Thriller (album)
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| Thriller | |||||
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| Studio album by Michael Jackson | |||||
| Released | November 30, 1982 | ||||
| Recorded | April 14 – November 8, 1982, Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California | ||||
| Genre | Pop, R&B, Funk, Soul | ||||
| Length | 42:19 | ||||
| Label | Epic EK-38112 |
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| Producer | Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones[1] |
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| Professional reviews | |||||
| Michael Jackson chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Thriller | |||||
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Thriller is the sixth studio album by American pop singer Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records, quickly becoming the best selling album of all time with sales between 45 and 108 million copies worldwide. Seven of the nine songs on the album went on to be top 10 singles.
Thriller cemented Jackson as the predominant pop star of the late 20th century, enabling him to break down racial barriers by appearing on MTV and visiting the U.S. President at the White House. The album was the first to use music videos as successful promotional tools, with the videos for "Thriller", "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", all receiving regular rotation on MTV.
The album itself also received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with All Music Guide giving it a perfect score. Thriller won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year as well as six others, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. As a sign of the album's longevity, in 2003 Thriller was ranked number 20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All time list. Thriller is preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry as "culturally significant".
In 2001, the album was reissued as Thriller: Special Edition, which contained additional audio interviews, a demo recording and the song "Someone In the Dark", featured on the Grammy-winning E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial storybook, a record that won Jackson a Grammy for "Best Album for Children".[2] In 2008, the album was reissued again as Thriller 25, which contained remixes featuring contemporary artists, a previously unreleased song and a DVD.
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[edit] Recording
Thriller was recorded between April and November 1982, at a production budget of $750,000, with several members of the band Toto.[3] It was the second Jackson album produced with Quincy Jones,[4] and the pair worked together on 300 songs for the album, of which nine were eventually used.[5] Jackson wrote four of Thriller's songs: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney), "Beat It", and "Billie Jean".[6] Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper, instead dictating them into a sound recorder and when recording, singing from memory rather than written words off paper.[7] The relationship between Jackson and Quincy Jones became strained during recording, with Jackson spending much of his time rehearsing dance steps alone.[7] When the album's nine songs were completed, Jackson was unhappy with the result and remixed every song. When he was satisfied with a song he would call it "Smelly Jelly" and never cursed, instead he would call something "smelly".[7] Jones believed that "Billie Jean" was not strong enough to be included on the record, but Jackson disagreed and kept it. Jones told Jackson that Thriller was unlikely to sell successfully like his previous solo album, Off the Wall, because the market had since weakened. In response, Jackson threatened to cancel the album's release.[8]
Jackson himself rarely commented on the work's recording, only giving a few interviews a decade. However he said that he was inspired to create an album where "every song was a killer" and focused the basis of Thriller as to ask "Why can't every one be like a hit song?".[9] Jones and Rod Temperton, however, gave detailed accounts of what occurred for the 2001 reissue of the album. Jones discussed "Billie Jean" and why it was so personal to Jackson, who struggled to deal with a number of obsessed fans. Jones wanted the long introduction on the song to be shortened, however Jackson insisted it remain because it made him want to dance.[6] Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes, spending weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It", a song for which Jackson wrote and played drums. Eventually they found Eddie Van Halen, who had never informed his band mates about the collaboration until the album was released.[6][7]
When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he originally wanted to call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man" but settled on "Thriller" because he felt the name had merchandising potential.[7] Always wanting a notable person to speak the ending lyrics, Temperton brought in Vincent Price, who completed his part in just two takes. Temperton wrote the spoken portion in a taxi, on the way to the recording studio. Jones and Temperton said that some recordings were left off the final cut because they did not have the edginess of other album tracks.[6]
[edit] Themes and genres
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Jackson's earlier albums, Off the Wall and Thriller, both focused almost exclusively on producing melodies and rhythms characteristics of pop songs, both having a similar sounds. Despite the light pop flavor of these two records, Thriller, more so than Off the Wall, displayed foreshadowings of the contradictory thematic elements that would come to characterize his later work. For example, the melodious and comfortable sounds of "Lady in My Life" contradict "Billie Jean" and "Beat It", where a women accused Jackson of fathering her children and the outside world seemed strange and hostile.[10]
The first track from the album, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", was written a few years prior to 1982, having a similar sound to the material of Off The Wall. The song showed his feelings on tabloid gossip and unwanted pregnancies, and is accompanied by a strong bass and percussion background. The song's centerpiece, a climaxing Swahili chant, gave the song an international flavor. "The Girl Is Mine", a pop balled duet with McCartney, gave the album its only suburban, calm take. In this song, two friends fight over a woman, with the pair arguing over who loves her more. "The Girl Is Mine" strongly contrasts with the rambunctious "Beat It", a charged Jackson composition that augments a crossover rhythm-and-blues style with a harder-edged rock-and-roll sound. In "Beat It", Jackson protests against gang crime and drug addiction; he later said concerning the song, "the point is no one has to be the tough guy, you can walk away from a fight and still be a man. You don't have to die to prove you're a man".
