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Epic/Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the world’s biggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded deluxe edition of the phenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone available worldwide the week of February 11, 2008.
Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller The World’s Biggest Selling Album Of All Time
The Michael Jackson Thriller 25th anniversary celebration kicks off in December 2007 and continues throughout 2008 with the release of a new single and a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring high-profile television, radio and online events around the world.
The Thriller – 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album in its entirety as well as seven bonus tracks and a DVD featuring Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking short films from Thriller (“Thriller,” “Beat It,” and “Billie Jean”) and the artist’s Emmy-nominated breakout performance of “Billie Jean” from the legendary “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983).
The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres six tracks previously unreleased in any form: “Beat It 2008” with Fergie; a new Kanye West remix of “Billie Jean”; a new 2008 version of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” with Akon; will.i.am remixes of “The Girl Is Mine” and “P.Y.T.”; and “For All Time,” a rare unreleased cut from the original Thriller recording sessions, newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
The deluxe Thriller – 25th Anniversary Edition packaging contains a personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release.
Originally released 25 years ago early December 1982 by Epic Records, Thriller, Michael Jackson’s sixth solo album and second with producer Quincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for the Jackson 5 into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducing the “robot” and the “moonwalk” into the international lexicon of clubland dance moves via the pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jackson revolutionized all aspects of mainstream pop culture — from radio airwaves to the newly emerging art form of music videos — becoming the world’s most popular entertainer in the process.
The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in the American Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album’s original nine tracks became Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individual singles from Thriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.
Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America’s top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).
Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. In 1985, the Guinness Book of Records named Thriller the Best Selling Album of All Time, an achievement which remains unsurpassed to this day.
In February 1984, Michael Jackson held a record-breaking 12 Grammy nominations, going on to win eight, which stands as the record for most Grammy Awards to be won by anyone in a single year. Seven of Michael’s Grammys that year were for Thriller: Album of the Year; Record of the Year (“Beat It”); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (“Thriller”); Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (“Beat It”); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (“Billie Jean”); Best R&B Song (“Billie Jean”). (Michael’s eighth Grammy that year was in the Best Recording For Children – Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”). That same year, Michael Jackson took home eight American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards. The following year, “The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.
Named the “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time” by the Guinness World Records, Michael Jackson is among the most highly acclaimed and influential artists in pop culture. He was named the World Music Award’s Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and received the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award. He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: in 1997 as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist in 2001.
Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller
The World’s Biggest Selling Album of All Time
Thriller – original track listing – US Billboard Chart Peaks
1. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” – (#5 Hot 100, #5 R&B)
2. “Baby Be Mine”
3. “The Girl Is Mine” (with Paul McCartney) – (#2 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #1 Adult Contemporary)
4. Thriller” – (#4 Hot 10, #3 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks)
5. “Beat It” – (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B)
6. “Billie Jean” – (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #9 A/C)
7. “Human Nature” – (#7 Hot 100, #2 Adult Contemporary)
8. “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” – (#10 Hot 100)
9. “The Lady in My Life”
Bonus Material:
10. Vincent Price Excerpt
11. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am
12. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with will.i.am
13. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008 with Akon
14. Beat It 2008 with Fergie
15. Billie Jean 2008 Kanye West mix
16. For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions)
DVD
The Short Films
1. BILLIE JEAN
2. BEAT IT
3. THRILLER
4. BILLIE JEAN – The Legendary Performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever
25th Anniversary Executive Producer: Michael Jackson
Original Album Produced by Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones Productions
[tags]michael jackson new album, thriller, anniversary edition, Legacy Recordings, beat[/tags]
