Michael Jackson - Thriller - LP Review And Comparison What Version Is The Best 

Don't forget to leave a Comment below. We are giving away a free MFSL Thriller One Step to someone at random.

I really appreciate this approach to reviews. There does not necessarily have to be a better or worse copy but it is important to highlight the different characteristics of each edition.

This album was and is so special to me. I wrote this awhile back..sorry for the length but kind of my story with how Thriller impacted me and those times as a highschooler. It was a breakthrough album that Im not certain the impact can be understood today. Just HUGE..an event. There was no streaming. VCRs were still a thing and even CDs were not around.. My fondest memory of Michael Jackson was of course "Thriller". In my area I dont think anyone was even really aware of who Michael Jackson was at the time. The Jackson 5 had long since passed as far as anything on the radio and "Off The Wall" wasnt *that* well known to us. I remember "Ben" as a little kid and for some reason it spoke to kids. "ABC as easy as 1 2 3" of course, you know, the hits. But really the Jackson 5 were kind of a novelty/oldies act by the time I was a teen. Weird to think now of how he wasnt really thought too much before "Thriller". At least not to us. I was in highschool at the time the album came out. I remember though my gf and her cousin who was my best friends gf heard about this video premere on Mtv. I think it was my friends excitement about it that I recall mostly. He was more into the soul and r and b stuff so he was aware of this supposed "event". Somehow we all ended up at his house piled up on his mom's couch and waited. I had no idea what the big deal was or what the video was going to be other than it was a new song by Michael Jackson. We didnt realize that we were about to see history made and how iconic this video was to become. Then "Thriller" advertisement came on, I think I was in the kitchen with my gf getting mint chocolate chip icecream when Brian said "Its on ya'll! Hurry!" No VCR, no way to see it again until it aired again. So you paid more attention. Then those creepy letters came up .. "Michael Jackson's THRILLER" Perfect timing for him to do a halloween type video. These were the classic days of 80s horror movies. Jason, Nightmare On Elm Street..etc. Those were the hot movies then. It was a bit odd in hindsight since it was around Christmas time. But, everyone is in a good mood around that time so maybe it was a perfect time to make history. When the actual video started I can remember us all being a big puzzled as to what was going on. Usually music videos have music lol. This was like a movie. My gf and I were both musicians and vocalist but I honestly cant recall if we had heard the song beforehand or not. It only had been out as a single for a month I think. And we didnt have the album "Thriller" I dont believe. We couldnt have afforded it. It was radio mainly then for us. The video picked up speed when Michael turned into the wolfman. And the switch to the movie theatre where he and his gf were watching was a little surprise. We thought that was cool. Hadnt been used before, so it was a new concept. It soon became apparent that it was also cool seeing Michael in an acting role. He looks so skinny now, but I was about his weight size at the time so it didnt seem strange lol. Everyone was wearing skinny clothes then. Then the song starts. It was almost like a musical. But with this funky infectious beat and singing. Once that started we were on board. The song just kept growing on us and it inmediately became a hit for us right then and there. I recall that strongly. Its also kind of hard to recall days before he became Peter Pan, but Michael was a sex symbol to many a girl then. And his chemistry was very strong with the female co-star. Looking back, no doubt my gf and her cousin thought he was as cute and innocent as anything ever. And his energy was most apparent. He really came through as this near cartoon character even then. Then came the zombie scene. Walking Dead has nothing on the Thriller zombies. I will say we all kind of cracked up a bit when Michael turned zombie. But then the dance came and up went the girls trying to immediately do the head sway leg slides and claps lol. Too much sugar from the icecream probably. The video just built and built though. The dancing was very impressive as line dancing like that wasnt seen often and certainly not with those kind of moves. I do remember Brian and I looking at each other and saying "This is cool." Then Michael turns to the camera normal again and sings ... "Cuz this is thriiiilah...!" And thats the moment I think we all became fans. We talked for the rest of the night about the video, practiced dance moves we could rememember and were convinced that we had to show this to the choral teacher to do as the next song! Lol, its a good memory. We never did the song. Six months later we were all in separate colleges. And friends get lost through the years for many reasons. But "Thriller"? Still a damn cool song and video in my book. The guy had talent that was drilled so much that it became instinct and instinct became Michael. A talent for the ages

So excited for this remaster!! Have always enjoyed your shoot outs and always are spot on! Look forward to stopping by your store again!

Thriller as album is something to behold, bought it when I was 11 and played my original copy to death. Hearing this One Step would truly be awe inspiring. Thanks Mike.

Great shoot out, Mike. I really appreciate you explaining the differences in detail. I’m all in!

Again a great review! I really like how you always explain the sound, rather than just saying "this is good", "this is bad", or "A is better than B", which some other reviewers do. Keep up the good work! Keep audiophilia alive!

Looking so forward to hearing this! Thanks Mike.

I look forward to all of your videos Mike! Appreciate everything you do

Enjoyed the review. Your reviews of records are the best because of the level of detail you provide in the differences in sounds between records. Thanks for the review.

