History Music / Thriller

* InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike: The lyric of "Billie Jean", "the kid is not my son" could be easily [[Mondegreen misheard]] by Spanish-language speakers as "¿tú quieres una manzana?" ("Do you want an apple?")

* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: What "Thriller" is actually about. Most of the lyrics describe what sorts of horrors are popping up in every corner, but towards the end, Michael says to his girl that he'll save her from "the terror on the ''screen''", which makes it clear that all these ghouls are part of a horror flick. The music video makes this more apparent, with the footage cutting between Michael calling upon his zombie army and him and the girl in question watching said events at a cinema; Michael is enjoying himself, while the girl is visibly shaken.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Creator/VincentPrice "For no mere mortal can resist\\
the evil of the Thriller!"]]'']]

Continuing his collaboration with Music/QuincyJones, it went on to become the best-selling music album in history, selling over 34 million copies domestically and over 65 million copies worldwide; there's probably a copy of it nearby your house. Seven of the nine tracks on the album were released as singles, with each one reaching the Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Three of the singles -- "Music/BillieJean", "Music/BeatIt" and "[[Music/MichaelJacksonsThriller Thriller]]" -- were accompanied by music videos that elevated the record to its iconic status and, by extension, defined the art of the music video medium itself.

Although Jackson was already world-famous since the 1970s, and music videos already existed as a promotional tool, both he and the medium became a dominating force in the music industry. He broke down racial barriers via his Creator/{{MTV}} appearances, won eight [[UsefulNotes/GrammyAward Grammys]] including the 1984 Album of the Year and even met then-US President UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan at the White House. Since 2007 "Thriller" has been included in the Library of Congress' UsefulNotes/NationalRecordingRegistry of "historically, culturally and aesthetically significant recordings". In 2009, the iconic music video in which Jackson dances with zombies was included in the National Film Preservation Board's UsefulNotes/NationalFilmRegistry for the same reasons.

The album was re-issued in a 25th anniversary edition, ''Thriller 25'', on February 11, 2008. It added five remixes and one new song, "For All Time". A deluxe edition included a second disc with a second additional song ("Someone in the Dark"), various interviews and an instrumental version of the TitleTrack, as well as a DVD with the music videos from the album. Another reissue for its 40th anniversary, ''Thriller 40'' (released on Novermber 18, 2022), features another bonus disc with a completely different tracklist, mostly consisting of unreleased songs and outtakes related to the album.

[[AC: Thriller 25 Outtakes:]]

[[AC: Thriller 40 Outtakes:]]

[[AC: Thriller 25 Outtakes]]

[[AC: Thriller 40 Outtakes]]

The album was re-issued in a 25th anniversary edition, ''Thriller 25'', on February 11, 2008. It added five remixes and one new song, "For All Time". A deluxe edition included a second disc with various interviews and an instrumental version of the TitleTrack, as well as a DVD with the music videos from the album. Another reissue for its 40th anniversary, ''Thriller 40'' (released on Novermber 18, 2022), features another bonus disc with a completely different tracklist, mostly consisting of unreleased songs and outtakes related to the album.