Review of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Thriller (1982), by the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson, is the biggest selling album of all time. With that sort of hype you'd expect it to be pretty good. But what sort of album is it?

Well the first thing you notice- on the album cover- is that Michael Jackson used to be black. That aside, Thriller shows just what a good musician this man is and why he's so respected by so many people. Although there is nothing special about the structure or production of the songs- as evidenced by the fact that the same beat runs pretty much throughout the entire record- what does stand out is the outstanding songwriting. Michael Jackson definitely has an ear for a melody.

Some of the songs are already very famous. 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean' and the title track can all be found on Thriller and all are outstanding songs. Incidentally- and perhaps not coincidentally- these three tracks represent the rockier portion of the album, with the rest of it made up of smooth pop. Maybe this type of song is easier to market?

Still the other songs are of the same high standard. 'The Girl is Mine' is a fun ballad sung with ex-Beatles hero Paul McCartney, while the closing track 'Lady In My Life' is a very sensual piece of music.

Four more songs- 'Wanna be Startin' Something'', 'Baby be Mine', 'Human Nature' and 'P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)'- round out Thriller and seem just like more of the same. This is the one chief criticism that could be levelled at the album. On the one hand, more of the same seems like a good thing when good melodies are involved. On the other hand, however, there is a distinct similarity to a lot of the music and it can be irritating to hear the same sound over and over.

Despite this criticism, Thriller is a very strong collection of songs. It certainly confirms that both the singer and album are worthy of the associated hype.

RATING: 8/10

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