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Thriller 25

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Thriller 25 is a 25th Anniversary special edition reissue of the Michael Jackson album Thriller, the worlds best selling album. The prospect of a "second chapter" to Thriller was first publically discussed on Access Hollywood in late 2006. Jackson said he would discuss the idea with collaborator will.i.am. It was released in Australia on February 8, 2008, then internationally on February 11, 2008 and the following day in the United States.[2]

Thriller 25 was released by Sony BMG's re-issue division, Legacy Recordings. In the United Kingdom, the BBFC gave it a "15" certificate because it included "Thriller", it is the first Jackson album with an age certificate. Along with the original material, the reissue contained remixes, new material, a DVD and collaborations with several contemporary artists.

Two singles, "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" were released from the album to moderate success and a number of the other remixes charted, despite no physical release. The reissue was a commercial success, selling 3 million copies worldwide in 12 weeks and was generally well received among critics, despite their view that the new material was not as inspiring as the original.

Context

Jackson released his sixth studio album, Thriller, on November 30, 1982. Selling, by different estimates, from 50 million to over 100 million copies worldwide, Thriller became the best-selling album of all time; the album was the first in history to spawn seven top-ten singles. The success of Thriller put Jackson into the dominating position of pop music, becoming an international pop-cultural icon.[3]

Jackson was asked about a "second chapter" to Thriller on Access Hollywood in late 2006. He said he would discuss it with collaborator will.i.am but hadn't yet considered it:

No I haven't really thought about it in that way but I would give it more thought. We haven't really discussed it yet, on that level, but I'm sure at some point we will. But it's a great thought.[4]

Jackson served as executive producer; the album's release was announced in an Epic Records press release on November 30, 2007.[5][6][7]

Content

Thriller 25 was released on CD and vinyl. Along with the original material there were seven bonus tracks. A new ballad called "For All Time", Vincent Price's voice-over and five remixes featuring contemporary artists like Fergie and Akon.[8][9][10] It also includes a DVD featuring three award-winning music videos, the Emmy-nominated Motown 25 "Billie Jean" performance, and a booklet with a message from Jackson.[5] "For All Time" supposedly dates from 1982, but leaks often credit it as being from Dangerous sessions.[11] Despite this, a new bridge was used in the Thriller 25 release.

On the iTunes Store, Zune Marketplace, and Amazon MP3, a "Super Deluxe Edition" can be purchased which features the bonus material from "Thriller Special Edition", "Billie Jean (Underground Mix)", an instrumental "Thriller" mix, an extended "Billie Jean" and a digital booklet. Copies bought in Target, Best Buy and Circuit City feature the bonus tracks "Billie Jean (1982 Club Mix)", "Thriller (1982 Def Remix)" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (1982 Dance Mix)" respectively. Sony also released a "fan pack" containing "Thriller 25" and the Number Ones DVD.

Thriller 25 bonus tracks

Promotion

To help promote the album, Jackson's website was recreated and accounts on networking websites like MySpace and Facebook were set up.[13][14][15] On February 3, 2008 a Sobe advertisement was aired during Super Bowl XLII to over 95 million Americans, with Naomi Campbell and CGI lizards dancing to "Thriller." The ad aired again at the Grammys on February 10, 2008.[16] In the United Kingdom, Odeon Cinemas ran free "Thriller" viewings on February 8 and February 9, 2008 and television adverts announcing the release were aired throughout Europe.

"The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" were the first singles taken from the album. "The Girl Is Mine 2008" reached number two in Japan, three in Mexico, six in the Netherlands and the top twenty positions in the major European markets.[17][18][19] "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" reached number three in Sweden, four in New Zealand, eight in Australia, ten in France and thirty-two in Canada, but had disappointing sales in America.[20][21][22] These were Jackson's first singles since "One More Chance" in 2003.

The album track "Beat It 2008" also began charting in European countries, reaching number twenty-six in Switzerland, thirty-one in Denmark, forty-three in Sweden, sixty in Japan, seventy-four in Germany, seventy-five in Austria, and seventy-seven in Canada.[18][23][24] as did "Billie Jean 2008", reaching ninety-one in Germany.

