Say what you will about Michael Jackson as a person, but you have to admit that he is one of the greatest and most innovative entertainers this planet has ever seen. You could even say that he is more influential than U2, Elvis Presley, or the Beatles. Michael Jackson is certainly more important to music history than Kanye West and 50 Cent.

He was one of the first artists to take the concept of a music video and transform those few minutes into a complete story. Michael Jackson’s music videos weren’t just concert shots like everyone else; they were full productions… mini-movies, you could say. This was all before he transformed into the Wacko Jacko we know today.

It’s hard to believe that it’s the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. In the meantime, and thanks to the advent of YouTube, we’ve seen several “interpretations” of the classic. Here are five of the best.

SoBe Life Water: Thrillicious: This Super Bowl commercial really takes the cake and it’s not because of Naomi Campbell. My jaw dropped the first time I saw this ad on TV. Thrillicious, indeed!

 

Indian Thriller: What do you get when you cross Michael Jackson with Bollywood? This music video answers a question that no one asked. And the result is simply magical.

 

1500+ Filipino Prisoners: I realize that life behind bars can get pretty repetitive. Even so, it’s pretty amazing that 1500 Filipino prisoners got together to do Thriller, especially since it’s an all-male prison. I feel sorry for the guy that has to play the damsel in distress.

 

Wedding Thriller: They’re not the best dancers in the world and the bride doesn’t seem all that interested, but this has got to be the groom’s best dream come true. Other than, you know, marrying his wife and all.

 

Lego Thriller: These guys have way too much time on their hands, because they reproduced the original music video shot for shot using Lego. That’s nearly 14 minutes worth of stop-motion animation!

 

As great as these videos are, none of them will ever compare to the original. You know it’s thriller, thriller night… you’re fighting for your life inside of killer… thriller tonight.