Billie Jean VS Thriller: which do you think is more iconic?

[aazzaabb]

I think for the fans, it's Billie Jean, but for the general public, it's probably Thriller.

This is a possibilty I lean to. Thriller has sort of become something completey in its own right, almost seperate like the Greece Medley where it's constantly recreated.

[Michaels Lover]

Billie Jean

[Blue Criminal]

Even though Billie Jean is more iconic, Thriller has better longevity in terms of sales due to its association with Halloween.

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Billie Jean all the way

Nothing against Thriller, but Billie Jean is just Billie Jean. The jacket, the glove, the hat and the moonwalk. Then you have that ground-breaking short film.

The song itself is incredible, the lyrics, the vocals and that beat. 1 second in and its got you, dum da, dum, da, whoo, whoo. Thank God MJ fought for that intro!!!

[Pink Diamond Princess]

A poll has been added.

[sped]

Billie Jean 25 performance

[StaceyMJ]

Billie Jean for me without a doubt. The whole thing is just so beyond slick. The glove, the hat, the light up pavement, the moonwalk, Motown 25...hard to imagine how it blew up at the time! Thriller is awesome no doubt but Billie Jean all the way. It's about as iconic as a performance can get imo!

[aazzaabb]

Ok, I misunderstood this thread to be about which song did I believe was more iconic in the eyes of the general public which I still feel could possibly be Thriller, especially with the younger generations. Personally yeah Billie Jean.

[Hess]

I voted Billie Jean.

You hear 1 second - you know the song.

The Motown 25 performance, the moonwalk, the hat, the glove, the socks. - ICONIC.

Musicvideo-wise I would vote for Thriller. The Billie Jean video is no way as iconic as Thriller.

But song-wise overall Billie Jean wins for me. - I also think Billie Jean gets more spins on clubs, radio etc.

[analogue]

Thriller only has Billie Jean beat when it comes to the short film. Billie Jean beats Thriller on everything else from the song itself, to the live performance, to the costume.

[Blue Criminal]

On Spotify Thriller's listens only go up around Halloween (currently it's not even in MJ's top 10) but Billie Jean is constantly lisened to all around the year. So I don't agree that Thriller has better longevity. Thriller has a lot of it's popularity to thank to it being Halloween song, but Billie Jean is all about the awesomeness of the music.

Sorry, I meant just actual sales not streaming. I think due to Halloween, Thriller gets a boost in sales in every year and even sometimes chart on the Billboard top 100. The same can't be said for Billie Jean.

[Blue Criminal]

That alone doesn't make Thriller more iconic though. There are several other indicators of popularity than Halloween sales. Among others streaming.

I agree that Billie Jean is more iconic.

[aazzaabb]

Spotify actually has a young audience and Billie Jean is miles more listened to than Thriller.

Yea fair enough, Billie Jean then. I suppose I was looking at it the wrong way, I was looking at it from a point of view that the person knew little to nothing about MJ, perhaps even then it's Billie Jean. I like how Thriller has become a part of the Halloween thing though, there must be something mildly iconic about that.

[Hess]

Yea fair enough, Billie Jean then. I suppose I was looking at it the wrong way, I was looking at it from a point of view that the person knew little to nothing about MJ, perhaps even then it's Billie Jean. I like how Thriller has become a part of the Halloween thing though, there must be something mildly iconic about that.

Agreed. - Hope the new animated movie can be iconic too and become a Halloween traditional thing too.

[MJTruth]

The word 'iconic' doesn't necessarily relate to sales.

BJ has a strong place in history but Thriller has to be most ICONIC.

It has the costume, the dance, the video, not to mention the instantly identifiable song itself and, yes the fact it is strongly linked to Halloween and played all across the world at the end of October.


I think more people would identify:

The Thriller costume than then BJ costume
The Thriller video than the BJ video
The Thriller dance moves than the BJ dance moves.