady in My Life 9. Beat It Album Score: 10/10

this is banger after banger. these lyrics are indelibly marked on my brain. i love michael jackson and im not afraid to say it. who made catchier music than him?? i love being able to shout yeah yeah and heehee and ooUUH! king of pop for a reason and i won’t be taking any criticisms.

Forgot so many good songs, thx!

It's undoubtedly one of the best albums ever made. It features three of his biggest hits in the middle of the album: "Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean." But beyond that, the first two tracks are flawless, and the penultimate one is too. These songs are often overlooked but incredibly high quality. I highly recommend it to everyone; it's a masterpiece.

Bigger hits than off the wall but not quite as good overall imo. Still one of the greats.

Music is good, better than a vast majority of albums on this list. As others have mentioned, not the best human. 5/5

This is a top, top album!

The middle part of this albums amazing. The start and end are slightly weaker but it’s still an incredible album

9/10

Pop hits from beginning to end. With only 9 tracks this record never gets stale. Jackson’s vocals are sharp and show emotion throughout.

Solo puedo decir mejor album de la historia!

Iconic. Dominated pop and culture for a long long time.

My sister had his album on vinyl and cassette growing up, and the early 1980s we listened to this album nonstop. Well,… Not the entire album. Thriller was by far the number one song that got worn out on the vinyl copy. We used to see if we can replicate the dance in the video which I vividly remember watching the live broadcast on television when I was seven. Despite Michael Jackson’s later days and legal troubles, especially with suspected pedophilia, he was an absolutely amazing entertainer. Nowadays, that would make him a president. But there are so many other songs on here as well: Wanna Be Startin’ Something; Beat It; Billie Jean (which has a Louis Johnson bass part that still fills player blogs); PYT. There are other songs on here too, but even now I don’t remember listening to those. So many of these songs defined my elementary school years. Amazingly enough, one of the weakest songs is the girl is mine with Paul McCartney. This album is truly a classic.

As a boy who grew up enjoying pop music in the early 70’s, the Jackson 5 played no small role in my development. Loved the group as a silly prepubescent. As a late teen and into my 20’s, my musical tastes had shifted dramatically, and MJ was not on my stereo. I was too cool for that poppy shit! That’s not to say I didn’t hear this album…. a lot! How could I not? It was everywhere! On the radio, in the clubs, on the tube. Shit, it was even on billboards. And the girlfriend was a big fan. Couldn’t escape it. So I listened. I coped. Fast forward to now, and there can be no denial that this album is a beast! Number 1 Pop album of all time, hands down! Prove me wrong! 3 consecutive tracks of pop giants, Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean, are typically saved for best-of albums, not first issues. Launched young MJ into super stardom, a space he clearly wasn’t prepared for. For a while, it was good. Then it wasn’t. Heavy is the crown. And the vultures and jackals slowly began to circle, biting of pieces of his soul, tearing his fantasy world to shreds. A sad and ugly end to a legend. I’m glad this album is here. Much deserved. And it got the wife swinging. I might get lucky tonight! God Bless Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop!

Que dire... Un CLASSIQUE proposé par le roi de la POP !

Great variety of songs.

I mean c'mon.

So many great bass jams.

great album, although it closes on its lowest note. i will say it is hard to listen to mj sing about a "pyt" these days.

it was a bop

banger after banger.

I bought this when it came out. That patch in the middle of the album was incredible. Not going to listen to it given what we know about him now.

Thriller, billy Jean....just great hits

36/1089 Thriller by Michael Jackson I was 4 years old when my big brother brought home a Michael Jackson VHS tape with all the music videos on it. I was completely floored. I had never fallen in love with art like that before. The videos, the music, the singing, the dancing… every single thing about it felt magical. Every song I had to learn. Every dance move. My poor parents had to listen to Michael Jackson daily for years. I had the posters, the albums, everything. He was my first real idol. Now 27 years later, I’m still a huge MJ fan. Of course there have been complicated times as a fan over the years, but the music itself still hits unbelievably hard. And honestly, what can you even say about Thriller at this point? It’s basically a no-skip album. Every song is a banger, and the best songs are straight-up masterpieces. I’d honestly say there are at least five genuine masterpieces here, and the “weaker” songs are still like 8 or 9 out of 10. The album flows so well too. It’s pop, funk, rock, R&B, disco… and I always forget just how funky it actually is. How does one album contain “Thriller”, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”? It’s ridiculous. Usually albums this stacked can feel exhausting or lacking breathing room, but somehow this one never does. Easy fucking 5. Wine pairing? Pepin orange wine. Funky, energetic, impossible to ignore. Food pairing? Late-night Korean fried chicken with spicy sauce. This album needs something loud, greasy, and joyful. Favourite song? Honestly impossible. “Beat It” has always been up there, but it changes constantly. Vinyl? Already own it. First album in this challenge where I played the vinyl instead of streaming it. First listen? Definitely not Overall 5 out of 5.

so good

5/5. Such a good album, Michael is such a good singer and pretty much every single one of these songs is iconic in some way.

