by Digs Daily

Created on: July 31, 2009

Have you ever wondered what perfection sounds like? When Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson got together in April of 1982 and began recording Thriller, they must've known! The album sold over 110 million records worldwide, received eight Grammy Awards in 1984, and seven of the album's nine songs were released as singles all of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (

Wikipedia, 2009). To call Thriller the best album ever created is a definite understatement.

The beauty of Thriller is that the music and lyrics complement each other very well. No one but Quincy and Michael could put together such a diverse team of musicians. With contributions from Paul Jackson, N'dugu Chandler, David Foster, Rod Temperton and Eddie Van Halen, one begins to see how this heavenly sound came to be. Michael's job was easy. All your highness had to do was sing, and whoa did he deliver!

The moment the stutter step intro of "Wanna Be Startin' Something" kicks in, you get the immediate sense you're in for a ride. The lead single "Billie Jean" is genius mesh of R&B and Electro, and "P.Y.T." takes the boogie up another level. The mid-tempo groove of "The Girl Is Mine" finds Paul McCartney and Michael slap-boxing over a uniquely special lady. The ballads "Lady of My Life" and "Human Nature" soon follow, and still make women melt to this day. Michael's voice hits ranges unknown, almost causing tears of joy. Both songs have the uncanny ability of making folks want to start something in the sheets.

Is there a need to mention MTV and Weird Al Yankovic's obsession with "Beat It"? Weird Al must've been a huge fan of the song. He released his own satirical remix called "Eat It". MTV played the video for "Beat It" so much, they started a revolution. Men, women and children everywhere had the red leather "Beat It" jacket. If that's not homage what is?

The extended video for "Thriller" was a respectable attempt at horror, though one can only be so afraid of Michael Jackson. Let's face it; the man didn't have a mean bone in his body, but that's what made him special. Nevertheless, once the wolf begins to howl, the sonics become very intimidating. The synths are sinister, the sound effects are eerie, and the drums hit hard enough to scare the living daylights out of Kimbo Slice!

In simpler terms, Thriller is a much needed album in your collection. Quincy and Michael worked hard at combining sounds from multiple genres. That's the reason why Thriller was so successful. The album's got every element for any music lover and still appeals to folks ages 8 to 80. Michael's heavenly voice will truly be missed.

http://www.amazon.com/Thriller-Michael-Jackson/dp/B0 000025RI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(album)

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