Dude before watching this short movie you have to imagine a few things. This was the FIRST of its kind. MJ was already more famous here than the most famous person today, and yet after this album he went stratospheric. The choreography had never been seen before like this, as well as the practical special effects which lets face it, still hold up 40 years later. Once you know all this then you can sit back and marvel at the genius of MJ. Oh and I challenge anyone to not sing along MJs ad-libs during the chorus.
Great comment. The level of world fame he had at this time was unparalleled to this day. It will never be replicated again. Stratospheric indeed. Can't really describe to todays' kids .
This was 1983. I remember being 13, and watching this on a loop, along with the Making of the Video. That year, Michael Jackson and Prince were on top of their game, and it was the true beginning of artists putting time and effort into their music videos. And yes, it basically was a mini movie. Micheal Jackson was always a perfectionist, rehearsing, and redoing a take, because he was an inch or two off his mark. Truly a magical time.....
Dude, when this video was released, we didn't have 800 channels, very limited entertainment options ,and this was a World Premier broadcast video everyone and their mother watched that night. He blew America away. It was an amazing time and song/video.
I like to imagine he blew everyone away at the same time, terrified a lot of young adults and children. The Werecat looks absolutely HORRIFYING (better than ALL media of werewolves or werecreatures), and ofc the zombies *though a bit dated still makes ppl scared of them
Being only twelve at the time it came out this song introduced me to more mature music and Even though none of us knew it yet we were participating in music history at the time, even though we didn’t know it
No one could replace Vincent Price. I can not imagine anyone else doing the voice for Thriller. He was well known and regarded as the best voice and Actor in the Horror film industry. He also hosted a radio Horror and Mystery series and was a best selling Author . His voice, the unique tone, his pronunciation was amazing. RIP Vincent Price.
@@cloverite many thanks for your response. It’s such a great song and we all know the words and some, if not all, the dance moves. They even made it into one of the final scenes in Ferris Bueller.
When he said that he'd never heard Thriller, I wanted to say, "What rock have you been under?!" Listen to any pop radio station during Halloween and you'll hear this song plenty of times.
@@juanito1975 Its quiet a new thing for reaction-youtubers, to act like they never heard and saw the most common music clips and movies... I assume it gives more views than a title like ''see my reaction on hearing Michael Jacksons Thriller for the 348th time in my life :) '' ... I pinpointed two rules for those reaction-youtubers, which all have in common: first : use material everyone knows, and preferable: most of people love (with that the viewer can better relate - it feels like: showing a friend a music clip/movie you like... as social beeings we love to see/do such things.. therefore its more likely that we give a thumbs up to the video- and give him lots of views) ... second rule for reaction-youtubers: never give your honest opinion... meaning: every ..and i mean literally EVERY music clip or movie , you have to be ''amazed'' and positive about it... no negative critic about it... every clip ''is a masterpiece'' ... every piece you watch or hear has to ''blow you away'' ... This gives you views and likes. I also pinpointed a third rule (but this is a weaker rule). It seems like most reaction-youtuber view the same things at a certain time... this is expescially for movies. I am not sure why that it -but looks like it helps the algorhitm somehow, and the reaction-youtuber gets more views. But the first two rules are gospel... And thats the reason why most reaction-youtubers are very fake for me. But thats the game.
My kids have never seen it but they are in elementary… and i still have never seen ET and I am waaaaaay older than this kid… even with that I am still questioning this dude
This video was an EVENT. I was in college when it came out and everyone made sure they were home when this video premiered. It was groundbreaking. It changed everything about music videos by setting a higher standard for production value, story and choreography. And after it premiered, you could buy lookalike jackets everywhere.
It was an event here in UK too, I remember all my friends were so excited to go home from school that day and just wait for the marvel of Michael. Dunno if it was the same for you but here we got an the complete "Making of" video showing everything going into the production, from make up to dance practice, and then showcased the "Thriller" at the end, and I recall it being so ahead of it's time, we'd call it 'epic' today I think. Wow, what nostalgia! :)
@@barbaramatthews4735 I'm not sure what you're talking about. Perhaps you meant to reply to someone else's comment? But MJ wears his letterman jacket only in the opening scenes. He wears his "Thriller" jacket for most of the video and is the one worn in the dance sequences. They were two totally different jackets.
@@srameypr I'm sorry my comment was worded poorly. I deleted it. I was trying to say two different things and my thoughts were faster than my finger. 1. The letterman jacket it the beginning reminded me of how popular they were back in the day and everyone liked them. But they had to be earned. 2. Different thought... the popular red and black jacket worn in the video (the main one) was the one that people liked and they made a lot of copies that anyone could buy. I was excited about the memories the video brought back. I was in high school when this video came out. I had the album (I still have the same one) I listen to it over and over. MTV was good back then. I watched every morning before school and when I got home. I remember watching Thriller with my family. It was a big event. I guess I was caught up in nostalgia. I just had a rush of emotions (feel good emotions) and tried to type. I am getting older now. At 54 and remembering my teenage years. My life was a lot more simple back then.
This video is one of the reasons he was such a massive star. No one had ever seen anything like it other than in movies. It was an event when they premiered it. As you can imagine, everyone went out of their minds in adoration for it. It was a BIG deal.
I was twelve years old at the time and really had a great love for Michael that I still have to this day I believe he was innocent in the child abuse cases, and what surprise me is how much respect Michael is getting now then when he was alive and it also surprises me that when he died the grieving period lasted for a whole entire month. That’s what I remember seeing tons and tons of footage about Michael Jackson and it lasted a whole month the grieving.for him wasn’t seen at that magnitude except for princess diana at that time
The narrator during and the laugh at the end of the song was the late, great Vincent Price. An unmatched voice in the horror genre. I think Michael's choice to have him narrate was brilliant. He just had a voice you can't forget
It's important to realize that the addition of Vincent Price's voice over was brilliant. Virtually everyone in their teens and twenties - the target market at the time - grew up watching Vincent Price horror flicks. You only had to hear the man's voice to know you were in for some chills and thrills.
Vincent Price was doing horror movies in 1939 on, I was watching him in horror movies when I was a child in the '50s and a teenager in the '60s. He has been around for a LONG time. I LOVE VIncent Price, he was a very cool man in real life, and quite funny.
