Thriller (album)

1982 studio album by Michael Jackson

For other albums, see Thriller (disambiguation) § Music.

Thriller

Original 1982 cover

Studio album by

Michael Jackson

Released| November 29, 1982 (1982-11-29)
Recorded| April 14 – November 8, 1982
Studio| Westlake, Los Angeles, California
Genre|

* Pop
* post-disco
* rock
* funk
* synth-pop
* R&B

Length| 42:16
Label| Epic
Producer|

* Quincy Jones
* Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson chronology
| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
(1982)  | Thriller
(1982)  | 18 Greatest Hits
(1983)

|
|

Singles from  Thriller

1. "The Girl Is Mine"
Released: October 18, 1982
2. "Billie Jean"
Released: January 3, 1983
3. "Beat It"
Released: February 14, 1983
4. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Released: May 9, 1983
5. "Human Nature"
Released: July 4, 1983[1]
6. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Released: September 19, 1983[2]
7. "Thriller"
Released: November 11, 1983[3]

Thriller is the sixth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released on November 29, 1982, by Epic Records. It was produced by Quincy Jones, who previously worked with Jackson on his album Off the Wall (1979). With the ongoing backlash against disco music at the time, he moved in a new musical direction, resulting in a mix of pop, post-disco, rock, funk, synth-pop, and R&B sounds, and darker themes; Jackson wanted to create an album where "every song was a killer". Paul McCartney appears as the first credited featured artist on a Jackson album. Recording took place from April to November 1982 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a budget of $750,000.

Upon its release, Thriller was lauded by critics. It was Jackson's first number-one album on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it spent a record 37 non-consecutive weeks at number one, from February 26, 1983, to April 14, 1984. Seven singles were released: "The Girl Is Mine", "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Human Nature", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", and "Thriller". They all reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, setting a record for the most top 10 singles from an album, with "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" reaching number one. Following Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" in the Motown 25 television special, where he debuted his signature moonwalk dance, the album began selling one million copies per week. Sales doubled after the release of the "Thriller" music video on MTV in December 1983.

By 1984, Thriller had sold 32 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of all time. It was the best-selling album of 1983 worldwide, and in 1984 became the first to become the best-selling in the United States for two years. It set industry standards, with its songs, music videos, and promotional strategies influencing artists, record labels, producers, marketers and choreographers. The success gave Jackson an unprecedented level of cultural significance for a black American, breaking racial barriers in popular music, earning him regular airplay on MTV and leading to a meeting with US President Ronald Reagan at the White House. Thriller was among the first albums to use music videos as promotional tools; the videos for "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" are credited with transforming music videos into a serious art form.

Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, having sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide. It is the best selling non-compilation album and second-best-selling album overall in the United States, and was certified 34× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2021. Thriller is frequently included in lists of the greatest albums of all time and continues to be recognized as an important event in American culture. It won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Beat It". Jackson also won a record-breaking eight American Music Awards at the 1984 American Music Awards, including the Merit. In 2008, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant recordings".

## Background

[edit]

Jackson's previous album Off the Wall (1979) received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, having sold 10 million copies at the time.[4][5][6] The years between Off the Wall and Thriller were a transitional period for Jackson, a time of increased independence.[7] The period saw him become deeply unhappy; Jackson said, "Even at home, I'm lonely. I sit in my room sometimes and cry. It's so hard to make friends ... I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to. But I just end up coming home."[8]

When Jackson turned 21 in August 1979, he hired John Branca as his manager.[9] Jackson told Branca that he wanted to be the biggest and wealthiest star in showbusiness. He was upset about what he perceived as the underperformance of Off the Wall, feeling it had deserved the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.[10] He also felt undervalued by the music industry; in 1980, when Rolling Stone declined to run a cover story on him, Jackson responded: "I've been told over and over that black people on the cover of magazines doesn't sell copies ... Just wait. Some day those magazines are going to be begging me for an interview. Maybe I'll give them one, and maybe I won't."[10]

For his next album, Jackson wanted to create an album where "every song was a killer". He was frustrated by albums that would have "one good song, and the rest were like B-sides ... Why can't every one be like a hit song? Why can't every song be so great that people would want to buy it if you could release it as a single? ... That was my purpose for the next album."[11]

## Production and composition

[edit]

### Recording

[edit]

Thriller was the second Michael Jackson album produced by Quincy Jones.

Jackson reunited with Off the Wall producer Quincy Jones to record his sixth studio album, his second under the Epic label. They worked together on 30 songs, nine of which were included on the album.[12] Thriller was recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a production budget of $750,000 (US$2,443,706.9 in 2024 dollars[13]). The recording commenced on April 14, 1982, at noon with Jackson and Paul McCartney recording "The Girl Is Mine"; it was completed on the final day of mixing, November 8, 1982.[14] Several members of the band Toto were involved in the album's recording and production.[12] Jackson wrote four songs for the record: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean".[15] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write these songs on paper. Instead, he dictated into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[16][17]

The relationship between Jackson and Jones became strained during the recording. Jackson spent much of his time rehearsing dance steps alone.[17] When the album was completed, both Jones and Jackson were unhappy with the result and remixed every song, spending a week on each.[17]

"Beat It" features guitar work from Eddie Van Halen.

"Billie Jean" was personal to Jackson, who struggled with obsessed fans. Jones wanted to shorten the long introduction, but Jackson insisted that it remain because it made him want to dance.[15] The ongoing backlash against disco made it necessary to move in a different musical direction from the disco-heavy Off the Wall.[18] Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes and spent weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It". Eventually, they found Steve Lukather of Toto to play the rhythm guitar parts and Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van Halen to play the solo.[15][17]

When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he wanted to call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man", but settled on "Thriller" because he felt the name had merchandising potential.[17] Wanting a notable person to recite the closing lyrics, Jones brought in actor Vincent Price, an acquaintance of Jones' wife; Price completed his part in two takes. Temperton wrote the spoken portion in a taxi on the way to the recording studio. Jones and Temperton said that some recordings were left off the album because they did not have the "edginess" of other album tracks.[15] A cover of "Behind the Mask", originally by the Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra, was omitted when the parties could not agree on royalties.[19]

### Music and lyrics

[edit]

Thriller explores genres including post-disco,[20][21] funk,[21][22] pop,[21] synth-pop,[23] R&B,[24] and rock.[21] According to Steve Huey of AllMusic, it refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks are more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads are softer and more soulful.[25] The album includes the ballads "Human Nature", "The Girl Is Mine" and "The Lady in My Life", the funk tracks "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Something'", and the disco songs "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[26][22][25][27]

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" climaxes in an African-inspired chant (often misidentified as Swahili, but actually syllables based on Duala),[28] giving the song an international flavor.[29] "The Girl Is Mine" tells of two friends' fight over a woman, arguing over who loves her more, and concludes with a rap.[17][29] The album's songs have a tempo ranging from 80 beats per minute on "The Girl is Mine", to 138 on "Beat It".[30]

Thriller foreshadows the contradictory themes of Jackson's later works.[31] With Thriller, Jackson began using a motif of paranoia and darker themes including supernatural imagery in the title track.[26] This is evident on the songs "Billie Jean", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Thriller".[22] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he fathered her child; in "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against media gossip.[26][25] For "Billie Jean", Jones had Jackson sing overdubs through a six-foot (180 cm) cardboard tube and brought in jazz saxophonist Tom Scott to play the lyricon, a wind-controlled synthesizer. Bassist Louis Johnson ran through his part on a Yamaha bass guitar. The song opens with a long bass-and-drums introduction.[32] "Thriller" includes sound effects such as creaking doors, thunder, footsteps, wind, and howling dogs.[17]

The anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became an homage to West Side Story and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece.[25][33] Jackson later said of "Beat It", "the point is no one has to be the tough guy, you can walk away from a fight and still be a man. You don't have to die to prove you're a man".[29] "Human Nature", co-written by Steve Porcaro of the band Toto,[34] is moody and introspective, as conveyed in lyrics such as, "Looking out, across the morning, the City's heart begins to beat, reaching out, I touch her shoulder, I'm dreaming of the street".[29]