"Human Nature" remains the most moody and introspective song on the record, with the lyrics, "Looking out, across the morning, the City's heart begins to beat, reaching out, I touch her shoulder, I'm dreaming of the street". Introspective songs would continue as a strong theme on later albums by Jackson. "PYT", credited to James Ingram and Jones, and "Lady in My Life" by Rod Temperton, both gave the album a stronger R&B direction; the latter song was described as, "the closest Jackson has come to crooning a sexy, soulful ballad after his Motown years".
The title track, "Thriller", is a song about Jacksons life-long fascination with the supernatural and the lurid. It is a typical Temperton song, being melodic, having a strong bass line and memorable hook; the song ends with a rap by Vincent Price.
[edit] Release
Thriller was released on November 30, 1982 to high sales. It reached number one in the United States and the United Kingdom simultaneously, becoming the first album to do so. During its peak, it sold 500,000 copies a week. Thriller was followed by the release of a large number of singles, including "The Girl is Mine". A pop duet between Jackson and Paul McCartney, the song led some to believe that the album would be a disappointment. Others suggested that Jackson was attempting to attract a white audience.[11] "The Girl is Mine" was followed by the hit single "Billie Jean", which made Thriller a chart-topper.[12][13] Success continued with the single "Beat It", which featured guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather.[14] The title track "Thriller" was released as a single, also becoming a huge hit internationally.[15]
The album won a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, including Album of the Year.[16] That same year, Jackson also won eight American Music Awards, the Special Award of Merit, and three MTV Video Music Awards.[17]
Thriller was reissued in 2001 with additional material in an album called Thriller: Special Edition. The original tracks were remastered, along with a new booklet and additional material. The bonus material included the song "Someone In the Dark", "Carousel" and Jackson's original "Billie Jean" demo, as well as audio interviews with Jones and Temperton discussing the recording of the album.[6][18]
Epic Records announced the release of the album Thriller 25 in a press release on November 30, 2007, with Jackson serving as executive producer.[19] Released on February 11, 2008, Thriller 25 appeared on CD and vinyl with seven bonus tracks, a new song called "For All Time", Vincent Price's voice-over, and five remixes featuring Fergie, will.i.am, Kanye West and Akon.[19][20][21] It also included a DVD featuring three award-winning music videos, the Emmy-nominated Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance and a booklet with a message from Jackson.[19] The ballad "For All Time" supposedly dates from 1982, but leaks often credit it as being from Dangerous sessions.[22] Both the leaked vocals and new performances were included on this track. Two singles were released from the reissue: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008".