The "thriller dance" is so iconic and has been parodied or referenced in a million and one different things from weddings to flashmobs to the movie, "13 going on 30" and so much more. Also, the 850 million views on the YT official video is NOTHING. The video was uploaded to TH-cam in 2009, but the song came out in 1982 and was on Michael Jackson's album that was also called "Thriller". That same album had Beat It and Billie Jean on it (and a bunch of other big hits), and IS STILL the greatest selling album of all time, coming in at over 50 million copies worldwide. It was everywhere: radio, movies, commercials, tv, you name it. Also, it's worth noting a little music history when it comes to music videos. MTV debuted in 1981 and that was when the first music videos were intentionally made as music videos. Pretty much everything before then, such as Beatles or Led Zeppelin or whatever, ended up cobbling together concert footage to make a video after the fact so they could play it on MTV, but that was never planned out that way in advance. Michael Jackson and a few others were true pioneers in realizing that music videos could be short films and tell their own story and musicians putting thought into "what should the video be about?" grew out of that. So the "MTV's 1981 debut" is worth noting when looking at older content and why it didn't look like they put much thought into it. Also, MTV also killed the musical and tv special. Elvis made a career off of a string of movies that were light on plot but were mostly an excuse to sing and for many folks, that was the only way they ever saw Elvis since it was before MTV. Those live specials he did? Yeah, you'd not be able to do them on TV anymore, that was pretty much exclusively to show him off to people at home, well specials like that went away once MTV happened. One of the many ways technology has changed the industry over the decades. Cheers
@@Doggeslife I highly recommend seeking out the Bhangra Thriller cover, entertaining is the only word I can use to describe it, it's worth a few minutes of your time at least lol
You said, "Michael Jackson didn't think this through."😂😂😂😂😂😂 Oh but he did😂😂😂😂😂that's why he will always be the king of Pop. I was 16 yrs old when this came out. And I have to tell you. This was epic and so huge in 1982. Oh, and I have thriller on vinyl ,☺️
My mom and I saw a special about the filming of this years ago and the professional dancers said that they were blown away by MJ. They said he picked up the choreography faster than they did, and performed it more easily. This was him at his best.
Imagine seeing this for the first time! You had to be tuned in on time. No DVR. Some lucky ones had VCRs. They played this none stop after that. Could never get enough of videos at this time. MJ changed how videos were made after this. Loved his mini-movies! Had to know the dance! I don't think you can find a person over 45/50 that couldn't break this entire dance out at any given time! Put on the song at a party and see! LOL!
Probably the greatest music video of all time. It's a mini movie. What you see is the whole video, nothing was cut out when it was released. It came out in the 80's. and was the #1 video for a very long time. He replicated it in his concerts. This Zombie dance has been copied by many flash mobs around the world. It's been copied at weddings and other events. So many people want to be a part of it and live it out. Just like the ending dance in the movie Dirty Dancing, people can't get enough of it and want to do it.
When this videoclip was released it was huge, nobody had seen anything like this, I was 17 at the time and we all went crazy. For many years you could go to any disco, anywhere in the world, and the moment you heard the beginning of the song everybody would run to the dance floor and started dancing his choreography. We all loved it.
MJ didn’t make “music videos” he always said he made short films . This came out when I was around 19 years old and I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw it. I’m 58 now and it never gets old.
I have this video on VHS and still have it. My dad gave it to me in 1983 as a gift. On the tape it had the behind the scenes of making Thriller. Thank you for your reaction.
This video was made by the same team that did "An American Werewolf in London".. it's a masterpiece of a music video. Nothing that came before or after can really compare
I remember when the video was first released. EVERYbody wore a zombie costume for Halloween and danced the thriller dance at every halloween party around the world. Some still do.
As a kid, I loved the song, but the video terrified me. Now as an adult, I love all of it. I used to hate anything zombie related, and now I enjoy it. I faced that fear head on, and overcame it.
Back when MTV originally aired on cable TV, it was a Music Video TV channel. All you'd see is music video after music video. THAT was its purpose. It attracted thousands to millions of viewers, and everybody watched it at one time or another. It was a huge phenomenon back then. This is why you see many music videos on youtube today. MTV videos, which obviously continue to circulate via youtube even now, were a vehicle used by music artists & bands to advertise/market their music. MJ utilized this more than probably any other artist by making the most memorable videos of anyone. Often, the videos didn't necessarily make sense, or people may try to "over-think" them, but w/MJ, he tried to make his videos not only fit the song but really HIGHLIGHT the song. He entertained like no other.
I would argue that Madonna utilized it just as much as MJ. Billboard named both of them the greatest music video artists of all time. However, MJ was the first and everyone would go on to follow him
I made many VHS recordings of videos from the original MTV during the 80s and 90s. I have over 100 VHS tapes with videos that I'm currently transferring over to DVD. I'm very disappointed over what MTV has become, and no longer watch it. At least I have the videos of what it once was. (Jan Griffiths).
Many band members were complaining though. Glam rock and Grunge bands complained that they were forced to make a video or they wouldn’t be promoted …not everyone liked making those cheesy videos. MJ videos were very professional though …they must have spent a lot of money making those
This was in 1984 and was the first ever video that cost $1 million dollars to make. Though Michael already had HUGE smash hits from "Thriller" ("Billie Jean" & "Beat It"), this was the video that broke the "color barrier" on MTV as the video music channel in it's first few years who widely known for not playing video from African-American artists. Interesting fact about one of the zombies - Mark Sellers was one of the zombies and Michael Jackson had reportedly seen him & his sister perform on the very first season of "Star Search" where they did a routine to "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). They won the $100,000 prize in the dance category & Mark went out to be a Solid Gold dancer for 4 years.
I love how this showcases his beyond talented dancing, singing and the thing that he's underrated for - his acting ability. This man is my GOD! He's owned my heart since I was 2 weeks old. I taught this dance to a dance group when I was 8 and teach it every Halloween to teenage autistic kids to showcase at the local community center to their folks. They love it! #ForeverMichael #MJForever 😍😍😍
Michael, I can't believe you've never seen this video! This is one of my top videos of all time because it's one of the best dance videos ever & it's my very favorite Michael Jackson song! I also love Vincent Prices' narration! His voice is unmistakable! 🤗&😘from SE Tennessee! Merry Christmas!
That surprised me as well. This is one of the most iconic Micheal Jackson songs there is, not to forget the choreography. Plus of course Vincent Price. I agree that this is probably the BEST one of his songs.
@@joannemurdock7899 thriller right? That was an interesting one! This is off topic but have become aware that the us has just about as many dangerous animals as Australia does! Somebody in Florida brought in cassowarys? The big mean bird that lays eggs! Now this birds had babies!
One of my favorite songs by Michael Jackson and one of my favorite songs from the 80s altogether! You said you wondered if they put that "rap" into the original song. Yes they did, but only at the end of the song. The video rearranged the entire song as recorded. Originally it's verse #1, then the chorus (which he sang when he was dancing), then verse #2, then the chorus, then verse #3, then the chorus, then a bridge (that's not in the video at all), then the chorus again and then the speaking rap by Vincent Price at the end of the song. The video put all three verses back to back as they were walking from the theater. And this song came out in 1982. Glad you enjoyed it!