Reception

Critical

Critics reacted positively to the album, much like their review on the original. All reviews noted that the album is still enjoyable, twenty-five years on. All Music Guide explains, "'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' and 'Billie Jean' remain startling in their futuristic funk and 'Baby Be Mine'...sounds positively incandescent". [25] Rolling Stone gave it a full five stars while giving the original only four saying: "Thriller [25] has MJ at his breathiest and most salacious ('PYT'), and his most beautifully fragile (' Human Nature', so open and brave it makes 'She's out of My Life' seem phony)". [26]

MTV says, "...it's pretty rare to see a reissue loaded with as much contemporary appeal as this one", and reacted positively to the new tracks, calling them "silver bars".[27] The new material received further praise, with the ballad "For All Time" being described as "perfectly fine" by All Music Guide. [25] Rolling Stone described the new version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" as "actually kind of great — he [Akon] slows it down into a piano ballad, lingering over the easily obscured lyrics."[26] Pop Matters stated that the new version of "The Girl Is Mine" is better than the original, not losing anything with the removal of Paul McCartney.[28]

However, most critics agreed that the new versions were not as inspiring as the originals; some even said that the guest artists were the wrong choice. All Music Guide notes, "for whatever reason, such Michael-mimicking superstars as Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown did not participate, but Kanye West, Akon, Fergie, and will.i.am did."[25]

Commercial

Thriller 25 was a commercial success, doing particularly well as a re-issue. It peaked at number one in eight countries and Europe. It peaked at number two in the United States, number three in the United Kingdom and reached the top ten in over thirty national charts. Thriller 25 spent three weeks at number one in France and two weeks at number one in Argentina, and Belgium.[29][30]

It has been certified gold in eleven countries, including the UK. In Poland, the album was certified gold, reaching number six on the chart on its release day, and is Jackson's highest charting album in Norway.[31] In France Thriller 25 received a 2x Gold certification, and in Poland it was certified platinum.

In the United States, Thriller 25 was the second best-selling album of its release week, selling one hundred and sixty six thousand copies, just fourteen thousand short of reaching the number one position. It was ineligible for the Billboard 200 chart as a re-release but entered the Pop Catalog Charts at number one (where it stayed for ten non-consecutive weeks),[32] with the best sales on that chart since December, 1996.[33][34][35] To date it has sold 556,000 copies in the US.[32] This was Jackson's best launch since Invincible in 2001, selling 3 million copies in 12 weeks.[36]

Charts, certifications and sales

Credits

  • Executive producer: Michael Jackson

"The Girl Is Mine 2008"

  • Keyboards and synths: Harris
  • Producer/engineer/mixer/drums/keys: will.i.am

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008"

  • Keyboards and synths: Harris
  • Saxophone: Izo
  • Trumpets: Board
  • Background vocals: Garcia/Battle
  • Producer/engineer/mixer/drums/keys: will.i.am

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008"

  • Instrumentation and programming: Akon/Tuinfort
  • Mixer: Mark "Evil" Goodchild
  • Producers: Akon/Jackson/Tuinfort

"Beat It 2008"

  • Producer/mixer/drums/synths/keys: will.i.am
  • Engineers: Kerin and will.i.am

"Billie Jean 2008"

  • Engineers/mixers: Kilhoffer/Dromgoole/Hertwech/Wheeler/Houge
  • Keyboards: Bhasker/Kilhoffer/Caruso
  • Producers: West/Kilhoffer

"For All Time"

  • Recorded by Bruce Swedien
  • Keyboards: Porcaro/Paich
  • Guitar: Lukather
  • Drums: Porcaro
  • Mixer: Guzauski/Bender
  • Producer: Jackson [12]

Release history

References

  1. ^ "Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition (Deluxe Digipack)". Sony BMG. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  2. ^ "Epic Records/Legacy Recordings Unveil The 25th Anniversary Edition of Michael Jackson's..." reuters.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  3. ^ Adams, Anne-Taylor ((2008-02-11)). "'XM THRILLER: The Music of Michael Jackson' to Launch March 1 on XM". PRNewswire. Reuters. Retrieved 2008-04-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Michael Jackson Talks to Access Hollywood". Michael Jackson Homepage Fan Club Website. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
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  12. ^ a b Jackson, Michael. Thriller 25 booklet.
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