Released on Nov. 30, 1982, it’s a song everyone remembers wherever they were the first time they heard it. Who better to make such a smooth but creepy song besides Michael Jackson himself? In my opinion, nothing sums Halloween up better than “Thriller.”

So many different layers come together to create this chilling piece. The song kicks off with a load of samples, from creaky floors to howling wolves and ominous footsteps. From there, we’re snapped back into Michael’s reality — throwing us into it with a catchy horn that kicks off the funky groove you can’t escape. 

But why would you want to? This groovy, creepy song encapsulates 1982 perfectly. Horror meets funk for the first time, and in the best possible way. There’s an ominous feel throughout the song, a mounting horror that builds and builds until horror actor Vincent Price swoops in with a chilling monologue. 

“The foulest stench is in the air /

The funk of forty thousand years (Thriller night, thriller) /

And grisly ghouls from every tomb /

Are closing in to seal your doom /

And though you fight to stay alive /

Your body starts to shiver (I’m gonna thrill you tonight) /

For no mere mortal can resist /

The evil of the thriller /

(Maniacal laughter)”

Incorporating a Vincent Price monologue was an outside-of-the-box, fresh idea that truly brought the graveyards alive in 1982. It wasn’t something often done, but in the ’80s, anything went. It’s hard to imagine the song without it. The song was written by Rod Temperton who also wrote various songs for Michael, and had envisioned a section devoted to horror-like dialogue. Quincy Jones produced the song as well as the entire Thriller album. 

Michael does his fair share of spookiness through the song. In the music video, he’s Michael until he becomes totally zombified. Somehow, this zombification ignites a sense of dance, and he leads his fellow zombies in a full dance routine through the alleys. Like I said before, this couldn’t be more ’80s and I live for it. His lyrics show us why we should be scared:

“It’s close to midnight /

And something evil’s lurking in the dark /

Under the moonlight /

You see a sight that almost stops your heart /

You try to scream /

But terror takes the sound before you make it /

You start to freeze /

As horror looks you right between the eyes /

You’re paralyzed”

In all, there’s no ignoring this Halloween classic. It’s the perfect blend of the spooky season we’re going through right now, and the grooviness of the ’80s. All I ask this Halloween is that you don’t forget about this masterpiece — and try your best not to turn into a zombie when you play it. No guarantees, though…

Happy Halloween!