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We get a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the biggest-selling album of all time

Artists Producers & Engineers "We always recorded with Michael in the dark - he hated light": Engineer Bruce Swedien on the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, track by track News By Future Music published 8 April 2024 We get a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the biggest-selling album of all time When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Michael Jackson) Share Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Almost 41 years ago, Michael Jackson released Thriller, the album that went on to become (and is likely to remain) the biggest-selling of all time. Released on 30 November 1982, it spawned seven singles and won eight Grammy Awards, selling around a million copies a week at the height of its popularity.One of the key players in the album's creation was the late great, recording engineer Bruce Swedien, and back in 2009, he gave Future Music the story behind the making of Thriller, offering up a track-by-track guide in the process.Now as Thriller's 41st anniversary looms, it's time to revisit Swedien's remarkable insight.Latest Videos From You may like “He thought someone was winding him up": How Rod Temperton ended up writing songs for Michael Jackson Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo didn't overheat a speaker during the making of Michael Jackson’s Beat It, but an AC/DC issue did How a happy accident helped George Michael have a hit with a song he thought sounded too much like Prince Startin' somethin'It transpires that, even with all the talent involved, Bruce never thought that Thriller would go on to be so successful."I think anyone who would have the balls to say that is a liar because you don't really know until it gets out in the public and they say 'wow this is really good'," he admits. "All we did was follow Quincy Jones down the path to the greatest music we could possibly make and with a passion for details. Quincy is such a remarkable man to work with - and Michael too. I mean, we had a ball."Michael was never late for a session - if anything he would be early. Also, I never remember recording Michael with the lyrics in front of him. He would stay up the night before memorising the song or songs we were about to record. I don't think there are a lot of artists who do that."Get the MusicRadar NewsletterWant all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Michael was never late for a session - if anything he would be early. Also, I never remember recording Michael with the lyrics in front of himSpeaking to Bruce, it seems like the album almost flowed out of the studio: "With Michael, there weren't any difficult tracks to mix. Working with Michael and Quincy is easy as pie. They are so musical - and the passion for quality that we share has made working on these projects - especially Thriller - very easy."Thriller was recorded at Westlake Audio in LA, where Bruce had previously worked. "I love that studio - it's just fantastic," he says. "The room you record in is just as important as the mics. When I record somewhere, I have a collection of 105 microphones - every microphone in there I bought new and no one else has ever used it. That protects my sonic integrity. I got used to that incredible sound. One thing with Westlake Audio was that they knew the value of maintaining the gear."Thriller track-by-track with Bruce Swedien1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' YouTube Watch On "That track is about Michael's brothers' wives and how they were always creating trouble - that was his inspiration. What to read next Jimmy Jam on sampling, AI and his new EastWest drum machine plugin “I was just a new guy, probably number nine on the list”: Larry Carlton on his nerve-shredding debut session with Quincy Jones – and the time he was called to play guitar on a Michael Jackson smash-hit "This guy pops out of a trash can – it was Ginger Baker!": Jimmy Douglass on his early days working for Atlantic Records "It starts with a lot of percussion. There's some drum machines and some live drums and other things. It's a Univox drum machine. We actually used it a lot on the Brothers Johnson record, and we were using it at that time on Michael's record as well. I think it's an SR55. I still have my own and it still works."We DI'd every drum machine to get away from secondary pick-up and reflected sound inside the room. Also, a lot of these drum machines have a lot of low end. Like Roland with the 808; it has bottom end like you wouldn't believe and if you put that through a speaker it's all gone. So direct with a module an...