The common consensus among critics is that Michael Jackson’s Thriller is the greatest music video ever. And I reluctantly agree that the nearly 14-minute epic is an influential and defining piece of the music video format. But 40 years later, Thriller plays more like a short film full of director John Landis’s unique brand of comedy and horror, treating Jackson’s catchy tune as an afterthought.
I would argue that Billie Jean is a far more entertaining and (ahem) thrilling watch that perfectly complements Jackson’s unique songcraft. Compared to Thriller, which was dominated by a filmmaker’s sensibilities, Billie Jean’s smaller scale and low-fi imagery became far more influential on the emerging new format. Along with Madonna, who began her video legacy in 1983, Jackson showed that the music video wasn’t just another advertising tool but a new art form that could give music and the artist a visual identity.
As a member of the Jackson 5, the younger Michael practically grew up in front of the camera. He even landed a supporting role in the disastrous film version of the Broadway musical The Wiz, playing the Scarecrow opposite Diana Ross’s Dorothy (and arguably, the best thing in that bizarre movie). And before MTV debuted in 1981, Jackson had produced three stylish videos for his first solo album, Off the Wall. So, when it was time to film Billie Jean, Jackson was already a music video veteran.
Jackson teamed with Steve Barron, one of the great music video directors of the early MTV era. He helmed Madonna’s first concept video Burning Up, and the (still) stunning Take on Me, for Norwegian band A-Ha, a clip that innovatively blended animation and live action. For Billie Jean, Barron used multiple-screen imaging edited to the song’s beat, an effect that captures the spare and sleek tone of the song. We follow a pensive Jackson, dressed in a snazzy suit and tie, strolling down a stylized street corner while being followed by a gruff private investigator. There’s the very cool effect of objects lighting up, like the sidewalk or a lamppost, as Jackson touches them. And Barron films the clip like an MGM musical set inside a Blade Runner-style dystopia, showcasing Jackson’s singular, limber dance moves.
Billie Jean was a sensation upon its release in January 1983, becoming the rare music video to get major news coverage. And you would think that new cable channel MTV, which was starved for content in 1983, would embrace a musician piercing the pop culture bubble. But MTV executives refused to air the video, telling Jackson’s record company CBS Records they were nervous that a black R&B artist would clash with MTV’s rebellious rock & roll identity. The move so incensed CBS president Walter Yetnikoff that he threatened not only to pull the entire CBS catalog from MTV’s airways but go public that the network was racially biased against black artists. The gamble worked as the cable channel relented, and Billie Jean made its MTV debut on March 10th, 1983.
Ironically, Jackson’s three-video trilogy of Billie Jean, Beat It, and Thriller helped make the fledgling music network culturally relevant and brought a new mass audience. The Thriller album was a worldwide phenomenon, becoming one of the best-selling LPs with 70 million (and counting) copies sold. And who can forget Jackson’s iconic performance at Motown’s 25th anniversary, where he sported his signature white glove and performed his famous moonwalk dance move? From that moment on, Jackson became Gen-X’s version of Elvis.
The era of MTV had finally arrived. And it all started with Michael Jackson making the sidewalk glow as he sang about his girl Billie Jean.
Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Chad, I was not up on the backstory at all as to how this eventually got on MTV, but obviously it airing there was another landmark event in the music channel’s history. Surprising it was even an issue, but it sure worked out to be a win for everyone involved. Another classic MJ video.
Hi Bruce, yeah MTV was reluctant to open its doors to other kinds of music other than rock, but it proved to be a good move. There’s a great 2019A&E Biography, “I want my MTV” with many fascinating stories of the early days of the cable network. As such, this is my favorite Michael Jackson song and video.
I totally get that would be your favorite, Chad. I’d go with Thriller, in no small part because I’m a big fan of Halloween and love MJ’s “horror take.” His song and video around that time of year always gets me into the Halloween spirit!