What is it about Thriller album

[Hiker]

Recently someone posted these sales numbers on another thread

HIStory: 18.6 million
Dangerous: 30 million
Bad: 34 million
Thriller: 66 million
Off The Wall: 19.5 million

I got introduced to Dangerous, Thriller and Bad at the same time and I think all 3 are phenomenal. Till I saw these numbers I did not realize thriller sales were literally double, and without a Thriller world tour!! What was it about this album?!! Why do different from others?

 

[mj_frenzy]

In a sense, the Victory Tour was the tour of the 'Thriller' album, so that tour also boosted sales of that album.

Marketing and wise promotional strategies (on the part of the record company) also helped significantly the sales of that album.

For example, music industry insiders remarked that the selection of 'The Girl Is Mine' song as the first single (featuring an already famous white artist named Paul McCartney) helped not just this single itself but also the album in general to gain presence and momentum on the radio/charts, which led to even more sales of the album.

The album's music videos were very expensive which also helped the sales of the album.

The 'Thriller' music video in particular contributed greatly to even more sales of the album.

Also, Michael Jackson's new dance moves/choreography (in the album's music videos) resulted in more sales of the album.

Additionally, the album itself was described as a package of potential hits, full of radio-friendly and well-produced songs.

Quincy Jones was also instrumental in including (on the album) only these songs that had the best potential for success.

 

[Zeus 7]

In a sense, the Victory Tour was the tour of the 'Thriller' album, so that tour also boosted sales of that album.

Marketing and wise promotional strategies (on the part of the record company) also helped significantly the sales of that album.

For example, music industry insiders remarked that the selection of 'The Girl Is Mine' song as the first single (featuring an already famous white artist named Paul McCartney) helped not just this single itself but also the album in general to gain presence and momentum on the radio/charts, which led to even more sales of the album.

The album's music videos were very expensive which also helped the sales of the album.

The 'Thriller' music video in particular contributed greatly to even more sales of the album.

Also, Michael Jackson's new dance moves/choreography (in the album's music videos) resulted in more sales of the album.

Additionally, the album itself was described as a package of potential hits, full of radio-friendly and well-produced songs.

Quincy Jones was also instrumental in including (on the album) only these songs that had the best potential for success.

I wouldn't say Q was instrumental in the track list choice

 

[Hess]

Also Motown 25 - introducing the Moonwalk.

I think we can not really here in 2022 understand how big MJ was in 1981 and many years forward.
The musicvideos was mindblowing at the time, a totally new way to use the media. Stories, short films. Brilliant dance routines. Exiting.

And this was waaay before internet. So what MJ did in the US could take many days to reach the rest of the world. News, rumours etc. Not like today where it's online and known all over the world instantly.

The lack of social media and internet and constant news also added to his mystery maybe.

Justin Bieber was big, BSB (or what they are called - the group) is huge, but it is absolutely NOTHING compared to what the media interest and the popularity MJ had - especially in the 80's. It was crazy - like unbelievable for us who wasn't big enough to see it back then. I'm from 1987, so my knowledge is from books, stories, old TV-specials, old TV-clips etc. that shows the maniac. Absolutely insane.

I do not think we will ever see anything like it ever again. - And most modern artist are popular and really huge maybe 5-10 years, then interest decline and people move on to the next popular artist... - It wasn't like that with MJ. Some could argue that from the Motown days and right up till he died, the interest was huge, popularity high. - At least from The Jacksons, mid 70's - Blame it on the Boogie, Dancing Machine, Shake your body down, and to 1992 MJ was without a doubt the biggest staer in the world and probably the most popular. That 25 years being nr. 1 in the world - all the time, the medias nr. 1 target. That's insane.

 

[zinniabooklover]

Hess, you're right. It WAS mindblowing, that whole 1980's MJ thing. I wasn't a fan but I had always loved Michael all the way back to J5. I loved his voice (obvs!) but I loved him first and foremost as a dancer so the whole Thriller era really was thrilling (sorry!) because that's when his dancing really took off.

