Beat It

"Beat It"
"Beat It"
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Thriller
B-side	"Get on the Floor" (US); "Burn This Disco Out" (UK);
Released	February 14, 1983
Recorded	1982
Studio	Westlake (Los Angeles, California)
Genre	Hard rock; dance-rock;
Length	4:18
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Michael Jackson
Producer(s)	Quincy Jones; Michael Jackson (co.);
Michael Jackson singles chronology
Music video
	"Beat It" on YouTube
Alternative cover
	Side-A label of US 7-inch vinyl single
Audio sample
	file; help;

"Beat It" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Jackson. Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album. Jackson later said: "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song... and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students."^[6] It includes a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen.

Following the successful Thriller singles "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean", "Beat It" was released on February 21, 1983, as the album's third single. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for three weeks.^[7] It also charted at number one on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart.^[8] Billboard ranked the song No. 5 for 1983.^[9] It is certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Beat It" was a number one hit in Europe, reaching number one in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.^[8]

The "Beat It" music video, which features Jackson bringing two gangs together through the power of music and dance, helped establish Jackson as an international pop icon.^[10] The single, along with its music video, helped make Thriller the best-selling album of all time. "Beat It" has been cited as one of the most successful, recognized, awarded and celebrated songs in the history of popular music; both the song and video had a large impact on pop culture.^[11]

"Beat It" received the 1984 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, as well as two American Music Awards. It was inducted into the Music Video Producers Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked "Beat It" number 337 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, and at number 185 in its 2021 update of the list. The magazine also named it the 81st greatest guitar song of all time.^[12] It was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.^[13]

^ Roberts, Randall (August 29, 2012). "Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature': An NYC classic on his birthday". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
^ Halstead & Cadman 2003, p. 40.
^ Cromelin, Richard (December 12, 1982). "Jackson goes over 'The Wall'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
^ Gill, Andy (June 27, 2009). "'Thriller' was the masterpiece that set tone for pop's next generation". The Independent. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2024. ...a standout dance-rock track on Michael Jackson's game-changing blockbuster Thriller.
^ Johnson, Robert E. (May 1984). "Michael Jackson, the World's Greatest Entertainer". Ebony. Vol. 39, no. 7. p. 165. ISSN 0012-9011.
^ Cadman & Halstead 2007, pp. 27–28.
^ ^a ^b George 2004, p. 39.
^ Cite error: The named reference Billboard83 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Campbell 1993, p. 60.
^ Thriller 2008, p. 41.
^ "100 Greatest Guitars Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008.
^ "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012.

[1] Roberts, Randall (August 29, 2012). "Michael Jackson's 'Human Nature': An NYC classic on his birthday". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2019.

[FOOTNOTEHalsteadCadman200340-2] Halstead & Cadman 2003, p. 40.

[3] Cromelin, Richard (December 12, 1982). "Jackson goes over 'The Wall'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

[4] Gill, Andy (June 27, 2009). "'Thriller' was the masterpiece that set tone for pop's next generation". The Independent. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

[Billboard_Pop_500-5] Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2024. ...a standout dance-rock track on Michael Jackson's game-changing blockbuster Thriller.

[Ebony-6] Johnson, Robert E. (May 1984). "Michael Jackson, the World's Greatest Entertainer". Ebony. Vol. 39, no. 7. p. 165. ISSN 0012-9011.

[FOOTNOTECadmanHalstead200727–28-7] Cadman & Halstead 2007, pp. 27–28.

[FOOTNOTEGeorge200439-8] George 2004, p. 39.

[Billboard83-9] Cite error: The named reference Billboard83 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTECampbell199360-10] Campbell 1993, p. 60.

[FOOTNOTEThriller200841-11] Thriller 2008, p. 41.

[12] "100 Greatest Guitars Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008.

[13] "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012.

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