Thriller (Michael Jackson album) and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the film sold over 350,000 copies in its first few months. In a market then driven by singles, "Thriller" raised the significance of albums, yet its multiple hit singles changed perceived notions as to the number of successful singles that could be taken from an individual album. The era saw the arrival of novelties like the Michael Jackson doll, that appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12 (US$ in dollars). "Thriller" retains a position in American culture; biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli explains, "At some point, "Thriller" stopped selling like a
Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) would never do anything like that again." He claimed that he had blocked further distribution and promotion in the areas where he had control. "Michael Jackson's Thriller" video sealed MTV's position as a major cultural force, helped dissemble racial barriers for black artists, revolutionised music video production, popularised the making-of documentaries, and drove rentals and sales of VHS tapes. Music video director Brian Grant credited "Thriller" as the turning point when music videos became a "proper industry". Vinny Marino of "ABC News" commented that the video being selected as the "Greatest Video of All Time" was a "no-brainer", saying that