I hadn't listened to the whole album since I was a kid and played out my cassette, then after yesterdays video I pulled it up and listened start to finish. So crazy that after 35 years or so I still know it by heart yet I can't tell you what I did last week.

Thanks Mike. Interesting breakdown of the one step thriller. Your shootout videos are the best for going into so much detail

Mike you had a hand in all of this and the results are spectacular. Thanks for having our backs.

Thank you so much for doing this shootout. Really excited to compare this new version with my original that I've owned since I was a little kid.

Hey Mike. Thanks for giving everyone a great comparison video of the various versions of MJ's masterpiece album. Especially loved how you describe the distinction between the very compressed original pressing versus the wide sound of the new Mobile Fidelity One Step version. Looking forward to hearing the difference for myself.

Thanks again Mike for your straight up reviews and comments. Much appreciated.

Great advice, Mike! Good to know about those first presses.

Thank you for this beautiful informative video and I’m happy to say I’m relieved now because I do have two copies of the original pressing and have preordered the mofi edition since day one and that means I have the versions that I must have of this incredible album from the incredible legend that is Michael Jackson. Thanks again and keep up the great work.

Great video. I remember just loving this album when it came out and watching the videos over and over when I was a young kid.

Thanks for another honest and insightful shootout!! I love these videos!!

Love the reviews. Thank you!

The very first time I dropped the “needle” was with this record. My grandfather played the crap out of it. And to this day it remains one of my favorites not only musically but because brings up great memories of my grandfather. Keep up the good work Mike!!!

Thank you so much for giving this album so much love and care. Cheers to Thriller, what a wonderful album

Thanks Mike, great review! Love that fact that you got your 14 year old involved. Appreciate all your time and efforts on these videos!

Loving your reviews. You're a tremendous asset to the community. Thanks.

you hands down do the best comparison reviews. thanks for this!

Thanks for doing this giveaway and all the quality videos over the years.

Thanks for the review Mike! I look forward to hearing it for myself at some point.

Mike, Thanks for the comparison. I have a couple original presses and they do sound great. Brings back memories of everyone being into this when it came out. Kids in the neighborhood were dressing like Michael. I wasn't into it that much when it came out but it has certainly grown on me over the years.

Thanks for the great review/comparison as usual Mike. Keep ‘em coming

Thanks for the comparison! This is the only One Step that I'd be interested in picking up.

Can't wait for my copy to arrive, really looking forward to this one.

Thanks for being the first to review this Mobile Fidelity version.

Thanks for this Mike. Very thorough as always.

Really enjoy these reviews! Thanks for the information.

Love the diffusion panel behind you! A great room and the Wilsons? Gotta sound great!😃

We had this record store in Antwerp and at the back there was a big room where everything was priced at 1 euro. Among the many thousands of records, somebody had the idea of putting each copy of Thriller in the same spot. There were rows upon rows upon rows of these. Literally Thriller lp's by the metre! Man, I wish I had taken a pic, because it sure was a sight to see. I still have my Dutch(?) copy which I bought back in the day. Still sounds great! I also picked up a "Half Speed" version along the way (most probably from that 1 euro vault in Antwerp) and I would give it more credit than you do here. It's a fun listen. Would love to hear the One Step, but unfortunately it's too expensive for me... Thanks for the review!!

Thank you for the detailed review! Awesome to have such a wide collection to compare to.

Thanks ever so much for your most helpful review, cheers :)!

Thank you for the review Mike. I can't wait to hear it for myself. 😃

Great review. Keep up the great work. Always a pleasure to see all your vids.

Thanks Mike for all the comparisons of Thriller! Big props to you 👏 Enjoy your day, Allan

Thanks Mike! Your shoot out videos are very informative and honest👍😃

Great review! Love the channel!

Thanks Mike for another great video. Like you, I wish I had the talent your son has at listening and identifying music pitch and anomalies in such an awesome way.

Love the quick turnaround on this shootout as this will be my first mofi purchase. Thank you!

Excellent comparison . Great video as always!

Thanks for the review been looking forward to it!

Thanks for the shoot out. You had me 😂 with ‘Thriller 25’ comments

Loved the review! You explained it very well, and I'm excited to get my copy.

Thanks for the in-depth shootout-- your shootouts are always very helpful as someone who cant demo all the different copies!

Mike, thanks for the very insightful review. It sounds like I definitely need to add the "one-step" to my collection as the big brother to my original copy. But what I was most delighted to hear was that the new release really hit the audiophile mark out of the park. After the news came out a few months ago on Mobile Fidelity's process, I admit, I was hesitant to ever purchase one of their releases again. Your review has now restored my faith in Mobile Fidelity and has greatly helped restore their credibility & reputation with me as a consumer. Thank you, and keep up the great work!

First album I ever bought.. still the greatest album ever released.. thank you for breaking down all the versions of thriller..