Aguante michaeeeel

Hee-hee

It's Thriller. Arguably the single greatest pop album of all time on every conceivable level. Scope, concept, production, and execution. The fact that it's also the highest selling album in history simply cements that fact. Michael Jackson's story from my lens is different from a lot of people. Growing up, I only knew him as a laughingstock who made music and weird adlibs within it. There was a time in my life where I didn't understand the Michael Jackson hype and to be frank, a very very teeny part of that still exists in regards to the god status he's worshipped as. So many highlights on the record including Billie Jean and Beat It. The fact that Billie Jean was a last minute addition to the record is just the cherry on top. Quincy Jones' production was game changing at the time. My personal favorite song on the entire record is Baby Be Mine. To me, that song perfectly encapsulates the perfection of the album.

Flawless.

A solid album throughout. 3 massive hits, 3 secondary hits and the other 3 songs ok I would say. Still a 5.

Well, yeah. Obvs

The Good: Fucking Moonwalk! The Bad: Billie Jean being a lying ho… The Ugly: I refuse to mention the little boys… What a fucking album. Had to go into Wiki to make sure that I wasn’t totally losing my mind. For me, this album has always been more of a 1984 kind of thing… probably because, like many of my friends, it was late 1983 when we started paying attention to that zombie freak wearing a red leather jacket. 9 singles. Most reaching the Top-10. Most of them really great. Beat It, Billie Jean, Thriller, they are more than classics, however, the rest; Human Nature, Wanna Be Starting Something, PYT (nah-na-nana)… I would argue that the Paul McCartney due is the worst of the bunch—unlike the Say Say Say duo they did for Sir Paul’s album, which was awesome, and also had a great video! Anyway, I had this on vinyl. I played it raw. Loved it… until Prince knocked him off his throne… In my world that is. My only gripe with this album is that it shouldn’t be on a list of 1001 albums one should hear, because you can not hide from this album. Period… so we have all heard it. 5*

One of the best albums ever. MJ is a pedophile though.

It’s thriller!

lveoma dobar najvise mi svidela kako je kompozicija celog alb

OHHHH YEAHHHHH

Absolute brilliance. Of course, I'm probably completely biased because this is the first album I remember listening to as a kid.

anyone who says they don't like Thriller is lying, either to you or to themselves. I usually don't like to speak in such resolutely objective terms, given the impossibility of quantifying music in such a way. not to mention, I'm definitely being hypocritical, given how often I've come out of these 1001 Albums... reviews with a negative opinion that cuts against the grain. but I mean, come on. Michael Jackson, producer Quincy Jones and the dozens of musicians, engineers and arrangers who crafted these songs deserve our eternal gratitude as listeners for allowing us to witness pop perfection, whether it be on the opening dance party of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", the disco-tinged tribute to horror cinema on the title track, some of the greatest uses of electric guitars (from soloist Eddie Van Halen and lead player Steve Lukather) in pop music history on "Beat It", or the... well, everything of "Billie Jean". I don't really have to do much explaining, because you definitely know these songs, and you like them, dammit! (let me stress that you don't have to hand it to Michael Jackson for literally anything other than his skills as a musician. yeesh.) that's not to say Thriller is an album without its blemishes; "The Girl Is Mine" is a stupid song and no argument in its favor has managed to convince me. Jackson's famous aversion to profanity really hurts the chorus, which should clearly go "goddamn" instead of the incredibly silly replacement "doggone". the album also ends with "The Lady in My Life", a ballad which is pretty great, but compared to the powerhouse B-side run that comes beforehand, it feels a bit misplaced as a final statement. still, though, the highs are insanely high, probably the peak of Jackson's entire output as a recording artist. light 9/10.

This Michael Jackson album is a true masterpiece, sensational production and singing, also the best, most expensive and the best-selling in history.

As the years pass my opinion of Jackson has only waned and degraded into being rather glad he’s cold in the ground but in the end? Thriller is still Thriller. 7 out of nine tracks were hit singles for gods sake. My mother loved this album, and I can’t say she was wrong for that. What am I going do, say it doesn’t completely rip front to back simply because he was a terrible person? I’m not that delusional and this isn’t an instrument in a morality play. It’s good stuff, despite the everything of the person that made it.

