OK Computer does commonly place in the No.1 spot or at least in the Top Ten for 'Best Album Ever' polls and lists here in the U.K. It's a big album.
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Is there any album released in the last 20 years that will be as revered as thriller
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OK Computer does commonly place in the No.1 spot or at least in the Top Ten for 'Best Album Ever' polls and lists here in the U.K. It's a big album.
Which is why no album stands up to Thriller.
teruterubozu
Member
I'm not saying it isn't. But it is hardly as culturally impactful as Thriller. Thriller had people in remote third world countries who never heard of America wanting to dance like Michael Jackson. It's a whole different level of cultural impact.
adamantypants
Member
If we're talking critically acclaimed, OK Computer is definitely up there. But that IMO is only half the battle. If I were to ask 10 people randomly on the street if they know the albums Thriller by Michael Jackson and OK Computer by Radiohead, everyone would know thriller and maybe 2 or 3 might know who Radiohead even is, let alone their best album.
Bruce Springsteen
Member
minor effort
Banned
I don't think it's possible for there to be another Thriller because the success of the album is partially owed to the era it was released in.
When Thriller hit, MTV was just becoming a big thing, music videos were still a relatively new medium. Radio was a far bigger component of how most average music listeners were introduced to music.
By now, the internet and rapid dissemination of music has allowed people to drift towards their own interests a bit more actively. It's harder for one single album to have that level of cross-genre, cross-cultural appeal that Thriller did.
When Thriller hit, MTV was just becoming a big thing, music videos were still a relatively new medium. Radio was a far bigger component of how most average music listeners were introduced to music.
By now, the internet and rapid dissemination of music has allowed people to drift towards their own interests a bit more actively. It's harder for one single album to have that level of cross-genre, cross-cultural appeal that Thriller did.
RowdyReverb
Member
This is a good answer. Well reasoned, too.
Yep, that's fair enough. I don't mean to say that it is anywhere near as big as Thriller, but just that there is a legitimate case for people here posting it as suggestion for being one of the nearest pretenders to the throne from the last 20 years. A hundred miles away is still closer than two hundred etc.
Summer Haze
Banned
MJ who?
teruterubozu
Member
I don't know - cuz I don't listen to these artists - but it's probably someone like Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Celine Dione or whatever global superstar that has people from all over the world singing at karaoke bars in the remotest corners of the earth. Heck, the most globally "influential" album in the last 20 years could be some non-western artist like Yo-Yo Ma or something, who knows.
BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO
Junior Member
To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
Adam_Vania
Banned
1. yeah i didn't say thriller was better than anything. you just called incorrect on something i didn't say.
2. what are these "tons of albums released" that are a whole lot better than Thriller? keep in mind this is an album that starts with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and also features "Beat It". i am eagerly awaiting this list lol
3. revered doesn't mean better no (i think most people would say other MJ albums are better than it) but it does mean massive support and huge success and decades of people trying to imitate it's videos etc. no albums have reached these heights.
and youtube views do not count as album sales no matter what billboard says, they just trying to save face in a dying industry
Andrew Korenchkin
Member
Revered as Thriller? Is this really the most revered album?
Even as someone who doesn't like the album, I have to say yes.
doctorblurg
Banned
Bless up to the queen
Bounceounce
Member
No, and not because of quality but because it's literally impossible to achieve with the way the times have changed.
I'll take plenty of albums over Thriller, MBDTF for one.
I'll take plenty of albums over Thriller, MBDTF for one.
It's on a completely different environment, you may say.
Yes, everyone and (especially) their mothers know Billie Jean, Thriller and Smooth Criminal because the album happened to release in one of the most fortunate periodo for pop music, which had just gained a completely new level of exposure through video clips. Also, that audience generation is still alive and well, having just raised ours, and we are still exposed to it as a consequence.
If we are going by sales numbers the only other album that can be nominated is Back in Black (or a collection from the fuckin' Eagles)
But if we are talking cultural impact in the 2010s, Radiohead's influence is undeniably more present than Michael Jackson's when it comes to today musical landscape and audience taste.
TheTylerRob
Member
Why is nobody replying to this? It effected pop culture much like thriller and influenced fucking everything, pop music, tv, movies, fashion, etc. I haven't seen a better answer and this is like the 3rd post.
Edit: Oh wow, 20 years huh
teruterubozu
Member
Really? Cuz I hear more dance music on the radio today than guitar oriented rock. And those guys like Justin Timberlake, Bieber and The Weeknd are most certainly influenced by MJ.
I disagree very, very strongly.
College Dropout in terms of hiphop. Dark Twisted Fantasy could be it in a few years with it's bombastic ass production that had like 20 producers to one track. It has to sit for a little longer.
IN general there won't probably be a insane album like thriller again. I'm still rolling over the fact MJ thought Human Nature was a weak single and wasn't going to be that big.
IN general there won't probably be a insane album like thriller again. I'm still rolling over the fact MJ thought Human Nature was a weak single and wasn't going to be that big.
