CLEVELAND - Michael Jackson came to the world's attention as a blindingly gifted child star in the late 1960's. A decade later, he morphed into an adult superstar with the 1979 release of Off the Wall. But the most important day of Jackson's career didn't take place until November 30, 1982.At the time, it felt like just another day.
Today marks the 27th anniversary of the release of the historic Thriller album. Released on Epic Records, it was Michael's sixth solo album and his second straight collaboration with super producer Quincy Jones. At the time, Jackson's status in the music industry had not yet become ethereal. It was merely outstanding thanks to the chart topping success of Off the Wall. He was seen as an incredible vocalist who possessed a huge repertoire of dance moves and at age 24, he was a burgeoning superstar. The Thriller album was met with mild kudos, not universally effusive praise when it hit record stores. Some critics even issued negative reviews of the album, especially after the tepid yet fun lead single (a duet with Paul McCartney) called, "The Girl Is Mine" hit radio five weeks before the entire album debuted.
It wasn't until the first couple months of 1983 that the album became a runaway freight train of unparalleled success. Jackson crafted a cutting edge music video for the song "Billie Jean" which infused the record with a huge jolt of electricity. The music video for "Beat It" was issued in early spring and became another massive hit with its amazing merging of rock, pop and heavy metal. By now, it was becoming very clear that Michael was the biggest star in music and his popularity was greatly augmented by his visual style.
With his show-stopping performance of "Billie Jean" on the televised "Motown 25" special, Michael had officially ascended to legend status and had become a veritable pop culture phenomenon. His singing, dancing, wardrobe and command of the stage were as awesome, precise and singularly brilliant as anyone in the history of show business. During the next several months, he released more "low-key" singles from Thriller, all the while planning his most ambitious project yet.
The film for the album's title track.
Released on December 2, 1983, "Michael Jackson's Thriller" took amazing to another level. Filmed and produced as though it were a feature length film, the 14-minute opus firmly entrenched the 25-year old Jackson into the ranks of only the most accomplished pioneers in entertainment history. The groundbreaking flick caused the one year old album to once again scale the music charts and sell an astonishing one million copies per week after nearly 55 weeks in release. This ushered Jackson into 1984 on an historic streak of unfettered success, popularity and achievement. It was no surprise that the supernova earned 16 awards in less than six weeks for the superlative album.
Sheesh.
By now, sales of Michael Jackson apparel and other accouterments were in the tens of millions. "Making Michael Jackson's Thriller" became the biggest selling home video in history and his signature Jheri-curled hair was a mainstay as was his single, white glittery glove. It was ironic that Jackson was such an original figure given the fact that he was an amalgamation of many showbiz legends from Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire to Sammie Davis, Jr. and James Brown. The degree of idolatry that engulfed his very being was on par with Elvis Presley and even The Beatles. Thriller, the album went on to become the biggest seller in history with some estimates set at an absolutely staggering 104 million copies sold globally!
I believe that the true legacy of Thriller lies in the fact that it changed the way the music business handled and promoted new music. The crossover hits on the record, the shattering of racial barriers, the numerous songs released as singles, the revolutionary nature of the music videos that created even greater fanaticism with the album, Jackson's singular and imitable style and the sheer perfection in every facet of the production and performing of the music. In short, Thriller birthed the music industry as we know it today.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the great Michael Jackson for blessing us with that indelible masterpiece 27 years ago today.
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