Michael Jackson’s video for “Thriller” was released nearly 40 years ago, on December 2nd, 1983. Director John Landis (The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London) extended the track — the seventh and final single released from the Thriller album — into a nearly 14-minute-long musical horror film, letting Michael indulge his monster-movie fantasies.
“Thriller” got saturation play on MTV and has been seen more than 149 million times on YouTube. Here’s 12 things you might not have realized the first time, or the 200th time, you watched it.
1. All “Thriller,” Some Filler
The video cost half-a-million dollars; at the time, it was the most expensive video ever made. But CBS Records wouldn’t pay for a third video from Thriller, and MTV had a policy of never paying for clips. Jackson and Landis funded their budget by getting MTV and Showtime to pay $250,000 each for the rights to show the 45-minute The Making of “Thriller.” (MTV reasoned that if they were paying for a movie, they were circumventing their own policy.) Landis nicknamed the stretched-out documentary The Making of Filler.
Dec 02, 2020 MICHAEL JACKSON desperately tried to destroy the Thriller video master tapes before it was released and locked himself in his room for three days without food. By Stefan Kyriazis PUBLISHED: 23:03. This week, Rolling Stone paid homage to Jackson with “12 Thrilling Facts About Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ Video.” “In adolescence, youngsters begin to grow hair in unexpected places, and parts of their anatomy swell and grow,” director John Landis explained, regarding the role of the werewolf metaphor in cinematic history.
2. The working title for the album was originally Starlight.
Before songwriter Rod Temperton came up with Thriller, Michael Jackson’s working title for the albums was Starlight. Temperton, a British native formerly of the funk band Heatwave, also wrote “Baby Be Mine” and “The Lady in My Life” for Thriller (and earlier, had penned “Rock With You” and “Off the Wall” for Jackson).
3. Michael Jackson’s faith seeped in.
The opening title card (“Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult”) was inserted due to Jackson’s Jehovah’s Witness faith. Another manifestation of his piety, according to producer Quincy Jones: During the recording of Thriller, in a studio in the Westlake district of Los Angeles, “a healthy California girl walked by the front window of the studio, which was a one-way mirror facing the street, and pulled her dress up over her head. She was wearing absolutely nothing underneath.” Jones stared, as did Temperton — but Jackson hid behind the mixing console so he couldn’t catch a peek.
4. “Thriller” is a coming-of-age story.
“In adolescence, youngsters begin to grow hair in unexpected places and parts of their anatomy swell and grow,” director John Landis explained, regading the role of the werewolf metaphor in cinematic history. “Everyone experiences these physical transformations in their bodies and new, unfamiliar, sexual thoughts in their minds. No wonder we readily accept the concept of a literal metamorphosis.” In other words, undergoing a lycanthropic transformation was a safe way for Michael Jackson to experiment with puberty.
5. “Thriller” had a Playmate.
Jackson’s “Thriller” costar, former Playboy Playmate Ola Ray, also appeared on Cheers and in Beverly Hills Cop II, but her only other notable music video was “Give Me the Night” by George Benson (a single also written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones!), on a date with Benson that involves hot dogs and champagne. That video’s biggest special effect: Benson playing guitar on roller skates.
6. Fred Astaire could have been a “Thriller” extra.
Hollywood legend Fred Astaire, a fan of Jackson’s dancing (Jackson personally taught him to moonwalk), attended a “Thriller” rehearsal. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who edited Jackson’s Moonwalk autobiography, logged some serious hours: When they were filming at 3 A.M. in a bad neighborhood in east Los Angeles, she was hanging out in Jackson’s Winnebago.
7. The “Thiller” choreographer was a “Beat It” gang member.
Choreographer Michael Peters also did the epic dance sequences in Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield” and in Jackson’s “Beat It” video (where he played one of the gang leaders — the one dressed in white, with sunglasses and a mustache). He won a Tony for his work on Dreamgirls and died of AIDS in 1994, at just 46 years old.