I remember when it had premiere on tv, the whole family watched it. I was twelve and so afraid but at the same time wow what a song and a beat, just want to dance to it. Shitload of afraid and tons of WOW at the same time 😍
That initial statement is original. Thriller was THE EVENT back in the 1983. If you go look at so many videos since.....there are throwbacks to this video. He got John Landis to do this because MJ loved the movie American Werewolf in London that Landis had just done. This video was so scary that MTV had to take it off for a while. The church was upset with the video so he added that statement in the beginning of the video. I was 13 and a huge MJ fan when this came out and I can honestly say that I got chills watching this again with you. I have seen it 100's if not over a 1k times and it just never gets old. No one will ever compare to MJ when it comes to talent and the amount of effort he put into his videos. Lady Gaga is a close second with her videos and her talent is also beyond compare. I feel blessed to have been a young teen when the album Thriller came out. That was a ride like no other.
MJ was one of a kind and you get him together with John Landis - brilliance followed. I remember recording this video on Beta tape (I was 12 when this came out in 1983, pre-VHS) and being scared so much by the visuals and werewolf MJ. The radio edit of this song didn't include all of the gaps for the zombies, but did include the Vincent Price monologue. It was epic. You would like the Making of Thriller. Goes behind the scenes and you really see just how much work Landis and MJ put into this.
The King of Pop. His father in law Elvis was the King of Rock. There are no other music Kings, and I agree that Michael was the best musical legend EVER!
Because of the Thriller 40th anniversary, this music video is now available in 4k as well, it's a lot lighter and I recommend you to watch it in the improved resolution, also because you said you didn't like the fact that it was so dark. I'm new to your channel btw 🇧🇷✌️
This is an extended version of the music, probably doubles the size. Still is the official music video. Seens to me more a short movie than a clip. I remember see this on tv when I was 6 or 7 years old and run to hide under my bed. Im 45 now.
This is THE video when it comes to Michael Jackson. The song is also the title song of his album "Thriller" which I believe it's still the biggest selling album ever. Michael had to put the disclaimer after the song had been playing for a while as there were some people claiming it was "demonic" (you know, the usual "rock'n'roll is the devil's music" crowd) The "rap", if you will, was performed by the legendary horror icon, Mr. Vincent Price.
The ultimate Michael Jackson! At 72 years old, I love this as much now as the first time I saw it. Thanks for the reaction! Haven’t seen this in ages and it is a fabulous reminder of how truly great Michael Jackson was.
I’m now 63. When this first came out MTV was very new. We watched this over and over learned all the moves to the monster dance. I was about 20 at the time. You’d go to the bars…drinking age was 18…. Hit the dance floor and suddenly Thriller was playing…. The dance floor jumping….everyone would get in the lines and the Monster Dance began. I can still do most of this dance without music just like the background dancers! Those were great years!
This video did break the mould. It was advertised all over the world that it was going to be broadcast ... and people all over the world waited to see it. The World went ballistic. Then Michael Jackson did other Short Movie Videos, and each one was advertised, and each one, people were glued to their TV's to see it for the first time. Michael Jackson was a musical genius. Unfortunately, his Father never gave him the childhood because he kept pushing MJ to be an International performer (which he was) from a very young age. MJ never grew up ... a modern day Peter Pan. People trash him because he never acted his age ... he was a child who loved animals, theme parks, DANCING, playing with other children. His crime, he was a man child who loved playing with Children rather than adults. There is NO evidence his relationship was sexual ... it was purely platonic. MJ was way too shy to socialise with Adults ... he didn't know how to. Macaulay Culkin from the first Home Alone, spent a lot of time with MJ as a child, and he said many times that MJ's relationship was purely platonic.
This was SUCH a big deal in 1983 and was a homage to horror movies! I remember having to learn a twirling routine to this while blasting my neighborhood with the entire album. Good times.
This music video is ICONIC. I remember watching it for the first time at a rollerskating rink when I was a kid. Everyone tried to learn the dancing and it has been copied and referenced many, many times over the years.
I have this album on vinyl. You asked about Vincent Price's spoken part in the middle of the video. On the album, the song plays and then, at the end, we have Price's iconic recitation followed by that chilling, evil laugh. Price was a treasure and one of our finest actors.
the first music video that was actually a mini-movie. Michael was not only an uber-talented musician, but a true innovator. If you can track down the "making of" tape, it gives a lot of insight into his true genius, and natural ability on-camera. This one is #1 Halloween watching every year!
The world's best musician and dancer Michael Jackson. His style of dancing and singing music never seems childish. He always sang music in deep voice, so his songs are hit and catchy. Moreover he always wrote teachable music. He was the only person in the world who performed dance-music together in front of live audience. May her soul rest in peace.🇧🇩🎵🎧🇧🇩
Jackson did a huge amount of the choreography in this video along with the song. This video is a classic. Look up Vincent Price. MJ asking him to do this video was brilliant.
MJ had like auditions with more than 1000 people, and he would pick like the top 10 out of them, by doing rehearsals and removing the ones that had any mistake at all. He wanted perfection, that is why he was flawless.
This came out while I was in high school. I remember waiting up for it to premier on MTV. It was an event! So glad to see a new generation appreciating it. It was an experience to be sure.
I introduced my daughter to Michael Jackson early in her childhood. She was born 1996. She fell in love with hos music. She cried for weeks after Michael's death in 2009.
You never heard this song before like ever? How is this possible, I thought was only video but how did you miss growing up not hearing this? It was every where still is everywhere (ps love you reaction, watched them before)
I am sooooooooo old. This was a time before the Internet, before streaming, before modems, and broadband and computers and video games. Even remote controls were pretty uncommon. I am not even sure MTV was a thing. Certainly not here in the UK. I cannot describe to you the anticipation of this video / mini film arriving. All the time spent by so many people to learn the Zombie Dance moves. It does looked dated in some ways but the song itself is timeless.
There was nothing like this when this was first done. This cemented MJ as the king of pop. Now you need to watch the Making of Thriller to understand how groundbreaking this was. It was treated like a short film rather than a music video and had John Landis as director (An American werewolf in London) This was groundbreaking...
This video forced MTV channel to air for the first time a clip from a Black American artist, something they were reluctanct to do up to back then in 1982. John Landis had directed a movie that had came out the previous year called "A werewolf in London", and Michael was blown away by the special effects used in that movie, so he wanted something similar for his idea of making a "mini movie" about his song Thriller.
I was 21 when this was released and it was a huge deal here in the UK - not least because it was released here before than in the US, and pre-internet it was massive. There was a special release screening at midnight and I rushed home especially to see it. Seems extraordinary now. John Landis who directed is actually a movie director and that's why it's such a classic piece of film making. Truly groundbreaking and ahead of it's time.
