Understanding Thriller

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  • Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
  • It's October, which means everyone's playlists are being invaded by Halloween classics, but when it comes to fun, spooky music, there's one song that seems to reign above the rest: Michael Jackson's Thriller. It's the centerpiece of many a Halloween party mix, and for good reason: Not only is it a goofy tribute to classic horror films, it's also just, like, a really good piece of music, made by one of the greatest pop artists of all time, at the top of his game. So how did Jackson, along with collaborators Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton, manage to take this over-the-top ode to scary movies and turn it into one of the biggest hits of all time? Well... it's complicated.
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    Last: • The Speech-To-Song Ill...
    Script: docs.google.com/document/d/1T...
    SOURCES:
    scribd.com/doc/3934674/Michae...
    tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/...
    www.bigbasstabs.com/michael_j...
    • Piano - Thriller - Mic...
    www.musicradar.com/news/guita...
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    Also, thanks to Jareth Arnold for proofreading the script to make sure this all makes sense hopefully!

Комментарии • 539

  • @12tone
    @12tone  4 года назад +257

    Some additional thoughts/corrections:
    1) Another possible explanation of the F#7 is that we're just in C# Dorian, not C# minor. I considered that analysis, and would've gone into it if the video wasn't spiraling out of control lengthwise already, but I rejected it for a couple reasons. The first is that the main point of Dorian is to be a less tense minor, and since the verse melody contains no A#s the only Dorian-ish thing we have is the F#7, which doesn't really accomplish that goal. We also have F# minor chords in the intro and chorus, and A major chords in the bridge and outro, so if it's Dorian it's not consistently Dorian, but overall the only time it ever seems to play A# anywhere in the arrangement is when the harmony is built on F#, and almost all of those chord are explicitly used to increase tension, so to my ears viewing it as borrowed from the Blues just makes more sense.

    • @gravelinacup
      @gravelinacup 4 года назад +10

      As an argument for dorian, the dorian mode is often associated with still minor but the natural 6 giving it a hopeful feeling. The changes then between F#7 and F#m give us the feeling of hope then take that hope away which seems very fitting in the context of a 'horror song'.

    • @konzetsu6068
      @konzetsu6068 4 года назад +4

      On the subject of the drums (you mentioned drum machine) search for “moffett thriller” here on YT for how it’s played live, Jonathan “sugarfoot” Moffett was MJ’ drummer so you can’t get much closer than that.

    • @elwayfan01
      @elwayfan01 4 года назад +5

      Spiralling out of control lengthwise...
      As if we wouldn't watch a 20 or 30 minute video with more in depth spitballing from our favourite combination music theorist and elephant cartoonist.

    • @monsterandmaster
      @monsterandmaster 4 года назад +3

      To me, the F#7 is only a modal interchange with C# melodic minor. It's a chord borrowed from it. In melodic minor we have this dominant fourth degree wich gives us the lydian dominant mode.
      It's very common to alternate between harmonic, melodic and natural minor so it is just for me a functionnal substition chords.
      But you sure can see it as borrowed from the blues, there is just here more theorycal explanation maybe.

    • @monsterandmaster
      @monsterandmaster 4 года назад

      Melo minor harmonisation
      i mM7(13)
      ii m9b(13)
      III aug(#11)
      IV 7(#11)
      V 7(b13)
      vi min7b5(natural 9)
      vii Alt

  • @zizoumonk10
    @zizoumonk10 4 года назад +724

    "I just thought it sounded cool." - Michael Jackson

    • @KnjazNazrath
      @KnjazNazrath 4 года назад +24

      But Rod Temperton wrote the music...

    • @TorutheRedFox
      @TorutheRedFox 4 года назад +83

      with guidance from Michael
      he was just too picky to let someone write the music for him without at least having _some_ involvement in it

    • @CertifiedTae
      @CertifiedTae 4 года назад +20

      @@TorutheRedFox Exactly..

    • @kiplingmartin4903
      @kiplingmartin4903 4 года назад +3

      Dude, you nailed it!

    • @cornboy7587
      @cornboy7587 4 года назад +5

      What a legend.

  • @erikthered931
    @erikthered931 4 года назад +207

    "long hold"
    > AT&T symbol
    I see you

    • @LukeBeadles
      @LukeBeadles 4 года назад +4

      Oh that's what that was

    • @charlesfloyd3747
      @charlesfloyd3747 4 года назад +4

      EriktheRed Damn even 12tone throwing shade at AT&T

    • @wendywhoisit1819
      @wendywhoisit1819 4 года назад

      @@charlesfloyd3747 Why is he throwing shade at them? What did they do? What is this about? I know they helped me, since they have some contract with my high school where they help with the economic subjects, but I don't know much about them.