8. The appeal of zombie-dancing is global.
The largest number of people doing the “Thriller” zombie-dance routine, according to the Guinness Book of World Records: “13,597 participants in an event organized by the Instituto de la Juventud del Gobierno del Distrito Federal at the Monumento a la Revolucion, Mexico City, Mexico, on 29 Aug 2009.”
9. There should not be business classes based on “Thriller.”
John Landis on the motivations behind making “Thriller” and its huge financial impact: “The reality is, it was a vanity video. Everything that happened on ‘Thriller’ happened because Michael wanted to turn into a monster. None of it was planned. I want to make that clear, because there was a course taught at the Harvard Business School on ‘Thriller,’ and it was complete b*******.”
10. “Thriller” may have the ability to possess you.
As a nine-year-old child, Cee Lo Green was so scared of “Thriller,” he would flee the room whenever the video came on TV: “If he could be possessed, then I damn sure could be possessed, because Michael was so much stronger than I.”
11. The video looks great even when it’s rendered in Lego.
12. Vincent Price’s “lost rap” is fantastic.
When horror-movie legend Vincent Price (House of Wax, Edward Scissorhands) recorded his spoken word, he did a whole verse that got cut: “The demons squeal in sheer delight / It’s you they spy, so plump, so right / For though the groove is hard to beat / Yet still you stand with frozen feet / You try to run, you try to scream / But no more sun you’ll ever see / For evil reaches from the crypt / To crush you in its icy grip.”
[Editor’s Note: A version of this story was originally published October2013]
“Thriller” is an iconic pop song that is actually highlighted by a storyline which reads like a horror movie. Tracks with similar motifs have been released prior and since. But none have had the mass appeal of “Thriller”.
First Verse
The addressee is someone who is going through a terrifying experience. Based on the first verse, it can be interpreted that this individual is being stalked by some type of “evil” entity. The lyrics were not likely meant to be taken literally, as in the music video and bridge this threat is presented as being zombies, and in the chorus it is referred to as ‘the beast with 40 eyes’. But either way, the person whom Michael Jackson is singing to is so frightened that she is “paralyzed”. And basically what the singer is doing is detailing why she is feeling so.
Second Verse
In the second verse, it seems that the “creature” has actually trapped her inside of a house. Thus it is only a matter of time before she falls victim to it.
Third Verse
By the time the third verse rolls around, it is revealed that the addressee is actually someone akin to the singer’s girlfriend. And what is actually happening is that they are at a movie theatre, watching a horror movie. So basically, Michael’s whole gimmick is trying to make the film appear additionally scary for the desired effect of making this lady so terrified that she has no choice but to ‘cuddle closer’ to him. Thus perhaps the best way to describe the overall scenario is one where MJ is making an attempt to utilize the fictional hordes of hell for his own selfish purposes.
What “Thriller” is all about
In its entirety, the intent of this track, including employing horror-movie icon Vincent Price to narrate the outro, is to present the auditory equivalent of a horror movie. That is Michael and his coworkers set out to capture the feel of a scary movie, though in a song. And it is fundamentally based on the same tropes films belonging to this genre tend to make use of – a monstrous enemy stalking a defenseless woman, who can only be saved by her romantic interest. Indeed if one were to listen closely, there is definitely a romantic undertone to “Thriller”. Or more specifically, the singer is hoping that his lady friend will be so horrified by the “terror on the screen” that she’ll have no choice but to seek safety in his arms.
Did Michael Jackson write “Thriller”?
The writer of“Thriller” was a British hitmaker by the name of Rod Temperton(1949-2016). And he had written songs for Michael Jackson (1958-2009) beforethis one. His goal, in recognizing that Michael was a movie buff, was towrite a song which itself was “really theatrical”.
The working title of this song was “Starlight”, and originally the lyrics were quite different. However, Temperton stated that Quincy Jones, knowing that this would be the album’s title track, preferred a “mysterious” title that would embody Michael Jackson’s “evolving persona”. And in response, Rod was able to swiftly compose the lyrics as well as the spoken-word outro, which as for the latter he didn’t even bother writing until right before “Thriller” was recorded.