Even after all these years I still cry when I hear and see the fabulous Michael. I recall the night it was announced on TV in the UK. I had had an accident a week previously and was in so much pain I couldn’t sleep so I went downstairs and watched Ghost Whisperer which was a really sad episode as Jim died. I then flicked on the TV channels and heard this appalling news. I went up to see my fast asleep husband and woke him up whilst I heard tears dripping off my chin and was so grief stricken I could hardly breathe which did not help my broken ribs. I cried for over a week and it still gets me.
What a treat to see a truly genuine and authentic reaction to the Thriller song and video. It's just a masterpiece. I remember as a little girl inviting our neighbors to watch it on our tv for the very first time. The part where she showed his teeth and say "Go away" gave me nightmares. Couldn't look at still shots of it. But the song and video are just incredible. Make sure you check out Billie Jean, Beat It, and Smooth Criminal as well. My other two fave videos of the 80's are Take on Me by Aha (incredibly ahead of it's time. Fantastic video). and Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take it. Extended version of the official video is a MUST. Happy watching :)
I met MICHAEL when He was 12 yrs old and i was 17 ...still in high school.... I was visiting my girlfriend in Encino, Ca Her brother and Michael Jackson were good friends and they were playing together that day... SUCH A GREAT MEMORY 👍🏻💕
I remember seeing this for the first time when I was only 5 years old. The Werewolf scene scared the s**t out of me. I had nightmares for weeks. Ironically I found the Zombie scene awesome!
This is just the start. Videos and music like this that MJ did was so iconic and brought so many people to MTV that they gave him a dedicated week on MTV throughout the 90's. MJ everyday for a week. Can you imagine that?
this was top of the charts in Australia for weeks, funny thing was when played on tv during prime time they edited the grave yard scene out, it was considered too scary, and came in with the dance. Only during the late night music shows did we ever get the full clip. My youngest sister mastered the dance, and she can still do it, nearly 40 years later!!. Not really a fan of MJ but this was magic!!!
I remember the first time I saw this - I was instantly obsessed. I watched it over and over. The Thriller album has to still be the greatest album of all time - there's not a dud on it, and I forget how many tracks were released as singles. I never tire of this album. Sheer unsurpassed genius.
MJ was absolutely a visionary and icon! There has never been and there will never be anyone like him. His talent and creativity is unparalleled. He was the first to invest in making cinematic videos, starting with Thriller, and the release of every video after was a huge event. Also you asked about the speaking in the video, that was Vincent Price and it is at the end of the song on the album . For the video they rearranged the sections of the song.
I knew the black man behind the lady zombie in the pink dress. He taught me dance at Uni. His name was Patrick. No one believed me. Its quite simple he was a proffesional dancer and he auditioned for Thriller and he got it. He told us Michael was very humble and quiet they only ever saw him on set, doing a take. RIP King of pop!! XX
Lemme tell you: Every Black kid who grew up in the 80s (including me!) knew that dance! Also, I was really surprised when you said you never heard of this song. But then I realized: This video is so ingrained in the culture that you've probably seen the dance or heard the song, but didn't know what it was from. For example, the dance scene in the MV for Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz is directly based off of this.
Man we WAITED on this to come out! Never been done before, never did since and you cut some of it off!! This is one of the best if not the best and most people my age can do the dance that MJ and the dead do!!
Where I lived there were quite a few parties planned around this. It was fun, and quite spectacular at the time, and we loved it, and I still do. 🕺 R.I.P Michael
John Landis ,the director of this video, also directed American Werewolf in London. That's why MJ chose him for this video. You should watch the making of Thriller.
This was so big back in the early 80s that my daycare actually got a Thriller record and played it for all us kids. It was HUGE. I remember seeing the Thriller video tape at the first VHS rental store I ever saw and it was the first VHS tape I ever rented- I was so stoked to finally see it, lol.
Dude before watching this short movie you have to imagine a few things. This was the FIRST of its kind. MJ was already more famous here than the most famous person today, and yet after this album he went stratospheric. The choreography had never been seen before like this, as well as the practical special effects which lets face it, still hold up 40 years later. Once you know all this then you can sit back and marvel at the genius of MJ. Oh and I challenge anyone to not sing along MJs ad-libs during the chorus.
Well said
Let's not forget the inside joke of John Landis inserting a salute to American Werewolf in London.
Great comment. The level of world fame he had at this time was unparalleled to this day. It will never be replicated again. Stratospheric indeed. Can't really describe to todays' kids .
Facts💯💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥
This was 1983. I remember being 13, and watching this on a loop, along with the Making of the Video. That year, Michael Jackson and Prince were on top of their game, and it was the true beginning of artists putting time and effort into their music videos.
And yes, it basically was a mini movie. Micheal Jackson was always a perfectionist, rehearsing, and redoing a take, because he was an inch or two off his mark.
Truly a magical time.....
Dude, when this video was released, we didn't have 800 channels, very limited entertainment options ,and this was a World Premier broadcast video everyone and their mother watched that night. He blew America away. It was an amazing time and song/video.
I like to imagine he blew everyone away at the same time, terrified a lot of young adults and children. The Werecat looks absolutely HORRIFYING (better than ALL media of werewolves or werecreatures), and ofc the zombies *though a bit dated still makes ppl scared of them
Being only twelve at the time it came out this song introduced me to more mature music and Even though none of us knew it yet we were participating in music history at the time, even though we didn’t know it
I remember MTV. counting down the days to the premier. Great memories.
He blew the world away.
We all know the Thriller song, but the deceased actor, Vincent Price's words are brilliant.
They were written by Rod Temperton, who also wrote the song itself.
No one could replace Vincent Price. I can not imagine anyone else doing the voice for Thriller. He was well known and regarded as the best voice and Actor in the Horror film industry. He also hosted a radio Horror and Mystery series and was a best selling Author . His voice, the unique tone, his pronunciation was amazing. RIP Vincent Price.
@@cloverite many thanks for your response. It’s such a great song and we all know the words and some, if not all, the dance moves. They even made it into one of the final scenes in Ferris Bueller.
Truer words have never been spoken!!
One of the best music videos ever made!
I can't believe there is anyone on this planet that has never heard thriller lol - I remember doing this dance in high school We all loved MJ!
When he said that he'd never heard Thriller, I wanted to say, "What rock have you been under?!" Listen to any pop radio station during Halloween and you'll hear this song plenty of times.
he knows it, he's heard it before... its a fake reaction.
Bc he’s lying lol
They are lying lol. Nobody has not heard this song playing at least once in a radio, store or some tiktok lol
This video was massive when it was first shown on MTV in 1983. Literally everybody watched it.
It was amazing. We recorded it with our Beta machine. Yep, that long ago :)
@@Turn2Paige394 Yep I had a Betamax too!! I never got to grips with setting the timer to record though. Great memories!!
