Thriller 25 is the 25th-anniversary edition reissue of American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson's 1982 album, Thriller, the best-selling album of all time. It was released through Epic Records on February 8, 2008, and features some of the final studio content ever released from Jackson.
Background[]
The idea came to Jackson's mind in 2006.[1] In an interview with Access Hollywood, when Jackson was working with will.i.am in Ireland, he was asked if a "sequel to Thriller" was a thought in his mind. Jackson answered that it wasn't discussed yet, but that it was a "great thought".[2] Works started a year later in 2007. Jackson recorded new vocals in the Cascio family's basement during his stay at their house. Will helped produce the "2008" editions of "The Girl Is Mine", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Beat It". Akon and Kanye West would join along the way, remixing "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and "Billie Jean".
For the project, two demos: "Carousel" and previously unreleased "For All Time" were brought out. The latter originates from the Dangerous sessions in 1989, and why it was featured on the album is unknown.[1] "Got the Hots" was also released exclusively on the Japanese edition of Thriller 25 as a bonus track.
Additionally, all the original nine tracks got remastered to fit the modern, digital age listening experience.
Reception[]
Thriller 25 gained largely positive reviews from music critics, who stated the reissue feels just as exceptional as the original release. However, reactions to the 2008 remixes seemed to vary. Although some praised the new material, it was generally agreed upon that they don't compare to the originals, and the features were confusing.
Fans' opinion on the record has been mixed over the years as well, as many also don't enjoy the new versions, and most of all, the remasters get criticized for being too loud and compressed.[3]
Singles[]
January 14, 2008
January 23, 2008
Spotify[]
Track list[]
| Streaming-only | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 17. | "Voice-Over Intro Quincy Jones Interview #1 / Quincy Jones Interview #1" | 2:17 |
| 18. | "Someone in the Dark" | 4:48 |
| 19. | "Voice-Over Intro Quincy Jones Interview #2/Quincy Jones Interview #2 / Voice-Over Intro Billie Jean (Demo)" | 2:04 |
| 20. | "Billie Jean (1981 Home Demo)" | 2:20 |
| 21. | "Quincy Jones Interview #3" | 3:10 |
| 22. | "Voice-Over Intro Rod Temperton Interview #1 / Rod Temperton Interview #1" | 4:02 |
| 23. | "Quincy Jones Interview #4" | 1:32 |
| 24. | "Voice-Over Intro / Voice-Over Session from Thriller" | 2:52 |
| 25. | "Voice-Over Intro Rod Temperton Interview #2 / Rod Temperton Interview #2" | 1:55 |
| 26. | "Quincy Jones Interview #5" | 2:01 |
| 27. | "Carousel" | 1:49 |
| 28. | "Voice-Over Intro Quincy Jones Interview #6 / Quincy Jones Interview #6" | 1:17 |
| 29. | "Billie Jean (Underground Mix)" | 6:40 |
| 30. | "Thriller (Instrumental)" | 5:57 |
| Total length: | 1:50:13 | |
| Japanese Edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 17. | "Got the Hots" | 4:25 |
| iTunes/Apple Music Edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 17. | "Billie Jean (Long Version)" | 6:20 |
Cut songs[]
- "Hot Street"
- "Nite Line"
- "She's Trouble"
- "Starlight"
Trivia[]
- "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" is the last song released by Jackson during his lifetime to include completely new vocals.
- "The Girl Is Mine 2008" single features the previously unreleased demo of "The Girl Is Mine" that was used for the remix. Most notably, this version misses Paul McCartney on the vocals, and only features Jackson.