The “Thriller” album from Michael Jackson is 40 years old this November and to celebrate, a new 2-disc set is being released November 18th of this year.

Thriller was MJ’s 6th solo album, and his first to be released in the 80s. It was the best-selling album worldwide in 1983, and became the best-selling album of all time in the US and the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 70 million copies. It topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to produce seven Billboard Hot 100 top-10 singles:

The Girl Is Mine (duet with Paul McCartney) (went to #2)

Billie Jean (went to #1)

Beat It (solo by Eddie Van Halen) (went to #1)

Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (went to #5)

Human Nature (went to #7)

P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (went to #10)

Thriller (narration by Vincent Price) (went to #4)

The first CD of the new release will be the original Thriller album, the first album to be certified triple-diamond by the RIAA, going on to sell over 100 million copies. This collection of ten tracks would go on to win eight Grammys. This CD is remastered from the original analog tapes.

The second CD will be a collection of songs recorded at the time, but at last check the list of those unreleased Thriller-era songs has not been announced.

Thriller 40 will be released on digital compact disc, Mobile Fidelity will produce a limited edition One-Step 180 gram vinyl record of the original album, and there will also be a hybrid super audio CD (SACD) of the project. An UltraDisc two-LP set of Thriller 40 will be released at a later date.

Walmart will sell an exclusive version of the original Thriller album featuring an alternate 40th anniversary cover. Target, meanwhile, will have an exclusive version of the original album with a commemorative “Thriller 40” vinyl slip mat.

Pre-orders of the various editions of Thriller 40 are being taken right now at ShopMichaelJackson.com. The limited edition vinyl is priced at $100, the SACD is going for $30, and the 2-CD set is priced at a very reasonable $13.98. They’re also selling hoodies, t-shirts, and hats with the Thriller 40 logo (they’re available for shipping right now).

Thriller, Michael Jackson’s follow-up to Off The Wall, was originally released on November 30th, 1982 by Epic Records. It hit #1 on February 26, 1983 and did not from drop from the top position until April 14, 1984, 37 weeks later. At its peak, it was selling a million copies a week worldwide. It continues in 2022 to sell 130,000 copies a year in the United States.

You can hear all seven hits from Thriller, alongside hits from Off The Wall and Bad, on BlackLight Radio every day.

For those unaware, Phil Collins (“Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now),” “Sussudio,” “Another Day in Paradise”) launched his “Not Dead Yet Tour” (named after his autobiography) on June 2nd in England.

If you missed that, you may have also missed that on June 7th he fell in his hotel room after getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

In the fall, he hit a chair and ended up requiring stitches for a gash on his head close to his eye.

He was held at the hospital for 24 hours for observation.

The good (amazing?) news is that he was able to resume his tour Sunday, just four days later!

Despite his ordeal, the singer looked in good spirits as he returned to the stage.

Collins sported a white bandage on his forehead for the performance in Cologne, Germany, covering a mass of stitches above his left eye.

Phil sat for the night’s performance, while his 16 yr old son Nic Collins backed him up on drums.

He sang many of his hits, both solo and with Genesis: “Against All Odds,” “One More Night,” “In The Air Tonight,” “I Missed Again,” “Sussudio,” “Follow You, Follow Me,” “If You Love,” and “Take Me Home.”

His performance earned him a standing ovation from the sold out crowd at Lanxess Arena, where he has a five-date residency.

“Last night was number two of five sell-out shows in the 16,000 seat arena and for the second night all of the audience was on its feet for the whole second half of the show,” Collins’ rep told the New York Post.

“Phil had a huge grin on his face, he is feeling better and better and although tired is very happy.”

He will also be performing in Paris and returns to London for a June 30 show in Hyde Park.

Collins’ canceled concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London for last Thursday and Friday were rescheduled for November.

His “Not Dead Yet Tour” marks Phil Collins’ first tour in nearly 10 years.

As for more concerts around the world, Collins tells WROR in Boston that he’ll evaluate after this month’s European run is over:

“I’m back a bit.”

“I mean, we’re doing these three cities… and we’re basically taking it as it goes.”

“I certainly don’t want to go back on tour again, but I think, y’know, two or three weeks of shows, then a month off, the two or three weeks of shows, that kind of thing might work.”

“So I’m hedging my bets here.”

“I’m just taking baby steps… But it’s exciting, and the dates are sold out so that’s more exciting ’cause it adds a bit of an edge to it.”

Phil Collins has released 8 studio albums, 1 live album, 3 compilation albums, 45 singles, 16 video albums, 38 music videos, 2 soundtrack albums, 2 box sets, and 1 remix album.

A Grammy and Academy Award-winning solo artist, Collins has sold more than 33 million albums in the United States, and 100 million records worldwide.

“Into The Groove” by Madonna has an interesting history.

If you were living in the United States in the 1980s, do you remember ever purchasing a 7″ 45 RPM single of “Into The Groove?” Do you remember even SEEING a 7″ 45 RPM single for “Into The Groove?” How about in your local jukebox… no?

There’s a very good reason why you don’t remember a 7″ single for “Into The Groove”… it’s because there wasn’t a 7″ single for “Into The Groove!”

Here’s what happened:

March 29th, 1985 — “Desperately Seeking Susan” starring Madonna is released to movie theaters. “Into The Groove” is used in the movie. A music video made solely of clips from the movie is created.

April 10th, 1985 — Madonna releases the single, “Angel.” The B-side of the 7″ in the United States contains a dance mix edit of “Angel.” HOWEVER, the 12″ released to clubs, select record stores, and some radio stations has “Into The Groove” on the flip-side of “Angel.”

First club DJs and then radio programmers begin flipping “Angel” over and playing “Into The Groove,” and their audiences go WILD.

July 13th, 1985 — Madonna performs “Into The Groove” as part of her set during the Live Aid concert for famine relief.

July 23rd, 1985 — “Into The Groove” gets a proper 7″ single release worldwide… EXCEPT in the United States. Why? Because the record label was afraid of releasing another single so quickly on the heels of “Angel.”

Despite this, radio stations in and outside of the U.S. race to add it to their playlists.

Because “Into The Groove” never graces the A-side of a single in the United States, it never appears on any Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Autumn 1985 — Madonna’s LP “Like A Virgin” is re-released with the addition of “Into The Groove,” but again the United States misses out on this re-packaging.

November 18th, 1987 — Madonna releases a remix LP of some of her hits titled “You Can Dance” (a title taken from the opening lines of “Into The Groove:” “…And you can dance / if you want to…”). “Into The Groove” receives a spectacular 8 and 1/2 minute remix.

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By the end of the 1980s, “Into The Groove” is honored by Billboard Magazine as the Dance Single of The Decade.
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September 18th, 2009 — “Into The Groove” finally appears on an album in the United States in its original hit form (the version on “The Immaculate Collection” is a remix and edit) for the first time, on the compilation titled “Celebration.”

You can hear the original hit version of Madonna’s “Into The Groove” nearly any Friday or Saturday night as we play PartyMixes on BlackLight Radio!