On November 30,1982, what would become the biggest album of all the time was officially released!
Selling more than 100 million copies worldwide, Thriller won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards and changed the course of not only Michael Jackson’s career, but the way in which many other artists approached releasing and promoting a record.
It’s interesting to note, that Thriller’s success was not as instant as may be believed. The first single was ‘The Girl is Mine’, a strategic move to not only align Michael with a Beatle, but also a white, rock artist with a global reputation. Not that Michael needed the musical or personal boost (his success with Off the Wall spoke for itself), but the idea was to create a truly remarkable cross-over record that could appeal to a wider audience. Michael would receive airplay on the Soul, Blues and RnB stations for being Michael Jackson with the added benefit of now featuring on the Rock and Pop stations due to his collaboration with Paul McCartney.
Far from the mass quantity ordering through an online system that record stores benefit from today, the relationships with the label were more personal when discussing new releases and stock levels. One independent UK record store owner shared that when Thriller was released, there was a struggle. CBS were pushing for the store to take more copies of the record owing to Michael’s plans for it, but the store were reluctant. Interest had been sub-par and despite reaching number 8 in the UK, The Girl is Mine hadn’t ignited a huge fire in demand for the record.’ CBS offered a 7 inch picture vinyl that the store could give away with the record and promised that they would take back any unsold stock after Christmas and issue a credit to the store…
…then Billie Jean happened.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
Beat It, Wanna Be Startin’ Something’, Human Nature, P.Y.T and the legendary Thriller followed securing 7 single releases from the one album and short-films for Beat It and Thriller ensured that Michael Jackson would never be regarded as anything less than a Superstar again. He had created an album that people could simply not ignore and with it, an image and fashion statements that would be adopted all over the world.
Thriller’s success was once again magnified in the year following its release by Michael’s performance of Billie Jean at the Motown 25 televised special. Debuting the Moonwalk, the glove, the hat and the sequin jacket, Michael created a moment that is remarked by many as one of the most significant in the history of Pop culture.
In 1984, 2 years after its release, Thriller was awarded the Guinness World Record for The Best Selling Album of All Time.
In Thriller’s 25th Anniversary year, the album was re-visited and re-packaged as Michael returned to the studio in The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas with Will.i.am, Fergie, Akon and Kanye West in tow. The results ensured that Thriller once again reached new audiences and benefited from a new lease of life.
10 years on, Thriller celebrates its 35th Anniversary on a some what quieter note. Having been certified 33x platinum in the U.S this year, there’s no doubt that the World’s Biggest Selling Album of All Time will continue its stint at the top and is now in a position where it cannot be rivalled.
So Happy Birthday Thriller and Thank You Michael for this ground-breaking record!
Source: Pez Jax & Sebastian Mille for MJVibe.com
[…] November – Thriller turns 35 years old. The World’s Biggest Selling Album is celebrated by fans across the world who mark the occasion with various images, videos and factual postings. […]