| Thriller (album) |
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Information AboutThriller (album) |
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''Thriller'' is an album by Pop singer Michael Jackson , released by Epic Records on December 1 , 1982 . The album is generally considered Jackson's best solo effort by the popular press, and helped define the artist as one of music's most popular solo acts. However, many people consider more recent efforts to be of greater quality, despite lower sales figures (probably caused by false allegations in the early 90s). ''Thriller'' is the world's all-time Best Selling album. The Eagles ' '' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) '' is currently the best-selling album in the United States overall, placing ''Thriller'' in second place with 27 million copies sold, although the albums have traded position a number of times over the past few years. The first Platinum certification came on 31 January 1983 , and the most recent (number 27) was awarded 25 April 2005 . Worldwide, however, Thriller holds the record, sitting at approximately 51 million sales in the Guinness Book Of Records but some sources put the figure closer to 60 million [http://www.ukmix.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20687 , far exceeding the Eagles' greatest hits. It could be said that this album was a godsend for Jackson; however, every album Jackson has made since has been judged by the standards of Thriller both commercially and critically. Recording Recorded between April and November 1982 , ''Thriller'' was the second of Michael Jackson's solo albums to be produced by Quincy Jones , though this time showcasing Jackson in a more prominent position of control than the preceding '' Off The Wall '' album from 1979 . Of the nine tracks that came to be on the final project of the album, Jackson had a hand in at least six. Early versions of ''Thriller's'' songs were rougher around the edges than the slicker final mixes that eventually emerged, and were based on ideas cultivated by Jackson. After the album was retooled by Jackson, Jones, and engineer Bruce Swedien, Epic Records released the album in December. The album's first single, "The Girl is Mine", a poppy duet with former Beatle , Paul McCartney , was a commercially successful if critically maligned song that was solely written by Jackson. The album's second single, " Billie Jean ", was a more definitive hit. Despite the controversy surrounding the lyrics, which dealt with Illegitimacy , "Billie Jean" catapulted Jackson and ''Thriller'' to the top of the charts and from there Jackson's success grew. Jackson's reinvention as a Crossover artist was complete with his third single, the Rock number, " Beat It ," which features guitar work by Eddie Van Halen (of Van Halen ) Track listing Original Album # " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " (Jackson) # "Baby Be Mine" ( Rod Temperton ) # " The Girl Is Mine " (with Paul McCartney ) (Jackson) # " Thriller " ( Rod Temperton ) # " Beat It " (with Eddie Van Halen ) (Jackson) # " Billie Jean " (Jackson) # " Human Nature " (John Bettis/ Steve Porcaro ) # " P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) " (James Ingram/Quincy Jones) # "The Lady In My Life" ( Rod Temperton ) Extra tracks added for 2001 Special Edition # "Someone in the Dark" (originally released on the "E.T. Songbook") # " Billie Jean " (home demo) # " Thriller " (voiceover session with Vincent Price ) # "Carousel" (unreleased track, replaced by "Human Nature") Note: Special Edition also includes interview clips with Quincy Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton Out takes
Singles: U.S. chart positions
Chart trajectory Certifications Trivia
Popular songs sampled from ''Thriller''
Music samples Notes # Note|producer}} 1 External link |