By the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; AllMusic described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[6] Rolling Stone critic Stephen Holden likened his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder, and wrote that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly."[5] With the release of Thriller, Jackson could sing low—down to a basso low C—but he preferred to sing higher because pop tenors have more range to create style.[35] Rolling Stone critic Christopher Connelly wrote that Jackson was now singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[26]

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", credited to James Ingram and Quincy Jones, and "The Lady in My Life" by Rod Temperton, gave the album a stronger R&B direction; the latter song was described as "the closest Jackson has come to crooning a sexy, soulful ballad after his Motown years" by J. Randy Taraborrelli.[29] Jackson had already adopted a "vocal hiccup" (first used in 1973 on "It's Too Late to Change the Time"[36]), which he continued to implement in Thriller. The purpose of the hiccup—somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping—is to evoke emotion, be it excitement, sadness, or fear.[37]

### Cover

[edit]

The cover for Thriller features Jackson in a white suit that belonged to photographer Dick Zimmerman. The gatefold sleeve reveals a tiger cub at Jackson's leg, which, according to Zimmerman, Jackson kept away from his face, fearing he would be scratched.[38] Another picture from the shoot, with Jackson embracing the cub, was used for the 2001 special edition of Thriller.[39]

## Release and commercial reception

[edit]

Thriller was released on November 29, 1982, through Epic Records[40][41][42] and internationally by CBS Records.[43][44] It reached number one on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart on February 26, 1983.[45] Thriller sold one million copies worldwide per week at its peak.[35] Thriller was the best-selling album in the United States in 1983 and 1984, making it the first album to be the best-selling for two years. It also spent a record 37 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, from February 26, 1983, to April 14, 1984, and has remained on the chart for 626 nonconsecutive weeks (and counting).[46][47]

Thriller was Jackson's global breakthrough, topping the charts in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It has gained Diamond certifications in Argentina, Canada, Denmark, France, Mexico and the UK. Thriller sells an estimated 130,000 copies in the US per year; it reached number two in the US Catalog charts in February 2003 and number 39 in the UK in March 2007.[48] It is the sixth-best-selling album in the UK.[49]

On December 16, 2015, Thriller became the first album to be certified 30× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of at least 30 million units in the US.[50][51] Following the inclusion of streaming and tracks sales into the RIAA album awards in 2017, Thriller was certified 33× platinum, representing 33 million album-equivalent units.[52] As of August 2021, the album has been certified 34× platinum in the US, denoting 34 million album-equivalent units.[53] By the end of 1983, Thriller became the world's best-selling album, having sold 32 million copies.[54][55] By the end of the decade, Thriller had sold 48 million copies.[56][57] It remains the best-selling album of all time, having sold over 70 million copies worldwide.[nb 1][63][64][65][66]

### Singles

[edit]

Seven singles were released from Thriller. The first, "The Girl Is Mine", was criticized as a poor choice; critics predicted that the album would disappoint and suggested that Jackson was bowing to a white audience.[29] "The Girl Is Mine" topped the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.[67]

"Billie Jean" was released on January 2, 1983.[68] It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for seven weeks. It also topped the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart within three weeks, and it remained at number 1 for nine weeks. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1983.[69] It topped the charts in 9 countries and reached the top 10 in many others. "Billie Jean" was one of the best-selling singles of 1983, helping Thriller become the best-selling album of all time. It also became Jackson's best-selling solo single. "Billie Jean" was described as a pioneer of "sleek, post-soul pop music" and also the beginning of a more paranoid lyrical style for Jackson, a trademark of his later music.[32]

The third single, "Beat It",[70] also reached number one on the Black Singles chart.[68] Billboard ranked it number five for 1983. "Beat It" reached number one in Spain and the Netherlands.[68] "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was Jackson's fourth consecutive top-ten single from Thriller on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 5.[71] "Human Nature" reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[71] "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" charted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[71]

"Thriller", the final single, was released on November 2, 1983.[72] It was not initially planned for release, as Epic saw it as a novelty song;[73] according to executive Walter Yetnikoff, "Who wants a single about monsters?"[74] By mid-1983, when sales of Thriller began to decline, Jackson convinced Epic to release "Thriller", backed by a new music video.[74][75] It reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart.[71]

### Music videos

[edit]

Jacket worn by Jackson in the video "Beat It" displayed at the Hard Rock On Wheels Exhibit in Miami

The "Billie Jean" music video debuted on March 10, 1983, on MTV.[76] It brought MTV—until then a fairly new and unknown music channel—to mainstream attention. It was one of the first videos by a black artist to be aired regularly by the channel, as the network's executives felt black music was not "rock" enough.[77] Directed by Steve Barron, the video shows a photographer who follows Jackson. The paparazzo never catches him, and when photographed Jackson fails to materialize on the developed picture. He dances to Billie Jean's hotel room and as he walks along a sidewalk, each tile lights up at his touch.[77][78]

The "Beat It" music video had its premiere on MTV during primetime on March 31, 1983.[79] To add authenticity to the production but also to foster peace between them, Jackson had the idea to cast members of rival Los Angeles street gangs the Crips and the Bloods,[80] and included around 80 genuine gang members.[81] Its plot is Jackson bringing two gangsters together through the power of music and dance. It is also notable for its "mass choreography" of synchronized dancers, which would become the hallmark of Jackson's music videos.[82]

The "Thriller" music video premiered on MTV on December 2, 1983.[83] In the video, Jackson and his girlfriend (played by Ola Ray) are confronted by zombies while walking home from a movie theater; Jackson becomes a zombie and performs a dance routine with a horde of the undead.[74] It was named the greatest video of all time by MTV in 1999,[84] by VH1 in 2001,[85] and by Time in 2011.[86] In 2009, it became the first music video to be selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.[87] The Library described it as "the most famous music video of all time".[88]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [22]
Blender| [89]
Christgau's Record Guide| A[90]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [91]
Entertainment Weekly| A[92]
MusicHound R&B| [93]
Q| [94]
Rolling Stone| [26]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [95]
Slant Magazine| [27]

Thriller was widely acclaimed by critics, further strengthening Jackson's position in popular music. In a contemporaneous review for Rolling Stone, Christopher Connelly called Thriller "a zesty LP" with a "harrowing, dark message". He compared the songs on the album with the life challenges that the 24-year-old Jackson had faced since Off the Wall, while observing that he "dropped the boyish falsetto" and was facing his "challenges head-on" with "a feisty determination" and "a full, adult voice". Connelly emphasized Jackson's musical progression from Off the Wall, writing, "Jackson's new attitude gives Thriller a deeper, if less visceral, emotional urgency than any of his previous work, and marks another watershed in the creative development of this prodigiously talented performer."[26]

John Rockwell wrote in The New York Times that perhaps Jackson was a "sometimes too practiced ... performer", that at times Quincy Jones may "depersonalize his individuality" with his "slightly anonymous production", and that Jackson may be hiding his true emotions behind "layers of impenetrable, gauzy veils".[96] Rockwell nonetheless deemed Thriller "a wonderful pop record, the latest statement by one of the great singers in popular music today" and that there are "hits here, too, lots of them". Rockwell believed it helped breach "the destructive barriers that spring up regularly between white and black music", especially as "white publications and radio stations that normally avoid black music seem willing to pretend he isn't black after all".[96] In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau said "this is virtually a hits-plus-filler job, but at such a high level it's almost classic anyway".[97] He later wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), "what we couldn't know is how brilliantly every hit but 'P.Y.T.' would thrive on mass exposure and public pleasure."[90]

A year after the album's release, Time summed up the three main singles from the album, saying, "The pulse of America and much of the rest of the world moves irregularly, beating in time to the tough strut of 'Billie Jean', the asphalt aria of 'Beat It', the supremely cool chills of 'Thriller'."[35] In 1989, Toronto Star music critics reflected on the albums they had reviewed in the past ten years in order to create a list judging them on the basis of "commercial impact to social import, to strictly musical merit." Thriller was placed at number 1 on the list, where it was referred to as his "master work" and that "commercial success has since overshadowed Jackson's artistic accomplishments on Thriller, and that's a pity. It was a record for the times, brimming with breathless anticipation and a dread fear of the adult world, a brilliant fantasy that pumped with sexual heat, yet made room for serious reflection".[98]

### Awards

[edit]