Well obviously this is a 10/10 No explanation needed point blank

Allemaal bangers, maar de meeste liedjes kende ik ook al dus een beetje bevooroordeeld! 9/10

The singles from this record were fairly inescapable when I was growing up, but I realized that I really have never sat down and listened to Thriller as an album. I often think about this record as being distinctly different than Off The Wall, but the sound of the first half of the record has more continuity with that sound than I remembered. There is the inclusion of a much more mechanical drum and percussion sound that indicates the shift in time, but the material is still working in some of the same post-disco soundscape seen on Off The Wall. It's really, really good. The weakest track is the collaboration with McCartney, but that still is a pretty good song. The next half of the record takes a dramatic shift in sound. This feels like the dramatic shift in sound that I was expecting. It's more stripped down than the first side. Beat It apparently was supposed to be the rock song, influenced by The Knack. It's fine. Never been a favorite. It's then followed by Billy Jean, which returns to the disco influences, albeit in a far more stripped down fashion. I've always loved this song. Human Nature is the kind of ballad that I typically really don't like from this era, but it's making the most of the approach. PYT is another upbeat track in this more 80's sound. You could probably toss into a new wave/new romantic mix without jarring the listener much. It's good. Finally, the album ends on a ballad that again isn't my favorite approach, but its good for what its doing. I always thought of this record as being somewhat inconsistent but good. That is not true. There's nothing bad on this album. It's great. It deserves the praise it gets. Definitely a five star album.

6 de 9 canciones son hitazos que viven en el inconsciente colectivo de la humanidad? That's a genius in my books

One of the best albums ever. Pretty easily.

Me encanta. Trae toda la onda y la voz de MJ está cabrona.

Uno lamenta ser tan aburrido de coincidir con la opinión común pero es realmente bueno el álbum. Esta gracioso todas las colaboraciones que tiene. En momento de declive del disco se aleja bastante y solo deja dos temitas muy buenos, el resto empieza a jugar con un poquito de pop y rock que le quedan bien al maikol.

Ya lo había escuchado muchas veces y me di cuenta que tenía 1 canción que faltaba, un éxito siempre michaell

BANGERS. Basically a greatest hits album defining modern pop in real time. Next level production from Quincy Jones. Only weak track for me was The Girl Is Mine - predictable, out of place, and feels like its only here to pander to boomers. Corny af even by 80s standards (sorry Paul). The rest of the album is so good that it made me temporarily forget about all of the horrible things I've internalized about MJ over the years.

It is hard to listen to any Michael Jackson track without bringing the in baggage of his character. But solely as a pop album, this is a masterpiece. 5/5

Thrilling - truly great weekend album. And the thriller video is incredible.

Obviously

This record came out when I was 10 and I probably love it more now than I did then. It's a hair behind Off The Wall, which is his best imo, but also this one doesn't have She's Out of My Life, so advantage Thriller

Iconic. Perfect.

An album that is truly worthy of being considered one of the greatest albums of all time. I didn’t even need to listen to this to know it would be 5*, being already so familiar with it. But listen to it I did (twice… and then the 40th Anniversary version… and then some more Michael Jackson…) “Wanna Be Startin’ Somthing” is an absolute barnstormer of an opening track - funky and sophisticated, and a total ear worm. “Baby Be Mine” and “The Girl Is Mine” aren’t at that level, but when “that level” is god tier, even not being at “that level” is still a banger - especially “Baby Be Mine”. I prefer “Say, Say, Say” in terms of MJ / McCartney collabs, but this is obviously still gorgeous. And then… oh boy, and then you have probably the best run of tracks in the history of music. A “Thriller” > “Beat It” > “Billie Jean” > “Human Nature” run is so good, I don’t have adequate words to describe it. I almost forgot what the last two tracks were, so high was I from that run, but “P.Y.T” especially is a banger. Also, this album deserves a shoutout for the absolute array of musicians who appear on it - everyone from Paul McCartney to Toto to Eddie Van Halen to James Ingram… none of these artists should work together the way they do, yet they all came together to create the album which is a real contender for being the greatest album ever.

I don't think there's a lot to say here: it's a brilliant album. I think Thriller > Beat It > Billie Jean has a good shout at the best three track run on any album in history. I think it's 80s in the best way. For the review, I listened to it through twice in a row, then again later in the day. It's fantastic. 5/5

A Classic

Its Michael at his absolute best. When the worst songs are Baby be Mine and The Girl is Mine and those still are awesome, then you truly have something special. He definitely met his goal of making 'every song a killer'

Well shit. If this isn't 5 stars, I don't know what is. One of the first tapes I ever owned.

YOU KNOW IT!! only two songs weren’t on my playlist NOW THEY ALL ARE BABY michael does no wrong!! I WANT TO LOVE YOU PYT!!

It's the highest selling album ever for a reason. Every song is just catchy as fuck and there's at least 4 songs on here that are arguably the best pop song ever. He might've been a pedo but damn, did he make some good music. Favs: Beat It, Billie Jean, Thriller, P.Y.T Least Fav: The Lady In My Life

Album #78: Thriller - Michael Jackson Genre (W): Pop, post-disco, R&B Singles: The Girl is Mine, Billie Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Human Nature, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), Thriller I have listened to this album several times before. Thoughts?: The production is amazing and Michael’s vocals are spectacular. I think this is a perfect album all the way around. Every song stands out and there are no filler tracks. The diversification of the sounds is also great as well, so great that it should be studied. Favorite songs: All of it!!

