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".

Pop culture

• In an issue of THE NEW TEEN TITANS from 1984, the character Cyborg crushes a boom-box blaring "Beat It" that belongs to a street-gang member.
• Heavy metal band Metallica covered this song, along with many others, at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.
• The song and its video were both parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic as "Eat It". Yankovic as a rule asked permission from recording artists before parodying their works, and years later would again get the nod from Jackson for his second culinary jab at the singer, ?Fat? (based on the pop star?s title song from the album ?Bad?).
• Actor Stoney Jackson (no relation) is one of the faux "gang-members" in the dance sequence.