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical
Thriller received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide gave the album a full five stars, stating that the record had something that would interest everyone. He commented that it was an improvement on Jackson's last album, as it showcased harder funk and rock while remaining "undeniably fun." He went on to compliment "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Something", saying, "... The record's two best songs: 'Billie Jean,' ... and the delirious 'Wanna Be Startin' Something', the freshest funk on the album [but] the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded."[23]
Further praise came from a four-star Rolling Stone review by Christopher Connelly, who described Thriller as "a zesty LP" with a "harrowing, dark message". It was later ranked #20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All time list, beating many five-star albums.[24]
Despite the positive response, the title track came under the strongest criticism, with All Music Guide and Rolling Stone expressing similar sentiment:
... the title song, which at first sounds like a metaphoric examination of the same under-siege mentality that marks the LP's best moments, instead degenerates into silly camp, with a rap by Vincent Price. (Couldn't they get Count Floyd?).[24]
... the ridiculous, late-night house-of-horrors title track is the prime culprit, arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its momentum.[23]
Slant magazine also gave the album a full five stars, and like the reviews by All Music Guide and Rolling Stone, it paid particular compliment to the lyrics of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". All three reviews questioned the meaning behind some of Jackson's lyrics to the song.[25] The lyrics, "Somebody's always tryin' to start my baby crying," and the near-bitter: "You're a vegetable, you're a vegetable/They'll eat off you, you're a vegetable." have become popular with most critics. "Billie Jean", which became Jackson's best-selling single, was described by Blender as "one of the most sonically eccentric, psychologically fraught, downright bizarre things ever to land on Top 40 radio".[26]As a sign of the album's longevity, in 2003 Thriller was ranked #20 on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All time list.[27]
[edit] Commercial
Thriller is one of only three albums to remain in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for a full year, spending 37 weeks at number one out of the 80 consecutive weeks it was on the chart. The album was also the first of three to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles, and was the only album to be the best-seller of two years (1983–1984) in the United States. Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America,[28] giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US.[19]
The album went to number one in Australia (selling 165,000 copies), Argentina (selling 600,000 copies), Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, the UK (selling nearly 4 million copies), and a number of other countries.[19][29][30][31]
Still popular today, Thriller sells an estimated 130,000 copies in the United States per year, having reached number two in the US Catalog charts in February 2003 and number 39 in the UK in March 2007.[17] The album is cited as selling between 45 and 108 million copies worldwide,[32][33][34] while the Guinness Book of World Records, lists Thriller as selling 65 million copies as of 2007.[35]
Thriller 25 was a commercial success, doing particularly well as a reissue. It peaked at number one in eight countries, Europe, and the United World Chart for two weeks. It peaked at number two in the United States, number three in the United Kingdom and reached the top ten in over 30 national charts. It was certified Gold in 11 countries including the UK, received a 2x Gold certification in France, and received platinum certification in Poland.
In the United States, Thriller 25 was the second best-selling album of its release week, selling 166,000 copies, 14,000 short of reaching the number one position. It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release, but stayed on the Pop Catalog Charts at number one for ten weeks, with the best sales on that chart since December 1996.[36][37][38][39] This was Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, in 12 weeks the album had sold 556,000 copies in the United States.[36] In 15 weeks it had sold 1.9 million copies worldwide and had shipped 3 million copies after 12 weeks.[40][41]
[edit] Highly publicized events
A number of highly publicized events from 1983 to 1985 have been attributed to increasing the sales of the album. On March 25, 1983 Jackson performed "Billie Jean" live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, where he first performed his signature move, the moonwalk. The performance was extraordinarily popular, with over 47 million views of the first televised airing, which was often compared to Elvis Presley and the The Beatles appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show.[42]
On January 27, 1984, Jackson began filming two Pepsi Cola commercials in front of a simulated live audience at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. As Jackson descended a podium, fireworks set his hair alight. Jackson was taken out of the building on a stretcher in front of the public and photographers. He received sympathy from the public, celebrities and even President Ronald Reagan. When video of the accident was released to the press, Thriller's sales were up 150,000 copies from the previous week.[43]
Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammys. It was the highest-rated Grammy telecast in history (although it has since slipped into second place). The subsequent week saw Thriller have its second-best week sales figures ever in America.[44] Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the Jacksons' "Victory Tour", which began on July 6, 1984 showcased much of Michael Jackson's new solo material to more than 2 million Americans and increased the sales of Thriller.[45]
On March 7, 1985, the charity single song "We Are the World" was released worldwide to aid people in Africa and the United States. Written primarily by Jackson, with help from Lionel Richie, it became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold and millions of dollars raised for charity. After the release of the single, Jackson was perceived as a humanitarian. Three months after the release of "We Are the World," sales of Thriller rose 30 percent over the sales of the three months prior to the charity release.[46]
[edit] Influence and legacy
