Thriller is Michael Jackson's sixth studio album, released on November 30, 1982 on Epic Records and produced by Quincy Jones. Recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the album blends pop, post-disco, funk, rock, and R&B across nine tracks, several of which became defining pop singles of the 1980s. The album's connection to the AllSolos catalog comes through "Beat It," which features a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen — a crossover moment that paired the era's biggest pop star with one of rock's most virtuosic guitarists. Van Halen recorded the solo in a single take as a favor to Jones, reportedly rearranging the song's structure in the process. Beyond that rock-oriented track, the album includes the funk-driven "Billie Jean," the title track's horror-themed arrangement with its iconic music video, and the Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine." Rod Temperton, who had written "Off the Wall" for Jackson's previous album, contributed "Thriller," "Baby Be Mine," and "The Lady in My Life." Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, with estimated sales exceeding 70 million copies worldwide. It won a record eight Grammy Awards in 1984 and spent nearly two and a half years on the Billboard 200 chart.