@@RonnieT44 The 80's truly were the best! Life was simple and FULL of *incredible* music.
@@Turn2Paige394 Absolutely!!
LITERALLY!! EVERYBODY!@
It's nice that you are discovering MJ but you must be living under a rock to not know this iconic song
How I don't remember this vid either!
This video scared me as a kid I loved it
More like Mars! I am very skeptical of any youtuber saying they never heard any of MJ long list of hits.
@@juanito1975 Its quiet a new thing for reaction-youtubers, to act like they never heard and saw the most common music clips and movies... I assume it gives more views than a title like ''see my reaction on hearing Michael Jacksons Thriller for the 348th time in my life :) '' ... I pinpointed two rules for those reaction-youtubers, which all have in common: first : use material everyone knows, and preferable: most of people love (with that the viewer can better relate - it feels like: showing a friend a music clip/movie you like... as social beeings we love to see/do such things.. therefore its more likely that we give a thumbs up to the video- and give him lots of views) ... second rule for reaction-youtubers: never give your honest opinion... meaning: every ..and i mean literally EVERY music clip or movie , you have to be ''amazed'' and positive about it... no negative critic about it... every clip ''is a masterpiece'' ... every piece you watch or hear has to ''blow you away'' ... This gives you views and likes.
I also pinpointed a third rule (but this is a weaker rule). It seems like most reaction-youtuber view the same things at a certain time... this is expescially for movies. I am not sure why that it -but looks like it helps the algorhitm somehow, and the reaction-youtuber gets more views.
But the first two rules are gospel...
And thats the reason why most reaction-youtubers are very fake for me. But thats the game.
My kids have never seen it but they are in elementary… and i still have never seen ET and I am waaaaaay older than this kid… even with that I am still questioning this dude
This video was an EVENT. I was in college when it came out and everyone made sure they were home when this video premiered. It was groundbreaking. It changed everything about music videos by setting a higher standard for production value, story and choreography. And after it premiered, you could buy lookalike jackets everywhere.
It was an event here in UK too, I remember all my friends were so excited to go home from school that day and just wait for the marvel of Michael. Dunno if it was the same for you but here we got an the complete "Making of" video showing everything going into the production, from make up to dance practice, and then showcased the "Thriller" at the end, and I recall it being so ahead of it's time, we'd call it 'epic' today I think. Wow, what nostalgia! :)
@@GlammaUniQorn Interesting. We did not see the "Making of" video until much later. I do remember that MTV played "Thriller" twice in a row.
@@barbaramatthews4735 I'm not sure what you're talking about. Perhaps you meant to reply to someone else's comment? But MJ wears his letterman jacket only in the opening scenes. He wears his "Thriller" jacket for most of the video and is the one worn in the dance sequences. They were two totally different jackets.
@@srameypr I'm sorry my comment was worded poorly. I deleted it.
I was trying to say two different things and my thoughts were faster than my finger.
1. The letterman jacket it the beginning reminded me of how popular they were back in the day and everyone liked them. But they had to be earned.
2. Different thought... the popular red and black jacket worn in the video (the main one) was the one that people liked and they made a lot of copies that anyone could buy.
I was excited about the memories the video brought back. I was in high school when this video came out. I had the album (I still have the same one) I listen to it over and over.
MTV was good back then. I watched every morning before school and when I got home.
I remember watching Thriller with my family. It was a big event.
I guess I was caught up in nostalgia. I just had a rush of emotions (feel good emotions) and tried to type.
I am getting older now. At 54 and remembering my teenage years. My life was a lot more simple back then.
@@barbaramatthews4735 Oh, I understand. I'm not that much older than you, so I get it. And thanks for the explanation!
This video is one of the reasons he was such a massive star. No one had ever seen anything like it other than in movies. It was an event when they premiered it. As you can imagine, everyone went out of their minds in adoration for it. It was a BIG deal.
MTV
I was twelve years old at the time and really had a great love for Michael that I still have to this day I believe he was innocent in the child abuse cases, and what surprise me is how much respect Michael is getting now then when he was alive and it also surprises me that when he died the grieving period lasted for a whole entire month. That’s what I remember seeing tons and tons of footage about Michael Jackson and it lasted a whole month the grieving.for him wasn’t seen at that magnitude except for princess diana at that time
That's why this album is the best selling in history...
Is it actually!?!? 😳
@@michaelwduffy yes sir it is
@@michaelwduffy they count physical (vinil) sells. Today, in a digital media, world, is impossible beat this.
130 million
@@michaelwduffyyeah it’s the biggest selling album worldwide it sold more then 120M copies
The narrator during and the laugh at the end of the song was the late, great Vincent Price. An unmatched voice in the horror genre. I think Michael's choice to have him narrate was brilliant. He just had a voice you can't forget
I saw this the night it came out on MTV. Can say every word and do every dance move even today.
This was part of history.
It's important to realize that the addition of Vincent Price's voice over was brilliant. Virtually everyone in their teens and twenties - the target market at the time - grew up watching Vincent Price horror flicks. You only had to hear the man's voice to know you were in for some chills and thrills.
Vincent Price was doing horror movies in 1939 on, I was watching him in horror movies when I was a child in the '50s and a teenager in the '60s. He has been around for a LONG time. I LOVE VIncent Price, he was a very cool man in real life, and quite funny.
The "thriller dance" is so iconic and has been parodied or referenced in a million and one different things from weddings to flashmobs to the movie, "13 going on 30" and so much more.
Also, the 850 million views on the YT official video is NOTHING. The video was uploaded to TH-cam in 2009, but the song came out in 1982 and was on Michael Jackson's album that was also called "Thriller". That same album had Beat It and Billie Jean on it (and a bunch of other big hits), and IS STILL the greatest selling album of all time, coming in at over 50 million copies worldwide. It was everywhere: radio, movies, commercials, tv, you name it.
Also, it's worth noting a little music history when it comes to music videos. MTV debuted in 1981 and that was when the first music videos were intentionally made as music videos. Pretty much everything before then, such as Beatles or Led Zeppelin or whatever, ended up cobbling together concert footage to make a video after the fact so they could play it on MTV, but that was never planned out that way in advance. Michael Jackson and a few others were true pioneers in realizing that music videos could be short films and tell their own story and musicians putting thought into "what should the video be about?" grew out of that. So the "MTV's 1981 debut" is worth noting when looking at older content and why it didn't look like they put much thought into it.
Also, MTV also killed the musical and tv special. Elvis made a career off of a string of movies that were light on plot but were mostly an excuse to sing and for many folks, that was the only way they ever saw Elvis since it was before MTV. Those live specials he did? Yeah, you'd not be able to do them on TV anymore, that was pretty much exclusively to show him off to people at home, well specials like that went away once MTV happened. One of the many ways technology has changed the industry over the decades.