An absolutely legendary classic for a reason

What do you even say about an absolute juggernaut pop album like this? Every track a banger. Could listen to it all day.

So many hits I have concussion.

Art from artist, and all that..

My lifelong obsesion with music began with this album. I was born in 1983 and i remember spending hours reading the lyrics, looking at the album art and listening to every detail from the title track as soon as i was old enough to play the record on my own. It may not be a perfect album, but it's perfect for me. Every song is memorable (for better or worse, and i'm looking at you Sir Paul), every song was or could have been a single. Every song has been my favorite in different phases of my life, the last one was Baby Be Mine. Rod Temperton must be swiming in money with his contributions to MJ's discography. Every single one of his best songs (except Remember the Time) was written by him, his output with Heatwave was great too, but nowhere near as good as these tracks. Quicey Jones' genius shining through in everysong. I mean, why would you expect a record with a legendary producer, legendary song writter and legendary performer not be legendary? I sometimes say that Off the Wall was better, but then I listen to Wanna Be Starting Something and Lady in my Life and remember how incredible the alpha and omega's are here and clearly Thriller was his best album.

Michael as king of pop

Jodido michael jackson Top tier

9/10 A love song album, through and through. From cheesy infatuation to full-blown infidelity, it covers the spectrum. The production is meticulous to an impressive degree, and the bass lines are the unsung hero of nearly every track, driving the funk that makes this album so irresistible. Beat It, Billie Jean, and Human Nature might be the greatest three-song stretch on any album ever. Beat It is pure funk with a crisp guitar solo, Billie Jean is neck-and-neck with it for perfection, and Human Nature is a genuinely underrated, dreamy gem that deserves more recognition. You could tap your foot through the entire runtime without stopping. The weaker tracks (Baby Be Mine, PYT) are only weak by Thriller's own ridiculous standards. MJ loves a fade out ending, which does leave you wondering how many tracks could benefit from a more defined close. Minor nitpick on a fantastic, timeless album. Best tracks: Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature Will I revisit?: Yep!

5 stars! Hard to overstate how influential this album was when it came out. MJ was a mess….but he made great music.

Thriller is pop perfection. It finds Michael Jackson at his peak teaming up with legendary producer Quincey Jones after their success with Off the Wall. Thriller struck the MTV iron when it was hot and solidified its iconic status with some of the greatest music videos ever made. It's hard to choose a standout track because of how strong this album is. Wanna Be Starting Something kicks things off in a similar vein to Off the Wall's Don't Stop til you Get Enough, but it sounds updated with sleek production and infectious African chant. If there was an Anthem for 1983, it may well be Billie Jean, and Eddie Van Halen's solo in Beat It elevates it to another level. Human Nature is smooth as silk. It pains me to say that perhaps the weak spot on the album is the collaboration with Sir Paul McCartney. Their previous single Say Say Say is one of my all time favorites, while The Girl is Mine comes off kinda schlocky. This was definitely a fun one to revisit, and I'm sure will get many more listens in the future.

The biggest album this world has ever seen and for good reason. Michael and Quincy executing pop at it’s finest here and the number of huge hits on this tracklist reflects that. As always, this was fun to return to. I can’t imagine what it was like around the globe when this dropped. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Beat It, Billie Jean

Expectation: -> Thriller album? Instant 5. Then I looked at the track list. Is there a >5 rating? After listening: -> How were all these songs on one album? Ridiculous. I vaguely remember the absolute madness that Michael and this record created (age six when this was released). Track ranking: PYT Thriller Human Billie Beat it Wanna Lady The Girl Baby

Not much more needs to be said about this. I don't even typically like pop music, but this is another level.

The best

У Михаила Джековича не тянет бравл Старс

exactement le banger qu'il pense être

Wooow

muy bueno nostálgico michaeljackson 9/9

EU AMOOOOOOOOOOOOO FAVS (top 3): thriller, beat it, billie jean mençoes honrosas: baby be mine, the girl is mine, P.Y.T. (pretty young thing), the lady in my life acho q esse foi o top 3 mais facil q tive aqui ate agr KKKKKK muito bom esse album especialmente a sequencia linda de hits como pode ne galera nota final: 5/5

Best album of all time.

how can you not give THE album 5 stars?

This is one of the best albums in history.

This is a 5 even though ‘The Girl is Mine’ sucks

Myliu amazing

Absolute classic!

