Thriller

Jackson's 1982 album Thriller became a worldwide sensation and established the artist as a transcendent superstar. "Jackson is the biggest thing since the Beatles," TIME declared. Thriller sold 45 million copies, the most of any album in history until recently; at its peak, more than a million copies flew off shelves each week. When the title track's 14-minute video — which redefined music video as an art form — aired in December 1983, MTV aired it twice an hour in response to popular demand. The next year, the album won a record eight Grammy Awards.

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