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which song was more important for thriller's success; thriller or billie jean?

chrissychristina

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i'm wondering this because as we all know, thriller had the ground-breaking, epic music video which introduced a new era for music videos and MTV, but then again billie jean is the classic SONG that is still on everyones lips, almost 30 years after. albeit, i think thriller is a wonderful song too. i am wondering which one had the most impact and which one, as a single, is more responsible than the other for thriller (the album)'s enormous success?
 
Personally I would say "Billie Jean", much thanks to the Motown 25 performance. The "Thriller" video was also very important, of course, but the sales of the "Thriller" album really took off after Motown 25.

Chartwise, "Billie Jean" did best, hitting number 1 in both the UK and US. Apparently it is the biggest-selling MJ solo single ever worldwide? The "Thriller" single also did well, but it "only" reached number 4 in the US and 10 in the UK.
 
MJ Tempest said:
Personally I would say "Billie Jean", much thanks to the Motown 25 performance. The "Thriller" video was also very important, of course, but the "Thriller" album really took off sales-wise after Motown 25.

Chartwise, "Billie Jean" did best, hitting number 1 in both the UK and US. Apparently it is the biggest-selling MJ solo single ever worldwide? The "Thriller" single also did well, but it "only" reached number 4 in the US and 10 in the UK.
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yeah, i think you are right about that. the motown performance was the ultimate boost for the thriller album. but i don't think we should underestimate the impact of the music video, because today's generation (including myself) did not see or even hear about the motown performance until years after first seeing the thriller video and getting familiar with the michael jackson phenomenon.
 
Both, and for the reasons you already said, Billie Jean for the song (and of course the Motown 25 performance as other people have said) and Thriller for the video. I couldn't possibly say for sure which was the main reason for it's success, so I'll say both :)
 
i know both did, maybe i should have mentioned that in the post, but what i meant was as a single, if any was more significant than the other.
 
If it wasn't for Motown 25, I don't think Thriller would have sold half as much as it has now.
 
I think BJ.

BJ video's is the first video from a black artist played on MTV wich was a major breakthrough.This and the Motown 25 performance I think made BJ more important for Thriller's succes.
BJ was no. 1 before the video being released.It was no1 in both UK and USA wich is very, very rare.

I do think that the succes of Thriller the song is due mostly to the short film and despite the immense succes of it didn't reach no.1.
 
Both.

BJ had Motown 25 - Moonwalk for the first time, incredible performance.

Thriller had the video - still always voted as best musicvideo ever made! Thriller video was epic and still is.

I think Thriller had bigger impact than Motown 25, but my guess is as bad/good as everyone elses. :lol:
 
i think BJ on Motown 25 was very important for the success in the USA.
The Thriller Video was global!!

so both.
 
Billie Jean for the Motown 25 performance and the song itself
Thriller for the video
and Beat It for the cross over appeal
 
spoonie said:
Both, and for the reasons you already said, Billie Jean for the song (and of course the Motown 25 performance as other people have said) and Thriller for the video. I couldn't possibly say for sure which was the main reason for it's success, so I'll say both :)
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I think too
 
Billie Jean, started it off, then when Michael appeared on Motown 25th it made more people crazy, just by the 'moonwalk', then when Thriller came out, it just topped it, and made Thriller sell more records.
 
After thinking it over, I would say both. The Motown 25 performance catapulted MJ into superstardom, and the Thriller video opened the doors for what could be done with the music video medium. I also think they were key events, which helped to really promote the album. Smart idea for Michael. I'm sure he was thinking about how those things could impact sales.
 
I think all of the songs on Thriller were essential to it's success. Without any of those songs it wouldn't even be what it is.
 
Courtney said:
I think all of the songs on Thriller were essential to it's success. Without any of those songs it wouldn't even be what it is.
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I agree. I find it funny though that the first single 'The Girl Is Mine', was thought to be superbig and had to be the premiere because Paul MsCartney was on it. I think in retrospect this is the most forgettable song of Thriller.
 
MJ Tempest said:
Personally I would say "Billie Jean", much thanks to the Motown 25 performance. The "Thriller" video was also very important, of course, but the sales of the "Thriller" album really took off after Motown 25.
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I agree with this completely. Of course, both were extremely important for MJ's career.
 
I think the success of Thriller album depended on many factors...Each song of the album is unique and each song was supposed to reach it's target audience ( Beat it is a rock song, the lady in my life is for romantic girls, some songs for those who like to dance (P.Y.T), duet with Paul McCartney is also a part of it)))
Billie Jean is 100% hit!
Thriller song has the best video (it has it's history and legend)
This album is so perfectly thought-out, each song is a part of it's success and to say that one song is more important then other would be wrong)))
 
I think Thriller it just knocked me out when I first saw it and even today it has dated little MJ still struts his stuff its just awesome!
 
The Motown 25 performance didn't spawn as many sales for the Thriller album as some like to think - that was no more than a couple of mill in the USA with a worldwide max of approx. 4mill.

The Thriller video, on the other hand, sold 14million copies all by itself and broke the record. In Moonwalk, Michael acknowledges the achievement was down to the video itself and historical sales data from 1983 through to early 1984 further proves it. Billie Jean at Motown 25 was rediscovered after the Thriller video by the rest of the world - looking through old newspaper archives helps pinpoint roughly when the one glove, moonwalk and thriller video became the legend we know today. Well after Motown 25.

Until Thriller video was released, the Thriller album had sold 12million copies worldwide and all it's singles had already been out except for Thriller. Sales had slowed down by late 1983 which Michael and CBS were very, very disappointed with until the Thriller video was premiere in December 1983 and then the video took the album to a new sales record with sellingg 14million copies alone. Nothing else on the album or other video was going to give Michael that achievement and he knew it which is why he thought big and saved the best promo he had for last.
 
I'm steering towards more "Billie Jean" because of the motown 25 performance but the global phenomenon that was the "Thriller" video surely played a big part of it
 
I'd say Billie Jean. But the Thriller VIDEO (sorry, I meant short film ;) ) was significant too.
 
Lets remember that by the time the Thriller video came out the album was already the most successful album of all time. So i would def say Billie Jean was more important.
 
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