In terms of chords and melody, Michael Jackson - Thriller has complexity on par with the typical song, having near-average scores in Chord Complexity and below-average scores in Melodic Complexity, Chord-Melody Tension, Chord Progression Novelty and Chord-Bass Melody.
Michael Jackson - Thriller is written in the key of C♯ Dorian. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 10th most popular key among Dorian keys and the 46th most popular among all keys. The C♯ Dorian scale is similar to the C♯ Minor scale except that its 6th note is a half step higher (A♯). Chord progressions in Dorian have a characteristic sound due to the major quality of the chord built on the 4th scale degree. See the C♯ Dorian Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more!