When most of today’s musical artists release videos, those works may grab the public’s attention for a few months or years. However, it’s a much rarer occurrence for people to still talk about and admire them for years after their release. It does happen, though, as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video proves.
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Jackson Pushes the Boundaries
Even someone with only a slight familiarity with Jackson’s music and career would probably associate the artist with defying the expectations of his time. He did that with “Thriller” in a couple of ways.
Firstly, the album version of the song clocked in at nearly six minutes. At that time, most musicians released songs that were substantially shorter, although Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was another exception. The success of the “Thriller” track proved that outstanding music would hold people’s attention.
The music video showed Jackson’s eagerness to do his own thing in the music industry even more. Many music videos of that time, and even those released now, merely provide interesting visuals to go along with an artist’s song. The shots may feature them singing, playing, or dancing along to a tune that the audience knows well.
That was not the path Jackson chose to take. His “Thriller” video was almost 14 minutes long and shot in the style of a short film rather than a conventional music video. These choices quickly made people around the world admire the artist and question what they thought was possible within the parameters of a music video. The acclaim Jackson earned for his bold choices still echoes today.
Many people even mimic what they saw in the video by staging group “Thriller” dances where hundreds of fans simultaneously do the now-iconic moves at once. Moreover, when many celebrities cite their influences in interviews, “Thriller” often gets mentioned as a game-changer. Jackson was not afraid to go against conventions with his “Thriller” decisions. That stance paid off.
“Thriller” Gets Reborn in Other Formats
As video screenings and related technologies got more advanced, the opportunities for people to enjoy “Thriller” in new ways became apparent. For example, John Branca, a representative from Michael Jackson’s estate, appeared at the Venice Film Festival several years ago in conjunction with the presentation of the “Michael Jackson’s Thriller 3D” film. You can see the interview below.
Take note of how Branca discusses that “Thriller” was much costlier than other music videos made at the time, but behind-the-scenes coverage shown on networks such as MTV helped pay for the expenses. It was also another approach not common at the time, although artists now regularly give fans glimpses of how they make their videos.
After the success of “Michael Jackson’s Thriller 3D,” the artist’s estate allowed converting it into a remastered IMAX version. It ran for a week in conjunction with what would have been the artist’s 60th birthday.
The December 2, 1983, debut of the “Thriller” music video had an incredible effect on the music industry, and its influence continues today. Great art never truly goes out of style.
There are virtually limitless creative ways to help the work connect with new audiences who can appreciate it for the first time. Additionally, the enduring power of “Thriller” delights people who immediately recognized the video’s pioneering nature during its premiere decades ago. For these reasons and others, Michael Jackson’s legacy seems set to persist for the foreseeable future.
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