Thriller topped The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll of 1983.[99] Jackson was nominated for a record 12 Grammy Awards at the 26th Grammy Awards.[100] The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Jackson won seven of the Grammy Awards for the album, while the eighth Grammy Award went to Bruce Swedien.[101][102][103] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post described the ceremony as 'The Michael Jackson Show', writing "it was exactly the kind of one-man show that everyone had anticipated".[104] In winning the Album of the Year award, Jackson became the third-youngest to win the award after Barbra Streisand at 22 and Stevie Wonder at 23.[104] That same year, Jackson won eight American Music Awards, including the American Music Award of Merit, and three MTV Video Music Awards.[48] Thriller was recognized as the best-selling album of all time on February 7, 1984, when it was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records.[105]

### Rankings

[edit]

In 1992, Thriller was awarded the Special Billboard Award to commemorate its 10th anniversary.[106] In 2000, it was voted number 64 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. It was also ranked number 2 in the Soul/R&B – All Time Top 50 albums. The book states; it is the finest example of perfect disco-pop, and a record that should be prescribed to musical snobs and manic depressives.[107] At the 2002 Billboard Music Awards, as a sign of the album's longevity, Thriller was awarded a second Special Billboard Award as a recognition for spending more weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 than any other album in history.[108] In 2003, it was ranked at number 20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, maintaining the ranking in a 2012 revised list — it's the highest ranked pop album on both lists.[109] In a 2020 updated list by Rolling Stone, Thriller was ranked number 12.[110] It was ranked by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), in conjunction with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at number three on its list of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time.[111][112] "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" were both included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[113] In 2006, Time included Thriller in its list of the All-TIME 100 Albums.[114] In 2008, 25 years after its release, the record was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and, a few weeks later, was among 25 recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry as "culturally significant".[115][116] In 2009, music critics for MTV Base and VH1 both listed Thriller as the best album released since 1981.[117] Thriller, along with other critic favorites, were then polled by the public. 40,000 people found Thriller to be the Best Album of all time by MTV Generation, gaining a third of all votes.[117][118] In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked Thriller as the best album of the 1980s.[119] Thriller was ranked third on the Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums.[120] Billboard also ranked the album fourth on its list of All 92 Diamond-Certified Albums Ranked from Worst to Best: Critic's Take.[121] In 2018, The Independent named Thriller the "most inspiring album of all time".[122]

## Legacy and influence

[edit]

### Music industry

[edit]

Jackson (center) with US President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the White House in 1984

Following the release of Thriller, Jackson's immediate success led to him having a standing of cultural significance that was not attained by an African American before him in the history of the entertainment industry.[123] Blender described Jackson as the "late 20th century's preeminent pop icon", while The New York Times gave the opinion that he was a "musical phenomenon" and that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[32][124] Richard Corliss of Time hailed Thriller as "the greatest pop album of all time".[125] Jackson changed the way the industry functioned: both as an artistic persona and as a financial, profitable entity. His attorney John Branca observed that Jackson achieved the highest royalty rate in the music industry to that point: approximately $2 (US$6.05 in 2024 dollars[13]) for each album sold.

As a result, Jackson earned record-breaking profits from compact disc sales and from the sale of copies of the documentary, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the film sold over 350,000 copies in its first few months. In a market then driven by singles, Thriller raised the significance of albums, yet its multiple hit singles changed preconceived notions as to the number of successful singles that could be taken from an individual album.[25] The era saw the arrival of novelties like the Michael Jackson doll, that appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12 (US$36 in 2024 dollars[13]).[35] Thriller retains a position in American culture; biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli explains, "At some point, Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple".[126]

Thriller was released at around the peak of the album era, which had positioned full-length records ahead of singles as the dominant form of recorded-music consumption and artistic expression in the industry. The success of Thriller's singles, however, marked a brief resurgence in the sales of the format.[127] At the time of the album's release, a press statement from Gil Friesen, the then President of A&M Records, read that, "The whole industry has a stake in this success".[35] Time magazine speculated that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion".[35] Time summed up Thriller's impact as a "restoration of confidence" for an industry bordering on "the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop". The publication described Jackson's influence at that point as, "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[35]

> The '80s were when stars replaced artists as bearers of significance... When art is intellectual property, image and aura subsume aesthetic substance, whatever exactly that is. When art is capital, sales interface with aesthetic quality—Thriller's numbers are part of its experience.

—Robert Christgau in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990)[128]

At that time, when Thriller and "Billie Jean" were searching to reach their market demographic, MTV and cable TV had a smaller market share than the much larger reach of broadcast television stations in the United States. A national broadcast TV audience on ABC, NBC and CBS affiliate stations, as well as major independent TV stations, was desired by CBS/Epic Records to promote Thriller. The national broadcast TV premiere of the Thriller album's first video, "Billie Jean", was during the week of Halloween in October 1984 and was the idea of Video Concert Hall executive producers Charles Henderson and Jerry Crowe.[129][130] Video Concert Hall, the first nationwide music video TV network, taped the one-hour special in Hollywood and Atlanta, where the TV studios of Video Concert Hall were located.[131][132][133][134] The Thriller TV special was hosted by Thriller video co-star Vincent Price, distributed by Henderson-Crowe Syndications, Inc. and aired in the top 20 TV markets and much of the United States, including TV stations WNEW (New York), WFLD (Chicago), KTTV (Los Angeles), WPLG (Miami), WQTV (Boston) and WXIA (Atlanta), for a total of 150 TV stations.[129][130]

Thriller had a pioneering impact on black-music genres and crossover. According to ethnomusicologist Miles White, the album completely defined the "sound of post-disco contemporary R&B" and "updated the crossover aesthetic that had been the holy grail of black popular music since Louis Jordan in the 1940s". Noting its unprecedented dominance of mainstream pop music by an African-American artist, White goes on to write that "the record's song selection and sound aesthetics played to soul and pop sensibilities alike, appealing to a broad audience and selling across lines of race, gender, class and generation", while demonstrating Jackson's emergence from Motown as "the king of pop-soul crossover".[135] Entertainment Weekly writer Simon Vozick-Levinson has considered it "the greatest pop-soul album",[136] Included in their list of The 40 Most Groundbreaking Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone wrote:[137]

> It's hard to imagine the present-day musical landscape without Thriller, which changed the game both sonically and marketwise. The album's nervy, outsized blend of pop, rock and soul would send seismic waves throughout radio, inviting both marquee crossovers (like Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo on "Beat It") and sneakier attempts at genre-meshing. The album's splashy, cinematic videos — from the John Landis-directed short film that promoted "Thriller" to the West Side Story homage accompanying "Beat It" — legitimized the still-nascent form and forced MTV to incorporate black artists into its playlists. Its promotional strategy, which led to seven of its nine tracks being released as singles, raised the bar for what, exactly, constituted a "hit-laden" LP. Beyond breaking ground, it broke records, showing just how far pop could reach: the biggest selling album of all time, the first album to win eight Grammys in a single night and the first album to stay in the Top 10 charts for a year.

Epic Records also reflected on the importance of the album: "More than just an album, Thriller has remained a global cultural multi-media phenomenon for both the 20th and the 21st centuries, smashing musical barriers and changing the frontiers of pop forever. The music on Thriller is so dynamic and singular that it defied any definition of rock, pop or soul that had gone before."[138] Alan Light writing in Rolling Stone explained the historic significance of the album: "In today’s world of declining sales and fragmented audiences, it is almost impossible to imagine how much this one album dominated and united the culture."[139]

From the moment Thriller was released, it set the standard for the music industry: artists, record labels, producers, marketers and even choreographers. The music video was ahead of its time and it is considered a monumental one—not only in Jackson's career, but also in the history of pop music. Epic Records' approach to creating a song and video that would appeal to the mass market ended up influencing the way that professionals now market and release their songs.[140] John Landis' production of a mini-movie, rather than the usual short music video, would raise the bar for other directors and producers.[141]

### Music videos and racial equality

[edit]

Thriller's music videos and singles—including the Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine"—are credited with helping promote racial equality in the United States.