Finally, after a few agonizing weeks of pure drivel there's an album that is justified and solidly one everyone should listen to before they die. I loved him as a kid but I don't think youth today have any idea know the impact this album had on music & pop culture. It's still played on Pop, Top 40, 80's, Adult radio, Oldies - today's high schoolers even know this one. They nearly ran out of singles, 1982 and early 1983 was solid Michael radio. Look at the listener counts, over 2B for "Billie Jean" & nearly 2B for "Beat It", "Thriller" has almost 1B. No song has less than 85M listens, what?! I believe 7 of 9 songs are radio staples (minus "Baby Be Mine" & "The Lady In My Life"). Any album with that kind of firepower is a classic and deserves a spot on the T1001. I'd say this is a 5 Star album even with the two weak songs - the core songs are just too influential, popular, laden with hits and truly have staying power 40 yrs later.

Goddamn

I can see why this is the best selling album of all time (compilations and streaming era don't count.) I already know every song! I know The Girl Is Mine is the odd one out, but it's cute and catchy. The rest of the album is top class!

You can’t tell the story of pop without MJ or this album. It’s a damn shame, he could have been one of the most celebrated musicians in American history.

10/10 no notes

No skips

Obv

Je pensais ne pas aimer Michael Jackson, puis j'ai écouté son album

Una obra maestra, no hay nada más que decir

takes a second to warm up but once its going its going. starts strong then doesnt return until Thriller. Eddie Van Halen on beat it so instant boost.

larga vida al rey. es increíble como no te falla una don michael en este disco. a mi parecer el mejor álbum de su discografía y sí no, está metido en el top 3 cagado de la risa. volver a escuchar este disco solo me confirma que no hay, ni habrá un artista pop que supere a esta leyenda.

After weeks of getting rather challenging albums, this is off to a great start! According to my information, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is still the best-selling album of all time, and in terms of production details, it’s certainly the best of its era. A good example of this is the bassline in “Billie Jean,” which isn’t just a bassline, but also includes three synth tracks that don’t play exactly the same thing. I also find it telling that Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones are said to have spent weeks thinking about the right guitarists for “Beat It”—I mean, who else comes to mind besides Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather? Nothing was left to chance—guest appearances by Paul McCartney and Jackson’s sisters Janet and LaToya also ensure that. According to Wikipedia, Michael Jackson deliberately wanted to deliver an “all-killer” album, and I think he succeeded. Finally: for the first time, I’m giving 5 stars on two consecutive days!

Todo un clásico con un Michael en su top

He is a star. A genius. He is music itself.

fama

Solid 5 star album one of the best of the decade for sure. Sure pop in the best sense

1. Wanna Be Startin´ Somethin´: Arranca con todo, michael Jackson en estado puro, hermoso de escuchar, tema underrated. 8,5/10 2. Baby Be Mine: No hace falta decir mucho para describir esta musica, aca baja un poco pero sigue rompiendola. 8/10 3. The Girl is Mine: Baladita tranka de esas de michael, buen tema. 8/10 4. Thriller: No hace falta decir nada. 10/10 5. Beat It: 10/10 6. Billie Jean: 11/10 7. Human Nature: Gran tema de trankas. 8,5/10 8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing): Buen tema de vuelta. 8,25/10 9. The Lady in My Life: Balada tranquilona. 8/10 Nota general: Histórico, michael jackson la rompe toda. Temones, hitazos, increible. 10/10.

so groovy yeah, iconic

Ya lo había escuchado todo, truly iconic shit

The king of pop. So many good tunes. The videos and production afterwards also help to contribute to the overall 5 star.

What can you day that it's accolades have not already...one of the best of all time.

Absolute iconic MJ - bangers from start to finish

Worst lyric award on what is otherwise an almost perfect album goes to: "the doggone girl is mine". Baby Be Mine and the Lady In My Life are songs I don't think I hear anyone talk about now, but I think they are up there with MJ's best songs.

Upon seeing this as my album of the day I cheered out loud. This is genuinely one of the best to ever do it.

Obvious instant 5, no question, one of the easiest days on this project. This is for MJ, of course. But so many helped make this masterpiece: Quincy Jones, Vincent Price, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, EVH, Paul McCartney, David Foster, and so many more. The project inspired me to finally listen to the extras on the deluxe album; interviews, other songs, etc. It’s all awesome. They created and captured magic on this record.

This is an automatic 5 because of the historical impact and just altogether amazingness of Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean. Some of the rest of the songs are less exciting compared to them, but on ANY other album by any other artist they would be instant hits. Say what you will about MJ as a person, but this album is pop music gold.

hits every single time thank god for my mother and having me grow up with such amazing music

Deserves way more than 5 stars...even if he is a pedo.