    • @charlesfloyd3747
      @charlesfloyd3747 4 года назад +4

      Wendy Whoisit I’m assuming they put him on hold for a while when he called their customer service, and he’s subtly showing his displeasure with their customer service

    • @k-dubs420
      @k-dubs420 4 года назад

      Good Old Dragon oh makes sense lol, I mean I usually have no problem with at&t tho I think it was just a busy day

  • @yellowpsychopath
    @yellowpsychopath 4 года назад +177

    The track wasn't even meant to be horror themed, the demo was called 'Starlight' with all the exact same musicality but it's about partying and stuff

    • @Pearg0ld
      @Pearg0ld 4 года назад +5

      Thanks for that now I need to hear this demo

    • @MacetazzOpina
      @MacetazzOpina 4 года назад +5

      maybe it was spooky so quincy jones told him to change themes

    • @danieltoi6347
      @danieltoi6347 Год назад +2

      Little late here, it was actuall a list of words ( song topics / themes ) and Thriller just stood out to MJ and Qunicy so they decided to shift the Starlight demo to that. Also you can find the Starlight demo online, there is basic thriller production by Rob Temperton who not only wrote the song but all the melodies you hear the instruments play

  • @cb._
    @cb._ 4 года назад +349

    Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, with 66 million copies. The Eagles compilation record is the best selling album in the US.

    • @alexanderiskandar8379
      @alexanderiskandar8379 4 года назад +3

      True, but the confirmed figure of albums sold for Thriller is only 47 million copies.

    • @cb._
      @cb._ 4 года назад +29

      @@alexanderiskandar8379 That 47 million is from available certification organizations. Countries that distribute music using independent record labels only aren't counted in this figure. I actually would estimate that Thriller has sold nearly 100 million copies because of how universal it is, but Guinness World Records estimated 66 million: www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/70133-best-selling-album

    • @B---tw3kh
      @B---tw3kh 4 года назад +42

      You mean that America isn't the whole world? An interesting revelation

    • @alexanderiskandar8379
      @alexanderiskandar8379 4 года назад +2

      @@cb._ I've heard these numbers before, but I still have seen no evidence of them being correct. Even the link you provided doesn't give any sources, nor does it share the methodology used to arrive at 66 million. Also, I don't trust the Guiness World Record organisation, they have been pretty unreliable in the past.
      Do you have any idea where these numbers come from? I'm actually pretty interested now.

    • @cb._
      @cb._ 4 года назад +9

      @@alexanderiskandar8379 This article describes at length what this particular columnist used to gather that number, citing the work of a persisrent French music data collector, Guillaume Vieira:
      www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/did-thriller-really-sell-a-hundred-million-copies
      Honestly though, it's hard to say. I only said 66 million because of this article and Guinness, but it could be different. I don't agree with the 47 million figure because that would mean Thriller had only sold 14 million outside of the US, which just wouldn't make much sense considering his massive notoriety in countries not accounted for by international recording associations.

  • @PriestessGoat
    @PriestessGoat 4 года назад +39

    I litterally understand none of any of your videos but I am just so jazzed to hear you enthusiastically explain them. Thanks for making me smile mate

  • @georgewashington5655
    @georgewashington5655 4 года назад +504

    Corrections: Thriller is THE best selling album of all time.

    • @yiftach2949
      @yiftach2949 4 года назад +21

      It was for a while, the eagles:best hits beat it (pun not intended) recently.
      how led zeppelin 4 is just 5th place is beyond me. should be 1st

    • @christaddelospunch
      @christaddelospunch 4 года назад +90

      @@yiftach2949 the eagles outsold MJ only in the US

    • @yiftach2949
      @yiftach2949 4 года назад +5

      @@christaddelospunch well then god bless america

    • @symph1744
      @symph1744 4 года назад +40

      @@christaddelospunch Thats what I read as well, add in Europe/Asia and thriller still seems to be the biggest selling album

    • @bobbyhuntleyii346
      @bobbyhuntleyii346 4 года назад +33

      World Wide! Give the man his respect 👑👑👑

  • @mzrocker105
    @mzrocker105 4 года назад +146

    Thriller is still the best selling album of all time worldwide. Just not america

  • @zibbybone
    @zibbybone 4 года назад +11

    It's important to note that "Thriller" was originally written as "Starlight" after MJ heard Prince's "1999". MJ said he wanted that huge synth sound from "1999". If you look at the lyrics to "Starlight", they have a similar theme to 1999's "party before the apocalypse".

