Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38156 in Music
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com essential recording
Where Off the Wall was pretty much straight good times, Thriller introduced dread into Michael Jackson's solo work. By 1995's HIStory, this element curdled into overwhelming self-regard and out-of-touchness, but here it's bracing. While Thriller offers its share of cute ("The Girl Is Mine," a duet with Paul McCartney that was the album's first single; "P.Y.T."), the most memorable cuts remain "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," all of which meld musical imagination and worried-mind lyrics.

There's also the title track, which takes a cue from Parliament's concept pieces in employing Vincent Price to warn that nonfunky forces will "terrorize y'all's neighborhood." Thriller, of course, continues to battle with the Eagles' first greatest-hits package for the title of biggest-selling U.S. long-player ever. Bonus material on this edition includes "Someone in the Dark," from Jackson's E.T. children's album, and a Quincy Jones interview in which the producer cites "My Sharona" as the inspiration for "Beat It"--and, even better, the real-life Billie Jean's claim that Michael was "the father of one of her twins." --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

A cultural phenomenon, but wildly inconsistent
To be fair, it's got three of the best singles ever made, but it takes more than three great singles to make a masterpiece, and most of this is slick, MOR filler, not to mention painfully dated.

The sound effects on "P.Y.T." alone are cringe-inducing. The McCartney duet gets points for tossing interracial love on top of the charts in 1982, but the song itself is very cloying. The title track's cheesy, but it did produce a ground-breaking video. Can't say I'm a fan of "Human Nature," but plenty of people have a soft spot for 'yacht rock.'

Jackson's got a ton of compilations, and as long as you pick one with "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Starting Something," you don't need 'Thriller.' His REAL masterpiece is 'Off The Wall' - track-for-track, a stone-cold classic.

Yes
It wasnt recently inducted in congress as best selling album of all time for nothing!!!

Three words:EXCELLENCE IMPROVED UPON!!
Just when you think that the LEGENDARY album"Thriller"couldn't possibly be improved upon.....BAM!! It's done!! How?!? Simply put,two(QUALITY)bonus tracks,on it!! "Carousel" and"Someone In The Dark"really impressed me,"right off the bat"...Neither song,had to"wear"on me...I LOVED them BOTH,on the very FIRST listen!!The unreleased 2nd verse of "Thriller"was a nice(hillarious)treat!! In fact,all of the"extras"on this album,were good!! The quality of the two unreleased songs are SO good,that I'm left contemplating:"What ELSE,has "M.J"got hidden in the"vaults"?!? EXCELLENT ALBUM!!