Biggest GOAT contender but pedophile but banger after banger but off

Legendary.

if there are 0 micheal jackson glazers i am dead. this album never fails to get a new song stuck in my head every time i listen to it, and the overall sound is just an era i miss of music. PYT my fav, followed by wanna be starting something

deadass one of the greatest albums ever made

What do you even want me to say

Fue el primer disco que escuché y me trae grandes recuerdos. Para mí el mejor disco de toda la historia

А х у й, жалко что не слушал долго

Thriller, Billie Jean and Beat It all on one album. Is there any more of a no-doubter of a 5 star. And that's not to mention PYT or Wanna Be Startin' Something

A rare “all bangers no skips.” The songs are well written, fun, and catchy. The production is great. Michael Jackson’s voice is iconic.

hammer

Wall to wall pop magic. Wouldn't trust him with my kids though

Un classique

The definition of a classic

Classic

Just banger after banger after banger. Incredible run of tracks from thriller to PYT. A true classic.

What else do I gotta say? Solid 5 Stars.

It’s a 10. We all know it’s a 10. I’ve been intentionally starving myself from listening to anything from this album ever since starting this list 818 days ago, and while the wait was long, it was very worth it. Around 13 years ago, I decided I wanted to listen to music. Not just hear it, but really listen to it. I had a Pandora account years ago where I was just letting the radio run, and it was my first real dive into music. At a certain point, I decided I wanted to listen to albums, and the first guy I wanted to dive into was Michael Jackson, who had died just 4 years earlier. I wanted to listen while lying down on the couch, but I didn’t have a phone or an iPod. Instead, I had a crummy little Wii U with its internet browser, a pair of headphones, and I was listening to music on the Gamepad while checking lyrics online. Surprisingly effective, I can’t lie. Obviously, I started with “Off the Wall”, just because that feels like the accurate place to start. It’s a fantastic album, and since we’ve gotten it again on the list, I’ve come to appreciate it more & more recently. After that was done, I got to “Thriller”. “Thriller” made me fall in love with music. “Songs in the Key of Life” is the greatest album ever made, and I won’t dispute that. “Thriller”, however, is the most important album to my own musical development. It’s very weird to say that given that I first listened to it in full 31 years after it came out, but I need to rewind it just a little bit. June 25th, 2009 is when Michael Jackson passed away. I know the date vividly because my mom burst into tears when the headline popped up, and I’d never seen my mom cry over a celebrity death before. I very loosely knew who he was, but only as a figure & not for his music. That night, I hopped online and found the music video for Thriller. It was enthralling, to say the least, and a little bit spooky to see the full zombie makeup when it happened in the video. John Landis did an incredible job with that video, & it immediately made me realize the reverence people had for Michael was probably warranted, even though I was quite literally just 9 years old. I found the videos for Billie Jean & Beat It soon after, and a whole slew of other MJ songs. (The one for “Remember the Time” is awesome, by the way.) I didn’t listen to the full album, just because it was 2009 & I wasn’t smart enough to find out how to, but the music videos hooked me in, and they planted a music-loving seed that has now come to fully sprout many, many years later. I don’t need to go track by track here – everything on this album is ubiquitous from start to finish, each with their own iconic moments that shaped the direction of pop music irrevocably for years to come. Whether it’s the chanting at the end of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”, the driving percussion of “Baby Be Mine”, the lovely orchestration behind “The Girl Is Mine”, the creaks & howls of “Thriller”, Eddie Van Halen’s immaculate guitar solo on “Beat It”, the bassline of “Billie Jean”, the TOTO-penned lyricism & lead synth of “Human Nature”, the pitched-up vocals of “P.Y.T.”, or the sensuality of “The Lady in My Life” that’s been causing Bruno Mars to chase a ghost for his entire adult life, every track feels like it’s pushing music itself forward. The influence this album has had on the entire industry is still felt to this day, & this is the best-selling album of all time for a reason. That reason is on the cover of this album, with his signature written in gold, the most sleek white jacket you’ll ever see, and for whatever reason, he’s got a fucking tiger cub next to him. Michael Jackson’s vocals drive this album; he soars with such a dynamic range that it’s impossible to not admire them at least once while listening. If you can somehow get through “Human Nature” without doing so, then I don’t know what to say. Quincy Jones’ production works wonders here, feeling so far ahead of everyone else in the pop space for 1982 that it split the line; either you were chasing Quincy’s style, or you were doing your own thing. Prince, obviously, chose to do his own thing & it worked out great for him, as he ended up making classics that feel like the LeBron to MJ’s… well, MJ. The vast majority of pop artists tried to chase Quincy’s style for a bit, and a lot of them found success. They just didn’t find Michael’s success. He became the single most famous man in the known universe, after already becoming a superstar as big as the sun with his brothers. If you had ears, you’d have heard of Michael Jackson. Even now, if you have ears, you’ll have heard of him, even if it’s through a silly remix on TikTok, or your parents / grandparents begging you to put on Billie Jean instead of FE!N. As I said when we got “Off the Wall”, to address the elephant in the room: Michael Jackson was weird as hell around children in terribly awkward, uncomfortable & insensitive ways at best & a genuine serial sexual predator at worst. For better or worse, his work as an artist is so monumentally crucial to both my own journey for truly enjoying music when I was younger & the entire landscape of the industry at large that I feel like I can separate the art from the artist in a historical sense. In this specific case, without this album, without the music videos that stemmed from it… hell, without Michael Jackson, I don’t know if I’d be as musically savvy as I am these days. This is the 818th album we’ve gotten in this list, and that’s probably more albums than most people will listen to in a lifetime. I certainly wouldn’t be 80% of the way into this without that seed being planted. I don’t know if it’s THE best album of the 1980s, as this list has introduced a number of contenders to me (namely “Purple Rain”) but it’s still certainly up there. It’s probably the most important one of the decade. For me, it’s still a total thrill to listen to, & an unbelievably easy 10.