I'm slightly out-of-step with people re the videos because he wasn't the only person doing intricate narrative videos, IIRC. Duran Duran certainly were. Human League. Adam Ant. Not so expensive as Michael's videos (although the Duran Duran ones must have been pretty expensive) and maybe not quite so crafted re storylines or themes but videos were already moving away from, 'oh, here's a band in a white room miming to their song'. But, of course, that doesn't alter the fact that Michael's were on a whole other level including the people he recruited to work with him. When you can get John Landis and Vincent Price to work on your short film that's ... different.

I can't even tell you what it was like watching the Motown 25 thing. I kind of wish I had kept a diary. But that wouldn't help cos I might not have written about Michael. I loved him but my whole thing was hard rock and punk rock. Michael was not front and centre for me, my punk bands were. But I can still remember how my mind went into meltdown watching the Motown thing. I am not exaggerating. I mean, it was just ... no, I really don't have the words. It's there in my head, the memory is really clear, but I don't know how to even begin to talk about it. I do remember afterwards reading about Fred Astaire phoning Michael to congratulate him. And he said to Michael something like, 'You've got anger in your feet, son' and I remember thinking, 'Oh thank God, SOMEONE understands Michael.' I thought then and still think now it's the best review he ever got. I do remember it made me feel really tearful which I know makes me sound like a crazy person but even back then I didn't think people were really 'getting' Michael so to know that someone did was just amazing.

The impact that the videos for Beat It, Thriller (and Smooth Criminal) had, it's really lame but I can only say, you had to be there. Because, as you said, this is all pre-internet etc. Pre-video tapes, even. I can't remember when video taping became widespread but I'm pretty sure we weren't doing it early '80's. If you didn't catch it when it was broadcast, tough. And if you did catch it, well, great but you couldn't just watch it again straightaway. You had to hope it would get repeated and that you'd know about it and be able to catch it. I can't remember if the Motown thing got repeated quite quickly (or at all). I can only remember watching it when it was broadcast that first time (in the UK).

I never paid that much attention to Michael, as in I didn't read the press coverage. Too, too boring. All of the 'noise' around him, I didn't wanna know about that stuff. But I always knew what was being said about him because so much of it was on the front pages. Most of it was rubbish but my point is, even someone like me who made no effort to find out what was going on in Michael's life had some idea because the coverage, however unreliable or offensive or misguided, was so intense.

And not just the videos but the whole thing of Michael as a phenomenon. I mean, yes, Marvin Gaye and particularly Teddy Pendergrass (who I believe had a clothing line) but Michael took everything up several levels. He basically achieved the global reach and impact of social media without the actual social media, ifyswim. The pop stars today do it with social media and streaming but Michael did it ... I don't know how he did it, actually! I really don't.

Hess, you are right. The whole thing was insane.

 

[Hiker]

wow! Just reading these posts has increased my appreciation for Michael even more! It had not registered that he became a global phenomenon pre-internet era. That's totally different level of achievement. No wonder no one has come close since then.

 

[83magic]

i wish i got here earlier. i don't think i can add anything that hasn't already been stated

to answer the question, i'll quote michael himself; 'there is no formula that i know of'. you can create a strategy, but there's no guarantee of what the outcome will be. michael initially declined the offer to take part in the' motown 25th anniversary special'. his record label had no interest in releasing/financing a third video/short film ('thriller'). in fact, michael was without a manager for most of 1983 :O it was film that he intended to focus on that year. most biographies released around this time spoke of an upcoming 'peter pan' movie, directed by steven spielberg. michael was also due back in the studio with his brothers to record a long awaited follow up to their 1980 'triumph' album. however, the hits from 'thriller' kept on rolling - which prevented that. each single, video, performance, award, was an event that added to the album sales, and sustained the era for three years. the album even re-entered the uk charts in 1988 to compete with his current release. it was still being nominated for awards in 1986.

at the root of it all was the music itself. 'billie jean' had already reached the top of the charts on both sides of the atlantic, before the mtv played it. 'thriller' was already the biggest selling solo, non soundtrack album of all time before there was a film. that film went on to create a record for home video music cassettes, by being the best selling, despite the ceasing of distribution.

the success of 'thriller' was revenge for 'off the wall' being snubbed by the grammy's. michael was determined to not be labelled an r&b/disco artist. he expanded his sound whilst remaining true to those roots. he was able to reach everyone that way. it's still his most popular album. artists such as the weeknd, dua lipa, and bruno mars, are still trying to imitate it.