FrozenCell
Member
superdeluxe
Member
If we do 30 years, I think Nirvana would definitely be in the conversation.
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
I'm with you. MJ basically defined modern pop. Ain't nobody listen to alt-rock anymore get outta town with this Radiohead nonsense.
Are we only considering pop albums? There are albums that are far more revered critically then Thriller. The only one I can think of that had similar success was Fame Monster by Lady Gaga, but I don't know enough about pop to tell you
I can assure you that a ton of people listen to alt-rock. Radiohead's OK Computer is basically considered the game changer for alt-rock for its time.
Although, if we're talking about Alt-Rock masterpieces, what about In the Aeroplane Over the Sea?
I can assure you that a ton of people listen to alt-rock. Radiohead's OK Computer is basically considered the game changer for alt-rock for its time.
Although, if we're talking about Alt-Rock masterpieces, what about In the Aeroplane Over the Sea?
Game changer for alt-rock may be true. But, alt-rock has almost no cultural significance or importance anymore. It is unfortunately a niche market. Meanwhile, pop music is still the thing.
Alt Rock is still one of the most popular genres around and probably the most popular rock genre around.
Pop Music is just a label for popular music. MJ's music is much more different then Modern EDM driven pop music. Pop music is still around in the idea that there is still popular music.
Yes...because pop is pop because it is popular.
Aeroplane over the sea is a great record no doubt,
but you would have to be insane to think it has even a fraction of the cultural relevance and reverence as thriller
As someone else said, monocutlure is over. We have too many options, no one listens to the radio or is told what to like. No one is on the same page. Which as this thread has shown, has made us all egocentric. We have no idea what anyone else is into, and we assume everyone loves the stuff we love
CaviarMeths
Member
E•MO•TION was ok. Nothing mindblowing.
Come on, this has no basis in reality.
Come on, this has no basis in reality.
I dont think you comprehend how many people have been inspired by that album. It is like saying Dark Side of the Moon isn't culturally relevant because it wasnt pop music
This question is "revered" as well. We aren't talking about Cultural Relevance
Thriller is still Revered because it was the hallmark of the generation of Pop, but that doesnt mean other albums havent been culturally as important. I think you'd be very surprised as too how deep the rabbit hole goes for something even like Trout Mask Replica, whcih is about the opposite of pop music
Pop music is not just a label for anything that is popular. It is a genre of music. It is a wide genre, but it is still a genre. It includes things such as a rock n roll beat, repeating choruses, and easy to identify melodies and hooks.
As for alt rock and rock itself, just look at the charts to see how not-so-popular it is. Compare with other time periods to see how far it has fallen.
DSOTM sold an order of magnitude more than any Radiohead album. DSOTM was on the charts for more than 15 years!!!
Cultural relevance directly ties into how much an album is revered.
We aren't talking about which albums have inspired the most other musicians.
We are talking about universal undeniable love of a record by the world at a moment in time/forever
Thriller is record you would listen to, your mom would listen to, your child would listen to. Neutral Milk Hotel is someone you listen to
Brian_FETO
Banned
Popular online music nerd alt-rock album is not even a fraction of what Pink Floyd was, and is microscopic compared to Thriller
This is a flawed argument because Alt-Rock has so many split branches that it's hard to find a specific niche that will give enough fanfare to help these bands. The issue isnt how popular alt rock is, it's how spread out thin rock music is in general. Alt Rock is still very alive, in fact like i said before it's by far the mst popular form of rock and roll out there.
And this dismisses basically anything that isnt that popular when it comes out. Art flourishes after time for many individuals. In The Aeroplane probably hit a peak popularity in the late 2000's early 2010's, far after it had been released. Art exists for a long time, and saying that things have to be popular when they come out is asinine.
And even then, for popularity, Id once again like to point out Trout Mask Replica which is probably one of the most important albums released in the 60's/70's, and isnt something i'd consider to be popular. This album has been an influential benchmark for so many different artists due to its complexity. It's way more culturally relevant then one of the most popular disco albums of the late 70's
One of the reasons is inherently time. We were given a question of basically unlimited time. What Album will be revered in the future like we revere Thriller. And I can assure you that In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has been very relevant for a whole slew of bands that wouldn't fall in the alt rock scene.
teruterubozu
Member
But alt rock is demographically challenged these days. Hip-hop, rap, etc. have a far wider appeal across the board. Musically, I would even say alt rock hasn't been as influential on crossing over into other genres like hip-hop and rap has. I mean fuck, we have country rap now.
Also, I think a case for culturally relevant could be made for Kylie Minogue's Fever. Whilst 'only' a 6-million seller according to Wikipedia, it was a watermark moment for pop music going heavily electronic in the early-to-mid 2000s, especially due to the success of Can't Get You Out Of My Head.
Ray Of Light by Madonna had probably planted the seeds, but electronic music was still something quite looked down upon in the Britpop culture of the time as everyone looked at the 80s as a massive joke. Kylie managed to make it the in-thing again and it's never really gone away.
Ray Of Light by Madonna had probably planted the seeds, but electronic music was still something quite looked down upon in the Britpop culture of the time as everyone looked at the 80s as a massive joke. Kylie managed to make it the in-thing again and it's never really gone away.
ColdLasagna
Member
When kids in Iowa, Utah, Wyoming, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas etc were all going to school in that damned red zipper jacket?
When that shitty Sony Walkman with earphones that would make you go deaf all had Thriller playing.
When every commercial, awards show, late night show, and UHF channel were slurping it up like spilled blood to a vampire.
When you could buy anything with MJ's face on it, all the way down to damn near toilet paper.
When MTV video rotation made sure Beat It, Thriller, Billie Jean and The Girl Is Mine were played at least once an hour.
All before Internet, social media etc....
People bought Vinyl to keep and cassettes to burn through.
I ain't even a Jackson Stan.. (Prince will always be my guy) but you cannot deny the cultural impact that shit had at the time. It was enough to make Brooke Shields wanna be seen with him.
Monoculture is dead, this phenomena is just not going to happen again.
It would take Elvis, MJ, Prince, John Lennon and Liberace coming back from the dead to do a collaboration with Biggie and Pac recorded on whatever island those two are chilling smoking spliffs at.
When that shitty Sony Walkman with earphones that would make you go deaf all had Thriller playing.
When every commercial, awards show, late night show, and UHF channel were slurping it up like spilled blood to a vampire.
When you could buy anything with MJ's face on it, all the way down to damn near toilet paper.
When MTV video rotation made sure Beat It, Thriller, Billie Jean and The Girl Is Mine were played at least once an hour.
All before Internet, social media etc....
People bought Vinyl to keep and cassettes to burn through.
I ain't even a Jackson Stan.. (Prince will always be my guy) but you cannot deny the cultural impact that shit had at the time. It was enough to make Brooke Shields wanna be seen with him.
Monoculture is dead, this phenomena is just not going to happen again.
It would take Elvis, MJ, Prince, John Lennon and Liberace coming back from the dead to do a collaboration with Biggie and Pac recorded on whatever island those two are chilling smoking spliffs at.
This is also flawed because I know a lot of famous EDM artists, and a lot of Hip Hop artists who grew up on alt-rock. Are you implying that the stylizations they learned and were influenced by had nothing to do with their current musical creation? That's asinine too me
Also, Hip and Rap are way less niche then Alt-Rock. Alt Rock is a subgenre within a subgenre. Hip Hop and rap deviated from other things, but became something like Rock where it's a very broad category
teruterubozu
Member
No I think we are arguing completely 2 different things and trying to make it a conflict. I understand what you are saying about influential albums and their impact in the long term. But you must also understand what people are saying when they talk about mainstream cultural influence, and you know, just regular joe everyday music.
dr.rocktopus
Banned
As an entire album in the mainstream consciousness? Probably Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory or Outkast's The Love Below/Speakerboxxx. Both sold tons, crossed genres, had tons of singles, and were able to latch on to the waning days before CDs gave way to individual MP3 sales/downloads/streaming/etc. They aren't Thriller, but probably the closest we'll get in this modern age of increasingly fractured tastes and consumption of music. I would argue neither had the same long-term effects as Thriller in mainstream music, although The Love Below is probably the closest with how it may have influenced modern R&B. Shades of Linkin Park's nu-metal still show in modern metalcore and the like IMO, although the genre isn't exactly mainstream.
In terms of quality? That list gets a lot more personal, and a lot longer based on familiarity with your niche.
In terms of quality? That list gets a lot more personal, and a lot longer based on familiarity with your niche.
It doesn't matter if an artist influences other artists heavily. The OP is clearly talking about reverence and respect from the general public. In order for the general people to revere someone they have to know about them. This is why popularity matters. MJ is/was known among every age group and race and country. Radiohead is not.
Alternative is only niche because nobody listens to it anymore. It was not niche in the 80s and 90s. It also had way more cultural significance then because people listened to it. You can argue that it that it can't be popular because there are so many sub-genres, but that doesn't change the fact that it isn't popular.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Another Thriller will never be made. Music itself isn't the media it was when Thriller came out.
Michael Jackson managed to have hundreds of millions of eyes on him despite having no internet, social media, or attention on anything BESIDES Thriller.
Thriller was a point in time. It will never be matched again.
Brian_FETO
Banned
Has Neutral Milk Hotel ever been played on mainstream radio?
Discharge's Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing is hugely influential, that doesn't make it Thriller
I mean sure, if we're going by Rolling Stone which I know GAF is hip w/
http://www.listchallenges.com/rolling-stones-top-100-albums
http://www.listchallenges.com/rolling-stones-top-100-albums
Nope. Music has changed and even though it's easier to reach people via the internet, everything is really fractured now so I don't think you'd have the kind of push today as there was with MJ back than.
I also think that's a good thing. Let this new generation work within it's confines and flourish in that way instead of using two different systems of measurement to see which is better.
I also think that's a good thing. Let this new generation work within it's confines and flourish in that way instead of using two different systems of measurement to see which is better.
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