The Untold Truth Of Michael Jackson's Thriller Video

When Michael Jackson's Thriller started to drop down the charts in 1983, according to Vanity Fair, Jackson grew unnerved and pressed executives on how to restore the LP to its #1 perch. Epic Records head of promotions Frank DiLeo suggested a third music video, for the album's title track, which wasn't even slated to be a single. "It's simple — all you've got to do is dance, sing, and make it scary," DiLeo says he told Jackson at the time. However, Epic wouldn't pay for it — the label spent $250,000 on the video for "Billie Jean" but made Jackson pay the $150,000 budget for "Beat It" himself. The proposed cost of the "Thriller" video: slightly less than $1 million.

After a screaming, profanity-laden phone call with Jackson and director John Landis, CBS Records head Walter Yetnikoff offered up $100,000, leaving the creative team to find the rest of the money elsewhere. Landis' production partner George Folsey and Jackson's lawyer John Branca hatched a plan: raise money by pre-selling the rights to a behind-the-scenes documentary shot during "Thriller" production. MTV, which, to that point, had never paid for content, contributed $250,000, and Showtime paid $300,000. According to The Guardian, Jackson made up a lot of the difference out of his own pocket.