  • @e.s.7272
    @e.s.7272 4 года назад +371

    Sorry - BUT "Thriller" is THE best selling album of all time - WORLDWIDE!

    • @garyermann
      @garyermann 4 года назад +31

      After a little research, it looks like the issue is that the record for best selling album of all time has been flipping between "Thriller" and "The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" for awhile now, so it can be a little confusing tracking what album is on top when you try and look it up.

    • @krnvvv
      @krnvvv 4 года назад +55

      @@garyermann no, worldwide it's thriller. this confusion it's about United States sales

    • @p4ul11n3
      @p4ul11n3 4 года назад +1

      not anymore

    • @thecollector4332
      @thecollector4332 3 года назад

      @@p4ul11n3
      Yes it is. Worldwide.

    • @Doctor_Straing_Strange
      @Doctor_Straing_Strange 3 года назад +8

      it’s so weird that the eagles beat MJ in the US, I don’t even know who they are

  • @christian7978
    @christian7978 4 года назад +63

    Thriller is THE best selling album of all time. Not second. The Eagles’ Greatest Hits album is a compilation of songs while Thriller is a studio album. Besides, The Eagles are the best selling only in the US. The US is not the entire world so Thriller still holds the global record of the best selling album of all time.

  • @jonnyp1340
    @jonnyp1340 4 года назад +96

    ITS Close to MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDNIGHT
    And something evil's lurking in the dark

    • @launder0
      @launder0 4 года назад +20

      under the moooooooooooooooooooonlight
      you see a sight that almost stops your heart

    • @MrMisterkrazy
      @MrMisterkrazy 4 года назад +18

      You try to screeeeaaaaaaaaam
      But terror takes the sound before you make it!

    • @CaptainRiterraSmith
      @CaptainRiterraSmith 4 года назад +19

      @@MrMisterkrazy You start to freeeeeeeze as horror looks you right between the eyes, you're paralyzed!

    • @CaptainRiterraSmith
      @CaptainRiterraSmith 4 года назад +17

      @@herr_crustovsky And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike. You know it's Thriller! Thriller night!

    • @Dmaj089
      @Dmaj089 4 года назад +6

      @@CaptainRiterraSmith 'Cause this is Thriller,Thriller Night!!

  • @Seltaeb_
    @Seltaeb_ 4 года назад +79

    Take notes about your notes....
    I... uh....
    I want to be mad... BUT ELEPHANT STICKERS!

  • @AlRoderick
    @AlRoderick 4 года назад +62

    "Werewolf bar mitzvah, spooky scary, boys becoming men, men becoming wolves!"

  • @alex_montoya
    @alex_montoya 4 года назад +104

    It's the best selling album of all time. Worldwide, by a long shot.

    • @jesuschrist4185
      @jesuschrist4185 2 года назад +1

      No it’s not

    • @jimmyvanilla5285
      @jimmyvanilla5285 2 года назад

      @@jesuschrist4185 no?

    • @sammantixgm
      @sammantixgm 2 года назад +6

      It seems to be a hard find between whether Thriller or Eagles- Their Greatest Hits holds the number one spot at any given time. I've seen a bunch of sites say they "updated in 2021" but..don't seem to hold new information.
      As it stands. The common trivia fact fired off is: "What's the best selling album of all time? Eagles Greatest Hits." Whether this remains true is probably debatable, but I'm having a hard time finding a rock solid number for either, because I don't know where to look to find those metrics without them being aggregated in an article that someone wrote...who knows when.
      Edit: apparently, it seems now..let's see a wiki article claims...the certified number for Thriller is currently 48.9 mil (while..it's claimed to be 70 mil? That's..absurdly different numbers there, but okay) whereas Eagles boasts 41.2 mil and claims 44 mil. More reasonable discrepancy there. Meanwhile, apparently Eagles is 38 mil US and Thriller is 34 mil US and it's...probably that a bunch of people took US sales and called them worldwide because...that's the..kind of country we are.
      Weird.
      Edit again to say: almost every article ever written about "greatest selling albums of all time" has used those numbers on the past few years, leading to a common consensus among people who have ever just googled "greatest selling album of all time"

    • @Euro.Patriot
      @Euro.Patriot 2 года назад +1

      @@sammantixgm But no-one listens to The Eagles wtf.

    • @vorpalblades
      @vorpalblades 2 года назад

      Negative. Back In Black -50 million.

