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前作
『オフ・ザ・ウォール』に引き続き、最良のパートナーと言われるクィンシー・ジョーンズがプロデュースを担当した超メガヒットアルバム。全9曲中、8曲がシングル・カット（シングル7枚）され、いずれも大ヒットを記録した。小粋で軽快なスタート曲<1>で始まり、シンプルな佳曲<2>を挟み、ポール・マッカートニーとの三角関係ソング<3>でのんびりゆったりしたかと思えば、必殺の<4><5><6><7>の目玉曲連発攻撃、そして軽くファンキーな<8>で一段落、必殺のバラード<9>で締める、という全体の流れも見事。（麻路 稔）
Amazon.com essential recording
Michael Jackson's
Thriller is the bestselling album of all time, with 45 million worldwide sales powered by seven Top 10 U.S. singles and eight Grammy Awards. The 1982 album was also a success from which the pop superstar never really recovered--subsequent albums seemed to have no other goal than to beat the records set by
Thriller. The highly-polished sound of Quincy Jones's production sounds almost organic compared to Jackson's more recent work, and in the same regard,
Thriller was significantly slicker than its predecessor,
Off the Wall. Both albums established a Jackson style that aimed for the dance floor with songs built on a state-of-the-art bed of percussion and keyboards. Elements of milestone
Thriller tracks like "Billie Jean" (arguably Jackson's best-ever performance) and "Beat It" (with its hard-rock solo by guitarist Eddie Van Halen) influenced not just Jackson's records, but those of the entire dance-pop world. On the song "Thriller," Jackson indulged his taste for the juvenile and invited Vincent Price to rap in a really scary voice. With
Thriller the album, Jackson created a different kind of monster--a hit album of such magnitude that it would have an irrevocable impact not just on the singer's art, but on his altogether kooky life.
--John Milward