Cheers
Sold a lot more than 50 million copies mate. Try doubling it and adding 30 million.
I hate KFC. Fight me. 🤢🙊🍗
You are speaking straight FAX tho, so we definitely agree on that! Haha 😋👌
Last parody of the dance I saw was a bunch of gorillas doing it in the "Gorillaz" music video "Clint Eastwood".
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, too
@@Doggeslife I highly recommend seeking out the Bhangra Thriller cover, entertaining is the only word I can use to describe it, it's worth a few minutes of your time at least lol
No one would dare cut out the monologue of the master of horror that is Vincent Price!
yeah, it's hard to imagine now - - but even on Top 40 radio stations - - they Always left that in. (it was one of the best parts! So different.)
You said, "Michael Jackson didn't think this through."😂😂😂😂😂😂
Oh but he did😂😂😂😂😂that's why he will always be the king of Pop.
I was 16 yrs old when this came out. And I have to tell you. This was epic and so huge in 1982.
Oh, and I have thriller on vinyl ,☺️
I was 9 and couldn’t wait to see the video-back when MTV actually played music videos. MJ will always be the best!! RIP
My mom and I saw a special about the filming of this years ago and the professional dancers said that they were blown away by MJ. They said he picked up the choreography faster than they did, and performed it more easily. This was him at his best.
Michael Jackson was a once in a lifetime phenomenon! He was soooo talented!
This zombie-dance-coreography is simply ICONIC and out of this world!! 🤩🤩
Never seen this before and never reached after!!
RIP Michael!
He was and will remain a legend. He opened so many doors. Gone too soon.
Imagine seeing this for the first time! You had to be tuned in on time. No DVR. Some lucky ones had VCRs. They played this none stop after that. Could never get enough of videos at this time. MJ changed how videos were made after this. Loved his mini-movies! Had to know the dance! I don't think you can find a person over 45/50 that couldn't break this entire dance out at any given time! Put on the song at a party and see! LOL!
Probably the greatest music video of all time. It's a mini movie. What you see is the whole video, nothing was cut out when it was released.
It came out in the 80's. and was the #1 video for a very long time. He replicated it in his concerts.
This Zombie dance has been copied by many flash mobs around the world. It's been copied at weddings and other events. So many people want to be a part of it and live it out. Just like the ending dance in the movie Dirty Dancing, people can't get enough of it and want to do it.
When this videoclip was released it was huge, nobody had seen anything like this, I was 17 at the time and we all went crazy. For many years you could go to any disco, anywhere in the world, and the moment you heard the beginning of the song everybody would run to the dance floor and started dancing his choreography. We all loved it.
MJ didn’t make “music videos” he always said he made short films . This came out when I was around 19 years old and I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw it. I’m 58 now and it never gets old.
We all waited for this video premier release on MTV on Halloween night waaay back then. And YES! We all thought it amazing !!!!
I have this video on VHS and still have it. My dad gave it to me in 1983 as a gift. On the tape it had the behind the scenes of making Thriller. Thank you for your reaction.
This video was made by the same team that did "An American Werewolf in London".. it's a masterpiece of a music video. Nothing that came before or after can really compare
I remember when the video was first released. EVERYbody wore a zombie costume for Halloween and danced the thriller dance at every halloween party around the world. Some still do.
As a kid, I loved the song, but the video terrified me. Now as an adult, I love all of it. I used to hate anything zombie related, and now I enjoy it. I faced that fear head on, and overcame it.
Back when MTV originally aired on cable TV, it was a Music Video TV channel. All you'd see is music video after music video. THAT was its purpose. It attracted thousands to millions of viewers, and everybody watched it at one time or another. It was a huge phenomenon back then. This is why you see many music videos on youtube today. MTV videos, which obviously continue to circulate via youtube even now, were a vehicle used by music artists & bands to advertise/market their music. MJ utilized this more than probably any other artist by making the most memorable videos of anyone. Often, the videos didn't necessarily make sense, or people may try to "over-think" them, but w/MJ, he tried to make his videos not only fit the song but really HIGHLIGHT the song. He entertained like no other.
I would argue that Madonna utilized it just as much as MJ. Billboard named both of them the greatest music video artists of all time. However, MJ was the first and everyone would go on to follow him
I made many VHS recordings of videos from the original MTV during the 80s and 90s. I have over 100 VHS tapes with videos that I'm currently transferring over to DVD. I'm very disappointed over what MTV has become, and no longer watch it. At least I have the videos of what it once was. (Jan Griffiths).
Many band members were complaining though. Glam rock and Grunge bands complained that they were forced to make a video or they wouldn’t be promoted …not everyone liked making those cheesy videos. MJ videos were very professional though …they must have spent a lot of money making those
RIP MJ, gone but never forgotten. The King of Pop.
This was in 1984 and was the first ever video that cost $1 million dollars to make. Though Michael already had HUGE smash hits from "Thriller" ("Billie Jean" & "Beat It"), this was the video that broke the "color barrier" on MTV as the video music channel in it's first few years who widely known for not playing video from African-American artists.
Interesting fact about one of the zombies - Mark Sellers was one of the zombies and Michael Jackson had reportedly seen him & his sister perform on the very first season of "Star Search" where they did a routine to "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). They won the $100,000 prize in the dance category & Mark went out to be a Solid Gold dancer for 4 years.
1983
Thriller Video by Michael Jackson debuted/aired first time ever on MTV December 2, 1983.
I love how this showcases his beyond talented dancing, singing and the thing that he's underrated for - his acting ability. This man is my GOD! He's owned my heart since I was 2 weeks old. I taught this dance to a dance group when I was 8 and teach it every Halloween to teenage autistic kids to showcase at the local community center to their folks. They love it!
#ForeverMichael #MJForever 😍😍😍
Michael, I can't believe you've never seen this video! This is one of my top videos of all time because it's one of the best dance videos ever & it's my very favorite Michael Jackson song! I also love Vincent Prices' narration! His voice is unmistakable! 🤗&😘from SE Tennessee! Merry Christmas!
Us I hadn't seen this either!
That surprised me as well. This is one of the most iconic Micheal Jackson songs there is, not to forget the choreography. Plus of course Vincent Price. I agree that this is probably the BEST one of his songs.
@@oldfogey4679 I'm in Australia and showed it on TV in 1984
@@joannemurdock7899 thriller right? That was an interesting one! This is off topic but have become aware that the us has just about as many dangerous animals as Australia does! Somebody in Florida brought in cassowarys? The big mean bird that lays eggs! Now this birds had babies!
I think this is one of the best music videos ever! The King of Pop and so much more! MJ was so great!