I was 3 when this was released, making it the soundtrack of my childhood. What a way to start.

Pop albums, with the exception of Beyoncé’s Lemonade, rarely get better.

bunch of hits, great album

just hits after hits isn’t it

Always a classic

This was the first album I ever loved when I was a kid, so it has a special place in my heart. The Girl is Mine is a questionable collab/song, and I personally feel like the overly 80's synths haven't aged too well, but I can't not give this a five. It's a historical album

Michaels hest

Discaso con todas las letras! Temones y hitazos uno atrás del otro, mas que un álbum, una LEYENDA

Sublime

This is one of the albums I wish I was alive when it was released. Michael Jackson was already a well established award winning artist but this kind of cemented him in everyone’s lives whether you listened to his music or not. Having arguably the greatest album of all time be the artists sophomore album makes it that much more impressive in my opinion. Easy to dump all your good songs or creative ideas in that first album and then struggle to repeat. I think my least favorite song on the album is Human Nature and that’s even on several of my playlists. A no doubter 5 star album, and also makes me wish the rating was out of 10 so that it can be a 10 and separate itself from 4.5 star albums being rounded to a 5.

Think about how ridiculously good an album has to be for a duet with Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney to be one of the most forgettable songs. Not much to say here that hasn't been said, but can't imagine flipping this thing on for the first time, and hearing the run of Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean. Gotta be top 5 three song runs.

If anyone did this album challenge and didn't go 5 stars, I dont want to know that person.

A classic

i do not condone paedophilia

It’s Thriller by Michael Jackson

10 out of 10 album no comment

Antingen diskning pga artistens vandel eller om man bara beaktar verket en av de mest självklara femmorna. En klassiker, banbrytande, inte ett dåligt spår, mitt i korsningen mellan den svarta och den vita traditionen. The king of pop har sagt sitt. Femma

A pop milestone. Every song on this album is a hit.

Album Generator gave me MJ Thriller as my first album. Interestingly enough this was the first album I purchased as a kid! Perfect choice to start with.

i love michael jackson 5 stars immediately

One of the best pop albums of all time. There's a reason it sold so many copies and still as iconic today as when it was released.

No notes. Honestly a damn near perfect record.

What a great album. Regardless of what I think of him personally, he was a great musician. Brilliant

It’s pretty impressive that I’ve heard every one of these songs on the radio at some point.

A classic.

Mr Jackson you’ve done it again

It’s like front to back bangers. I think every intstrument has a song to shine, shoutouts the bass line on Billy Jean

I mean, duh

I was mad I didn't get this on Halloween and that was when I listened to it last. Instead, I get it in mid March, ok then. Of course its a masterpiece and the most popular album of all time and deserves the praise.

This changed everything. The music industry, recording industry. This shit changed society as we knew it. The fucking world changed when this masterpiece dropped!

Number: 73 Date: 3/16/2026 Artist: Michael Jackson Album: Thriller Year: 1982 Genre: Pop Rating: 5 Notes: Before: Noooooooo! I really don't feel like listening to this today. It's Monday morning, not how I want to start the week. During: 4 Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 3 Baby Be Mine 4 The Girl Is Mine 4 Thriller 4 Beat It 5 Billie Jean 4 Human Nature 4 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2 The Lady In My Life ----------------------------------------------------- 3.8 AVERAGE 3.8 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) 4 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 5 relevance ----------------------------------------------- 5 composite rating After: To be clear, I don't like this kind of music. Still, my personal rating is a 4. I would never listen to this album or any of these songs of my own volition; still, my personal rating is a 4. I don't have any of these songs on my favorites of 1982 list; still, well you get the idea. Maybe I should consider adding at least one, but my 1982 list already has 139 tracks and seeing how my target max is 100, I really don't have room. Awe, WTH, I'll add Billie Jean. 4 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 5 relevance ----------------------------------------------- 4.7 composite rating

Great album! Less a fan of the ballads 6/9 liked

Five stars all the way. A classic that stands the test of time! It was one of the albums in my parent's limited vinyl collection and as a child of the 80's, I could not get enough MJ. The cassette version of Thriller was on high rotation in the car on road trips and it was loved by parents & children equally. We also had the "making of Thriller" on VHS and friends would come over after school to watch. I've seen it so many times, I probably have it memorized. Standout: PYT! It is one of my all-time favorite songs to this day.

honestly baby be mine should’ve been the leading single

Weird guy, killer album!