Before the success of Thriller, many felt Jackson had struggled to get MTV airtime due to being black.[32] CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff told MTV: "I'm not going to give you any more videos and I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy."[32] Yetnikoff persuaded MTV to begin airing "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", which led to a long partnership and helped other black artists to gain mainstream recognition.[142] MTV denies claims of racism in their broadcasting.[143]

The popularity of Jackson's videos, such as "Beat It" and "Billie Jean", helped popularize MTV, and its focus shifted towards pop and R&B.[142][144] Jackson transformed the medium of music video into an artform and promotional tool through the use of complex storylines, dance routines, special effects, and celebrity cameos.[25]

When the 14-minute-long "Thriller" video aired, MTV ran it twice an hour to meet demand.[145] The video marked an increase in scale for music videos and has been routinely named the best music video ever.[25] The video is credited with transforming music videos into a serious art form, breaking down racial barriers in popular entertainment, and popularizing the making-of documentary format.[146] Many elements have had a lasting impact on popular culture such as the zombie dance and Jackson's red jacket designed by Landis's wife Deborah Nadoolman.[146]

Author, music critic and journalist Nelson George wrote in 2004, "It's difficult to hear the songs from Thriller and disengage them from the videos. For most of us the images define the songs. In fact it could be argued that Michael is the first artist of the MTV age to have an entire album so intimately connected in the public imagination with its imagery".[147] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has been frequently imitated.[15] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to prisons in the Philippines.[148][149]

Jackson's success as a black artist was unprecedented. Time wrote in 1984: "Jackson is the biggest thing since the Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever."[35] According to The Washington Post, Thriller paved the way for other African-American artists to achieve mainstream recognition, such as Prince.[150] Christgau credited "The Girl Is Mine" for giving radio exposure to the idea of interracial love.[90]

### Reappraisal

[edit]

Thriller has continued to receive critical acclaim. In 2024, Andrew R. Chow wrote in Time that Thriller is "a towering pillar of American culture" and "the gold standard to which all pop artists aspire in its beloved omnipresence".[151] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that it had something to interest everyone. He believed it showcased harder funk and hard rock while remaining "undeniably fun", and wrote that "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", was "the freshest funk on the album [but] the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded." Erlewine felt it was an improvement on Jackson's previous album, although he was critical of the title track, describing it as "ridiculous" and "sucked out the momentum" of the record.[22] In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Jon Pareles wrote that Jackson had "doubled his ambitions and multiplied his audience ... Thriller had extra musical help in becoming the best-selling non compilation album of all time: Jackson's dancing feet and dazzling stage presence, amplified by the newfound promotional reach of music video and the Reagan era's embrace of glossy celebrity. But especially in the album's seven hit singles (out of nine songs), the music stands on its own."[95] Culture critic Nelson George wrote that Jackson "has educated R. Kelly, Usher, Justin Timberlake and countless others with Thriller as a textbook".[152]

## Reissues and catalog sales

[edit]

Thriller was reissued on October 16, 2001, in an expanded set, Thriller: Special Edition. The album is remastered and includes a new booklet and bonus material, including the songs "Someone in the Dark", "Carousel" and Jackson's original "Billie Jean" demo, as well as audio interviews with Jones and Temperton.[15][153] Sony also hired sound engineer and mixer Mick Guzauski[154][155] to create 5.1-channel surround sound mixes of Thriller and Jackson's other albums for the Super Audio CD format, but Jackson did not approve the mixes.[156] Consequently, Thriller was issued on SACD only in a stereo version.[157] A surround sound version of Thriller would not be realized until November 2022, when Sony created and released 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos mixes of Thriller for Amazon Music and Apple Music respectively in honor of the album's 40th anniversary.[158]

In February 2008, Epic Records released Thriller 25; Jackson served as executive producer.[159] Thriller 25 appeared on CD, USB and vinyl with seven bonus tracks, the new song "For All Time", a snippet of Price's voiceover and five remixes featuring American artists Fergie, will.i.am, Kanye West and Akon.[159][160][161] It also included a DVD featuring three music videos, the Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance and a booklet with a message from Jackson.[159] The ballad "For All Time" supposedly dates from 1982, but is often credited as being from the Dangerous sessions.[162]

Thriller 25 was a commercial success and did particularly well as a reissue. It peaked at number one in eight countries and Europe. It peaked at number two in the US, number three in the UK and reached the top 10 in over 30 national charts. It was certified Gold in 11 countries including the UK, received a 2× Gold certification in France and received platinum certification in Poland.[163][164][165] In the United States, Thriller 25 was the second-best-selling album of its release week, selling one hundred and sixty six thousand copies, just fourteen thousand short of reaching the number one position. It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release but entered the Pop Catalog Charts at number one (where it stayed for ten non-consecutive weeks),[166] with the best sales on that chart since December 1996.[167][168][169] With the arrival of Halloween, Thriller 25 spent an eleventh non-consecutive week atop the US catalog chart. This brought US sales of the album to 688,000 copies, making it the best-selling catalog album of 2008.[170] This was Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, selling three million copies worldwide in 12 weeks.[171]

After Jackson's death in June 2009, Thriller set additional records. the album sold 101,000 units in the US on the chart week ending July 1, 2009 and was the third biggest-selling album of the week. The album placed at number three on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart.[172] The following week the album sold 187,000 units in the US on the chart week ending July 8, 2009 and was the second biggest-selling album of the week.[173] Songs from Thriller also helped Jackson become the first artist to sell more than one million song downloads in a week.[174] According to Nielsen SoundScan, Thriller was the 14th best-selling album of 2009 in the United States, with 1.27 million copies sold.[175] Thriller sold 350,000 copies in France,[176] 1.27 million in the United States and a estimated 4 million copies worldwide in 2009 following his death.[177] Since 2022, Thriller has sold over 740,000 vinyl records alone worldwide according to the IFPI [178] Having been certified for 29x Platinum by August 2009, Thriller has gone onto sell over 6,000,000 units in the United States since Michael Jackson's death according to Luminate,[179][180][181][182] with estimated sales of 36 million units to date. [183]

For one week beginning November 20, 2015, Google Play Music offered an exclusive free copy of the album to its users in the US which included the 1981 demo of "Billie Jean" as an additional track.[184] On November 18, 2022, Sony Music released Thriller 40, a 40th-anniversary reissue of Thriller including a bonus disc containing outtakes from the original recording sessions.[185] The 2022 reissue was followed by a 2023 documentary.

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"| Michael Jackson|

* Quincy Jones
* Jackson[a]

| 6:03
2.| "Baby Be Mine"| Rod Temperton| Jones| 4:20
3.| "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney)| Jackson|

* Jones
* Jackson[a]

| 3:42
4.| "Thriller"| Temperton| Jones| 5:58

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Beat It"| Jackson|

* Jones
* Jackson[a]

| 4:17
2.| "Billie Jean"| Jackson|

* Jones
* Jackson[a]

| 4:57
3.| "Human Nature"|

* Steve Porcaro
* John Bettis

| Jones| 4:06
4.| "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"|

* James Ingram
* Jones

| Jones| 3:58
5.| "The Lady in My Life"| Temperton| Jones| 5:00
Total length:| 42:16

Notes

* ^[a] signifies a co-producer
* The first pressings contain the original album mix of "Billie Jean". The main difference is the low volume "oh no" ad-lib in the second verse.