  • @Dingus_Khaan
    @Dingus_Khaan 2 года назад +4

    I find myself quoting Vincent Price's part pretty often. Belting out a menacing cackle is hella cathartic.

  • @Sly_Spy
    @Sly_Spy 4 года назад +52

    0:56 the drawing of the wolf is SOOOOO CUTE

  • @lighttvgaming4989
    @lighttvgaming4989 4 года назад +113

    Actually Thriller is the second best selling in America, everywhere else it is THE best selling album of all time (around the world)

  • @AzhiOnline
    @AzhiOnline 3 года назад +7

    I was 4 years old when the video for Thriller came out, and its the first music video I remember. My parents and I were at a family friend's house and their older kids were watching MTV. I loved the song but the video terrified me. My memory of both the song and video is so vivid, I really appreciate this analysis. It amazing how evocative music can be.

  • @xavierrose8208
    @xavierrose8208 4 года назад +39

    It's the best selling album of all time, Eagles Greatest Hits doesn't count, as it's a compilation and not a studio album, and it's units are only held in the US. RIIA already cleared this up...

  • @haitiannationalist5165
    @haitiannationalist5165 4 года назад +18

    Thriller is still the best selling album of all time globally.

  • @dreamfaller6372
    @dreamfaller6372 2 года назад +13

    Lmao, I remember years ago I was sitting with a musician and told him I love pop music. He was like "oh well, you basically just have like 4 chords in most of pop so if you know them you can play almost anything." He played me some of them on the guitar. Then I was like " great, can you play me some Michael Jackson with that?" and he was like "Yeah ... no." ^^ Looking at this I can see why not XD

  • @michaeljackson8352
    @michaeljackson8352 4 года назад +10

    Michael Jackson was a Musical Genius, unbelievable man...

    • @maryriver2311
      @maryriver2311 4 года назад +1

      You mean Quincy. Michael couldn’t even read music

    • @richardkovacs2006
      @richardkovacs2006 4 года назад +2

      @@mattesteves8110 the song was written by Rod Temperton. But nice theory... pfff

    • @richardkovacs2006
      @richardkovacs2006 4 года назад

      @@maryriver2311 yet he wrote Billie Jean and some more. All by himself. You know, music existed well before western songwriting...

    • @richardkovacs2006
      @richardkovacs2006 2 года назад

      @@mattesteves8110 I suggest you to check out MJs home demos. Seriously. Available on yt. He "wrote" music - music that is - by going straight on tape. Or check his court depositions about his songwriting, even when he was drugged during his deposition, he was quite sharp about his music. And by writing music I meant actually writing it down. Notes on the paper. That's what MJ never cared to learn. But before writing it down music exists in our heads 1st. As far as I can remember MJ had a head. So.... As for Q arranging everything: album credits are open data, you know. btw funny sht yt is. notification 2 years later seems legit.

  • @RobLives4Love
    @RobLives4Love 3 года назад +8

    All of this is more impressive when you understand that Michael could never read or write music, he would compose full demo songs using a cassette recorder and beatboxing

    • @Ethan-tn4jc
      @Ethan-tn4jc 2 года назад +2

      and all the more disappointing when you understand that Michael wrote the music to very few of his biggest hits

    • @richardkovacs2006
      @richardkovacs2006 Год назад +3

      @@Ethan-tn4jc he wrote the music to very fee of his greatest hits? Ah, wait. Don't stop, Billie Jean, Beat it, wanna be startin somethin,. Basically the whole Bad album (Smooth criminal), Blackmor.White, They don't care about us just the top of my head. His greatest hits not written by him are Human Nature Rock with you theiller and Man in the Mirror, if I remember well.

  • @ananyashree7999
    @ananyashree7999 4 года назад +18

    Correction:-Triller is the best selling album of all time✌

  • @XleeHS
    @XleeHS 4 года назад +10

    he was a pure genius!
    love him!! we miss you mike!! ❤️❤️

  • @craigstephenson7676
    @craigstephenson7676 4 года назад +13

    "That's what elephant stickers are for"
    Well said my dude
    Well said

  • @shindousan
    @shindousan 4 года назад +17

    9:07 A7 shares 3 notes with C#°7, so I think it serves as a reference to the initial surprise, though not as strong. Possibly a second sighting of the same monster but now you can handle it? :P

  • @alexxio8656
    @alexxio8656 4 года назад +4

    I really love the doodles you make to explain music theory its cute and casual makes sure the video doesn't feel like a lecture

  • @jeffyutzler309
    @jeffyutzler309 4 года назад +16

    Thank you for saying the word "tresillo" out loud. I knew what it was (and use it frequently in my own music), but I wasn't sure if it had a Spanish pronunciation or not.
    Sometimes it is the little things.

