I thought you were being a troll, but I gave the album a listen and damn that's good. Shame "I really like you" was chosen as the headliner of that album because it really poorly represents the rest of the style in it.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Is there any album released in the last 20 years that will be as revered as thriller
- Thread starter Erv
- Start date
- Status
I thought you were being a troll, but I gave the album a listen and damn that's good. Shame "I really like you" was chosen as the headliner of that album because it really poorly represents the rest of the style in it.
ColdLasagna
Member
Nothing beats Thriller. Others can sit at the table of Greatness, but Thriller has the gavel and is running the meeting.
Lights and Waves
Member
Machine
Member
If someone brings up Thriller it's pretty easy to assume they're talking about its rare combination of critical acclaim, high sales, and mainstream acceptance. While people have listed critical darlings in niche genres and pop albums with high sales and multiple hits, nothing recent comes close to that combination. It seems like everyone used to own a copy of Thriller. Only metal fans own a copy of Master of Puppets. Teenage Dream may have spawned a ton of hits but its metacritic is 52/100 which means it had very little critical acclaim. People mentioning Nevermind forget it came out in 1991 which is 25 years ago so it really doesn't count either.
echoshifting
Banned
Granted, "niche" was a poor word choice but...no way.
Having a billion youtube views isn't the same as having a billion unique views, for starters. It's a very impressive number, for sure, but someone viewing your free music video isn't the same thing as album sales. Album sales are necessary for an album to be more than a flash in the pan, for the music to endure in a way that is comparable at all to Thriller. Granted, the album has broken or matched several significant records but I don't believe those mean much for its long-term legacy.
According to the wikipedia article you linked, that album has sold roughly 3 million copies worldwide. Compare to Thriller, which was moving a million copies per week at the height of its popularity. It's sold over 30 million copies in the U.S. alone. You could argue that people simply don't buy albums anymore, and that would be true, but that's one of the reasons nothing will be as significant as Thriller ever again: modern music is much more disposable; most of the people who listen to any particular track, even if they like it, will just move on eventually.
……forgetit
Member
No, Thriller is a cultural icon, there are very few albums that have, or will ever reach it's level of cultural significance.
bennywhatever
Member
This is the only post that would be remotely accurate.
I've never heard of 75% of the albums people are listing. Here would be the requirements:
-Wildly popular
-Generally perceived as a talented or influential artist
-Has several wildly popular singles
I think Adele's 21 is probably the only one that'd fit the bill. Maybe a Coldplay album. I'm not really an Adele or Coldplay fan but they seem to be the closest.
Prototype Viktor
Member
white pony
Monochromaticx
Member
Yes.
karmaforgotme
Member
Not in the last 20 years,and it will not happen again due to changes in media and technology. Thriller just came at the perfect time.
Also Purple Rain by Prince was released 2 years later, and is a superior album of a superior overall talent.
Also Purple Rain by Prince was released 2 years later, and is a superior album of a superior overall talent.
pokeystaples
Banned
Of everything listed I think Adele's 21 might be the closest. EVERYONE knows several songs from that album mainly because of the sheer number of radio spins each single had.
Adam_Vania
Banned
the sad truth is there are no such albums.
that so many people have posted examples older than 20 years only further hammers this point home. this era is a music desert.
that so many people have posted examples older than 20 years only further hammers this point home. this era is a music desert.
karmaforgotme
Member
Incorrect. There are tons of albums released that are a whole lot better than Thriller. It is just revered doesn't mean better.
WaffleTaco
Wants to outlaw technological innovation.
Coldplay is probably more of a comparison of U2 I would think. Adele has the best two selling albums ever of the 2010s with both selling 30 million copies plus.
bennywhatever
Member
Looking at the wiki for Top Grossing Albums of All Time (and yes, Thriller is #1), here are the albums from the last 20 years:
1. Shania Twain - Come on Over (1997) 39MM
2. Celine Dion - Falling Into You (1996) 32MM
3. Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love (1997) 31MM
4. The Beatles - 1 (2000) 31MM
5. Adele - 21 (2011) 31MM
1. Shania Twain - Come on Over (1997) 39MM
2. Celine Dion - Falling Into You (1996) 32MM
3. Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love (1997) 31MM
4. The Beatles - 1 (2000) 31MM
5. Adele - 21 (2011) 31MM
Inferno313
Banned
.
CaviarMeths
Member
Are you all foolin' or do I need to listen to that Carly Rae Jepson album?
Vincent Grayson
Member
No, because monoculture is dead. Even if something as good exists, it'll never get the same kind of universal recognition.
SweetDonuts
Member
Stormhammer
Member
Yup, king of pop, no surpassing him.
ThisGuy
Member
In terms of notoriety? Maybe. The most hated band in America lmfao.
It cracks me up to this day they were on the news.
karmaforgotme
Member
Ha my first two thoughts were College Dropout and this. Also Radiohead's OK Computer.
I dunno, seems a lot of people really like it. To me its bubblegum pop which isnt really my thing. To each their own though.
cloud_sleep
Member
teruterubozu
Member
Are Radiohead fans seriously this myopic?
Patrick Bateman
Member
Yeah right...
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
I knew it wouldn't be long before someone mentioned Kanye. And you're wrong, btw. Not even close to the levels Thriller reached as far as scope and playtime go.
TimeEffect
Member
What about Drake
minor effort
Banned
Ah yes, now is my chance to say "The Very Best Of Nickelback" to the thunderous applause of millions on GAF.
They all ask: "How could he have come up with an answer so bold, so witty?" It defies explanation.
They all ask: "How could he have come up with an answer so bold, so witty?" It defies explanation.
stump sock
Member
I know you're not that new to the internet.
I am thoroughly convinced by your rebuttal...
Yeah I do love that 20/20 experience album.
ratcliffja
Member
Thriller isn't even MJ's best album. Bad is. Thriller is still great, though.
Patrick Bateman
Member
Why are people mentioning an album that has sold around 4.5 million, while Thriller sold around 110 million records?
It's on a completely other level. Just because "every alternative" person on the internet listens to Radiohead doesn't mean most other people do, too.
Ask 10 persons on the streets if they can name one song on "Thriller" and I guess that 8 or 9 will be able to do so. How many people are able to even mention one song by Radiohead?
Radiohead doesn't have the popular influence some people on this forum want them to have.
- Status