## Personnel

[edit]

Personnel as listed in the album's liner notes are:[186]

* Tom Bahler – Synclavier (track 5)
* Brian Banks – synthesizer (track 4), synthesizer programming (2)
* Steve Bates – assistant engineer (tracks 3, 7–9)
* Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (tracks 1, 2), Emulator (6–9), Vocoder (8), background vocals (1)
* Bruce Cannon – effects (track 4)
* Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums (tracks 2, 6, 8)
* Paulinho da Costa – percussion (tracks 1, 7)
* Mark Ettel – assistant engineer (tracks 3, 7–9)
* Matt Forger – engineer (tracks 2, 3, 7–9)
* David Foster – synthesizer (track 3), synthesizer arrangement (3)
* Humberto Gatica – engineer (tracks 3, 7–9)
* Gary Grant – trumpet and flugelhorn (tracks 1, 2, 4)
* Bernie Grundman – mastering engineer (tracks 2, 3, 7–9)
* Nelson Hayes – bathroom stomp board (track 1)
* Howard Hewett – background vocals (track 8)
* Jerry Hey – horn arrangements, trumpet, and flugelhorn (tracks 1, 2, 4), string arrangements (3, 6), strings conductor (3)
* Bunny Hull – background vocals (tracks 1, 8)
* James Ingram – background vocals (tracks 1, 8), keyboards, handclaps, and musical arrangements (8)
* Janet Jackson – background vocals (track 8)
* La Toya Jackson – background vocals (track 8)
* Michael Jackson – co-producer (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6), lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (1–7, 9), drum programming (1, 4), drum case beater (track 5), handclaps (8), horn arrangements and bathroom stomp board (1), vocal arrangements (1, 3, 5, 6), rhythm arrangements (1, 5, 6), synthesizer arrangements (6)
* Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (tracks 5, 8, 9)
* Louis Johnson – bass guitar (tracks 1, 3, 6, 8, 9), handclaps (8)
* Quincy Jones – producer (all tracks), rhythm arrangements (tracks 1, 3, 5), vocal arrangements (3), musical arrangements (8)
* Donn Landee – engineer (track 5 guitar solo)
* Becky López – background vocals (tracks 1, 8)
* Jerry Lubbock – strings conductor (track 6)
* Steve Lukather – guitars (tracks 3, 5, 7), bass guitar (5), musical arrangements (7)
* Anthony Marinelli – synthesizer programming (tracks 2, 4)
* Paul McCartney – lead vocals (track 3)
* David Paich – synthesizers (tracks 2, 7, 9), rhythm arrangements and piano (3), musical arrangements (7)
* Dean Parks – guitar (track 3)
* Greg Phillinganes – keyboards (2, 4), synthesizers (1, 2, 4–6, 8), Fender Rhodes (1, 3, 5, 6, 9), synthesizer programming and handclaps (8)
* Jeff Porcaro – drums (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9)
* Steve Porcaro – synthesizers (tracks 5, 7, 9), synthesizer programming (2, 3, 5, 7), musical arrangements (7)
* Vincent Price – voice-over (track 4)
* Steven Ray – bathroom stomp board (track 1), handclaps (8)
* Bill Reichenbach – trombone (tracks 1, 2, 4)
* Greg Smith – Synergy (track 5), synthesizer (6)
* Bruce Swedien – recording engineer and audio mixer (all tracks), effects (4)
* Chris Shepard – vibraslap (track 5)
* Rod Temperton – synthesizer (track 4), rhythm and vocal arrangements (2, 4, 9)
* Eddie Van Halen – guitar solo (track 5)
* Jerry Vinci – concertmaster (track 3)
* Julia Waters – background vocals (track 1)
* Maxine Waters – background vocals (track 1)
* Oren Waters – background vocals (track 1)
* David Williams – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6)
* Larry Williams – saxophone and flute (tracks 1, 2, 4)
* Bill Wolfer – keyboards (track 5), synthesizer (1, 6), programming (6)

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for Thriller Chart (1982–2024)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[187] | 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[188] | 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[189] | 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[190] | 7
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[191] | 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[192] | 18
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[193] | 18
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[194] | 1
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)[195] | 1
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen albumilista)[196] | 1
French Albums (SNEP)[197] | 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[198] | 1
Greek Albums (IFPI)[199] | 8
Greece Albums (Billboard)[200] | 1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[201] | 1
Japanese LPs (Oricon)[202] | 1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[203] | 1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[204] | 6
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[205] | 29
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[206] | 4
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[207] | 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[208] | 4
UK Albums (OCC)[209] | 1
US Billboard 200[210] | 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[211] | 1

### Year-end charts

[edit]

1983 year-end chart performance for Thriller | Chart (1983)  | Position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[187] | 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[212] | 1
Canada (RPM Top Albums)[213] | 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[214] | 2
Japan (Oricon)[215] | 6
Netherlands (Album Top 100)[216] | 1
New Zealand (RMNZ)[217] | 2
UK Albums (OCC)[45] | 1
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[45] | 1
US Hot Black Albums[45] | 1
1984 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (1984)  | Position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[187] | 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[218] | 3
Canada (RPM Top Albums)[219] | 4
Germany (Official German Charts)[220] | 5
Japan (Oricon)[221] | 1
Netherlands (Album Top 100)[222] | 4
New Zealand (RMNZ)[223] | 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[224] | 1
UK Albums (OCC)[225] | 6
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape[226] | 1
US Hot Black Albums[226] | 2
1988 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (1988)  | Position

|

German Albums (Official German Charts)[227] | 38
2003 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2003)  | Position

|

UK Albums (OCC)[228] | 143
2009 year-end chart performance for Thriller (reissue)  | Chart (2009)  | Position

|

Australia (ARIA)[229] | 32
Germany (Official German Charts)[230] | 40
US Billboard Comprehensive Albums[231] | 16
US Billboard Top Internet Albums[232] | 16
US Billboard Top Pop Catalog Albums[233] | 16
2010 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2010)  | Position

|

Australian Catalogue Albums (ARIA)[234] | 47
US Billboard 200[235] | 137
US Billboard Top Pop Catalog Albums[236] | 7
2016 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2016)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[237] | 178
2018 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2018)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[238] | 190
2019 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2019)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[238] | 129
2020 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2020)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[239] | 111
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[240] | 97
2021 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2021)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[241] | 182
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[242] | 87
US Billboard 200[243] | 73
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[244] | 52
2022 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2022)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[245] | 79
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[246] | 79
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[247] | 36
US Billboard 200[248] | 94
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[249] | 65
2023 year-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2023)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[250] | 118
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[251] | 135
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[252] | 60
US Billboard 200[253] | 59
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[254] | 36
2024 year-end chart performance of Thriller Chart (2024)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[255] | 121
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[256] | 169
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[257] | 55
US Billboard 200[258] | 97
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[259] | 42

### Decade-end charts

[edit]

1980s decade-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (1980–1989)  | Position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[187] | 3
Japan (Oricon)[260] | 2
UK Albums (OCC)[225] | 3
2010s decade-end chart performance for Thriller Chart (2010–2019)  | Position

|

UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)[261] | 74

### All-time charts

[edit]

All-time chart performance for Thriller Chart (1963–2015)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[262] | 3

## Certifications and sales

[edit]

Certifications and sales for Thriller Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Argentina (CAPIF)[263] | Diamond  | 576,779[264]
Australia (ARIA)[265] | 17× Platinum  | 1,190,000‡
Austria (IFPI Austria)[266] | 8× Platinum  | 400,000*
Belgium
sales as of 1996  | —  | 300,000[267]
Brazil
sales as of 2008  | —  | 2,000,000[268]
Canada (Music Canada)[269] | 3× Diamond  | 3,000,000‡
Chile  | —  | 40,000[270]
Colombia  | —  | 300,000[271]
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[272] | 6× Platinum  | 480,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[273]
reissue  | 4× Platinum  | 80,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[274] | Platinum  | 119,061[274]
France (SNEP)[276] | Diamond  | 3,500,000[275]
Germany (BVMI)[277] | 3× Platinum  | 1,500,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[279] | Platinum  | 50,000[278]
India  | —  | 100,000[280]
Israel[281] | 2× Platinum  | 80,000[281]
Italy  | —  | 1,000,000[282]
Italy (FIMI)[283]
sales since 2009  | 4× Platinum  | 200,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[284] | Gold  | 2,500,000[280]
Mexico (AMPROFON)[285] | 2× Diamond+2× Platinum+Gold  | 2,600,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[287] | 8× Platinum  | 1,400,000[286]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[288] | 12× Platinum  | 180,000^
Norway  | —  | 150,000[289]
Singapore  | —  | 25,000[290]
South Africa (RISA)[291] | 3× Platinum  | 120,000[291]
South Korea  | —  | 50,000[292]
Spain  | —  | 500,000[293]
Sweden (GLF)[294] | 4× Platinum  | 400,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[295] | 6× Platinum  | 300,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[296] | 15× Platinum  | 4,500,000‡
United States (RIAA)[297] | 34× Platinum  | 34,000,000‡
Yugoslavia  | —  | 112,000[298]
Zimbabwe  | —  | 8,000[299]
Summaries
Europe
1982-1987 sales  | —  | 18,000,000[300]
Europe (IFPI)[301]
For sales in 2009  | Platinum  | 1,000,000*
International
1982-1991 Sales  | —  | 27,000,000[56]
Worldwide  | —  | 70,000,000[64][63]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## See also

