Michael Jackson – Thriller

USA 1st / early pressings do not list Michael Jackson as a co-producer on the back cover under the "Produced by Quincy Jones..." credit (example: Thriller). Later pressings add "Co-Produced by Michael Jackson" (examples: Thriller and Thriller).

Another feature of the earliest pressings is the inclusion of a mix of "Billie Jean" in which the "oh, no" in the right channel at 2:24 is barely audible. This was replaced with a loud "oh, no" for all later pressings, including (presumably) all US CDs, as well as for the Billie Jean single.

Every song of the LP, excluding "The Lady In My Life", either charted in the Billboard Top 100 or was issued as an A-side or B-side on 45 RPM singles. It was released on November 30, 1982 as the follow-up to Jackson's 1979 critically and highly commercially successful "Off The Wall" LP. "Thriller" explores similar genres to those that were heard on "Off the Wall" but redefined pop music, R&B, rock, post-disco, funk, and even adult contemporary music. It currently remains the largest grossing LP and represents the most copies ever sold of one LP worldwide, with sales over 65 million copies according to various sources.

Recording sessions took place between April and November 1982 at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, California, with a production budget of $750,000, assisted by producer Quincy Jones.