  • @photosinensis
    @photosinensis 4 года назад +75

    14:01 Hey, it's The Lick!

    • @WhirligigStudios
      @WhirligigStudios 4 года назад +4

      You should take a look at what the second line of music he writes is. ;)

    • @timschulz9563
      @timschulz9563 4 года назад +7

      @@WhirligigStudios The Rick!

    • @Matthewrents
      @Matthewrents 4 года назад +1

      @@WhirligigStudios The notes on the left are a nice touch too

    • @AndrewBeals
      @AndrewBeals 4 года назад +1

      That jumped out at me as well.

  • @avedic
    @avedic 4 года назад

    jesus christ....i thought i understood this song theoretically, but there's SO MUCH going on. so many subtle details i've always _heard_ but never quite realized how deliberate it all was. very cool video....

  • @tragiclantern
    @tragiclantern 4 года назад +1

    As a literature and poetry analyst, I LOVE this video! All your videos, to be fair, but this one in particular. I really enjoy your questioning, insights and evidence (and illustrations). Always a pleasure, sir. Thanks!

  • @ianbarcelos
    @ianbarcelos 4 года назад +44

    THRILLER IS THE BEST SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIME.

    • @yiftach2949
      @yiftach2949 4 года назад

      its not, google it.

    • @admiralstardust660
      @admiralstardust660 4 года назад +6

      @@yiftach2949 It is, America's Greatest Hits has sold more than Thriller only in the US, worldwide, Thriller is still the king.

    • @richardkovacs2006
      @richardkovacs2006 4 года назад +6

      @@yiftach2949 "The Estate of Michael Jackson has questioned the sudden jump in Eagles ‘Their Greatest Hits’ sales which has pushed the Eagles title up “overnight” by 9 million sales. The additional 9,000,000 sales were added to the Eagles total following an audit dating back to 1976, the year the album was released. The Jackson estate is calling bullshit on the result but the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the organisation that hands out Platinum Awards, is accepting the result." see also www.billboard.com/articles/business/8503903/eagles-vs-michael-jackson-questions-linger-best-selling-album-all-time

    • @yiftach2949
      @yiftach2949 4 года назад

      @@richardkovacs2006 stfu nerd

    • @richardkovacs2006
      @richardkovacs2006 4 года назад +1

      @@yiftach2949 😂😂😂 that was a quote, buddy. I'm sorry you hate facts...

  • @DudexMJFan2011
    @DudexMJFan2011 4 года назад +33

    it's the second only in USA. It's unreachable number one worldwide. USA is not the whole world lol

  • @ericrakestraw664
    @ericrakestraw664 4 года назад +6

    I think it's interesting how the "Thriller" music video changes up the format of the song. Instead of the typical verse/chorus, the three verses are all sung at the beginning and the chorus delayed until the end. Also, Vincent Price's rap, heard as the outro on the record, serves as a middle bridge section in the music video. I think this format change works better for the music video because it tells more of a story than the album version song.

  • @Wayne_Robinson
    @Wayne_Robinson 4 года назад +5

    Cool! Of all the many RUclips channels by music theorist elephant-drawing cartoonists, yours is definitely my favorite.

  • @Grindelwaldus
    @Grindelwaldus 4 года назад +76

    12tone:
    "here we see an artist stepping into the realm of new possibilities, where 2 worlds collide making one big masterpiece, every tone represents absolute fear, courage and beauty all in once! The new branch of astrophysics has been discovered! Our world will never be the same again, this song cures cancer feeds the hungry and stops all wars in the know universe...."
    Michael and the crew:
    - "hey guys I have an idea for this spooky song!"
    - "cool here's the spooky riff!"
    - "awesome! put in some spooky sounds in the beginning and we'll dance and sing"
    boom the song has been made!

