In 1981, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones set out on one of the most ambitious projects in pop music history: an album where every song was a hit. The result was Thriller. The record-breaking, chart-topping masterpiece produced six top-ten hits, became the best-selling album of all time, and propelled Black American music into global pop dominance. Watch as jazz musicians Peter Martin and Adam Maness react to this iconic '80s pop album. They break it down track-by-track: MJ's timeless ad-libbed melodies, Ndugu Chancler's drum intros (the greatest in pop history?!), Greg Phillinganes's synths, and Rod Temperton's songwriting. Thriller is so much more than "Thriller". Listen with us, and you'll never hear this record the same way again. Michael Jackson unveils the moonwalk at NBC's Motown 25 special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB7TqzPVt_M&t=538s Greg Phillinganes breaks down the bass line on "Thriller": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UqxOg3M-OM Adam and Peter analyze Off the Wall : https://youtu.be/jR9zxGueeq4 Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi Play better in 2026 and beyond at Open Studio. Join today with our last BIG savings of the year at openstudiojazz.com/yhi
