Michael Jackson shook the music business in 1982 with the release of his sixth studio album, “Thriller.” According to NME, the late legend’s 34x-platinum record not only became his best-selling endeavor but also had an impact on modern music.
Yet, the recording of “Thriller” was apparently an uphill battle for Jackson, leading to significant alterations in his aesthetic.
During an interview with “60 Minutes” in 2013, John Branca, co-executor of Jackson’s estate, remembered the timeline for the classic album.
“There were many people in the industry that said to Michael, ‘You know Michael, you can’t expect this album to sell as well as “Off The Wall.” The industry’s changed.’ But he and Quincy in this very studio kept working on that album, and Michael would not turn that album in until he was convinced that it was perfect,” Branca said.
Following Jackson’s persistence in turning in the special body of work, he made drastic changes to his team.
“And then in classic Michael fashion, as soon as the second single was released, ‘Beat It,’ he let everybody go from his team,” Branca shared. “There was no manager, no agent, no press agent. It was Michael, and he would give me business directives and of course the label promotion directives.
“He just felt he wanted to run this business himself with the help of myself and a couple of others,” he continued. “And I’ll never forget I got a call from Quincy Jones who said, ‘Branca, we have a 747 here, and there’s no pilot.’ And I said, ‘Quincy, Michael’s the pilot.’ And it was true. Michael had a marketing genius that sometimes people don’t understand.”