[edit]

* Thriller (song)
* "Behind the Mask" (song)
* List of 1980s albums considered the best
* List of best-selling albums
* List of best-selling albums by country
* List of best-selling albums in Argentina
* List of best-selling albums in Australia
* List of best-selling albums in Austria
* List of best-selling albums in Belgium
* List of best-selling albums in Brazil
* List of best-selling albums in Canada
* List of best-selling albums in Colombia
* List of best-selling albums in Europe
* List of best-selling albums in Finland
* List of best-selling albums in France
* List of best-selling albums in Germany
* List of best-selling albums in Italy
* List of best-selling albums in Japan
* List of best-selling albums in Mexico
* List of best-selling albums in the Netherlands
* List of best-selling albums in New Zealand
* List of best-selling albums in Spain
* List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom
* List of best-selling albums in the United States
* List of diamond-certified albums in Argentina
* List of diamond-certified albums in Canada
* List of number-one dance singles of 1983 (U.S.)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Representatives for Sony and Jackson's estate say that Thriller has sold 105 million copies globally.[58] Although sales estimates for Thriller have been as high as 110 million copies,[59] these sales figures are unreliable according to various music specialists.[60][61][62]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Halstead 2007, p. 144.
2. ^ Halstead 2007, p. 256.
3. ^ "New Singles (for the week ending November 11, 1983)" (PDF). Music Week: 30. November 5, 1983. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
4. ^ "Michael Jackson: Off the Wall". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
5. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (November 1, 1979). "Off the Wall: Michael Jackson". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007.
6. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Michael Jackson – Off the Wall – Overview". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
7. ^ Taraborrelli 2004, p. 196.
8. ^ Taraborrelli 2004, p. 206.
9. ^ Taraborrelli 2004, p. 190.
10. ^ a b Taraborrelli 2004, p. 191.
11. ^ Monroe, Bryan (December 2007). "Q&A: Michael Jackson in His Own Words". Ebony. Vol. 63, no. 2\. Johnson Publishing Company. pp. 96–98\. ISSN 0012-9011. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
12. ^ a b Taraborrelli 2004, pp. 220–21.
13. ^ a b c 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
14. ^ Jackson, Michael. Thriller 25 (booklet).
15. ^ a b c d e f Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition Audio (CD).
16. ^ Taraborrelli 2004, pp. 209–210.
17. ^ a b c d e f g Lyle, Peter (November 25, 2007). "Michael Jackson's Monster Smash". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
18. ^ Jackson, Michael (March 27, 2005). "Jesse Jackson Interviews Michael Jackson" (Interview). Interviewed by Jesse Jackson. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
19. ^ Halstead, Craig; Cadman, Chris (2007). Michael Jackson: For the Record. Bedfordshire: Authors OnLine Ltd. pp. 31–32. ISBN 978-0-7552-0267-6.
20. ^ Raftery, Brian (July 7, 2009). "Michael Jackson: The Unlikely King of Rock". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2013. "the lustrous post-disco sound of Thriller seems an unlikely muse for Stump and his bandmates"
21. ^ a b c d Heyliger, M. "A State-of-the-Art Pop Album: Thriller by Michael". Consumerhelpweb.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. "Not many artists could pull off such a variety of styles (funk, post-disco, rock, easy listening, ballads)..."
22. ^ a b c d e Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Michael Jackson – Thriller – Overview". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 29, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
23. ^ "Michael Jackson's Thriller turns 35: How it shaped the artist, industry and MTV generation". firstpost. November 30, 2017. "With a domestic revenue of approximately $4.1 billion, the album restored the confidence of the industry in the post-disco era by straddling multiple genres, riding high on the fully matured voice of the young star, and optimising the synth pop sound. It was the first album to achieve such dizzying success through all the media available at the time: radio, records and music videos."
24. ^ "Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' At 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. November 30, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
25. ^ a b c d e f g Huey, Steve. "Michael Jackson – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2006.
26. ^ a b c d e f Connelly, Christopher (January 28, 1983). "Michael Jackson: Thriller". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
27. ^ a b Henderson, Eric (October 18, 2003). "Michael Jackson – Thriller". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
28. ^ Zimmer, Ben (June 26, 2009). "Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa". Language Log. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2010. "The story behind these seemingly nonsensical syllables is a fascinating one, originating in the Cameroonian language Duala ... Jackson apparently claimed his version was Swahili, but he eventually acknowledged his debt to [Cameroonian singer Manu] Dibango ..."
29. ^ a b c d e f Taraborrelli 2004, pp. 223–25.
30. ^ The Complete Michael Jackson. International Music Publications. 1997. ISBN 1-85909-447-3.
31. ^ Pareles, Jon (September 3, 1987). "Critic's Notebook; How Good Is Jackson's 'Bad'?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2007.
32. ^ a b c d e "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: Number 1: Michael Jackson, "Billy Jean"". Blender. April 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009.
33. ^ "Michael Jackson – Biography". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 9, 2008.
34. ^ Hogan, Ed. "Steve Porcaro – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
35. ^ a b c d e f g h Cocks, Jay (March 1984). "Why He's a Thriller". Time. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
36. ^ Brown 1996, pp. 29–30.
37. ^ George 2004, p. 22.
38. ^ "The Creation of the "Thriller" Album Cover". Dick Zimmerman. Archived from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
39. ^ Chandy, Ann Marie (February 12, 2010). "Ferociously popular". The Star. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
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### Bibliography

[edit]

* Brown, Geoff (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Michael Jackson & The Jackson Family. New York City, New York: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-5303-1.
* Campbell, Lisa (1993). Michael Jackson: The King of Pop. Branden. ISBN 0-8283-1957-X.
* Dyson, Michael Eric (1993). Reflecting Black: African-American Cultural Criticism. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-2141-1. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
* Halstead, Craig (2007). Michael Jackson: For the Record. Authors OnLine. ISBN 978-0-7552-0267-6.
* George, Nelson (2004). Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection (booklet). Sony BMG.
* Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta, WV: Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4.

## External links

[edit]

* Thriller at Discogs (list of releases)
* Thriller at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Michael Jackson: Thriller

Side one|

* "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
* "Baby Be Mine"
* "The Girl Is Mine"
* "Thriller"

Side two|

* "Beat It"
* "Billie Jean"
* "Human Nature"
* "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
* "The Lady in My Life"

Related articles|

* Michael Jackson's Thriller
* Thriller jacket
* Farewell My Summer Love
* Thriller 25
* Thriller 40
* Thriller 40 (film)
* Thrill the World
* Thriller viral video
* Thriller – Live
* "She's Trouble"
* Victory
* Victory Tour

* v
* t
* e

Michael Jackson

* Albums
* Singles
* Songs
* Videography
* Unreleased songs
* Awards
* Records and achievements
* Cultural impact

Studio albums|

* Got to Be There
* Ben
* Music & Me
* Forever, Michael
* Off the Wall
* Thriller
* Bad
* Dangerous
* HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
* Invincible

Posthumous albums|

* Michael
* Xscape

Anniversary reissues|

* Thriller 25
* Bad 25
* Thriller 40

Remix albums|

* The Original Soul of Michael Jackson
* Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix
* The Stripped Mixes
* The Remix Suite

Soundtracks|

* The Wiz
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
* Michael Jackson's This Is It
* Immortal

Compilations|

* The Best of Michael Jackson
* One Day in Your Life
* 18 Greatest Hits
* Farewell My Summer Love
* Looking Back to Yesterday
* The Michael Jackson Mix
* 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Michael Jackson
* Love Songs
* Greatest Hits: HIStory Volume I
* Number Ones
* The Essential Michael Jackson
* King of Pop
* The Definitive Collection
* Icon
* Scream

Box sets|

* Anthology
* The Ultimate Collection
* Visionary: The Video Singles
* The Motown Years
* The Collection
* Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection

Concert tours|

* Bad World Tour
* Dangerous World Tour
* HIStory World Tour
* This Is It (canceled)

Specials|

* Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
* Super Bowl XXVII halftime show
* MJ & Friends
* 30th Anniversary Celebration
* United We Stand: What More Can I Give
* Live at the Apollo

