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The Unbelievable Story Behind Thriller's Album Cover Outfit

By Judah Carroll Men's Journal

Coming off his wildly popular solo album, Off the Wall, in 1979, Michael Jackson followed up his breakout with Thriller in 1982 at just 24 years old.

Produced with Quincy Jones and released by Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Inc., the album was an instant success unlike anything ever seen before. Thriller became an example for what a true cultural phenomenon is and is now one of the most iconic works of music of all time.

Featuring several of pop music's greatest hits and music videos like "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller," Jackson's pop culture-defining nine-song collection is the highest-selling album ever, with estimated 70-100 million record sales. The first to ever go 30x platinum in just the USA. At its peak, it sold over 1 million copies per week.

Jackson took home a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards at the 1984 ceremony.

Thriller's album cover is an image instantly recognizable to almost anyone. The photo, specifically the outfit worn by Michael Jackson in it, has a surprising backstory that is not commonly known.

According to photographer Dick Zimmerman, the infamous white suit Jackson is wearing on the iconic cover didn't belong to him. The Hugo Boss suit featured on Thriller's album art is what Zimmerman, who did the cover photo shoot, wore to work that day. The photographer says that Michael was not happy with the wardrobe options that had been selected for the session. Eventually, Jackson noticed what Zimmerman was wearing and the rest was history.

In an interview for Art of Design, Zimmerman recounted the moment that would have such a big impact on the history of the industry.

"His eyes lit up when he noticed the white suit that I was wearing." The photographer recalled. "He said, 'That's the look I like, do we have anything like that?' We didn't. Time was fleeting. I was concerned about having enough time to execute my cover ideas. I indicated that we were about the same height and build and asked if he would like to wear mine. That was exactly what he wanted. Fortunately for the session and the time involved, the suit fit like it was tailored for him."

The clothes photographer Dick Zimmerman randomly decided to wear to a photo shoot ended up on one of the most famous album covers and artists in the history of music.

No one knowing its full significance in the moment, Zimmerman actually got to keep the suit. He reportedly later auctioned it off, and it is now frequently displayed at the Grammy Museum.

Thriller is universally considered one of the most influential albums ever made.

The cover art of a young Michael Jackson, along with photographer Dick Zimmerman's suit, likely will be etched into brains for many generations to come.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

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