Thriller - 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition
Michael Jackson
Thriller 40 (often marketed as the Thriller – 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition) is a two-disc reissue of Michael Jackson’s 1982 landmark album Thriller, released on November 18, 2022 to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Disc one contains the original nine-track album, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, including the run of era-defining singles “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and “Human Nature,” whose success helped make Thriller the world’s best‑selling album and earned Jackson a then‑record eight Grammy Awards in one night. The set is presented as both a commemoration of the original record’s cultural impact—its fusion of pop, R&B, funk, rock, and post‑disco, and its role in reshaping music video and MTV-era pop—and as a deep-dive for fans interested in the album’s creative genesis.
The second disc compiles ten Thriller‑era bonus tracks, including demos, outtakes, and rarities that illuminate the evolution of the project. These include “Starlight,” the early demo version of what became “Thriller,” along with “Behind the Mask (Mike’s Mix),” “The Toy” (an early form of “Best of Joy”), and previously unreleased songs such as “What a Lovely Way to Go” and “Who Do You Know,” plus cuts that had been scattered across prior regional editions and compilations like “Got the Hots,” “Carousel,” “Sunset Driver,” “She’s Trouble,” and “Can’t Get Outta the Rain.” Together, the expanded material positions Thriller 40 as an archival release that balances accessibility—the classic album in remastered form—with historical depth, inviting listeners to hear both the canonical tracks and the alternate paths Jackson and his collaborators explored during the 1979–1982 sessions.
Thriller - 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition
Michael Jackson
Thriller 40 (often marketed as the Thriller – 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition) is a two-disc reissue of Michael Jackson’s 1982 landmark album Thriller, released on November 18, 2022 to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Disc one contains the original nine-track album, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, including the run of era-defining singles “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and “Human Nature,” whose success helped make Thriller the world’s best‑selling album and earned Jackson a then‑record eight Grammy Awards in one night. The set is presented as both a commemoration of the original record’s cultural impact—its fusion of pop, R&B, funk, rock, and post‑disco, and its role in reshaping music video and MTV-era pop—and as a deep-dive for fans interested in the album’s creative genesis.
The second disc compiles ten Thriller‑era bonus tracks, including demos, outtakes, and rarities that illuminate the evolution of the project. These include “Starlight,” the early demo version of what became “Thriller,” along with “Behind the Mask (Mike’s Mix),” “The Toy” (an early form of “Best of Joy”), and previously unreleased songs such as “What a Lovely Way to Go” and “Who Do You Know,” plus cuts that had been scattered across prior regional editions and compilations like “Got the Hots,” “Carousel,” “Sunset Driver,” “She’s Trouble,” and “Can’t Get Outta the Rain.” Together, the expanded material positions Thriller 40 as an archival release that balances accessibility—the classic album in remastered form—with historical depth, inviting listeners to hear both the canonical tracks and the alternate paths Jackson and his collaborators explored during the 1979–1982 sessions.