Michael Jackson's Thriller 25: Is the Deluxe Anniversary Edition Worth the Price?

Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jackson set a new musical standard, broke sales records and garnered eight Grammy Awards with the release of his groundbreaking album, Thriller. The album was arguably the peak of Jackson's creativity and spawned a number of enormous hits, chief among them "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," along with its monster title track.

Thriller 25 -- the 25th anniversary edition released by Epic/Legacy -- is basically a testament to the album's relevance today. In the two-and-a-half decades gone by since the release of Thriller, no one has come close to matching its sales figures or its musical genius.

The anniversary edition of "the world's biggest selling album of all time" comes with all of the original songs (see track listing at the end of this article), plus an unreleased track recorded during the "Thriller" sessions called "For All Time." While that song isn't exactly a reason to go out and purchase this new edition, it doesn't take away from the release either.

Also included are Jackson's legendary performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever and the "short films" (as they're called) for "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and the epic, 13-minute "Thriller" video, which managed to combine romance and horror with ghoulishly alluring choreography and Jackson transforming into a werewolf.

The CD casing is emblazoned with a metallic gold edge, and loaded with pictures of a young Jackson sprawled out with a baby tiger, looking sharp in a yellow sweater vest and bow tie or striking a Jacksonesque pose while sporting his notorious red, multi-zippered jacket, plus artwork from the original album and a number of stills from the "Thriller" video. There are also lyrics provided for each song.

Additionally, there are six reworked tracks that have been updated for 2008 audience, and save for Kanye West's offering, "Billie Jean 2008," these are not a reason to buy the album. While they do provide a new take on old material, all of them miss the mark, including will.i.am's "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "P.Y.T. 2008," Akon's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin 2008'" and Fergie's "Beat It 2008."

This is because all of the collaborators, save for West, try too hard to put their stamp on the new versions -- altering them considerably and bringing interpretations that are far less exciting than the originals. Only West managed to maintain the core of the original version while adding something new and slightly hip-hop flavored to the mix. While Akon & Company push themselves too prominently into the foreground and ruin the song as a result, West lurks in the shadows, giving us stellar production and lending only a couple of passing shout-outs as evidence of his presence.

The deluxe edition is priced at $23.99 at Amazon.com, and at that price, and virtually any price under $40, it's a steal. The packaging, the pictures, the original songs and accompanying videos are a must-have for anyone that considers themselves a true music fan. There's a reason why Thriller became the biggest selling album of all time and earned Jackson eight Grammys. This was arguably the music world's most talented artist at his peak, with a creative team led by Quincy Jones working their magic behind him. Buying Thriller 25 isn't just about owning a CD, it's about claiming a piece of music history.

CD Track Listing:

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
2. Baby Be Mine
3. The Girl Is Mine with Paul McCartney
4. Thriller
5. Beat It
6. Billie Jean
7. Human Nature
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
9. The Lady In My Life
10. Vincent Price Excerpt from "Thriller" Voice-over session

Previously unreleased tracks for 25th anniversary edition:

11. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am.
12. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with will.i.am
13. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Akon
14. Beat It 2008 with Fergie
15. Billie Jean 2008 with Kanye West
16. For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions)

DVD Track Listing:

Short Films:

1. Billie Jean
2. Beat It
3. Thriller
4. Billie Jean - The Legendary Performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever