This article is about the song. You may have been looking for the album.
"Thriller" is a song by Michael Jackson released as the fourth track from his 1982 album of the same name. It was released as a single on November 11, 1983, serving as the seventh and final single from the album. It's largely considered to be one of Michael's signature songs.[1]
The instrumental was released on the was released as a B-side to the "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" single, then on Thriller: Special Edition, and Thriller 25. a 1992 Def Remix of the song was released on Thriller 25, as a Best Buy bonus track.
The recording of the demo to "Thriller", called "Starlight" was released in 2022 as part of Thriller 40.
Background[]
The song first started as "Starlight" and was written in July 1982 by Rod Temperton who previously worked with Jackson on Off the Wall. The original idea was to write a song befitting Jackson's love of cinema and his evolving persona. Quincy Jones who produced the song thought that the song itself should be the album's title track, but that "Starlight" was a weak title.
| “ | I woke up, and I just said this word… Something in my head just said, this is the title. You could visualize it on the top of the Billboard charts. You could see the merchandising for this one word, how it jumped off the page as 'Thriller". | ” |
–Rod Temperton | ||
Once the song's title was settled upon, Temperton supposedly wrote the entire lyrics in just "a couple of hours". The bridge is spoken by the horror movie actor, Vincent Price.
Short film[]
The song received a revolutionary short film directed by John Landis. Filmed in October 1983, it features Jackson and Ola Ray who plays his girlfriend. The clip includes some of the artist's most iconic dance moves.
Before the music video's release, Jackson, who at the time was a Jehovah's Witness, was accused of spreading demonology. Due to this, John Branca suggested to Michael that a disclaimer be included in the clip's intro, one that stressed the following:
| “ | Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult. | ” |
–Michael Jackson in the "Thriller" short film, 1983 | ||
During an interview for the Awake! magazine, Michael stated: "I just intended to do a good, fun short film, not to purposely bring to the screen something to scare people or to do anything bad. I want to do what's right. I would never do anything like that again."[2]
Live performances[]
Jackson performed "Thriller" throughout all of his solo concert tours. For all of them, he would wear the iconic red leather jacket. Sometimes Michael would wear a green jacket, although rarely. Additionally, during the show in Amsterdam in 1996, a different, red jacket with white outlines made its debut. However, it wouldn't ever make another appearance again.[3] The last performance took place during the This Is It rehearsals on June 24, 2009, less than 24 hours before the King of Pop died.
Charts[]
The song debuted on the Hot 100 in the United States in February 1984 at #20 – the chart's highest new entry in 13 years (John Lennon’s "Imagine" also debuted at #20 in 1971). Despite this achievement, the song only peaked at #4 in March 1984, but gave Michael his seventh top ten hit from Thriller – a new record from one album.
Ironically, the second and third highest debuting songs on the Hot 100 in the 1980s, both of which involved Michael Jackson - "Say Say Say" (debuting at #26) and "We Are the World" (debuting at #21) - did manage to be #1 songs.
On the Billboard R&B singles chart in the United States, it peaked at #3, and barely made the top ten in the United Kingdom's pop chart, peaking at #10, and managed to enjoy an 18-week run on that nation's Top 75 chart. In Canada, the song peaked at #3, while the song went to #1 in Belgium, France and Spain.
RIAA Platinum Record (USA million seller).
Audio[]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
It's close to midnight
And something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight
You see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream
But terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze
As horror looks you right between the eyes
You're paralyzed
[Chorus]
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one's gonna save you
From the beast about to strike
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer
Thriller tonight, yeah
Ooh
[Verse 2]
You hear the door slam
And realize there's nowhere left to run
You feel the cold hand
And wonder if you'll ever see the sun
You close your eyes
And hope that this is just imagination (Girl)
But all the while
You hear a creature creepin’ up behind
You're out of time
[Chorus]
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
There ain't no second chance
Against the thing with forty eyes, girl
Thriller (Ooh), thriller night
You're fighting for your life
Inside a killer, thriller tonight
[Bridge]
Night creatures call
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade
There's no escaping the jaws of the alien this time
(They're open wide)
This is the end of your life, ooh
[Verse 3]
They're out to get you
There's demons closing in on every side (Ooh)
They will possess you
Unless you change that number on your dial
Now is the time
For you and I to cuddle close together, yeah
All through the night
I'll save you from the terror on the screen
I'll make you see
[Chorus]
That this is thriller, thriller night
'Cause I can thrill you more
Than any ghoul would ever dare try
Thriller (Ooh), thriller night
So let me hold you tight
And share a killer, thriller, chiller
Thriller, here tonight
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
Girl, I can thrill you more
Than any ghoul would ever dare try
Thriller (Ooh), thriller night
So let me hold you tight
And share a killer, thriller (Ow)
[Outro]
I'm gonna thrill you tonight
Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y'all's neighborhood (I'm gonna thrill you tonight)
And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse's shell
I'm gonna thrill you tonight
Thriller, ooh, babe (Thriller)
I'm gonna thrill you tonight (Thriller night)
Thriller, oh, darling (Oh, baby)
I'm gonna thrill you tonight (Thriller)
Ooh, babe (Thriller night)
I'm gonna thrill you tonight (Thriller)
Oh, darling (Oh, baby)
Thriller night, babe (Thriller night, babe)
Ooh
The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years (Thriller night, thriller)
And grisly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver (I'm gonna thrill you tonight)
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller
[Verse 1]
There's indication
That someone else is standing on the ground
Across the nation
There's always people trying to pull you down
Now is the time
For us to spend this evening close together
Deep in the night
We're holding on to someone else's dream
Girl, can't you see?
[Chorus]
We need some starlight, starlight sun
There ain't no second chance
We got to make it while we can
You'll need the starlight, some starlight sun
I need you by my side you give me
Starlight, starlight, starlight, yeah
[Verse 2]
They're out to get you
There ain't no issue, you're acting like a fool
Love can possess you
And make you see that heart is gonna move
High in the night
This magic's gonna keep us close together, yeah
We'll start to fly
'Cause this is the beginning of your life
Baby, tonight
[Chorus 2]
Give me some starlight, starlight sun
With this, the only chance
We've got to make it while we can
You'll need the starlight, starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me
Starlight, starlight, starlight
[Bridge]
Light up the world, let the love start take charge of this masquerade
Take your delivery and show me that this is no lie
Give me your starlight tonight
[Verse 1]
There's indication
That someone else is standing on the ground
Across the nation
There's always people trying to pull you down
Now is the time
For us to spend this evening close together
Deep in the night
We're holding on to someone else's dream
Girl, can't you see
[Chorus]
We need some starlight, starlight sun
There ain't no second chance
We've got to make it while we can
You'll need the starlight, starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me
Starlight, starlight
Starlight, starlight sun
There ain't no second chance
We've got to make it while we can
You'll need the starlight, starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me
Starlight, starlight
Starlight, starlight sun
There ain't no second chance
We've got to make it while we can
You'll need the starlight, starlight sun
I need you by my side so give me
Starlight, starlight, starlight
[Outro]
Give me, give me that sun
Give me, give me that sun
Give me, give me that sun, ooh yeah
Give me, give me that sun, ooh babe
Give me, give me that sun, we can't be together
Give me, give me that sun, starlight sun
Give me, give me that sun
Give me, give me that sun, ooh babe
Starlight (starlight)
Starlight (starlight)
Starlight (starlight)
Starlight (starlight)
Starlight
Starlight
Starlight
Gallery[]
![Vinyl back cover[4]](/wiki/File:Thrillvervinylback.jpg "Thrillvervinylback.jpg (92 KB)")
![Vinyl[4]](/wiki/File:Thrillervinyl.jpg "Thrillervinyl.jpg (101 KB)")
|
"Look deep within yourself, and you'll find something amazing." To view the Thriller (song) gallery, click here. |
Trivia[]
- The song started the trend of Jackson making Halloween-themed songs, the others are "Ghosts", "Is It Scary", "Threatened" and more.
- A part of the session with Vincent Price was released on Thriller 25.[5]
- Years before its release, "Starlight" had previously leaked online.[6]
- "Starlight" was also considered for the anniversary album, Thriller 25, but it was left off the album,
- In the Mega Drive/Genesis version of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, "Thriller" doesn't appear in the video game as a level background music, but if the player does the dance move in stages 3 (Woods) and 5-3 (The enemy hideout), Jackson will do some dance moves from "Thriller", and a part of the song plays once he dances. This only happens in the REV00 version of the game.
- The song was also later re-released as a B-side to the "Gone Too Soon" single, alongside "Human Nature" and "She's Out of My Life".
- In 2017, a Steve Aoki remix of "Thriller" was released to promote the Scream compilation album.[7]
- To a certain extent, "Starlight" is one of the two Temperton-written songs not to progress past its demo stage, the others being "Got the Hots" and "Rolling the Dice".
References[]
- ↑ https://singersroom.com/10-best-michael-jackson-songs-of-all-time/
- ↑ https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/101984368
- ↑ https://youtu.be/q8brsgogdUU?si=H-5wRXWuYDMCA1on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.discogs.com/release/255737-Michael-Jackson-Thriller
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/track/1G3EVrzpUJHM3p1rVXdWPc?si=a89be32b9f90476c
- ↑ https://www.openculture.com/2016/05/hear-starlight-michael-jacksons-early-demo-of-thriller.html
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/track/2SrGtpbPh7czhWKGmXk8Aw?si=7f1f66452ec94b8d