Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ review

Michael Jackson’s iconic 1982 album “Thriller” is one of the greatest albums of all time. Having remained on the Billboard 200 chart for more than 600 nonconsecutive weeks, it is still widely listened to over 43 years after its release.  

“Thriller” accomplished this feat by producing a lineup of tracks that easily overpower any other musical project you could think of. Seven of the nine tracks on the project are singles, most of which are considered among Jackson’s greatest hits.

This level of acclaim may seem like a good thing. In many ways, it works to the album's detriment.

Over the years, “Thriller” has become background noise. The album was — and is — so popular that some people barely register the songs when they hear them. To remedy that sentiment, you have to take a closer look at the album and examine how its production defined the era it was released in. 

Across the album, remnants of the '70s disco and soul cultures are the first things that stand out. What separates “Thriller” from the previous decade is the inclusion of synthesizers and rock-inspired guitars that had begun to dominate airwaves going into the 80s.

Complimentary to the music, the videos that were released bring additional substance to each track on the album. The music has more than enough merit to stand alone, but it’s impossible to discuss the larger cultural impact of “Thriller” without mentioning the music videos.   

Starting with the title track — which comes back into the spotlight every Halloween — “Thriller” the song was surprisingly the last of the seven singles to be released. This was due to the belief of then-CBS Records Executive Walter Yetnikoff that no one would want a single about monsters. 

It’s safe to say this belief would be proven wrong by “Thriller” becoming the most iconic song on the album.

The bouncy bassline and percussion gives away the obvious disco and funk influence of the song To sell the track's horror element, high pitched synths and harmonic organs are featured throughout. 

This is exemplified with a chilling, yet tough, spoken-word segment delivered by actor Vincent Price supplemented by a musical round delivered by Jackson that’s far too infectious to resist dancing to. 

The music video enhances the horror element by creating a story of Jackson’s character walking his date home from a movie and getting held up in a graveyard by dancing zombies. 

The concept is cheesy as all hell, but its execution is proof that there are some things only Michael Jackson can get away with. 

The choreography by Michael Peters is choppy and stiff, perfectly selling the concept of dancing zombies. Aside from the moonwalk and the lean that Jackson does in “Smooth Criminal,” Peters' choreography is easily one of the most memorable dances of Michael Jackson’s career. 

“Thriller” is immediately followed by the most unique song on the album — “Beat It.” The song has guitar features from both rock legend Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather, the guitarist for Toto. 

The electric guitar creates a stark contrast to the rest of the project. One aspect that I don’t see many people bring up is the small traces of hip-hop that can be heard in the percussion. 

“Beat It” is the fastest song on the album with a tempo of around 138 beats per minute. The combination of the kick bass, hi-hat, and snare is reminiscent of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and other pioneers of the hip-hop sound. 

Jackson’s faster delivery on the track is similar to a rap cadence in order to keep up with the faster tempo. It’s fitting that “Beat It” was released at the time that it was, given hip-hop was gradually making its way into the mainstream around the same time. 

The music video for “Beat It” — though a bit corny — offers a surprising amount of depth to Jackson’s message when paired with the lyrics of the song. 

In it, Jackson’s character intervenes in a gang war by dancing, subsequently willing the opposing sides to join in and stop the violence. This gives the initial impression of a celebrity attempting to create shallow social commentary. 

However, there is much to be said about the dangers of toxic masculinity and how that heavily contributes to gang violence. 

It is deeply poetic that the roughest sounding song on the album provides criticism of the culture that glorifies and idealizes said roughness. 

“Beat It” is even more profound when you take into consideration the fact that Jackson, in many ways, does not fit the ideal standard of masculinity. 

Jackson’s social and political commentary remained consistent throughout his career, and it’s exciting to see that it has roots buried deep within the foundations of his discography. 

For the last song, I wanted to discuss the best track on the album, “Human Nature.” 

The lyrics were written by Steve Poraco, who is also a member of the band Toto. The song and demo were recommended to the band, but they ultimately turned it down. This led to Jackson getting the song instead. 

There are many ways to interpret the lyrics of “Human Nature.” The song was originally intended to be melancholic, but Jackson’s delivery, combined with the lyrics, gives it a more erotic, freaky sound. 

“Human Nature” describes Jackson’s desire to connect with others and pursue romantic relationships. Lyrics such as “four walls won’t hold me tonight,” and “I’m dreaming of the street,” make this song sound so much like a hoe anthem. 

The production for “Human Nature” is ethereal. There are faint elements of soul sprinkled into the instrumentation, with synths bridging the gap between the two decades of music. 

Listening to the song feels as though you’re ascending. Paired with the lyrics, it elicits a sense of yearning that beats the other slower ballads on “Thriller.” 

Those who enjoy “Human Nature” may also like the remix by SWV. It invokes the same feeling as the original, but with a 90s R&B spin on it. 

Even if you have heard the songs on “Thriller” a million times by now, it’s worth giving the album a deep dive this October. Aside from the song “Thriller” being THE Halloween anthem, the rest of the album fits surprisingly well in the backdrop of the autumn season. 

It has enough warmth to keep you reminiscing about summer, balanced with just enough angst and ominousness to prelude the winter. It is hands down one of Jackson’s most well-rounded albums, and will remain a timeless staple for many more decades to come.