Video albums|

* Dangerous: The Short Films
* Video Greatest Hits – HIStory
* HIStory on Film, Volume II
* Number Ones
* The One
* Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour
* Michael Jackson's Vision
* Live at Wembley July 16, 1988

Films|

* Michael Jackson's Thriller
* Captain EO
* Moonwalker
* Michael Jackson's Ghosts
* Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies
* Michael Jackson's This Is It

Television|

* Free to Be... You and Me
* The Jacksons
* "Stark Raving Dad" (The Simpsons)
* Michael Jackson Talks ... to Oprah
* Move Like Michael Jackson
* Living with Michael Jackson
* The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant To See
* "The Jeffersons" (South Park)
* "Michael" (Glee)
* Michael Jackson's Halloween

Video games|

* Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
* The Experience
* Planet Michael
* Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2
* Sonic the Hedgehog 3
* Space Channel 5
* Space Channel 5: Part 2
* Dreamcast Collection

Books|

* Moonwalk
* Dancing the Dream

Documentaries|

* The Life of an Icon
* Bad 25
* The Last Photo Shoots
* Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
* Square One: Michael Jackson
* Killing Michael Jackson
* Thriller 40

Biographical films|

* The Jacksons: An American Dream (miniseries)
* Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story
* Searching for Neverland
* Michael

Stage shows|

* Thriller – Live
* Michael Forever – The Tribute Concert
* The Immortal World Tour
* Motown: The Musical
* One
* MJ the Musical

Personal life|

* Health and appearance
* Personal relationships
* Jackson family
* Paris Jackson
* Lisa Marie Presley
* Debbie Rowe

Abuse allegations|

* 1993 allegations
* 2005 trial
* Posthumous allegations
* FBI files

Death|

* Memorial service
* Conrad Murray
* trial

Influence|

* Moonwalk
* Robot
* Philanthropy
* Cover versions
* Monuments, memorials and namesakes
* Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
* Mesoparapylocheles michaeljacksoni
* Thrill the World
* Thriller viral video
* World Vitiligo Day
* Sonic the Hedgehog
* Ulala
* Impersonators
* Michael Jackson fandom
* On the Wall
* Heal the World Foundation

Related|

* The Jackson 5
* The Jackson 5 discography
* Jackson 5ive
* Estate of Michael Jackson
* Thriller jacket
* Fulham F.C. statue
* Michael Jackson: A Visual Documentary: 1958—2009: the Official Tribute Edition
* The Magic and the Madness
* Michael Jackson and Bubbles
* MJ Gallery at Ponte 16
* "We Had Him"
* You Are Not Alone
* Michael Jackson, Inc.
* Hayvenhurst
* Neverland Ranch
* Thriller Villa
* The MJCast
* Northern Songs
* Sony/ATV Music Publishing
* Mijac Music
* Bubbles
* Peter Pan syndrome
* Mister Lonely
* We Are the World
* Mind Is the Magic: Anthem for the Las Vegas Show
* Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson
* Rava on the Dance Floor
* Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson
* "Better on the Other Side"
* "Home"
* "Eat It"
* "Fat"
* Return of the Moonwalker
* Monument to Michael Jackson (film)
* Sheikh Jackson
* The Last Days of Michael Jackson
* Neverland Firsthand: Investigating the Michael Jackson Documentary
* Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth
* MJ (album)

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Quincy Jones

* Discography
* Awards

Albums|

* Jazz Abroad
* This Is How I Feel About Jazz
* Go West, Man!
* Quincy's Home Again
* The Birth of a Band!
* The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones
* I Dig Dancers
* The Quintessence
* Big Band Bossa Nova
* Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits
* Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini
* Golden Boy
* Quincy Plays for Pussycats
* Quincy's Got a Brand New Bag
* Walking In Space
* Gula Matari
* Smackwater Jack
* You've Got It Bad Girl
* Body Heat
* Mellow Madness
* I Heard That!!
* Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!
* The Dude
* Back on the Block
* Q's Jook Joint
* The Original Jam Sessions 1969
* Q: Soul Bossa Nostra

Compilations|

* From Q with Love

Live albums|

* Newport '61
* Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux

Soundtracks|

* Walk, Don't Run
* The Italian Job
* Dollars
* The Wiz
* The Color Purple

Singles|

* "Soul Bossa Nova"
* "Sanford and Son Theme (The Streetbeater)"
* "Stuff Like That"
* "Ai No Corrida"
* "Just Once"
* "One Hundred Ways"
* "I'll Be Good to You"
* "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)"

Other works|

| With Michael Jackson|

* The Wiz
* Off the Wall
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
* Thriller
* Bad

|

With Frank Sinatra|

* It Might as Well Be Swing
* Sinatra at the Sands
* L.A. Is My Lady

Single collaborations|

* "It's My Party" with Lesley Gore
* "We Are the World" with USA for Africa
* "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" with Artists for Haiti

Films|

* The Color Purple (1985 film)
* Quincy
* The Color Purple (2023 film)

Awards for Thriller

* v
* t
* e

Brit Award for British Album of the Year

1977–2000|

* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1977)
* Kings of the Wild Frontier – Adam and the Ants (1982)
* Memories – Barbra Streisand (1983)
* Thriller – Michael Jackson (1984)
* Diamond Life – Sade (1985)
* No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1986)
* Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits (1987)
* ...Nothing Like the Sun – Sting (1988)
* The First of a Million Kisses – Fairground Attraction (1989)
* The Raw and the Cooked – Fine Young Cannibals (1990)
* Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 – George Michael (1991)
* Seal – Seal (1992)
* Diva – Annie Lennox (1993)
* Connected – Stereo MC's (1994)
* Parklife – Blur (1995)
* (What's the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis (1996)
* Everything Must Go – Manic Street Preachers (1997)
* Urban Hymns – The Verve (1998)
* This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours – Manic Street Preachers (1999)
* The Man Who – Travis (2000)

2001–present|

* Parachutes – Coldplay (2001)
* No Angel – Dido (2002)
* A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay (2003)
* Permission to Land – The Darkness (2004)
* Hopes and Fears – Keane (2005)
* X&Y – Coldplay (2006)
* Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not – Arctic Monkeys (2007)
* Favourite Worst Nightmare – Arctic Monkeys (2008)
* Rockferry – Duffy (2009)
* Lungs – Florence and the Machine (2010)
* Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons (2011)
* 21 – Adele (2012)
* Our Version of Events – Emeli Sandé (2013)
* AM – Arctic Monkeys (2014)
* x – Ed Sheeran (2015)
* 25 – Adele (2016)
* Blackstar – David Bowie (2017)
* Gang Signs & Prayer – Stormzy (2018)
* A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships – The 1975 (2019)
* Psychodrama – Dave (2020)
* Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa (2021)
* 30 – Adele (2022)
* Harry's House – Harry Styles (2023)
* My 21st Century Blues – Raye (2024)
* Brat – Charli XCX (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Album of the Year

1950s|

* The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini (1959)

1960s|

* Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra (1960)
* The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart – Bob Newhart (1961)
* Judy at Carnegie Hall – Judy Garland (1962)
* The First Family – Vaughn Meader (1963)
* The Barbra Streisand Album – Barbra Streisand (1964)
* Getz/Gilberto – Stan Getz & João Gilberto (1965)
* September of My Years – Frank Sinatra (1966)
* A Man and His Music – Frank Sinatra (1967)
* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1968)
* By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Glen Campbell (1968)

1970s|

* Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears (1970)
* Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel (1971)
* Tapestry – Carole King (1972)
* The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrison & Friends (1973)
* Innervisions – Stevie Wonder (1974)
* Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder (1975)
* Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1976)
* Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1977)
* Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (1978)
* Saturday Night Fever – Various Artists (1979)

1980s|

* 52nd Street – Billy Joel (1980)
* Christopher Cross – Christopher Cross (1981)
* Double Fantasy – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1982)
* Toto IV – Toto (1983)
* Thriller – Michael Jackson (1984)
* Can't Slow Down – Lionel Richie (1985)
* No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1986)
* Graceland – Paul Simon (1987)
* The Joshua Tree – U2 (1988)
* Faith – George Michael (1989)