Who talks in “Thriller”?
The aforementioned spoken-word in the middle and outro of “Thriller” was performed by none other than Vincent Price (1911-1993), himself probably being the best-known American horror actor of the 20th century.
Moreover it was thesuggestion of Peggy Lipton (1946-2019), whom Quincy Jones was married to from1974-1990, to use Vincent Price for the song.
Vincent Price was offered two compensation options for his participation on “Thriller” – either $20,000 or royalties from sales of the album itself. He chose the money, which at the end of the day proved to be considerably less than what he would have made if he had gone with the royalties. However, upon realizing this he took it all in stride.
When was “Thriller” released?
“Thriller” went on to be the name of the album which would become the best seller of all time. The song itself was released by Epic Records on 23 January 1984.
“Thriller” also served as the seventh (and final) single from the album.
Chart Success
This classic scored a number one the UK Singles Chart as well as in Belgium and France.
It also peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and appeared on three other US-based Billboard charts. And in general, during its initial run, “Thriller” charted in almost 15 countries.
Additionally, since the turn of the century, it has charted regularly throughout the world. This is largely due to “Thriller” being associated with the holiday of Halloween.
But the most prominent display of “Thriller” charting post-2000 was of course in 2009, after Michael Jackson’s untimely demise. That time around the song arguably performed even better than it did in the first, as it managed to chart in almost 20 nations.
And at the end of the day, “Thriller” has been certified multi-Platinum in Australia, Spain and the US especially. In the latter country it has exceeded over seven-million copies in sales (as of 2019).
Powerful Music Video of “Thriller”
Part of the song’s – and indeed the entire album’s – appeal was of course its intentionally-cinematic music video. This was a piece of art Michael Jackson, after watching “An American Werewolf in London” (1981) himself wrote alongside the video’s director, John Landis. In fact Landis had also directed “An American Werewolf in London” itself.
And another movie which inspired the clip was the 1968 horror classic “Night of the Living Dead”.
The costume designer for the video was John Landis’s wife, Deborah Nadoolman. In fact it was she who conceptualized the idea of Michael rocking the now-legendary red-leather jacket, which was eventually sold in 2011 for a whopping $1.8 million.
Who is the woman in the “Thriller” video?
The actress who stars alongside Michael Jackson in the clip is one Ola Ray, who is also a former model. In fact when she was interviewed in that regard in 1980, she named Michael Jackson as one of her favorite entertainers. And her feature in “Thriller” is considered to be the signature achievement of her career.
Moreover, Miss Ola went on to state that she and Michael “had some intimate moments… in his trailer” during the making of the video. But she also insinuated that they did not go all the way due to his shyness.
Interestingly enough, both Ola and Landis, in 2009, sued Michael Jackson (before he died) for royalties from the music video. And both parties did eventually settle with his estate.
FYI: Another American actress and model, Jennifer Beals, was offered the role of MJ’s romantic interest before Ola Ray. However, she turned down the opportunity.
Michael Jackson Thriller 320 Trailer
Greatest Music Video Ever!
Saying that the music video to “Thriller” is popular, even to this day, is quite an understatement. For instance, the Library of Congress, which is part of the American federal government, dubbed it “the most-famous music video of all time”. In fact it was the first music video ever which, in 2009, the Library preserved in the National Film Registry.
Cost of Making “Thriller” Music Video
Its budget, at a record $900,000 for a music video, is an amazing sum of money, even more so during the year 1983. Michael and Landis had issues raising these funds, with CBS Records only agreeing to provide a ninth of the required amount. So what they did was create a documentary, entitled “Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller”, which featured the video as well as how it was made. And they sold the rights to its broadcast to both MTV and Showtime, who kicked up considerable amounts of dough for the exclusive rights to do so.
Moreover a company named Vestron Music Video paid for the privilege to market it to home viewers. Also MJ put in some of his own personal funds, which of course at the end of the day he recouped. Indeed when all was said and done, he actually raised more money than what was initially budgeted.
