This paper compares two landmark but historically distant musical works: Johann Sebastian Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Michael Jackson's "Thriller." The analysis examines differences in musical purpose, instrumentation, emotional effect, and universality. While Bach's concerto achieves a grandeur rooted in the Baroque tradition — evoking royal imagery through the interplay of strings and wind instruments — Jackson's "Thriller" pursues a dynamic, narrative-driven experience heightened by modern synthesizers and a storyline. The paper reflects on how each piece communicates differently to its audience and why Bach's work may feel more timeless, while Jackson's remains more firmly rooted in its era.
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" are two very different pieces of music, belonging to different periods of time, different historical and cultural backgrounds, and different perspectives on what music is and does. As a result, they address different audiences and produce different effects — both in terms of sound and in terms of each listener's individual, personal perception. This paper briefly presents both works, emphasizes some of the key differences between them, and reflects on how those differences shape the experience of hearing each piece.
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 is a classic musical work, carrying all the characteristics that come with that distinction. The most striking of these is its grandeur. The combination of string instruments — violas, violins, and cellos — with wind instruments such as flute and oboe is likely the direct source of this impression on the listener. As one listens, one can almost conjure the mental image of a royal court, where a monarch is welcomed on these tones, or a ball at a royal palace complete with an elaborate and similarly grand dance.
Importantly, the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 is not constructed to follow a storyline or carry lyrics, as "Thriller" does, or as a classical opera of Bach's own time would. Because of this, Bach seems to enjoy an extra freedom in his creative process, writing music with the sole purpose of making it sound beautiful for the listener — unconstrained by narrative demands.
A similar goal of pleasing the listener is present in "Thriller," but with the added dimension that Michael Jackson also aims to follow a storyline and, simultaneously, create specific sensations. The song is called "Thriller," and the music must communicate a message that will occasionally intrigue — even frighten — the listener. If one recalls the famous music video, there is always a sense of suspense hanging in the air. Since the video is not always available, those sensations must be transmitted through the music alone.
"Why Bach feels universal while Thriller feels dated"
"Thriller," by contrast, is more dynamic, and the listener is somewhat more agitated — though not necessarily in a negative way. The listener is almost transported into the storyline that Jackson presents in the background. From a musical perspective, the song is also remarkably rich in instrumental diversity: some instruments are modern, such as synthesizers and, arguably, saxophones, while others are classical, such as trumpets. The prominent presence of synthesizers, clearly audible throughout the song, may be another reason why "Thriller" seems to belong more firmly to a specific period — the modern era — than Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 does.
Taken together, these two works illustrate how profoundly the purpose and context of a musical composition shape the listener's experience. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 achieves a grand, timeless beauty by freeing itself from narrative constraints and relying on the interplay of classical instruments. "Thriller," meanwhile, harnesses modern production techniques and a driving storyline to create a visceral, era-specific emotional experience. Both works succeed brilliantly on their own terms, and comparing them reveals just how wide the possibilities of musical expression truly are.
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