Michael Jackson and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, as its artist. "Thriller" also won another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work on the album. The AMA Awards for 1984 provided Jackson with an Award of Merit and AMAs for Favorite Male Artist, Soul/R&B, and Favorite Male Artist, Pop/Rock. "Beat It" won Jackson AMAs for Favorite Video, Soul/R&B, Favorite Video, Pop/Rock, and Favorite Single, Pop/Rock. "Thriller" won him AMAs for Favorite Album, Soul/R&B, and Favorite Album, Pop/Rock. In addition to the album, Jackson released "Thriller", a 14-minute music video directed by John Landis,
Thriller (Michael Jackson album) ongoing backlash against disco made it necessary to move in a different musical direction from the disco-heavy "Off the Wall". Jones and Jackson were determined to make a rock song that would appeal to all tastes and spent weeks looking for a suitable guitarist for the song "Beat It". Eventually, they found Steve Lukather of Toto to play the rhythm guitar parts and Eddie Van Halen of the rock band Van Halen to play the solo. When Rod Temperton wrote the song "Thriller", he wanted to call it "Starlight" or "Midnight Man", but settled on "Thriller" because he felt the