Marie Gicquel with Mélanie Faure 10:59 a.m., November 30, 2022
The whole world knows the thrilling sounds of Michael Jackson's greatest hit.
Forty years after its release, the image of Thriller is still very much alive.
On November 30, 1982, this clip revolutionized the music industry.
For the first time, a clip became a cinematographic work.
40 years after its release, the image of Thriller is still very much alive.
On November 30, 1982, this clip had revolutionized the music industry.
For the first time, a clip became a cinematographic work.
A cemetery in the mist with Michael Jackson in a red jacket walking around.
The King of Pop turns into the King of Zombies, leading a jerky choreography that has become legendary.
Olivier Cachin, a specialist in Afro-American music, explains that he had to impose himself to release this short film with director John Landis at the helm.
"When he produced his fifteen minutes of Thriller, the record company did not agree at all since the album was number one", says Olivier Cachin.
"But Michael insists and he's going to co-produce the music video which will cost over a million dollars. Thriller is going to be a revolution."
A clip listed in the National Film Registry
The diffusion of Thriller created the event in France.
"It was at Michel Drucker's in the Champs-Elysées on Saturday evening and he was teasing throughout the show and every ten minutes he said 'And soon, the Michael Jackson event clip'", continues Olivier Cachin.
"When it happened, we were amazed. It was still beyond any hopes we could have had."
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An American heritage video, the clip is on the US Library of Congress's National Film Registry, listed for its cultural, historical and aesthetic influence - a first for a music video.
And to cross the ages, a 4K version was released in mid-November.
We find Michael Jackson and Ola Ray, a young woman he covets, around a popcorn at the cinema, then surrounded by zombies as they pass in front of the cemetery.
Brighter colors and a sharper image, so the myth never dies.
In the same album, the best-selling in the world, Michael Jackson signs the hits Beat It and Billie Jean.
In 1984, he was awarded eight Grammy Awards, posing proudly with his white sequined glove and his now famous outfit, alongside his famous producer Quincy Jones.
In 1987, Bad was released - once again, success was on the agenda for the former Jackson Five, with 45 million copies sold worldwide.
Today, the King of Pop would be 63 years old.