It’s been 40 years since Michael Jackson released his seminal album Thriller, and to celebrate just how influential the record has been in pop culture even to this day, Maxwell delivered a touching performance of “Lady in My Life” at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night (May 15).
Dressed in an MJ-inspired sparkling jacket, gloves and tie, Maxwell delivered the romantic lyrics that had fans falling in love with the late icon for decades. “Baby through the years/ Gonna love you more each day/ So I promise you tonight/ That you’ll always be the lady in my life,” he sang in the chorus, backed by a soulful band.
On the Billboard charts, the iconic Thriller became the first album to generate seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10s — with “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” going to No. 1. The album spent a staggering 37 weeks atop the Billboard 200. At the Grammys in 1984, Thriller won seven awards, including album and record of the year (“Beat It”).
The title cut of Jackson’s landmark 1982 album was written by Rod Temperton, while its beloved spooky video was inducted into the National Film Preservation Board’s National Film Registry. “Thriller” frequently returns to the Hot 100 around Halloween, giving Jackson a solo song in the Hot 100’s top 20 in the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, ’10s and ’20s.
In 1992, the BBMAs presented a special award in honor of Thriller‘s 10th anniversary.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by MRC Live & Alternative, a division of MRC. MRC and Penske Media are co-parent companies of Billboard.