[edit] Music industry
Blender called Jackson the "late twentieth century pre-eminent pop icon",[26] while The New York Times called Jackson a "musical phenomenon", commenting that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else."[47] Time explained that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion."[48] Thriller retains a position in American culture, with J. Randy Taraborrelli explaining "At some point, Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item – like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie – and started selling like a household staple."[49]
Thriller revolutionized the music industry, breaking numerous records. Gil Friesen, President of A&M Records, said "the whole industry has a stake in this success."[48] The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold over 350,000 copies in a few months of sales.[48] Thriller raised the importance of albums, but multiple hits also changed notions about the number of singles to release.[50] Time summed up Thriller's impact as a "restoration of confidence" for an industry bordering on "the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop".[48]
[edit] Music videos and race
It is often claimed that Jackson was the first to turn music videos into an art form with influential storytelling and choreography styles.[51] Short films like "Thriller" largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has been frequently imitated. Also, the choreography in "Thriller" has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Bollywood to prisons in the Philippines.[52][53]
Central to Jackson's success with music videos was the rock music TV channel MTV. Before the success of Thriller, Jackson had struggled to get MTV airing because he was African American.[26] In an effort to get Jackson on the air, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff pressured MTV, saying "I'm not going to give you any more videos, and I'm going to go public and fucking tell them about the fact you don't want to play music by a black guy."[26] This stance persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson and helping other black music artists gain recognition.[54]
When the 14-minute-long "Thriller" video aired in December 1983, MTV ran it twice an hour to meet demand. The short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the best music video ever.[50] The popularity of the video sent the album back to number one in the album chart, but Jackson's label was not in support of releasing the third music video from the album. They were already pleased with its success, so Jackson convinced MTV to funded the project.[55][7] MTV, which was then a new music cable channel, became popular, with Jackson's videos credited as "putting MTV on the map" and MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[56][57]
Jackson's success was unusual for a black artist in the 1980s but his popularity saw him become one of the first to have a replica doll made in his image.[58] Thriller put black music on US radio for the first time in years, paving the way for other acts like Prince.[59] On May 14, 1984 Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award. The event, notable because Jackson was African American and he met a Republican President, was seen as a positive move forward in social views towards race.[60]
[edit] Contemporary artists
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Michael Jackson – "Thriller" Excerpt from the 1982 album - Problems playing the files? See media help.
Thriller influenced, among others, some of the biggest stars of the last decade, such as Usher,[61] Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake[62] and rap artists such as Kanye West, who praise and sample the album.
In 2001, Timberlake and Spears had a meeting with their idol Jackson. They both praised him, with Timberlake saying:
How about when you did the moonwalk on the Motown show? Man, that was fucking cool. You are the coolest, Michael. I can't believe I am standing here with Michael Fucking Jackson...How about the "Thriller" video? That was the best. You revolutionized videos, dude. You are the fucking best.[63]
The album has been sampled by various contemporary artists. In 1993, "Right Here/Human Nature" by SWV sampled "Human Nature," and three years later, LL Cool J and Boyz II Men sampled "Lady In My Life" for their Grammy-winning single, "Hey Lover".[64][65] "The Way It Is" by The Prodigy recreated the bassline from "Thriller" and in 2006, Charlotte Church and Amy Winehouse sang "Beat It" at the end of the The Charlotte Church Show's first series.[66][67] As the twenty-fifth anniversary of Thriller approached, two further tributes to the album were made: the Kanye West song "Good Life" featured keys from "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" sampled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[68][69]
In 2008, 25 years after its release, Thriller was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[70] On May 14, 2008, Thriller was among 25 recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry as "culturally significant".[71]
[edit] Track listings
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- Thriller 25 bonus content
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DVD
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[edit] Original album credits
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[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen. Michael Jackson - Thriller. Artist Direct. Retrieved on 2006-02-03.
- ^ GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS. Grammy.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 220
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 220
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 220
- ^ a b c d e Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition Audio.
- ^ a b c d e f Michael Jackson's Monster Smash. telegraph (2007-11-25). Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 221
- ^ Ebony Magazine: Michael: 25 Years After Thriller, December 2007, pg. 97-98
- ^ Pareles, Jon. "Critic's Notebook; How Good Is Jackson's 'Bad'?", New York Times, September 1987. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 223
- ^ Sold On Song Top 100. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Sold On Song. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Sessions. Steve Lukather. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 224
- ^ Guinness World Records (2006). Guinness World Records 2007. Guinness. ISBN 1-904994-12-1.
- ^ a b Jackson, Michael. Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection booklet.
- ^ Jackson, Michael. Thriller Special Edition booklet.
