Michael Jackson's Thriller probably stands as the most beloved album in the history of recorded music.
Of course, the King of Pop's biggest juggernaut is not the most groundbreaking album ever made. It lacks the cohesion of a great concept album. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better collection of pop singles.
Over the course of one album, Jackson gives you funk, disco, easy listening, hard rock, and quiet storm. The songs are about everything from New York City to questionable paternity to gang violence. Vincent Price drops in for the best guest rap of all time. It’s a gonzo ride and you’ll love almost every minute of it.
Ranking Michael Jackson's classic songs is harder than it looks
With that in mind, ranking the tracks on the album is a bit of a daunting task. Just about every music lover has strong opinions on this record. Regardless, I don’t think I’ll upset too many people by ignoring “The Girl Is Mine.”
5. "Human Nature"
This isn’t one of the flashiest songs on the record or one of the most famous. However, it gives Jackson a showcase for the angelic side of his voice. This song about wanting to "take a bite" out of the Big Apple sounds shockingly innocent considering the subject matter, but Jackson pulls it off.
4. "Thriller"
A lot of Halloween music (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) is a little too scary for most trick-or-treaters. “Monster Mash” goes in the opposite direction and is utterly toothless. “Thriller” is just the right combination of eerie and fun to stick around as long as kids go around asking strangers for candy corn and Snickers bars.
3. "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
This disco/new wave combo might be the most sonically unique moment on the album. Somehow, the King of Pop made robot voices work in a song about getting it on. It’s a real shame he never brought this track to life in one of his signature over-the-top music videos, but the song lives on nonetheless.
2. "Beat It"
The opening of “Beat It” alone is enough to make it a classic. Some pop stars sound perfectly at home in rock ‘n’ roll (Lady Gaga) while others sound lost in the genre (Demi Lovato). Jackson managed to take an Eddie Van Halen riff and make it unmistakably his own.
1. "Billie Jean"
Like many great works of art, “Billie Jean” takes an idea that doesn’t work on paper and makes it universally appealing. How many other dark post-disco songs are there about a man worrying about whether or not he impregnated a groupie?
This song should have been a disaster that spoke to Jackson alone, but now it’s widely considered his masterwork. People will be listening to it for at least a century.