Thriller
by Michael Jackson
- Type: Album
- Released: November 29, 1982
- Label: CBS Inc., Epic
- Country: United States
- Length: 42:19
- Community rating: 4.41/5 from 57 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
Marking a deliberate move from disco, 'Thriller' broadened Michael Jackson's musical direction into a fusion of pop, rock, funk, and R&B. [1] Producer Quincy Jones shaped a polished and dynamic sound for the album, which explores darker lyrical themes of paranoia and the supernatural alongside ballads and dance tracks. [1, 7] Its unprecedented success, propelled by groundbreaking music videos that transformed the medium into a promotional art form, shattered racial barriers on television and cemented its place as the best-selling album in history. [1, 3, 7]
Genres
Descriptors: funky, dance, polished, infectious, party, groove-laden, rhythmic
Tracklist
- Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (6:03)
- Baby Be Mine (4:20)
- The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney) (3:42)
- Thriller (5:58)
- Beat It (4:18)
- Billie Jean (4:53)
- Human Nature (4:05)
- P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (3:58)
- The Lady in My Life (4:58)
Credits
- Michael Jackson - lead and background vocals, co-producer, drum case beater, bathroom stomp board, vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangement, horn arrangement
- Paul McCartney - vocals
- Vincent Price - spoken vocals
- Becky Lopez - backing vocals
- Bunny Hull - backing vocals
- Howard Hewett - backing vocals
- James Ingram - backing vocals, keyboards, writer
- Janet Jackson - backing vocals
- Julia Waters - backing vocals
- La Toya Jackson - backing vocals
- Maxine Waters - backing vocals
- Oren Waters - backing vocals
- Louis Johnson - bass
- Steve Lukather - bass, guitar
- Jeff Porcaro - drums
- Leon "Ndugu" Chancler - drums
- David Williams - guitar
- Eddie Van Halen - guitar solo
- Paul Jackson Jr. - guitar
- Dean Parks - guitar
- Greg Phillinganes - rhodes, synthesizer, keyboards
- Bill Wolfer - synthesizer, keyboards
- Michael Boddicker - synthesizer, keyboards
- Paulinho da Costa - percussion
- Bill Reichenbach - trombone
- Gary Grant - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Jerry Hey - trumpet, flugelhorn, horn arrangement
- Larry Williams - sax, flute
- Rod Temperton - synthesizer, vocal arrangement, rhythm arrangement, writer
- Brian Banks - synthesizer
- David Paich - synthesizer
- Steve Porcaro - synthesizer, writer
- Nelson Hayes - bathroom stomping board
- Steven Ray - bathroom stomping board
- Quincy Jones - producer, rhythm arrangement, writer
- Mark Ettel - engineer [assistant]
- Steve Bates - engineer [assistant]
- Matt Forger - engineer [technical]
- Bruce Swedien - recorded and mixed by, effects
- Bruce Cannon - effects
- Anthony Marinelli - synthesizer programming
- John Bettis - writer