Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' is Not a Halloween Song

There is an annual argument that we are a few weeks away from suffering through again about whether or not "Die Hard" counts as a Christmas movie. Well, I don't care about that, but I would like to say that Thriller has nothing to do with Halloween.

It is seasonally appropriate because of its horror themes, but it's not a Halloween song or a Halloween video. Hell, it debuted in December. It's a great song and a classic video, but it should really be appreciated 12 months a year. You know, if we're still recognizing Michael Jackson as an artist. If he's still canceled, I guess you don't need to worry about it. Instead, let's talk about the Backstreet Boys.

There are three general types of music videos. Videos that are loyal to the source material, videos that have nothing to do with the song, and live performances. The Backstreet Boys' horror-inspired video for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" has zero to do with the lyrics of the song.

The titular Backstreet guys are dropped off at some sort of haunted castle and immediately go to bed and turn into various monsters. There is much dancing. For some reason this video was released in the middle of the summer. Does no one in the music industry care about seasonal appropriateness?

If you ever throw a Halloween party with a screen dedicated to music videos with horror themes, you'd be wise to add this to the playlist, but if you put this on a regular playlist at a Halloween party, people would think you were insane.

Nothing about this makes sense. Except for the fact that Thriller and Backstreet's Back both have a lot in common. No one can deny that.