How Quincy Jones Helped Michael Jackson Craft the Smash ‘Thriller’ — and How the Epic Music Video Almost Didn’t Happen

From Jackson’s last-minute plan to scrap the video and his feud with Vincent Price, to Jones’ round-the-clock work ethic, what went into the pop masterpiece

It’s impossible to name the definitive work of Quincy Jones, the multi-disciplinary maestro who died on Nov. 3 after helping shape nearly every artistic medium for more than 60 years. But one that first leaps to mind is likely “Thriller,” Michael Jackson‘s spooky funk-pop smash that served as the title track to the most commercially successful album in history. Like Jones himself, who produced the record, the perennial Halloween anthem was a multi-media affair, encompassing music, film, television, dance and fashion.

More than 40 years since its release in 1982, “Thriller” represents an apex of artistic collaboration by a creative team at the peak of their powers. Moreover, it continues to fill dance floors across the globe.