First Mini-Movie Music Video
Accordingly the “Thriller” music video is accredited as being the first that was actually a mini-movie. Complete with dialogue and a distinct storyline, in its entirety, the video is roughly 14 minutes in length. Meanwhile the edited version, i.e. the one usually shown on television, is about five minutes’ long.
Controversy surrounding Video
Those who are familiar with the clip know that it features a lot of undead activity. This, as well as other factors, brought with it its fair share of criticisms, even from Michael himself. For instance, the National Coalition on Television Violence asserted the video promotes sexual harassment. And the leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ religion, which Michael was (up until 1987) a part of, considered the clip an advocacy of demonology and reportedly even threatened to excommunicate the King of Pop. Thus he was compelled to place a disclaimer at the beginning of the visual asserting that it “in no way endorses a belief in the occult”.
Moreover Jackson went on to state, in a Jehovah’s Witness publication, that he would never “purposely bring to the screen something to scare people or to do anything bad”, insisting that he “would never do anything like that again”. But overall his purpose was just to produce “a good, fun short film”.
Play Thriller Michael Jackson
“Thriller” Dance Moves
The dance moves featured in the video, which are performed by dancers taking on the roles of zombies, were created by Michael along with Michael Peters, the same choreographer who worked on the music video to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” (1982).
When was the “Thriller” video released?
The video actually debuted, via MTV, on 2 December 1983. But before that Michael had a private showing of it, on 14 November 1983, in Los Angeles. And the celebrities who attended included Prince, Diana Ross and Eddie Murphy. The visual received a standing ovation and was replayed at the insistence of Mr. Murphy. Meanwhile Michael relegated himself to the projection booth throughout the festivities, apparently due to him feeling particularly shy that night, despite that fact Ola Ray entreated him to come and interact with the audience.
Now going back to MTV, the airings of “Thriller” increased their viewership 10 fold (while it was being aired). In fact it was so phenomenal that they actually advertised the times which it would be shown. And when it was really trending, they would actually show the entire 14-minute twice every hour.
And the reader should note that this was back when MTV was, succinctly put, “racist”. Thus this video in particular is acknowledged as being the one which destroyed the racial barrier that once existed at the network.
The most commercially successful videotape ever produced
Meanwhile the aforementioned “Thriller” video cassette amassed a million sales. In achieving this feat, it set the record for the best-selling videotape of all time.
Indeed this clip has been recognized as starting a number of trends which ultimately lead to music videos being accepted as a standard form of media.
And the success of the music video also resulted in the album sales of “Thriller” doubling. In fact the reason that parties, as mentioned earlier, were reluctant to invest in the video was because by that point they felt the album had already run its course (remember that this was the seventh single from the project). In fact Landis had stated that it was only Michael himself who truly believed that the visual would blow up like that. So at the end of the day, the fact that the “Thriller” album went on to become the greatest album in the history of music is largely attributable to the music video of its title track.
Notable Awards
The video wasnominated for six MTV VMAs in 1984 and actually took home three of them – BestChoreography, Best Overall Performance and Viewer’s Choice.
And both the video andits documentary won Grammy Awards, respectively in the categories of BestVideo, Long Form (1985) and Best Video Album (1984).
And by the turn ofthe century MTV, VH1 and Time magazine had all dubbed it the ‘greatest video’of all time.
Indeed some readers may already know of an annual holiday, if you will, dubbed Thrill the World. This is slated to occur the first Saturday after Halloween. And what transpires is groups of people in a bunch of different countries basically dressing like zombies and reenacting the “Thriller” music video.
“Thriller” and Halloween
Indeed “Thriller”, due to its horror-movie theme, has been closely associated with Halloween. In fact US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, celebration of Halloween at the White House in 2016 involved dancing to this tune while interacting with a group of schoolchildren.
“Thriller” Zombie Dance
And the record for the most people to engage in a “Thriller” zombie dance simultaneously was set in Mexico City. The number of individuals who participated is officially stated as being around 13,000. And they did so on 29 August 2009, which would have been Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday if he hadn’t passed away a couple of months earlier.