Yes, and Beach Boys "Pet Sounds"
and Police "Synchronicity"
and Lou Reed "Transformer"
and Fleetwood Mac "Rumours"
and the list goes on...
But Thriller was definitely a very good album and the recording techniques and mastering were impeccable.
I'd pick Ghost in the Machine.
His album before that, Off the Wall, was better. That happens a lot actually, the album before the breakout album gets enough people interested and sets the platform for major success.