Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video)

Jackson's sixth album, ''[[Thriller (album)|Thriller]]'', was released in November 1982 and spent months at the top of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], backed by successful videos for the singles "[[Billie Jean]]" and "[[Beat It]]". In July 1983, after ''Thriller'' was displaced from the top of the chart, Jackson and his team decided to release "Thriller" as a single. Jackson hired Landis to direct the video after seeing his 1981 film ''[[An American Werewolf in London]]''. It was filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including the [[Palace Theater (Los Angeles)|Palace Theater]], with a budget much larger than previous music videos. A [[making-of documentary]], '''''Making Michael Jackson's Thriller''''', was produced to sell to television networks.

Jackson's sixth album, ''[[Thriller (album)|Thriller]]'', was released in November 1982 and spent months at the top of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], backed by successful videos for the singles "[[Billie Jean]]" and "[[Beat It]]". In July 1983, after ''Thriller'' was displaced from the top of the chart, Jackson and his team decided to release "Thriller" as a single. Jackson hired Landis to direct the video after seeing his 1981 film ''[[An American Werewolf in London]]''. It was filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including the [[Palace Theater (Los Angeles)|Palace Theater]], with a budget much larger than previous music videos. A [[making-of documentary]], '''''Making Michael Jackson's Thriller''''', was produced to sell to television networks.

''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' was launched to great anticipation and played regularly on [[MTV]]. It doubled sales of ''Thriller'', helping it become the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling album]] in history, and the documentary sold over a million copies, becoming the best-selling [[VHS]] tape at the time. It is credited for transforming music videos into a serious art form, breaking down racial barriers in popular entertainment, popularizing the making-of documentary format and driving [[home video]] sales. The success made Jackson a dominant force in global pop culture.

''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' was launched to great anticipation and played regularly on [[MTV]]. It doubled sales of ''Thriller'', helping it become the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling album]] in history, and the documentary sold over a million copies, becoming the best-selling [[VHS]] tape at the time. "Thriller" is credited for transforming music videos into a serious art form, breaking down racial barriers in popular entertainment, popularizing the making-of documentary format and driving [[home video]] sales. The success made Jackson a dominant force in global pop culture.

Many elements of ''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' have had a lasting impact on popular culture, such as the zombie dance and Jackson's [[Thriller jacket|red jacket]], designed by Landis's wife, [[Deborah Nadoolman Landis|Deborah Nadoolman]]. The video is closely associated with [[Halloween]], and fans worldwide re-enact its zombie dance. It has been named the greatest music video by various publications and readers' polls. In 2009, ''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' became the first music video inducted into the US [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]], which described it as the most famous music video of all time. It reached one billion views on [[YouTube]] in 2024.

Many elements of ''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' have had a lasting impact on popular culture, such as the zombie dance and Jackson's [[Thriller jacket|red jacket]], designed by Landis's wife, [[Deborah Nadoolman Landis|Deborah Nadoolman]]. The video is closely associated with [[Halloween]], and fans worldwide re-enact its zombie dance. It has been named the greatest music video by various publications and readers' polls. In 2009, ''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' became the first music video inducted into the US [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]], which described it as the most famous music video of all time. It reached one billion views on [[YouTube]] in 2024.