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.