From 1996 to 2013, this music video held the Guinness World Record as the longest music video. Pharrell Williams would surpass this record by creating a literal 24-hour music video for his song "Happy". As of 2024, Twenty One Pilots holds the record for the longest music video for Twenty One Pilots: Level of Concern Never-Ending (2020), which ran for precisely 177 days, 16 hours, 10 minutes, 25 seconds.
Michael Jackson's goal was to outdo 1983's 'Thriller' with this film. However, 'Thriller' still remains the top selling album and song of his career.
During filming his then wife now ex told him she was pregnant with their first child, to getaway from the crew and speak to him privately Rowe picked up Jackson on her motorcycle to tell him the news.
Michael Jackson played multiple characters, including the Maestro, the mayor, a skeleton, and the ghoul. He underwent a heavy makeup transformation for each.
Jackson wears his iconic long curly hair for the film
Yasiin Bey: As one of the townspeople of Normal Valley. He is credited as "Dante Beze", not by "Mos Def" as he would later be known shortly following this video's release.