PurpleKnight said:

Off The Wall & Thriller is almost THE SAME album (sound-wise, IMO)!!!

But Thriller was perfect nonetheless. Every song on that album were release singles (excluding Baby Be Mine, which did get radio airtime in the Dirty South).

BlaqueKnight said:

TonyVanDam said:

I really don't hear any similarity in Thriller or Off The Wall. Off The Wall is more of a Jacksons album mixed with a flavor of Quincy Jones' jazz, disco, and R&B arrangements. Thriller, in terms of production, is more new-wave pop based with a little bit of more rock in the mix and Quincy and his crew experiment with synthesizers, which they will use heavily on the Bad album.

silverchild said:

...and you're right.

All I'm saying is that Quincy & Michael just took what they already done with [b]Off The Wall and raise the production up a notch for Thriller.

And yes, they rock a little bit too![/b]

TonyVanDam said:

You're absolutely 100% right!

this is what i think about thriller....

Thriller does have MJ's best individual songs in Wanna Be Startin Something, Beat It, Billie Jean and Human Nature.

PYT, Baby Be Mine and Lady In My Life are also top quality stuff. I don't really like the title song much, I find it a bit silly but it does get funky towards the end of it.

The Girl Is Mine like all other McCartney - Jackson songs (Girlfriend and Say Say Say) is complete shit. One of the worst songs Jackson's ever done. MJ should've stayed the hell away from McCartney and his cheesy songs, well at least he got the Beatles back catalog. I bet Paul regrets the day he told MJ about buying other people's music.

I don't see how people can say Dangerous is MJ's best album, half the album is mostly him grunting over a drum machine, however it does get better midway through. MJ has over done this grunting since Smooth Criminal and it has ruined many of his songs.

I rate MJ's best albums in this order

1. Thriller
2. Bad
3. Off The Wall
4. Dangerous
5. HIStory
6. Invincible

No it isn't.

"Thriller" IS overrated in its own right because it's much too calculated and commercial, but hey, at least it's organic and soulful, unlike his succeeding albums, which are massively overproduced, plagued by old-hat gimmicks (both lyrically and musically), and feature ridiculous grunting/yipping/hooting overload (there were vocal mannerisms on this album and "Off The Wall", as well as some Jacksons work, too, but at least it was soulful and kept to a limit, rather than forced and over-the-top).

"Thriller" is his last great, timeless record. I used to love "Bad" like a sibling and stick up for it all the time, but eventually, I had to stop splitting hairs and look at the harsh truth: It, along with everything else succeeding it, is only chasing after his previous fame.

silverchild said:

I was one of those people who years ago insisted that "Sgt. Pepper's" was not only the Beatles' greatest album, but that it was the greatest album of all time. Now, looking back, while I still believe that "Sgt. Pepper's" is one of the great albums of all time (which was groundbreaking for its studio production and for introducing the concept album), I wouldn't necessarily say it's the best Beatles album. There are a lot of tracks on the White Album which are superior to those on "Sgt. Pepper's", and even "Rubber Soul" has a few outstandingly superior tracks.

What makes it difficult to determine what is the greatest album here or what is overrated has to do with too many factors, like commerical accessibility, artistic excellence, groundbreaking techniques not previously seen before, and the general mood of the record-buying public at the time the album is released. It's almost like a perfect storm has to happen for a truly seminal album to be released. This is almost similar to the signature songs thread, where an artist may be remembered for a certain song for all time, even though the song itself may not be that particularly good or the artist may have released far superior work elsewhere. Madonna will always be remembered for "Like A Virgin." Does that make it her greatest song ever? Hardly. She had released much better songs like "Live To Tell," "Like A Prayer," "Ray Of Light," and "Drowned World/Substitute For Love." But because of the popularity and accessibility of "Like A Virgin," that's the song that people will most remember her for.

Now as for "Thriller," it's Michael Jackson's most successful album, and when I listen to it, it still sounds fresh to me. It's one of the most outstanding pop albums of all time. Perhaps it's because it's one of the most outstanding "pop" albums that some people believe that it is overrrated; after all, MJ has an R&B background. I thought "Off The Wall" was a terriffic album, just as good as "Thriller," but the fact that it was released during the twilight of disco era may have caused some people to write it off as a disco album. "Bad" has a few good tracks as well, but the production does sound dated due to the electro pop influence.

BlaqueKnight said:

-----
Co-Sign BK. I don't know what is going on that everything has to be disected and ripped apart. I can still listen to Thriller today and enjoy and play the w hold CD without skipping. I can't say that about to many other artist.

BlaqueKnight said:

:

If it were a 7-track album, it could content with his best material, but "The Girl Is Mine" may very well be the worst song he's ever been involved with, and "The Lady in My Life" isn't far behind.

Thriller is massively influential and important and contains some great, great material. But 7 great tracks doesn't make a flawless album when there are 2 to drag it down...

Off The Wall is a good album but Thiller is a GREAT ALBUM. Every cut is tight, Dangerous can't touch this album IMHO!

BlaqueKnight said:

Oh please,its about time somebody had the balls to tell the truth!
THRILLER IS OVERRATED!
I don't care how many copies it sold.

Moonbeam said:

Lady in My Life is a quality track with some of Mj's best vocal work. LL Cool J even sampled the song on Hey Lover.

SEXYMOFO said:

I've always thgought so too.

SEXYMOFO said:

Cheese-fest supreme.

Moonbeam said:

the beauty of "each its own"..


lady in my life is my favorite mj track...EVER!!

Moonbeam said:

C'mon.. you don't even dig the vocal breakdowns?!

PurpleKnight said:

I very much agree. And I'll add that "Purple Rain" is even more overrated to the max.

jbell said:

-----
For an overated recording it sure as been influnecial. I guess we are on a bash the 80's movement on the org today. Well take a look around everybody now a days is trying to sound like to 80's. Because millions of records sold back them not thousands. The music was a 100 times better and PR was leading the pack. Live in a state of denial if you want to. It does not change the facts.

squiddyren said:

No way!

PurpleKnight said:

THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT THILLER IS THE SAME WAY I FEEL ABOUT SIGN O' THE TIME

I think off the wall is possibally the most overated record ever.


It ain't crap, but ?

"thriller" is a goood, very consistant record. But I cant hear "billy jean" "beat it" "thriller" anymore. They are so overplayed.

laurarichardson said:

I don't think mentioning two albums in one thread should constitute you rushing to the aid of 80's music.

Also, why mention sales at all? This is about Thriller being really overrated to my ears.
[Edited 8/27/05 18:32pm]

thesexofit said:

Until you give up the Hammer, your opinion cannot be counted

thesexofit said:

agree 100%, i read so many good reviews on off the wall and was so excited as i had just brought history and it was sooooo good and the fact that people were saying off the wall was his best, got me very excited seeing as how good history was. then i brought it and..... very dissapointed. off the wall is my least fabourite and least listened to album out of michaels whole catalougue inlcuing jacksons and jackson 5 stuff.

off the wall = overrated, give me destiny and triumph, dangerous and history, hell even invincible anyday

hellomoto said:

your crack dealer is looking for you...

Monster on the loose!
[Edited 8/28/05 8:18am]