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Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Official Video)

Billie Jean was the first short film made for Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time. The short film for this No. 1 single, directed by Steve Barron, made history as the first video by a black artist to receive heavy rotation on MTV, and waslater ranked by the network as one of the 100 greatest music videos of all time.

Buy/Listen to Thriller 25:

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Written & Composed by Michael Jackson

Produced by Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones Productions

Co-Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc.

From the album Thriller, released November 30, 1982

Released as a single January 2, 1983

THE SHORT FILM

Director: Steve Barron

Primary Production Location: Los Angeles, California

Michael Jacksons short film for Billie Jean was the first of three short films produced for recordings from Thriller, which continues its reign as the biggest selling album of all time with worldwide sales in excess of 105 million as of June 1, 2016 and in December, 2015 became the first ever album to be awarded triple diamond status by the RIAA for US sales alone. The Billie Jean single reached No. 1 in 10 countries in the spring of 1983, including seven consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 - becoming the second-highest selling single in America that same year.

Billie Jean was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on April 4, 1983, and Platinum on February 4, 1989. The song won two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance - Male, as well as an American Music Award for Favorite Single - Pop/Rock and was also named the Single of the Year on The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll in 1983.

The short film featured a paparazzo attempting to photograph Jackson as he danced through an urban landscape.A specially created set featured steps and sidewalk tiles that lit up