"Thriller" is an early 1984 hit single recorded by Michael Jackson for the Epic label. It reached #4 in the U.S. singles chart and #10 in the UK singles chart. On February 20, 2006, the single, as well as the video, was re-released as part of the Visionary: The Video Singles package. The 14-minute video clip is regarded by some as the greatest music video of all time and the song itself is considered one of Jackson's signature songs.
"Thriller" is the first track on the album Infinity on High by Chicago band Fall Out Boy. The song features a spoken word intro and outro by rapper Jay-Z. Jay-Z's parts were recorded through a telephone call.
According to Pete Wentz, he wanted it to be a State of the Union to the band's true fans, which is best displayed in lyrics such as, "Crowds are won and lost and won again but our hearts beat for the diehards". Jay-Z's intro and the songs also seem to address the rumors surrounding the band, the "emo" scene, and their feelings of being out of place at the Grammy Awards the previous year.
During the intro, lead vocalist Patrick Stump and Wentz can also be heard reading select portions of negative reviews of the band's albums and live shows.
Spin Magazine describes it as "an attention-begging anthem".
The band gave the song this title to honor Michael Jackson's Thriller album. They named the song Thriller according to Patrick Stump because its like "writing a book and calling it the bible, only less controversial".
"Thriller" is one of the more prominent Fall Out Boy songs in which drummer Andy Hurley has used a double-bass pedal.
