Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ 40th Immersive Experience Celebrates MJ’s Legacy Live
November 30, 1982, is the day that pop culture was changed forever. Michael Jackson released his Quincy Jones-produced album, Thriller. Thriller is one of those albums where people who were around when it was first released likely have a story about where they were and what they were doing when they first heard it, and by extension, first watched some of the videos for classics like the single version of Thriller, Billie Jean, and Beat It.
Today, Thriller is 40, and it’s still one of the most influential and best-selling albums of all time, with music and visuals that still impact how music is made from sounds to visual presentation. That’s why Michael Jackson’s estate and Sony Music teamed up to commemorate Thriller’s milestone birthday by launching an immersive experience from November 18 - November 20. The free-to-the-public installation recreated the album’s magic with music video experiences, live performances, and the re-mastered release of an anniversary edition of the album complete with unreleased music.
“I love ‘Beat It', and ‘Thriller,’ and ‘Wanna Be Starting Something.’ This whole album is a masterpiece,” says Taylor Randle, 24, Atlanta, Ga. “My grandmother introduced me to Michael Jackson. We used to watch his documentaries, the movies and she had his albums. I think the only thing I didn’t get to do is go to a concert.”
Fans connected with the art by immersing themselves in the music. The experience started with a walk-through of the Billie Jean video with light-up floors, and paparazzi in trench coats. Then, there’s the Thriller video experience where fans were ushered into a theater to watch the classic horror dance film plus the added perk of actual zombies creeping into the room, performing the dance, and interacting with the crowd too.
The final rounds of the installment provided listening stations where people could hear a remastered version of Thriller plus new songs, just in time to re-introduce long-time fans to the music, and to introduce new fans to Jackson’s legacy.
“I grew up on the Jackson 5 and then when Thriller came out, we all gathered around the TV to watch the video because we’d never seen anything like that,” says Crystal Smith of Piscataway, NJ. “We had all the posters that you could imagine, and then my kids got into it because they heard it throughout the house all the time.”
Her son, Galen Smith, 29, added, “We used to hear it all the time, on long road trips and around the house. It was everywhere 24 hours a day.”
The experience is over, but the anniversary album is available, just in time for a holiday surprise.
