Pop / R&B / Dance-Pop · 1980s Career
Michael Jackson became the defining global pop star of the 1980s. His combination of voice, dance, music video, studio precision and crossover songwriting changed the scale of popular music.
Thriller
Released in 1982 and produced by Quincy Jones, Thriller fused pop, R&B, rock and dance music into a blockbuster album with unprecedented cultural reach.
Music video as event
“Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Thriller” helped transform the music video from promotional tool into a major form of pop storytelling and visual branding.
Bad
Jackson’s 1987 follow-up carried enormous expectations and produced a run of major singles while presenting a tougher visual and rhythmic identity.
Why he matters
Jackson helped define the modern global pop superstar and raised expectations around albums, videos, choreography and cross-genre appeal. Explore the wider musical context in our histories of 1982, the year of Thriller, and 1987, the year of Bad.