    • @peelslowly28
      @peelslowly28 4 года назад +5

      I love how he over analyzes this stuff as if the artist had any of this in mind

    • @ahuma6952
      @ahuma6952 4 года назад +15

      @@peelslowly28 In music generaly the artist doesn't have to have any of this in mind, however, they still hear it subconciusly, and while yes, they may not know any of this they want the feel
      Music theory is not about HOW it is done(prescriptive) it is about WHAT is done(descriptive)
      it's about having a name for things to explain feelings in music

    • @ultimateninjaboi
      @ultimateninjaboi 4 года назад +13

      This is why I love music analysis. Artist can just be like "it sounded cool, so boom," and the analysis just boils down to "here s WHY it sounded cool." X3

    • @TheBlackQueen
      @TheBlackQueen 4 года назад +10

      Grindelwaldus It sounds like you're thinking of MJ like a modern day Pop star with a bunch of ghost writers and supplied music, but that's simply not true. Michael composed most of his own songs and collaborated with his producers to orchestrate the sounds he had in his mind for the music. The most common way he did that was recording beat-boxed demos and multitracking melodies and rhythms on top of them. We know this because he has released hundreds of demos of the sort and he even had to demonstrate it in court when someone sued him for plagiarising the song Dangerous, however, it was actually the other way around. They heard the demo of the song with his beat-boxing and lyrics and released the song first.

    • @ArloMathis
      @ArloMathis 4 года назад

      @@ahuma6952 I JUST talked about this on another 12Tone video, it's honestly disheartening how many people think that way and don't realize this.

  • @garaughty
    @garaughty 4 года назад +1

    Love this 12tone... your insights are always so insightful and entertaining !

  • @anastrixnoodles
    @anastrixnoodles 4 года назад +3

    I love how you find the meaning in the melody.

  • @danielmccready1501
    @danielmccready1501 4 года назад

    I have been waiting for this merch forever! I love it!

  • @luchilenium
    @luchilenium 4 года назад

    Hey 12Tone! Just coming back to this video to let you know that my band played Thriller at a Halloween gig the other night, no sooner had we decided on it, you posted this analysis video. It proved invaluable to me learning my parts for the song. So thankyou!

  • @Jawmsie
    @Jawmsie Год назад

    This channel is single-handedly teaching me music theory and I love it.

  • @TheAlbumGuy
    @TheAlbumGuy 4 года назад +14

    0:32 mate, it’s THE best-selling album of all time!

    • @12tone
      @12tone  4 года назад +1

      It was at the time, but according to the RIAA, it's been beat by The Eagles' Greatest Hits.

    • @TheAlbumGuy
      @TheAlbumGuy 4 года назад +7

      12tone Oh I see! I was talking world sales. I’m British you see haha

    • @Doctor_Straing_Strange
      @Doctor_Straing_Strange 3 года назад

      @@12tone only in the US, but worldwide it’s MJ who takes the crown

    • @davesargent8748
      @davesargent8748 2 года назад

      @@Doctor_Straing_Strange you got that backwards bro
      Edit: actually it depends on the source, everything I’ve seen is different

  • @sujugasim753
    @sujugasim753 4 года назад +12

    Thriller is still the best selling album world wide USA is not the rest of the world 😂

  • @autumnbrookesings
    @autumnbrookesings 4 года назад

    I love this so much

  • @MattMoney
    @MattMoney 4 года назад +1

    Omg you sound so excited about the merch! I’m definitely buying that notebook! I NEED THOSE ELEPHANTS!!!

  • @BlakeLooper
    @BlakeLooper 4 года назад +23

    USA isn't the whole world... Thriller is the best selling album of all time...

  • @mjburn9310
    @mjburn9310 2 года назад +1

    The ending of the bridge. Those vocals are insane. I don’t know what top note he hit there. But it’s awesome.

  • @Anavriniravana
    @Anavriniravana 4 года назад

    Yeah! Go full 12tone!!! ❤️

  • @MikealShakur
    @MikealShakur 4 года назад +2

    I'm glad Michael Jackson invited music tbh, without him, how would we horror?

  • @nil2k
    @nil2k 4 года назад +1

    I did not realize until today that you were my most famous elephant cartoonist in the whole world, and definitely the only one who could break down thriller like this.

  • @moonwalkerboy162
    @moonwalkerboy162 4 года назад +4

    What are you talking about? Thriller is the most sold album of the world?

  • @nomirochelle4998
    @nomirochelle4998 3 года назад

    I need to make an analysis about this song for school and your video really saved me, thanks!

  • @AnneTDote
    @AnneTDote 3 года назад

    Amazing video! I love it!