 

[zinniabooklover]

i wish i got here earlier. i don't think i can add anything that hasn't already been stated

to answer the question, i'll quote michael himself; 'there is no formula that i know of'. you can create a strategy, but there's no guarantee of what the outcome will be. michael initially declined the offer to take part in the' motown 25th anniversary special'. his record label had no interest in releasing/financing a third video/short film ('thriller'). in fact, michael was without a manager for most of 1983 :O it was film that he intended to focus on that year. most biographies released around this time spoke of an upcoming 'peter pan' movie, directed by steven spielberg. michael was also due back in the studio with his brothers to record a long awaited follow up to their 1980 'triumph' album. however, the hits from 'thriller' kept on rolling - which prevented that. each single, video, performance, award, was an event that added to the album sales, and sustained the era for three years. the album even re-entered the uk charts in 1988 to compete with his current release. it was still being nominated for awards in 1986.

at the root of it all was the music itself. 'billie jean' had already reached the top of the charts on both sides of the atlantic, before the mtv played it. 'thriller' was already the biggest selling solo, non soundtrack album of all time before there was a film. that film went on to create a record for home video music cassettes, by being the best selling, despite the ceasing of distribution.

the success of 'thriller' was revenge for 'off the wall' being snubbed by the grammy's. michael was determined to not be labelled an r&b/disco artist. he expanded his sound whilst remaining true to those roots. he was able to reach everyone that way. it's still his most popular album. artists such as the weeknd, dua lipa, and bruno mars, are still trying to imitate it.

Yes to all of this. Yes, yes, yes to all of this.

But ... (you knew there was a 'but' coming, didn't you?)

This is all good stuff and I'm not meaning to dismiss it at all but what I was trying (and utterly failing) to capture was just the earth-shattering, unexpected, mind-blowing effect of Michael's Motown 25 performance. Because I have no writing talent or ability to analyse stuff I can't say what I want to say. It's so frustrating. But I was trying to paint a picture where it's understood that we all knew how phenomenal Thriller already was at that point; I mean, the album was crushing everything in sight. Billie Jean's video had already become a 'thing', it was so successful and so different. The MTV hoo - ha was already sorted. Beat It just blew everything out of the water with the concept, the dancing, the choreography etc. So a person (not you, just some random person) might ask, 'well, what's the big deal with this Motown thing?' That's the bit I can't describe. It was a mind-blowing performance *in spite* of everything that Michael had already achieved, in spite of Thriller just going off like a firework display. It wasn't a case of, 'oh here's the next cool thing that Michael Jackson is going to do, pass the popcorn'.

It was like, 'oh you think Michael Jackson is brilliant? Just watch this'.

Let me try again. Michael explodes out of the toaster at the beginning of his Dangerous shows. That's how explosive the Motown thing was. For me, at least. Other people will remember it differently, of course. But, for me, it turned my brain inside out.

I don't think I even watched it for Michael, I'm not sure but I think I just watched it cos I loved Motown. I don't remember Michael's performance with the brothers, or anybody else for that matter, not even my beloved Temptations. I only remember Michael. Everything just sort of crystallised around those few golden minutes. That and then the immortal Fred Astaire quote a few days later.

None of us knew at the time that Michael didn't wanna do the Motown thing. Which is kind of hilarious. Because it's now so iconic and important, not just in Michael's career and legacy but as a stand-out, unmatched, historic tv moment. Just beautiful.