- ^ a b c d e Sony announce Thriller 25. reuters (2007-11-30). Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
- ^ Kanye West, Will.I.Am On New Edition Of Michael Jackson's Thriller. mtv.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ Kanye, Akon Help Jackson Revisit 'Thriller'. billboard.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ Paphides, Pete (2008-02-08). Michael Jackson: Thriller 25. The Times. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen. Thriller overview. allmusicguide. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ a b Connelly, Christopher (1983-01-29). Thriller review. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Henderson, Eric. Thriller review. slant magazine. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ a b c d Michael Jackson, "Billy Jean:. blender.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
- ^ 20) Thriller. Rollingstone (2003-11-03). Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
- ^ Gold and Platinum. RIAA. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Pagina de SonyBmg - Sony sales. Sony BMG. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ RIANZ. rianz.org. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Day, Elizabeth (2008-03-16). The whole world in his hands. guardian. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
- ^ Huey, Steve (2007). Michael Jackson. Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ White, Jim (12 March 2007). Michael Jackson's Thriller is old hat. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ Michael Jackson Opens Up. CBS (2007-11-06). Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Winterman, Denise. Thrills and spills and record breaks. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ a b Grein, Paul (2008-05-18). Diva Smackdown. Yahoo. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Big Grammy Gains For Many; King of Pop Returns", Billboard magazine, 2008-02-20. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
- ^ Hasty, Katy. "Johnson Remains No. 1; Winehouse, Hancock Soar", Billboard Magazine, 2008-02-20. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
- ^ US fans shun CD. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
- ^ Friedman, Roger (2008-05-16). Jacko: Neverland East in Upstate New York. Fox News. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Global Album Chart: week 09 / 2008, wk10 / 08, wk11 / 08, wk12 / 08, wk13 / 08, wk14 / 08, wk15 / 08, wk16 / 08,wk17 / 08, wk18 / 08, wk19 / 08, wk20 / 08, wk21 / 08, wk22 / 08, wk23 / 08. United World Chart. Retrieved on March 30, 2008.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 238–241
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 279–286
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 291–297
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 315–319
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 340–344
- ^ "MICHAEL JACKSON AT 25: A MUSICAL PHENOMENON", New York Times, January 1984. Retrieved on 2007-05-15. (English)
- ^ a b c d Cocks, Jay. "Why He's a Thriller", Time Magazine, March 1984. Retrieved on 2007-03-17. (English)
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 226
- ^ a b Michael Jackson. vh1.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 245–247
- ^ 1500 Prisoners Perform Thriller Dance. The Wrong Advices (2007-07-21). Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Jacko goes bollywood. tmz.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Gundersen, Edna. music videos changing places. usatoday. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 271
- ^ Why Are Michael Jackson's Fans So Devoted?. abcnews.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
- ^ Music videos changing places. abcnews.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 191
- ^ Harrington, Richard. "Prince & Michael Jackson: Two Paths to the Top of Pop", Washington Post, October 1988. Retrieved on 2007-05-21. (English)
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 304–307
- ^ Usher, Usher, Usher: The new 'King of Pop'?. cnn.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Man in the Mirror. citypages.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Taraborrelli, p. 226
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (2007-02-19). Where have you been?. MTV. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Coker, Cheo H. (1996-02-08). Review of "Mr. Smith". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ McLean, Craig (2004-08-23). Prodigy and more. telegraphy. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (2007-02-25). good girl gone bad. Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ West, Kanye. Graduation booklet.
- ^ Rihanna. Good Girl Gone Bad booklet.
- ^ 2008 Grammy Hall of Fame. The Recording Academy (2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ Vineys, Kevin (2008-05-14). Jackson's 'Thriller' among cultural treasures. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ Jackson, Michael. Thriller 25 booklet.
[edit] References
- Taraborrelli, J. Randy (2004). The Magic and the Madness. Terra Alta, WV: Headline. ISBN 0-330-42005-4.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Business as Usual by Men at Work |
Billboard 200 number-one album February 26 – June 24, 1983 July 9 – July 22, 1983 September 10 – September 16, 1983 December 24, 1983 – April 20, 1984 |
Succeeded by Flashdance (soundtrack) by Various artists |
| Preceded by "Lies" / "Beach Culture" by Thompson Twins |
Hot Dance Club Play number one single (all cuts) January 22, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Jeopardy" by Greg Kihn Band |
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