November 2, 1983—the day Michael Jackson unleashed something the music world never saw coming. "Thriller," the seventh and final single pulled from an already record-demolishing album, landed like a cultural earthquake. Somehow, despite everything that came before it, this track managed to hit even harder.

By that point in late 1983, the Thriller album had already produced six colossal singles:

  • "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney)
  • "Billie Jean"
  • "Beat It"
  • "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
  • "Human Nature"
  • "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"

Every single one of those songs cracked the Top 10. Both "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" climbed all the way to No. 1—something virtually unheard of at the time. Then along came the title track: "Thriller." Spooky, funky, irresistible fun.

Horror legend Vincent Price delivered a deliciously creepy voiceover atop ghouls and funk-drenched grooves. But the single's true power wasn't just in the music—it was in the spectacle that accompanied it.

The Music Video

"Thriller" hit the airwaves on November 2. Then, weeks later, the music video debuted—and absolutely everything changed. Calling it a "video" doesn't do it justice. It was a full-blown movie.

John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) directed the nearly 14-minute production, which featured elaborate makeup, intricate costumes, a genuine storyline, jaw-dropping choreography, and a budget that would make Hollywood jealous. With this single project, Michael Jackson elevated the music video into a legitimate art form.

Nothing like it had ever appeared on MTV—or anywhere else, for that matter. It became must-see television, drawing crowds around screens to witness a pop star dancing alongside the undead. That legendary red jacket. Those zombie moves. The now-iconic group choreography that everyone tried to replicate.

Forever after, music marketing would never look the same.

The Impact

On the Billboard Hot 100, "Thriller" peaked at No. 4—but its cultural footprint was enormous.

Album sales skyrocketed. MTV was transformed. Pop music crowned a new king. And the GRAMMYs took notice in a big way.

At the 1984 ceremony, Jackson walked away with a record eight Grammy Awards, Album of the Year among them.

To this day, Thriller holds the title of best-selling album of all time, having moved over 70 million copies worldwide.

Why does it still matter?

Because "Thriller" transcended the idea of a hit single. It was a seismic moment that completely redefined what music could achieve.

Cinema, sound, and image were fused into something entirely new. Racial barriers on television were shattered. Music became visual, theatrical, and utterly unforgettable. Michael Jackson didn't simply make a record—he constructed an entire universe around it.

Fun fact: The "Thriller" video earned a spot in the Library of Congress's National Film Registry.