Thanks a lot for the review. Makes it even more difficult to resist.

Ahhh! Can’t wait to get this in! I hope they continue to send you releases a little earlier.

Awesome review. I was sitting on the fence about getting this - but now I am very curious to hear it! Thanks.

Thank you for review Mike!

Thanks for the shoot out. Good valuable analysis.

Great video review. Wonderful detail and explanations. Much appreciated!

Fascinating discussion. Just for contrast, as a small child I used to play the most scratched up old copy of Thriller imaginable, it barely played on my $15 toy turntable. I was in heaven.

Thanks for the shootout as always🤘

Great shootout video of this iconic album Mike! Very comprehensive.. I am convinced to get the one step now..

Thanks Mike, definitely picking this up now

Hi Mike. I graduated university in 1982 and moved from Vancouver to Toronto for a job. My roomate rented a cottage in Muskoka, a very famous lake district north of Toronto. There were 4 cottages on the same property, all rented by friends from University. Thriller was in constant play every night for as many summers as I can remember being there. I will always associate this album with a dance party by the lake and yes, we could moon dance!

A very informative video as always. Thanks Mike!

Rock on Mike. Always appreciate the tips.

Always enjoy your comparison videos. These and the weekly news videos are my favorites. :-) Also liked that you mentioned your sons opinion of the sound. Would love to join your listening party if I would live near you.

About 14 years ago (when I was roughly 7/8) I remembered my dad told me a lot of Toto members played on the record. As of then, it became an album which I appreciated more and more over the years. The musicality of the album is amazing for audiophiles while still remaining so popular for literally everyone. A shame I never got to see that combination in the 21 years that I’ve been walking around here! Great to hear your opinions on different pressings!

Super cool and honest review and comparison! Great job Mike!

Gonna get it! Thanks, Mike!

Fantastic video and review, looking to get this one ASAP!

Appreciate how you go about your reviews. Definitely wouldn't mind giving this listen.

Great video. Looking forward to it hearing it.

Hey Mike, love the shootouts. Thanks!

Always brutally honest and I mean that in the best way. I've long thought the same thing about the Thriller 25 pressing and I've been told for years that I have no idea what I'm talking about. For years, I've just used a 1982 US pressing but I will probably get something better soon.

Great in-depth describtion of the different versions - Thanks 👍

Again another great video and very well explained. I also like the fact that you have so many different copies to compare the same album.

Great review thankyou. I have ordered this and I am very excited to hear it. I have other One Step releases and they sound AMAZING......despite the understandable recent controversy surrounding the digital element of the mastering process.

I can't wait to get my MOFI copy to compare. I knew it would be something special, because afer Mike came back from MOFI, in your video you mentioned it and you had a little smile. Thanks for your insight and your passion for great sounding music.Cheers from Canada!

Thanks for the review. Picked up an older copy of this last week, glad to find out that it’s a 1st pressing and gets high marks in quality.

Great review, thanks Mike!

Thank you for the reviews. Love this channel.

Great review Mike! I still have my og cassette of this iconic album from back in the day. I was waiting for this video to see if I want to go with og or One Step. It looks like I need to get both!

Great review. I am very excited to hear a less compressed version of this classic.

Thank you so much for this review! I first owned Thriller on cassette when it was released. I played that album out! It truly is the number 1 album of all time. It has earned that title to the fullest. I never owned it on vinyl but always had it on CD and still do have a first press on CD. A couple of years back I finally picked it up on vinyl and also picked up the 45 picture sleeves of the singles. What do I look for to see if I own a first pressing of the Thriller on vinyl. Hopefully that's what I have. Thank you for including a little review of PYT on this One Step release. I'm going to listen for the ending of the song. Thank you again for this review of this amazing album! Much appreciated!

Thanks for the very informative video. Keep up the great work!

Great review Mike! Before seeing your review I wasn't real interested in getting the Mofi, but now I may just get a copy. Also great unboxing review, love the change in the One-Step box!

This is the first album I ever bought when I was 5 years old and I still have the original copy - it will always be the best sounding version for me.

Thank you so much for the honest review. I thought the Mofi would have a wider soundstage but being just 18 years old when Thriller came out I always loved the bass and kick drums. A great album for sure.

Excellent analysis, greatly appreciate your perspective.

You must be proud of being advertised in the Mofi website, that's a real statement on how strong your influence is in the audio community :)

Thanks for you review / opinion and keep the great content coming !!!

I'm up for it. Liking the reviews

Love your content Mike!

Thanks for the review mike, always value your thoughts!

Great way to explain the differences Mike, much better than to just say one beats the other.

This was very educational for me, I’m a proud owner of the original & never was interested in purchasing any other copies because I have such an attachment to the original but after watching your commentary & seeing how passionate you are on how good the One step is, I’m curious to give that version a listen 👍🏾

Thanks Mike Love these shoot outs !!

Great review! Thanks!

Thanks Mike, another great video/review. This one is on my shopping list.