Beat It

"Beat It" is a 1983 hit single from Michael Jackson's multi-platinum selling album Thriller. It was the third song from the album that was released as a single, following "The Girl is Mine" (a duet with Paul McCartney) and "Billie Jean".

History

In the years directly preceding "Beat It", Jackson had already composed several of his own hit songs. His Off the Wall album, released in 1979 and produced by Quincy Jones, featured two of his compositions – "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Working Day and Night" – as well as a third co-written with Louis Johnson, "Get On the Floor". (Similarly, the Jacksons 1978 album Destiny showcased his smash hit song "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and 1980's Triumph had the even more prescient "This Place Hotel".) In many respects the Off the Wall album served as a measure of things to come. Jackson and Jones had laid a foundation for putting songs appealing to different segments of their audience together on one seamless record. Jackson's loyal fan base amongst his R&B audience had spread into mainstream pop for more than a decade, and his songs displayed an uncanny ability to appeal to a fairly wide-ranging group of listeners: those who liked ballads, or dance tunes, or disco, or slightly funkier grooves, or even lighter fare could all find something to appreciate on Off the Wall.

Related Topics:
Off the Wall - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Jacksons - 1978 - Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) - 1980 - This Place Hotel

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With Thriller, Jackson and Jones would attempt at once to hone, embellish, and surpass this feat. One of their ambitions was to include a rock song on the new album. They took partial inspiration from another chart-topping rock song by The Knack. According to Jones, "I said at the time, 'I need a song like "My Sharona"... A black version of a strong rock and roll thing, with the power of everything else he .' And hit it right on the head."

Related Topics:
The Knack - My Sharona

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Kicking off with an instantly recognizable gong which quickly segues into an equally distinctive rapid fire drumbeat and then the ongoing guitar riff, "Beat It" speaks of urgency from the outset and indeed plays out like the urban cousin of "My Sharona". The lyrics to "Beat It" are an immediate, frightful warning to avoid fighting and violence at all costs, especially when honor seems to be at stake ("It doesn't matter who's wrong or right") and Jackson sings them forcefully, near the top of his register.

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Providing a dramatic electric guitar solo during the bridge of the song is Eddie Van Halen from the rock group Van Halen. According to Jones, when he first contacted the guitarist about appearing on the song, Van Halen didn?t believe who he said he was, or that the offer was true. Nevertheless, he went on to provide the defining element that set the song apart from other Jackson tunes to date.

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Van Halen recorded his part while Jackson was in another nearby studio recording overdubs on ?Billie Jean?. According to one story, a technician who was unaware Van Halen was beginning a take knocked on the studio door, entered and quickly closed it when he realized his error. Afterwards, it was jointly decided to leave this mistake in, which is audible just prior to the launch of the guitar solo.

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