Michael Jackson - Thriller

Thriller was released in 1982 and is frequently named as one of the defining pop albums of the 20th century. Its singles and music video era helped shape both mainstream pop and music television formats. For that reason, people searching by year often place it at a major turning point in pop history.

Signature songs include "Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean." The record blends pop, rock, and funk textures in a way that expanded radio crossover in the early 1980s. Those songs are often the first entry point in search queries about the album.

Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones collaborated on its production. It has been called the world's best-selling album in several industry retrospectives. Even without a specific sales figure, that ranking claim is part of its cultural identity.

The short film style of the title track and the heavy rotation of singles drove the MTV era into a more cinematic direction. MTV-era programming in the early 1980s is often discussed in relation to this album. This makes the album as much a visual as an audio phenomenon.