1990s|

* Nick of Time – Bonnie Raitt (1990)
* Back on the Block – Quincy Jones and Various Artists (1991)
* Unforgettable... with Love – Natalie Cole (1992)
* Unplugged – Eric Clapton (1993)
* The Bodyguard – Whitney Houston (1994)
* MTV Unplugged – Tony Bennett (1995)
* Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1996)
* Falling into You – Celine Dion (1997)
* Time Out of Mind – Bob Dylan (1998)
* The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1999)

2000s|

* Supernatural – Santana (2000)
* Two Against Nature – Steely Dan (2001)
* O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Various Artists (2002)
* Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2003)
* Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast (2004)
* Genius Loves Company – Ray Charles & Various Artists (2005)
* How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb – U2 (2006)
* Taking the Long Way – Dixie Chicks (2007)
* River: The Joni Letters – Herbie Hancock (2008)
* Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2009)

2010s|

* Fearless – Taylor Swift (2010)
* The Suburbs – Arcade Fire (2011)
* 21 – Adele (2012)
* Babel – Mumford & Sons (2013)
* Random Access Memories – Daft Punk (2014)
* Morning Phase – Beck (2015)
* 1989 – Taylor Swift (2016)
* 25 – Adele (2017)
* 24K Magic – Bruno Mars (2018)
* Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves (2019)

2020s|

* When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish (2020)
* Folklore – Taylor Swift (2021)
* We Are – Jon Batiste (2022)
* Harry's House – Harry Styles (2023)
* Midnights – Taylor Swift (2024)
* Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

1950s|

* "Catch a Falling Star" – Perry Como (1959)

1960s|

* Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra (1960)
* "Georgia on My Mind" – Ray Charles / The Genius of Ray Charles – Ray Charles (1961)
* "Lollipops and Roses" – Jack Jones (1962)
* "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" – Tony Bennett (1963)
* "Wives and Lovers" – Jack Jones (1964)
* "Hello, Dolly!" – Louis Armstrong (1965)
* "It Was a Very Good Year" – Frank Sinatra (1966)
* "Strangers in the Night" – Frank Sinatra (1967)
* "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" – Glen Campbell (1968)
* "Light My Fire" – José Feliciano (1969)

1970s|

* "Everybody's Talkin'" – Harry Nilsson (1970)
* "Everything Is Beautiful" – Ray Stevens (1971)
* "You've Got a Friend" – James Taylor (1972)
* "Without You" – Harry Nilsson (1973)
* "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" – Stevie Wonder (1974)
* Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder (1975)
* Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1976)
* Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1977)
* "Handy Man" – James Taylor (1978)
* "Copacabana (At the Copa)" – Barry Manilow (1979)

1980s|

* 52nd Street – Billy Joel (1980)
* "This Is It" – Kenny Loggins (1981)
* Breakin' Away – Al Jarreau (1982)
* "Truly" – Lionel Richie (1983)
* Thriller – Michael Jackson (1984)
* "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" – Phil Collins (1985)
* No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1986)
* "Higher Love" – Steve Winwood (1987)
* Bring On the Night – Sting (1988)
* "Don't Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin (1989)

1990s|

* "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" – Michael Bolton (1990)
* "Oh, Pretty Woman (live 1987)" – Roy Orbison (1991)
* "When a Man Loves a Woman" – Michael Bolton (1992)
* "Tears in Heaven" – Eric Clapton (1993)
* "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" – Sting (1994)
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John (1995)
* "Kiss from a Rose" – Seal (1996)
* "Change the World" – Eric Clapton (1997)
* "Candle in the Wind 1997" – Elton John (1998)
* "My Father's Eyes" – Eric Clapton (1999)

2000s|

* "Brand New Day" – Sting (2000)
* "She Walks This Earth" – Sting (2001)
* "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" – James Taylor (2002)
* "Your Body Is a Wonderland" – John Mayer (2003)
* "Cry Me a River" – Justin Timberlake (2004)
* "Daughters" – John Mayer (2005)
* "From the Bottom of My Heart" – Stevie Wonder (2006)
* "Waiting on the World to Change" – John Mayer (2007)
* "What Goes Around... Comes Around" – Justin Timberlake (2008)
* "Say" – John Mayer (2009)

2010s|

* "Make It Mine" – Jason Mraz (2010)
* "Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars (2011)

* v
* t
* e

Billboard Year-End number one albums

1956–1975|

* 1956: Calypso – Harry Belafonte
* 1957: Music from My Fair Lady – Original Cast
* 1958: Music from My Fair Lady – Original Cast
* 1959: The Music from Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini
* 1960: Music from The Sound of Music – Original Cast
* 1961: Music from Camelot – Original Cast
* 1962: West Side Story – Soundtrack
* 1963: West Side Story – Soundtrack
* 1964: Music from Hello, Dolly! – Original Cast
* 1965: Mary Poppins: Original Cast Soundtrack – Soundtrack
* 1966: Whipped Cream & Other Delights – Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
* 1967: More of the Monkees – The Monkees
* 1968: Are You Experienced – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
* 1969: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly
* 1970: Bridge over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
* 1971: Jesus Christ Superstar – Soundtrack
* 1972: Harvest – Neil Young
* 1973: The World Is a Ghetto – War
* 1974: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
* 1975: Greatest Hits – Elton John

1976–2000|

* 1976: Frampton Comes Alive! – Peter Frampton
* 1977: Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
* 1978: Saturday Night Fever – Soundtrack
* 1979: 52nd Street – Billy Joel
* 1980: The Wall – Pink Floyd
* 1981: Hi Infidelity – REO Speedwagon
* 1982: Asia – Asia
* 1983: Thriller – Michael Jackson
* 1984: Thriller – Michael Jackson
* 1985: Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
* 1986: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston
* 1987: Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
* 1988: Faith – George Michael
* 1989: Don't Be Cruel – Bobby Brown
* 1990: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson
* 1991: Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey
* 1992: Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks
* 1993: The Bodyguard – Soundtrack
* 1994: The Sign – Ace of Base
* 1995: Cracked Rear View – Hootie & the Blowfish
* 1996: Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette
* 1997: Spice – Spice Girls
* 1998: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture – James Horner
* 1999: Millennium – Backstreet Boys
* 2000: No Strings Attached – NSYNC

2001–present|

* 2001: 1 – The Beatles
* 2002: The Eminem Show – Eminem
* 2003: Get Rich or Die Tryin' – 50 Cent
* 2004: Confessions – Usher
* 2005: The Massacre – 50 Cent
* 2006: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood
* 2007: Daughtry – Daughtry
* 2008: As I Am – Alicia Keys
* 2009: Fearless – Taylor Swift
* 2010: I Dreamed a Dream – Susan Boyle
* 2011: 21 – Adele
* 2012: 21 – Adele
* 2013: The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake
* 2014: Frozen – Soundtrack
* 2015: 1989 – Taylor Swift
* 2016: 25 – Adele
* 2017: Damn – Kendrick Lamar
* 2018: Reputation – Taylor Swift
* 2019: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish
* 2020: Hollywood's Bleeding – Post Malone
* 2021: Dangerous: The Double Album – Morgan Wallen
* 2022: Un Verano Sin Ti – Bad Bunny
* 2023: One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen
* 2024: The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift

* v
* t
* e

UK best-selling albums (by year) (1970–1989)

* 1970–71: Bridge over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel)
* 1972: 20 Dynamic Hits (Various Artists)
* 1973: Aladdin Sane (David Bowie)
* 1974: The Singles: 1969–1973 (The Carpenters)
* 1975: The Best of The Stylistics (The Stylistics)
* 1976: Greatest Hits (ABBA)
* 1977: Arrival (ABBA)
* 1978: Saturday Night Fever (original soundtrack)
* 1979: Parallel Lines (Blondie)
* 1980: Super Trouper (ABBA)
* 1981: Kings of the Wild Frontier (Adam and the Ants)
* 1982: Love Songs (Barbra Streisand)
* 1983: Thriller (Michael Jackson)
* 1984: Can't Slow Down (Lionel Richie)
* 1985: Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits)
* 1986: True Blue (Madonna)
* 1987: Bad (Michael Jackson)
* 1988: Kylie (Kylie Minogue)
* 1989: Ten Good Reasons (Jason Donovan)

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany

Other|

* MusicBrainz release group

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