LondonStyle said:

The 'borrowed' bassline of Billie Jean?
OK, but that doesn't make it a better album for that fact.
Popularity and quality are two distinct and separate qualities.
Being popular doesn't mean it isn't overrated.

Thriller is utter perfection. Anyone who disagrees is wrong.

AlexdeParis said:

I agree it's perfect, but don't you think it gets a tad bit overrated in the media and by reviewers because it sold so much?

daPrettyman said:

Actually, no. Those people are always quick to point out that it's the biggest-selling album of all time, but that's a fact. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it's the greatest album of all time.

It is my favorite by MJ, though.

AlexdeParis said:

Gotcha!

AlexdeParis said:

Any album with "The Girl Is Mine" on it is not perfect.

Moonbeam said:

What's wrong with that song?

daPrettyman said:

Absolutely everything. :shudder:

I don't like "The Lady in My Life" either, but it's miles better than "The Girl Is Mine", which competes with "Childhood" as the worst MJ song ever.

Moonbeam said:

Ok, we will have to agree to disagree, but to diss the best MJ ballad...ever is a sin.

Timmy84 said:

I was thinking the same thing

Dirty Mind is a classic and essential for any prince collection

I am not an MJ fan but agree it is a perfectly made album.
The songs are great and production is flawless. Sounds as fresh today as it did back then.
The video's, Mj's charisma, his dancing and stage took it to the next level.
Overrated?, no, but its importance in pop music maybe blown out of proportion.

Truly a great album.

Moonbeam said:

'Baby Be Mine' is on that same album believe it or not.
I also don't listen to P.Y.T. (I've never liked that song.)

AlexdeParis said:

I agree with this (although OTW is my favorite MJ album)."Billie Jean" is my favorite 80s pop song.I hear it in nightclubs nowadays and it still sounds fresh and invigorating.'Thriller' is a perfect pop album,virtually filler-free.

SUPRMAN said:

I kinda like "Baby Be Mine". That said, there are only 3-4 songs on Thriller that I love, another 3-4 that are decent, 1 that I think is pretty poor and another that is downright terrible. That's not a perfect album for me- a good one, yes, but not perfect.

violetblues said:

...and this is the problem with it, it sounds too perfect...almost planned. Unlike, "OTW", "Thriller", sounds processed and too clean. There is no soul in that album. This is where all of the hype and promotion came it. I also think that how much one like's those two albums, depends on when you were born. Those who were around for "OTW's" debut, love that album, more than "Thriller".

PPKING said:

While I love this album,I think '1999' is superior.

Similarly,I think 'Off The Wall' is better than 'Thriller'.

Sometimes,an artist's "breakthrough album" isn't necessarily their best work.

Riverpoet31 said:

With the exception of "When Doves Cry",it's a fairly conventional pop/rock album. An excellent rock/pop album,to be sure,but compared to the edgier '1999',it's a very safe,commercial album.There's hardly any funk on it.

While I agree, that Off The Wall is as good as Thriller, That 1999 is as good as Purple Rain, That Revolver is as good as Sgt Pepper, those albums come off as awesome indie records compared to what came next.

shorttrini said:

I disagree. There's plenty of soul on Thriller; "The Lady in My Life" comes to mind. For my money, "Human Nature" and "Billie Jean" surpass everything on OTW. The "weakest" tracks, "The Girl Is Mine" and "Thriller," are still completely enjoyable.

Am I the only one who likes "The Girl Is Mine" (from Thriller) and "Girlfriend" (from Off The Wall)? It seems that these two songs are always being dissed on this site

SoulAlive said:

Nope, I love both of them.

AlexdeParis said:

Me too

More than one orger has said that 'Off The Wall' is a great album until it gets to the "adult contempoary stuff" on Side Two.The first five songs are dancefloor jams,with three songs that are about dancing ("Rock With You","Get On The Floor",title track).At some point,you gotta slow things down,lol.I know it was the disco era but come on,even Donna Summer's 'Bad Girls' album has an entire side of ballads.

shorttrini said:

U don't consider "Lady In my Life" a soul song?

It's a great album but greatest ever? It's not even the best beatles album.

Thriller is not overrated...I don't care what anyone says.

SUPRMAN said:

where is it ''borrowed'' from?

^
I don't know what songs he meant but to me it has always sounded like a mix of Give It To Me Baby and Ghetto Life by Rick James
[Edited 9/16/09 10:06am]

violetblues said:

Excellent analogy. You are totally right that the quality of the songs on the former albums is sometimes even better than the latter albums, but there's a reason the latter ones made a bigger splash. And it's not just the videos/movies/album covers.

It's so refreshing to see a thread that people can actually discuss without fighting or turning to random bullshit.

It seems to me there are two camps on the issue, those that rate the music and those that rate the impact or popularity.

Not to say either is right, but along those lines Thriller is both overrated and not overrated. The music is hit and miss, but the album is probably the best known piece of pop music in the world.

Regardless, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" is simply horrible in all respects. In recent memory, that would be my choice for both aspects; music and impact.

SUPRMAN said:

Yeah, Alvin from The Chipmunks ruins it for me.