One of my favorite songs by Michael Jackson and one of my favorite songs from the 80s altogether! You said you wondered if they put that "rap" into the original song. Yes they did, but only at the end of the song. The video rearranged the entire song as recorded. Originally it's verse #1, then the chorus (which he sang when he was dancing), then verse #2, then the chorus, then verse #3, then the chorus, then a bridge (that's not in the video at all), then the chorus again and then the speaking rap by Vincent Price at the end of the song. The video put all three verses back to back as they were walking from the theater. And this song came out in 1982. Glad you enjoyed it!
I remember when it had premiere on tv, the whole family watched it. I was twelve and so afraid but at the same time wow what a song and a beat, just want to dance to it. Shitload of afraid and tons of WOW at the same time 😍
I was twelve too when this came out.
That initial statement is original. Thriller was THE EVENT back in the 1983. If you go look at so many videos since.....there are throwbacks to this video. He got John Landis to do this because MJ loved the movie American Werewolf in London that Landis had just done. This video was so scary that MTV had to take it off for a while. The church was upset with the video so he added that statement in the beginning of the video. I was 13 and a huge MJ fan when this came out and I can honestly say that I got chills watching this again with you. I have seen it 100's if not over a 1k times and it just never gets old. No one will ever compare to MJ when it comes to talent and the amount of effort he put into his videos. Lady Gaga is a close second with her videos and her talent is also beyond compare. I feel blessed to have been a young teen when the album Thriller came out. That was a ride like no other.
This was a staple on MTV in the 1980s. Probably the best music video ever made and Vincent Price, king of the B-horror movie himself, was masterful.
Icon he was he's so missed 😔 😢 😭 🤧
Yo I learned this dance when I was 4-5 years old. Had recorded on a vhs and studied it til I got it down. Now I’m 40 still dancing to it!!
Literally every teen was doing the dance moves to this song. The man speaking in the video is Vincent Price-the King of all horror movies.
I'll never forget when this came out. My uncle got ahold if it on VHS, lol. He came over with my cousin's and we watched it together. It was awesome!
MJ was one of a kind and you get him together with John Landis - brilliance followed. I remember recording this video on Beta tape (I was 12 when this came out in 1983, pre-VHS) and being scared so much by the visuals and werewolf MJ. The radio edit of this song didn't include all of the gaps for the zombies, but did include the Vincent Price monologue. It was epic. You would like the Making of Thriller. Goes behind the scenes and you really see just how much work Landis and MJ put into this.
Actually, Beta was released in 1975 and VHS in 1976.
Greatest music video ever made by the King of Music himself. What a legend of legends
The King of Pop. His father in law Elvis was the King of Rock. There are no other music Kings, and I agree that Michael was the best musical legend EVER!
Because of the Thriller 40th anniversary, this music video is now available in 4k as well, it's a lot lighter and I recommend you to watch it in the improved resolution, also because you said you didn't like the fact that it was so dark. I'm new to your channel btw 🇧🇷✌️
First broadcast is a historic television moment and nobody was disappointed, truly scary, and that zombie dance...
This is an extended version of the music, probably doubles the size. Still is the official music video. Seens to me more a short movie than a clip.
I remember see this on tv when I was 6 or 7 years old and run to hide under my bed. Im 45 now.
A lot of people forget that MJ was the first Black artist to appear on MTV.
This thing was iconic when I was a kid. We all learned the "Thriller" Dance. You should also watch "Remember the Time" by MJ. Another great video.
It blows me away that there is anyone that has never heard this song.. It is .. no words.
This is THE video when it comes to Michael Jackson.
The song is also the title song of his album "Thriller" which I believe it's still the biggest selling album ever.
Michael had to put the disclaimer after the song had been playing for a while as there were some people claiming it was "demonic" (you know, the usual "rock'n'roll is the devil's music" crowd)
The "rap", if you will, was performed by the legendary horror icon, Mr. Vincent Price.
The ultimate Michael Jackson! At 72 years old, I love this as much now as the first time I saw it. Thanks for the reaction! Haven’t seen this in ages and it is a fabulous reminder of how truly great Michael Jackson was.
I’m now 63. When this first came out MTV was very new. We watched this over and over learned all the moves to the monster dance. I was about 20 at the time. You’d go to the bars…drinking age was 18…. Hit the dance floor and suddenly Thriller was playing…. The dance floor jumping….everyone would get in the lines and the Monster Dance began. I can still do most of this dance without music just like the background dancers! Those were great years!
Lol i love your reactions ! You scared at the begining. That's funny !
This video did break the mould. It was advertised all over the world that it was going to be broadcast ... and people all over the world waited to see it. The World went ballistic. Then Michael Jackson did other Short Movie Videos, and each one was advertised, and each one, people were glued to their TV's to see it for the first time. Michael Jackson was a musical genius. Unfortunately, his Father never gave him the childhood because he kept pushing MJ to be an International performer (which he was) from a very young age. MJ never grew up ... a modern day Peter Pan. People trash him because he never acted his age ... he was a child who loved animals, theme parks, DANCING, playing with other children. His crime, he was a man child who loved playing with Children rather than adults. There is NO evidence his relationship was sexual ... it was purely platonic. MJ was way too shy to socialise with Adults ... he didn't know how to. Macaulay Culkin from the first Home Alone, spent a lot of time with MJ as a child, and he said many times that MJ's relationship was purely platonic.
This was SUCH a big deal in 1983 and was a homage to horror movies! I remember having to learn a twirling routine to this while blasting my neighborhood with the entire album. Good times.
This music video is ICONIC. I remember watching it for the first time at a rollerskating rink when I was a kid. Everyone tried to learn the dancing and it has been copied and referenced many, many times over the years.
Always love Michael.
This video was a major factor in MTV allowing black performers on their channel.
He is a legend. There will never be another Michael Jackson. The most talented artist singer and dancer.
I have this album on vinyl. You asked about Vincent Price's spoken part in the middle of the video. On the album, the song plays and then, at the end, we have Price's iconic recitation followed by that chilling, evil laugh. Price was a treasure and one of our finest actors.
Just brilliant then& still brilliant
the first music video that was actually a mini-movie. Michael was not only an uber-talented musician, but a true innovator. If you can track down the "making of" tape, it gives a lot of insight into his true genius, and natural ability on-camera. This one is #1 Halloween watching every year!
The world's best musician and dancer Michael Jackson. His style of dancing and singing music never seems childish. He always sang music in deep voice, so his songs are hit and catchy. Moreover he always wrote teachable music. He was the only person in the world who performed dance-music together in front of live audience. May her soul rest in peace.🇧🇩🎵🎧🇧🇩
Jackson did a huge amount of the choreography in this video along with the song. This video is a classic. Look up Vincent Price. MJ asking him to do this video was brilliant.
