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Michael Jackson Magnum Opus 'Thriller' Returns to the Billboard Top 10
Upon its 40th anniversary, 1982 Michael Jackson album Thriller has returned to the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
Michael Jackson's Thriller is still timeless. The late vocalist's 1982 album has returned to the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart, dated December 3rd, catapulting from No. 115 to No. 7. On November 18, a 40th-anniversary reissue of Thriller was released.
According to Billboard, Jackson's sixth album earned 7,000 equivalent album units with album sales comprising 27,500 of that amount. The 9,000 streaming-equivalent albums total 13.17 million on-demand streams. Thriller was last in the Billboard top 10 on June 30, 1984, nearly two years after its release. Upon the album's original release on November 30, 1983, Thriller spent 37 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Thriller boasted seven singles, all which reached the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “The Girl Is Mine”, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ ”, “Human Nature”, “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”, and titular track “Thriller.” Jackson's classic singles "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" peaked at No. 1.
Thriller 40 features material from the original Thriller album, as well as unreleased songs recorded for the album. The album will also receive a 40th-anniversary documentary, directed by culture journalist and historian Nelson George (who also published an unauthorized biography on the singer, The Michael Jackson Story, in 1983).
“The release of Thriller redefined Michael Jackson, taking him from teen star to adult superstar, who composed memorable songs, sang beautifully and reached the highest level of on-stage performance,” George said in a statement. “The album, and the short films they inspired, created a new template for marrying music and image. It’s been a privilege to explore this extraordinary album and revisit its magic.”
Stream Thriller 40 below.
