[4] "Thriller" is a disco song featuring a repeating synthesizer bassline and lyrics and sound effects evoking horror films.

It includes a spoken-word sequence performed by the horror actor Vincent Price which begins at the 6:33 mark on the music video and 4:25 in the album version.

It was produced by Quincy Jones and written by Rod Temperton, who wanted to write a theatrical song to suit Jackson's love of film.

The "Thriller" music video, directed by John Landis, depicts Jackson turning into a zombie and dancing with a horde of them.

It has been named the greatest music video of all time by various publications and readers' polls, and doubled sales of Thriller, helping it become the best-selling album in history.

[8] He improvised with bass and drum patterns until he developed the bassline that runs through the song, then wrote a chord progression that built to a climax.

[8] The intro features sound effects such as a creaking door, thunder, footsteps, winds and howling wolves.

It was decided to have a famous voice from the horror genre perform it, and Jones' then-wife, Peggy Lipton, suggested her friend Vincent Price.

Jackson, who was "obsessive" about his sales figures,[15] urged Yetnikoff and another Epic executive, Larry Stessel, to help conceive a plan to return the album to the top of the charts.

Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo suggested releasing "Thriller", backed by a new music video.

[18] The music video for "Thriller" references numerous horror films,[15] and stars Jackson performing a dance routine with a horde of the undead.

[20] Many elements have had a lasting impact on popular culture, such as the zombie dance and Jackson's red jacket, designed by Landis' wife Deborah Nadoolman.

[20] The zombie dance, choreographed by Michael Peters for the music video, is re-enacted worldwide by fans and remains popular on YouTube.

[31] In the week of his death, "Thriller" was Jackson's best-selling track in the US, with sales of 167,000 copies on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles Chart.

[41] "Thriller" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 4, 1989, for sales of over one million physical units in the US[42][43] As of August 2016, the song had sold 4,024,398 copies in the US.

[47] Ashley Lasimone, of AOL's Spinner.com, noted that it "became a signature for Jackson" and described "the groove of its bassline, paired with Michael's killer vocals and sleek moves" as having "produced a frighteningly great single.

", that were "the hits that made Thriller a world-beater; along with Mr. Jackson's stage and video presence, listeners must have identified with his willingness to admit terror.

"[49] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times described "Thriller" as "adequately groovy" with a "funked-out beat" and lyrics "seemingly lifted from some little kid's 'scary storybook'".

The influence of 'Thriller' extends to contemporary artists, as evidenced by its interpolation in the song "Wake Me Up" by Canadian singer The Weeknd and French electronic duo Justice.

Released on January 31, 2025, as the opening track of The Weeknd's sixth studio album 'Hurry Up Tomorrow', through XO and Republic Records.