Well. A 5, what else.

it's a great album. Though i'd heard a couple songs in it before, it was great to give the rest of the songs a good listen! Michael's one of my favorites. Loved Baby Be Mine. I think I'd heard it before but this time, paying attention to it, realised that I really like it! The Lady in My Life is also amazing.. love to hear more of Michael's calm songs, the ones where you can really appreciate his voice and the peaceful feeling it gives. The Girl is Mine, beautiful! It's amazing to listen to a lot of his songs together once in a while

Oh maaaan

Yes! This is definitely one of the albuns thats I think everyone should listen to. The groove and all the killer songs as Michael wanted, that shaped pop in the 80's, 90's, 00's and still resonates nowadays (2026). What a fun and rich album, and it features the best Beatle (although I know their story went South). It is a 5 just to have "Thriller", "Beat it" and "Billy Jean" in sequency and it shows how talented Michael and Quincy Jones were. Pop should be like this, so powerful that makes you want to dance, and takes your mind somewhere amazing that you forget all the problems. Pop essential 5/5

I was familiar with all but 2 songs on this album, it was nice to listen to the new ones, they're both great (baby be mine and the lady in my life)

Anthems - timeless, talented tracks. Each track a masterpiece.

5 stars

Banger after banger 5 stars

Anyone who gives this 1 star is actually trolling. This is one of the greatest records ever. Not every song is a perfect 5/5 but the album as a whole is so legendary.

Awesome. Top 10

this thing really was a juggernaut when it came out, huh. i think the only miss is The Girl Is Mine, everything else is literally insane. the baseline on beat it. the guitar on billie jean. thriller. this album comes out swinging, especially on vinyl Would I listen again: yeah, obviously Deserves to be on this list: this is the reason the list was created. let's get it straight. 4.6

Absolute Classic. The back to back of Thriller to Beat It to Billie Jean is incredible

c'mon man

There's an epic 4 song run and wanna be starting something too. There's a reason why its the greatest selling album of all time. I've kept to my decision to keep my reviews about the music and not the shitty people themselves

Personally, I think Billie Jean is one of the best pop songs ever created. But it’s pretty telling that if you scan these reviews, about 5 different songs from this record have received that opinion. I think that’s all you need to know to rate this record. 5/5.

It’s pretty insane tbh…

There’s a reason Thriller’s the best selling album of all time. There’s nothing like that iconic five song run between Thriller and PYT, not to mention that the rest of the album is amazing. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t like The Girl Is Mine, but I can tell that had a lot of fun with it, which makes me like it even more. Stellar album.

Just banger after banger. What little there is to not write home about is still excellently recorded and produced. QJ is the goat.

Best ever??

Hit after hit after hit! This was the first album I ever owned. A legendary piece of music history!

Classic. perfect example of what everyone’s chasing for. Human nature is one of the best songs of all time.

The Baby Be Mine -> Beat It run is insane. The game, Michael Jackson The Experience, is the superior way of experiencing his music however.

Yeah undeniable

Det närmaste man kommer sorgligt bortvalda Toto på listan. I princip hela bandet är med, och Steve Porcaro har till och med skrivit human nature. Kvallituttan blir därefter! Håller fortfarande off the wall lite högre men satan vilken bra skiva det här är. Möjligen en, kanske två, fillers men resten är ju världshistoriens största bangers. Och så får Eddie van halen shredda mitt i alltihop dessutom. Smakfullt! Hade ”the girl is mine” bytts ut mot det mycket bättre Jackson/mccartney-samarbetet ”say say say”, hade det varit perfekt. 5-

best album oat

Great

Is this the greatest pop album of all time? I don't know but it's certainly in contention.

MJ's defining album.

I'm not sure if I've ever listened to this whole album start to finish, as everything culturally relevant passed by my parents without fail, and by the time I came of listening/purchasing age it was on to Bad, which I did own and love. In much the same way as that my particular time of birth caused me to prefer Sammy over Dave, I've always preferred Bad to Thriller and still don't know how to quit that, but c'mon this is the shit. Cosmically so.

Half this album is absolute classics. Most of the rest are strong, too. Perhaps one or two let it down, but this is definitely peak MJ.

That's such an iconic album 5/5