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) Dead" (1968). Dendle wrote that the video captures the feelings of claustrophobia and helplessness essential to zombie films. The "Thriller" video was aired alongside a documentary of the making of the video, "Making Michael Jackson's Thriller," directed by Jerry Kramer. It includes home video footage of a young Jackson dancing and footage of his performances from "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "". After a private premiere on 21 November, "Michael Jackson's Thriller" debuted on MTV and Friday Night Videos on 2 December 1983. After each broadcast of the video, MTV advertised when they would next play it, and recorded audience