  • @rosslampert2641
    @rosslampert2641 4 года назад +20

    A Dorian scale would get you a IV7 due to the natural 6 - I think it’s much more a chord borrowed from that scale instead of a blues/minor harmonic mix, common as it may be

    • @TheDutchCreeperTDC
      @TheDutchCreeperTDC 4 года назад +6

      Yeah I thought the same given how common dorian is in funk(-influenced) music

    • @rosslampert2641
      @rosslampert2641 4 года назад +3

      Dazzyls I was thinking the same thing! Something I learned from 8-bit Music Theory’s video on Persona 5’s music

  • @davidsafier6333
    @davidsafier6333 Год назад

    What a great analysis

  • @drakonyanazkar
    @drakonyanazkar 4 года назад +5

    So it does a lot of Metal things, too, like the half-step descent and the "let's just let the bass play that note while we trip a bit".

  • @bobbyhuntleyii346
    @bobbyhuntleyii346 4 года назад +7

    It’s the BEST selling. Not 2nd. ( Worldwide )

  • @coryman125
    @coryman125 4 года назад +4

    I know this is a weird thing to comment on but I really appreciate that you drew the dice properly :D
    And I guess to expand on that point, the illustrations really add a lot to this channel. As much as I love music, the theory can sometimes get a bit monotonous- lots of chord names that are just letters and numbers, as well as stuff like scales and other terminology. It's not an easy thing to make entertaining for a large audience for 15 minutes is my point, but between the jokes you make and the references and symbols you draw, it really does make it a lot more enjoyable.

  • @williamchurcher9645
    @williamchurcher9645 4 года назад +1

    Love you! I love your busy overwhelming style. Do you think you could do a little section at the end / in the description with an overview of lessons to learn and maybe mention the mainstream music theory ideas so we may investigate them for ourselves? Just a thought!

  • @nightburststudios2142
    @nightburststudios2142 4 года назад +50

    9:14 Anyone else here “The Incredibles” theme?

  • @najrenchelf2751
    @najrenchelf2751 4 года назад

    Why did I not subscribe last time I binge watched your content?
    Since I have no idea, I‘m subscribing! 😊

  • @steviecritiquenewby7874
    @steviecritiquenewby7874 4 года назад +1

    The greatest anthem Halloween song ever Michael Jackson Thriller the greatest album of all time and the best selling album along with it And the greatest video that changed and define music videos in all genres for music videos...

  • @juicyrusty1205
    @juicyrusty1205 4 года назад

    Amazing video! I want to make a spooky song for spooktober now -R
    PS: I want your new merch so bad!

  • @KaliBeatsYoSoyAquel
    @KaliBeatsYoSoyAquel 4 года назад +1

    I learned so much more from this video than from other music theory videos. I just need to watch at .75 speed to really get it all in

  • @The8BitPianist
    @The8BitPianist 4 года назад

    I want to start analysing pieces myself in the future, your notebook seems like the perfect thing to have for that!

  • @magensens8898
    @magensens8898 4 года назад +7

    I was literally humming Thriller to myself for the entirety of today.

  • @MorganasTurtle
    @MorganasTurtle 4 года назад

    Great video! I wish I'd had this notebook in my college theory classes, it looks great!

  • @matthewJ142
    @matthewJ142 4 года назад

    Reason why Jackson, Quincy and Temperton are geniuses. Because all have so much experience in their respective fields becoming a tour de force!

  • @mikebliss3153
    @mikebliss3153 4 года назад

    So glad you made that notebook. Surprised nobody thought to do a staff paper/college rule notebook before.

  • @benwinstanleymusic
    @benwinstanleymusic 4 года назад

    great video thanks

  • @nolan3431
    @nolan3431 4 года назад

    wow i havnt seen this channel in a few months and theres so many drawings now!

  • @jonnyp1340
    @jonnyp1340 4 года назад +105

    Anyone else really annoyed when he cut it off at 1:36 without letting the chord resolve

  • @nikkospelledlikethat8140
    @nikkospelledlikethat8140 4 года назад +1

    Idk why but I find it hilarious he had the exact same tone of voice when talking about music theory, as ELEPHANT STICKERS.

  • @symph1744
    @symph1744 4 года назад +5

    This harmonic stuff is easy to someone like Quincy Jones, especially coming from jazz

  • @lo-fidelity-podcast
    @lo-fidelity-podcast 4 года назад +4

    Really interesting analysis (even if it mostly goes way over my head), but I think it’s worth mentioning that “Thriller” and other songs on that album were pulling heavy influence from disco, and that’s no fluke. Jackson was a huge fan, regularly making appearances at Studio 54 and other clubs in the late 70’s. “Off the Wall” is much more overt about it, but “Thriller” had to be subversive because people were sick of disco by 1982. More specifically, though, listen to the chorus of Boney M’s “Rasputin” or Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” They both include similar progressions to “Thriller’s” chorus, and Rod Temperton pulled off a similar trick in “Turn on the Action” from Quincy Jones’s 1981 album “The Dude.” Granted, I think your analysis makes a good case for why its composition led to it being so memorable, but I’d argue that it also succeeded at pulling some of the best tropes from disco without being an outright throwback. And of course all of this isn’t substantiated with any evidence (this is a RUclips comment after all), but I gained a much greater appreciation for the album after considering it as Jackson’s Trojan Horse for disco.

