Michael Jackson Estate Announces "Thriller" 40th Anniversary Edition

BYAron A.1.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Michael Jackson - File Photos By Kevin Mazur
VARIOUS, VARIOUS - JUNE 25: Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1986. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

The Estate of Michael Jackson is preparing the launch of a global campaign to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Thriller."

It's officially been 40 years since Michael Jackson released Thriller and his estate announced some big plans to commemorate the milestone.

Sony Music and The Estate Of Michael Jackson announced the launch of a global campaign to celebrate the iconic project's 40th anniversary, including a documentary and an immersive experience, which will be presented in several cities across the world.

Michael Jackson (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

The immersive experience will be hosted in two cities, Dusseldorf, Germany (November 10-13) and New York City (November 18-20), where fans will get to delve into the making of the project. "Each will feature specific track-focused experiences, interactive elements, and social and photo opportunities throughout," a press release reads.

In addition to the Dusseldorf and NYC, there will be Thriller parties held in numerous cities across the world where fans will be able to check out the expanded album and listen to the double-disc deluxe ahead of its official release.

One-time screenings of Thriller 40 documentary will also be held in several cities including Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Toronto, Sydney Australia, Madrid, Amsterdam, Manila, and Seoul. Additionally, the themed parties, which include DJ sets, short film screenings, food, drink, and giveaways, will be held in the following cities:

• Milan, Italy
• Bogota, Columbia
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Taipei City, Taiwan
• Paris, France
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Victoria, Hong Kong
• Santiago, Chile
• Lima, Peru

Thriller's impact is undeniable, even 40 years later. A groundbreaking effort that became the highest-selling album of all time, Jackson set a new precedent with the project that provided mainstream visibility to Black American artists. The music video for "Thriller" was revolutionary in the music industry as well. The film-like approach allowed more artists to deliver more thought-out visuals to accompany their music.

At 9-songs in length, Thriller boasted some of Mike's greatest hits from the eponymous track to records like "Wanna Be Startin Somethin," "Billie Jean," "Beat it," "P.Y.T" and "Human Nature." The 2001 re-release boasted "Someone In The Dark" and "Carousel."

We'll keep you posted on more information on Thriller 40.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.