Thriller Drops: Michael Jackson Redefines Global Music
Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones released Thriller on November 30, 1982, and it became the best-selling album in history with over 70 million copies sold worldwide. The album produced seven singles, all of which reached the top ten. The 14-minute music video for the title track, directed by John Landis with a budget of $500,000, was a short film that transformed music videos from promotional tools into an art form. MTV, which had been reluctant to play Black artists, made Thriller the exception that broke the color barrier on the channel. The album won a record eight Grammy Awards. Jackson's moonwalk debut on the Motown 25 special in March 1983, while performing 'Billie Jean,' became one of the most replayed moments in television history. Thriller held the sales record for 33 years.
November 30, 1982
44 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 30
Ancient scribes in what is now Ireland recorded what is believed to be the earliest documented eclipse in human history. The observation reveals that even prehi…
Abu al Abbas paraded through Baghdad to celebrate crushing the Zanj Rebellion, the largest slave revolt in the Arab world. This brutal suppression ended a decad…
Holy Roman Emperor Otto II abandoned his siege of Paris after failing to secure a decisive victory against King Lothair of France. This retreat ended the immedi…
An outnumbered Swedish army of 8,500 soldiers under Charles XII exploited a sudden blizzard to overwhelm a Russian siege force of nearly 40,000 at Narva, shatte…
British forces abandoned their month-long siege of Pensacola, failing to dislodge the Spanish from their strategic foothold in Florida. This retreat solidified …
A stray bullet struck King Charles XII in the head while he inspected trenches at the siege of Fredriksten, ending his life and Sweden’s status as a dominant Ba…
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