Beat It

American musician Michael Jackson's sixth studio album, Thriller, contains the song Beat It (1982). Jackson and Quincy Jones both produced it in addition to writing it. Jackson received encouragement from Jones to include a rock song to the record. In a later interview, Jackson stated: "I wanted to write a song that I would purchase if I were to purchase a rock song and I wanted the kids to really like it-the school kids as well as the college kids." Eddie Van Halen plays a guitar solo in it.

The third single from the Thriller album, Beat It, was made available on February 14, 1983, following the commercial successes "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean". It spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it reached its pinnacle. It peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart as well. The song was reached No. 5 by Billboard in 1983. The Recording Industry Association of America has granted it a 5-platinum certification (RIAA). It is among the top-selling singles of all time, with over 7 million copies sold globally. Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands all ranked number one for "Beat It," which was a top hit throughout Europe.

Artist: Michael Jackson

Released: February 14, 1983

Genre: Hard rock, dance-rock