Thriller was Michael Jackson’s sixth studio album, released on November 30, 1982, through Epic Records. The album was recorded between 1981 and 1982 and was primarily produced by Quincy Jones, marking their third collaboration together. The album blends pop, rock, funk, post-disco, and R&B, and was designed to appeal to a wide, mainstream audience. Jackson aimed to create an album where every track could be a potential hit single. Seven of the album’s nine tracks were released as singles, including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and “Human Nature.” Several of these songs reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, with two reaching number one. Thriller won a record-breaking eight awards at the 1984 Grammy Awards, helping Jackson become a global cultural icon. The album also played a major role in breaking racial barriers on MTV, where Jackson’s music videos received heavy rotation. The “Thriller” music video, released in 1983, was a 14-minute short film and is widely credited with transforming music videos into a serious art form and marketing tool. In 2009, the album was added to the National Recording Registry for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