  • @wolfbd5950
    @wolfbd5950 4 года назад +28

    5:42 "It's the I chord. It's doing I chord stuff." How very... tautological.

  • @ashandesilvaguitarist
    @ashandesilvaguitarist 4 года назад

    whaaaat???? just watching the first few minutes made me dizzy(in a good way).. how do you even come up with all these ideas? I mean that guitar part being sirens? wow!!!! you sir are a genius! please do more 80s pop songs!

  • @johndecicco
    @johndecicco 4 года назад +7

    4:04 Is that the AT&T logo for the long hold? Ha.

  • @lalofigueredo_
    @lalofigueredo_ 4 года назад +1

    Great video! Talking about blues chord progressiones i remember one if the BEST blues progressiones ever "Since i been loving you" of Led Zeppelin and I would LOVE to see a video about it ✌

  • @shadowhenge7118
    @shadowhenge7118 4 года назад +1

    Love your videos, thanks! So many things I'd love to hear your take on. Like Mad World, by Tears for Fears vs Gary Jules' cover of it.

  • @tripaseca4018
    @tripaseca4018 4 года назад +2

    great video, btw, the thriller album IS the best selling album of all time

  • @FoxDren
    @FoxDren 4 года назад +3

    I have no idea why I keep coming back to this channel.
    I recognise everything you say as words (probably) but can't make heads nor tails of them together.

  • @jceybti9326
    @jceybti9326 4 года назад +21

    second best selling album of all time ? i think you mispelled "first" ;)

    • @christian7978
      @christian7978 4 года назад +1

      It’s the best selling album globally because 1) the Eagles “best selling” is a compilation of hits while Thriller is a studio album. 2) the Eagles surpassed that record only in the US so Thriller still holds the global best selling album record 😊

  • @micp4130
    @micp4130 4 года назад

    Don't you think i didn't notice your Flash of Two Worlds reference. Good stuff.

  • @notoriouswhitemoth
    @notoriouswhitemoth 4 года назад

    I love line cliches, they're an easy way to add depth, flavor, and a sense of direction to a chord progression without making it harder to understand

  • @namenamename390
    @namenamename390 2 года назад +1

    When they performed this song live, they also used a drum machine, but not the same one as the studio version. His name is Jonathan Moffett.

  • @BeatleJWOL
    @BeatleJWOL 4 года назад +1

    That tresillo turnaround has always been really confusing. Nice laying it out. :D

  • @joshevans2794
    @joshevans2794 4 года назад +2

    * best selling global album of all time

  • @CivilizerValor
    @CivilizerValor 4 года назад +1

    That wolf you drew was so damn cute

  • @joecoolpopuprecordsvtloops8700
    @joecoolpopuprecordsvtloops8700 4 года назад

    Awesome notebook (You Stole My Idea!) and awesome vid.!

  • @beatrixwickson8477
    @beatrixwickson8477 4 года назад +5

    Heavy is the head that wears the crown, ya know

  • @hallamhal
    @hallamhal 4 года назад +4

    Oh wow, I've been subbed almost a year and I've just realised those are elephants!

  • @zxeal1
    @zxeal1 4 года назад +5

    Thank you sooooo much for this, loved it a loooot, could you please do billie jean as well.? ❤️

  • @khalogqubule5412
    @khalogqubule5412 4 года назад

    "It's doing I Chord stuff." This is the best thing that's cone out of twelve tone🤣🤣🤣
    On the real though, I love the understanding music series because of the various approaches to harmony, arrangement, and composition you get to leaen from the various songs

  • @payasmpendwa9316
    @payasmpendwa9316 4 года назад +6

    Seriously the second best selling album? Correction it is the best selling album of all time ,check it up

  • @thelusogerman3021
    @thelusogerman3021 4 года назад +1

    THRILLER IS STILL AND ALWAYS WILL BE NUMBER 1 WORLDWIDE

  • @Mythki11er
    @Mythki11er 4 года назад

    What is yo deal with elephants? Great vid as always

  • @LiamGaughan
    @LiamGaughan 4 года назад

    award for most useful merch goes to 12tone