The ad-lib... you just have to admire the timing.... Perfectly in time.
MJ had like auditions with more than 1000 people, and he would pick like the top 10 out of them, by doing rehearsals and removing the ones that had any mistake at all. He wanted perfection, that is why he was flawless.
This came out while I was in high school. I remember waiting up for it to premier on MTV. It was an event! So glad to see a new generation appreciating it. It was an experience to be sure.
I introduced my daughter to Michael Jackson early in her childhood. She was born 1996. She fell in love with hos music. She cried for weeks after Michael's death in 2009.
Awwww! I was in shock when he died!
You never heard this song before like ever? How is this possible, I thought was only video but how did you miss growing up not hearing this? It was every where still is everywhere (ps love you reaction, watched them before)
'Ghosts' (full version) by Michael Jackson is also a great music video.
I am sooooooooo old. This was a time before the Internet, before streaming, before modems, and broadband and computers and video games. Even remote controls were pretty uncommon. I am not even sure MTV was a thing. Certainly not here in the UK. I cannot describe to you the anticipation of this video / mini film arriving. All the time spent by so many people to learn the Zombie Dance moves. It does looked dated in some ways but the song itself is timeless.
There was nothing like this when this was first done. This cemented MJ as the king of pop. Now you need to watch the Making of Thriller to understand how groundbreaking this was. It was treated like a short film rather than a music video and had John Landis as director (An American werewolf in London) This was groundbreaking...
This video forced MTV channel to air for the first time a clip from a Black American artist, something they were reluctanct to do up to back then in 1982. John Landis had directed a movie that had came out the previous year called "A werewolf in London", and Michael was blown away by the special effects used in that movie, so he wanted something similar for his idea of making a "mini movie" about his song Thriller.
I was 21 when this was released and it was a huge deal here in the UK - not least because it was released here before than in the US, and pre-internet it was massive. There was a special release screening at midnight and I rushed home especially to see it. Seems extraordinary now. John Landis who directed is actually a movie director and that's why it's such a classic piece of film making.
Truly groundbreaking and ahead of it's time.
Even after all these years I still cry when I hear and see the fabulous Michael. I recall the night it was announced on TV in the UK. I had had an accident a week previously and was in so much pain I couldn’t sleep so I went downstairs and watched Ghost Whisperer which was a really sad episode as Jim died. I then flicked on the TV channels and heard this appalling news. I went up to see my fast asleep husband and woke him up whilst I heard tears dripping off my chin and was so grief stricken I could hardly breathe which did not help my broken ribs. I cried for over a week and it still gets me.
What a treat to see a truly genuine and authentic reaction to the Thriller song and video. It's just a masterpiece. I remember as a little girl inviting our neighbors to watch it on our tv for the very first time. The part where she showed his teeth and say "Go away" gave me nightmares. Couldn't look at still shots of it. But the song and video are just incredible. Make sure you check out Billie Jean, Beat It, and Smooth Criminal as well. My other two fave videos of the 80's are Take on Me by Aha (incredibly ahead of it's time. Fantastic video). and Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take it. Extended version of the official video is a MUST. Happy watching :)
LOVE MJ! His music will never die.x
I met MICHAEL when He was 12 yrs old and i was 17 ...still in high school....
I was visiting my girlfriend in Encino, Ca
Her brother and Michael Jackson were good friends and they were playing together that day...
SUCH A GREAT MEMORY 👍🏻💕
I watched the making of this video... OMG.
That voice talking as the zombies are coming out of the cementry is Vincent Price the Horror Movie Legend.
If you was a teen in the 80's you knew the dance by heart, and everyone would do it at disco's parties and weddings lol xx
Some great words about Michael at the end my guy it’s exactly how I feel about him too he’s 100% innocent and such a cool dude
You should see your face when mj spin around and shout thriller... priceless!
I remember seeing this for the first time when I was only 5 years old. The Werewolf scene scared the s**t out of me. I had nightmares for weeks. Ironically I found the Zombie scene awesome!
Man when he hits the chorus for the first time it's so rewarding. Landis did a fantastic job creating buildup to that moment.
MJ AT HIS BEST, SINGING DANCING PERFORMING
This is just the start. Videos and music like this that MJ did was so iconic and brought so many people to MTV that they gave him a dedicated week on MTV throughout the 90's. MJ everyday for a week. Can you imagine that?
this was top of the charts in Australia for weeks, funny thing was when played on tv during prime time they edited the grave yard scene out, it was considered too scary, and came in with the dance. Only during the late night music shows did we ever get the full clip. My youngest sister mastered the dance, and she can still do it, nearly 40 years later!!. Not really a fan of MJ but this was magic!!!
I remember the first time I saw this - I was instantly obsessed. I watched it over and over. The Thriller album has to still be the greatest album of all time - there's not a dud on it, and I forget how many tracks were released as singles. I never tire of this album. Sheer unsurpassed genius.
MJ was absolutely a visionary and icon! There has never been and there will never be anyone like him. His talent and creativity is unparalleled. He was the first to invest in making cinematic videos, starting with Thriller, and the release of every video after was a huge event. Also you asked about the speaking in the video, that was Vincent Price and it is at the end of the song on the album . For the video they rearranged the sections of the song.
I knew the black man behind the lady zombie in the pink dress. He taught me dance at Uni. His name was Patrick. No one believed me. Its quite simple he was a proffesional dancer and he auditioned for Thriller and he got it. He told us Michael was very humble and quiet they only ever saw him on set, doing a take. RIP King of pop!! XX
Lemme tell you: Every Black kid who grew up in the 80s (including me!) knew that dance!
Also, I was really surprised when you said you never heard of this song. But then I realized: This video is so ingrained in the culture that you've probably seen the dance or heard the song, but didn't know what it was from. For example, the dance scene in the MV for Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz is directly based off of this.
Man we WAITED on this to come out! Never been done before, never did since and you cut some of it off!! This is one of the best if not the best and most people my age can do the dance that MJ and the dead do!!
Where I lived there were quite a few parties planned around this. It was fun, and quite spectacular at the time, and we loved it, and I still do. 🕺 R.I.P Michael
I am laughing now. When it first came out I was so scared. I really enjoyed your reaction.
John Landis ,the director of this video, also directed American Werewolf in London. That's why MJ chose him for this video. You should watch the making of Thriller.
This is what made the superstar become an icon and legend!! He could never top it!
This was so big back in the early 80s that my daycare actually got a Thriller record and played it for all us kids. It was HUGE. I remember seeing the Thriller video tape at the first VHS rental store I ever saw and it was the first VHS tape I ever rented- I was so stoked to finally see it, lol.
This is all original! Genius Michael!!
Speaking of the Beatles, the video Michael did right before this was with Paul McCartney, Say Say Say, and it was pretty epic too!