Michael Jackson
Thriller

THE REVIEW

Could my reviewing career lack an album like Thriller? Like the best Marzullo, I give myself a straightforward answer: NO! As the great RingoStarFish said, Thriller is an album that's easier to take for granted than to face head-on. Simply because it's such a rare musical phenomenon with no precedent (except for the legendary Sergeant Pepper Lovely, etc. etc., which by the way recently turned 40 or 50 years old. Congratulations to the Beatles). Now, let's say that everything has already been said about Thriller on DeBaser; initially, RingoStarFish put up the first track, delivering the most beautiful and complete review I have ever read. Tommythebest then added some more insights, confirming an excellent debut. So, reviews on this album are abundant, but it's always a pleasure for a reviewer to talk about and give their interpretation of an album.

It's said that Michael Jackson had a dream as a child: to create the best-selling album of all time. Perhaps it's his willpower and experience that would lead him to produce the most beautiful, best-selling, and most awarded album ever. He introduced the concept of a music video as we understand it today. That is, a true promotional film. However, the budget was greatly exceeded. So, to recover the expenses, "The Making of Thriller" was made, showcasing the tricks used to create it, the behind-the-scenes, and comments from the protagonists. Of course, it was a tremendous success also because Mike was, in my opinion, at his peak, meaning cool and level-headed as opposed to those who say that his best moment was the "Dangerous Era," but those are just personal opinions and conjectures. Anyway, if along with the superstar status, you add 9 beautiful tracks that deserve to be injected into the heritage of anyone who has turned on a radio in the last 25 years, then you can surely think that this is not a rare phenomenon, but a unique one. If we consider that it has recently entered the Guinness World Records as the best-selling and most awarded album globally... well, do the math.
The other two videos shot for the other songs were more "normal," but not without originality. Michael's famous walk on tiles that light up with each step in the "Billie Jean" video can easily be compared to scenes from the most famous films like John Travolta's dance in "Saturday Night Fever" or the phrase "You're all a bunch of assholes" uttered by Al Pacino in the movie "Scarface" or even Rocky Balboa's shout "ADRIANAAAAAAA" in the first film...

Thriller contains 9 songs, all of great success. Let's examine them:

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is an excellent opening for the album due to its slow-paced yet lively and sustained dance-afro-funk rhythm that seems to invite you to dance;
"Baby Be Mine" represents the "Rock With You" of the '80s due to that hot and sensual voice that makes every woman it encounters fall in love and/or excite;
Remember when, in the review of Off The Wall, I talked about a little help from other artists? Obviously, I was talking about "The Girl Is Mine", the excellent duet between MJ and Paul McCartney which indeed "threw" a handful of stars on the aforementioned Mike. But the heavyweights are yet to come...
OK, we've enjoyed a great appetizer, but how about moving on to the main courses? What can be said of "Thriller"? The perfect balance between Pop\R&B\Dance\Rock, the song that, as I already said, revolutionized the way of making videos for its horror and magical style. The cherry on top, the final rap by Vincent Price that chills the blood and makes "Thriller" (perhaps) the first song to feature a guest star. And then, let's be honest, could an album be called "Billie Jean"?
Another song, another genre. Here we almost switch to Rock, and at first listening, it seems so. But let's not be fooled. Here, the rock is tied to pop finesse to appear almost indistinguishable. It requires a certain talent to do such a thing (here Quincy more skilled than Michael). Hence, another pearl. Have you counted them? I have. We're at 5.
We reach "Billie Jean". Legend has it that during the tour with his brothers, Michael met a girl, probably crazy (or maybe not) who claimed MJ was the father of her twins (we don't know Mike's nightlife, so one might think he has a wild fun side at night). The strange thing was that each girl would do the same with the other Jacksons members. The fact remains that Mike came up with an anthology song that topped every global chart and was destined to become one of the most representative songs of the freaky '80s. Today, who doesn't know "Billie Jean"? And that's 6...
We land on "Human Nature", the journey into the human mind and its questions, explained in exquisite fashion with excellent lyrics and accompanied by splendid music. Another masterpiece. We're at 7.
"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" which, at least from the title, does not appear promising (sounds like the title of a police district), actually proves to be a great R&B song, the highly desired girl reduced to a simple acronym. Highlighting the presence of Michael's sisters, LaToya and Janet, in the chorus. We're nearing the end, meanwhile, 8.
The album concludes beautifully with the relaxing "The Lady In My Life", one of Michael's most beautiful love songs, infinite class, perfect to conclude an album like Thriller. Another underestimated gem. We're at 9.

As you can see, nothing is wasted from Thriller. Even the less famous songs like "Baby Be Mine" or "The Lady In My Life" are and probably will remain in the history of music. Thriller is, therefore, one of the most representative albums of the '80s and one of the most beautiful in history, aside from holding the title of the best-selling album... but you probably already know that.

P.S. = don't miss the special edition which, besides unreleased songs, includes interviews and the "Billie Jean" demo, something to comprehend how the myth was born and evolved.