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"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones (with co-production by Jackson). It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Eddie Van Halen played the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his record label from appearing in the music video. He did appear on stage with Jackson in Dallas during the Jackson brothers "Victory Tour." Following the successful chart performances of the Thriller singles "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean", "Beat It" was released on February 3, 1983 as the album's third single. The song was promoted with a short film that featured Jackson bringing two gangs together through the power of music and dance. It is one of the artist's most recognizable signature songs, and a favorite of many Jackson fans worldwide.
"Beat It" received the 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. "Beat It" (along with the song's music video) propelled Thriller into becoming the best-selling album of all time. The single was certified platinum in the United States in 1989. Rolling Stone placed "Beat It" on the 344th spot of its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". "Beat It" was also ranked number 81 on Rolling Stone 's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time".
In the decades since its release, "Beat It" has been covered, parodied, and sampled by numerous artists including Pierce the Veil, Fall Out Boy, Pomplamoose, Justin Bieber, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fergie, John 5, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Eminem. The song was also featured in the National Highway Safety Commission's anti-drunk driving campaign.
"Beat It" was composed by Michael Jackson for his Thriller album. Producer Quincy Jones had wanted to include a rock 'n' roll song in the vein of the Knack's "My Sharona", though Jackson reportedly had never previously shown an interest in the genre. Jackson later said of "Beat It", "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song... That is how I approached it and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students." Upon hearing the first recorded vocals, Jones stated that it was exactly what he was looking for. The song begins with seven distinct synthesizer notes played on the Synclavier digital synthesizer. While Tom Bahler is credited with Synclavier performance on the song, the intro is taken note for note from a demo LP released the year before, called "The Incredible Sounds of Synclavier II" first published in 1981 by Denny Jaeger Creative Services, Inc and sold by New England Digital, makers of the Synclavier.
Eddie Van Halen, lead guitarist of hard rock band Van Halen, was asked to add a guitar solo. When initially contacted by Jones, Van Halen thought he was receiving a prank call. Having established that the call was genuine, Van Halen recorded his guitar solo free of any charge. "I did it as a favor", the musician later said. "I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing – I don't do something unless I want to do it." Van Halen recorded his contribution following Jones and Jackson arriving at the guitarist's house with a "skeleton version" of the song. Fellow guitarist Steve Lukather recalled, "Initially, we rocked it out as Eddie had played a good solo—but Quincy thought it was too tough. So I had to reduce the distorted guitar sound and that is what was released." The song was among the last four completed for Thriller; the others were "Human Nature", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "The Lady in My Life".
On the record, right before Van Halen's guitar solo begins, a noise is heard that sounds like somebody knocking at a door. It is reported that the knock was a person walking into Eddie's recording studio. Another story has claimed that the sound was simply the musician knocking on his own guitar. The sound, however, is that of Jackson knocking on a drum case, as he is credited in the album's liner notes. The lyrics of "Beat It" are about defeat and courage, and have been described as a "sad commentary on human nature". The line "don't be a macho man" is said to express Jackson's dislike of violence, whilst also referring to the childhood abuse he faced at the hands of his father Joseph. The song is played in the key of D-sharp minor at a moderately fast tempo of 139 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson's fastest songs. In the song, Jackson's vocal range is A♯3 to C♯5.
Drums on the song were played by Toto co-founder Jeff Porcaro.
A remix of "2 Bad", is featured on Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix containing a sample of "Beat It" as well as a rap by John Forté and guitar solo by Wyclef Jean.
File Hashes
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Available in:
"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones (with co-production by Jackson). It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller (1982). Eddie Van Halen played the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his record label from appearing in the music video. He did appear on stage with Jackson in Dallas during the Jackson brothers "Victory Tour." Following the successful chart performances of the Thriller singles "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean", "Beat It" was released on February 3, 1983 as the album's third single. The song was promoted with a short film that featured Jackson bringing two gangs together through the power of music and dance. It is one of the artist's most recognizable signature songs, and a favorite of many Jackson fans worldwide.
"Beat It" received the 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. "Beat It" (along with the song's music video) propelled Thriller into becoming the best-selling album of all time. The single was certified platinum in the United States in 1989. Rolling Stone placed "Beat It" on the 344th spot of its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". "Beat It" was also ranked number 81 on Rolling Stone 's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time".
In the decades since its release, "Beat It" has been covered, parodied, and sampled by numerous artists including Pierce the Veil, Fall Out Boy, Pomplamoose, Justin Bieber, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fergie, John 5, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Eminem. The song was also featured in the National Highway Safety Commission's anti-drunk driving campaign.
"Beat It" was composed by Michael Jackson for his Thriller album. Producer Quincy Jones had wanted to include a rock 'n' roll song in the vein of the Knack's "My Sharona", though Jackson reportedly had never previously shown an interest in the genre. Jackson later said of "Beat It", "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song... That is how I approached it and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students." Upon hearing the first recorded vocals, Jones stated that it was exactly what he was looking for. The song begins with seven distinct synthesizer notes played on the Synclavier digital synthesizer. While Tom Bahler is credited with Synclavier performance on the song, the intro is taken note for note from a demo LP released the year before, called "The Incredible Sounds of Synclavier II" first published in 1981 by Denny Jaeger Creative Services, Inc and sold by New England Digital, makers of the Synclavier.
Eddie Van Halen, lead guitarist of hard rock band Van Halen, was asked to add a guitar solo. When initially contacted by Jones, Van Halen thought he was receiving a prank call. Having established that the call was genuine, Van Halen recorded his guitar solo free of any charge. "I did it as a favor", the musician later said. "I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing – I don't do something unless I want to do it." Van Halen recorded his contribution following Jones and Jackson arriving at the guitarist's house with a "skeleton version" of the song. Fellow guitarist Steve Lukather recalled, "Initially, we rocked it out as Eddie had played a good solo—but Quincy thought it was too tough. So I had to reduce the distorted guitar sound and that is what was released." The song was among the last four completed for Thriller; the others were "Human Nature", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "The Lady in My Life".
On the record, right before Van Halen's guitar solo begins, a noise is heard that sounds like somebody knocking at a door. It is reported that the knock was a person walking into Eddie's recording studio. Another story has claimed that the sound was simply the musician knocking on his own guitar. The sound, however, is that of Jackson knocking on a drum case, as he is credited in the album's liner notes. The lyrics of "Beat It" are about defeat and courage, and have been described as a "sad commentary on human nature". The line "don't be a macho man" is said to express Jackson's dislike of violence, whilst also referring to the childhood abuse he faced at the hands of his father Joseph. The song is played in the key of D-sharp minor at a moderately fast tempo of 139 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson's fastest songs. In the song, Jackson's vocal range is A♯3 to C♯5.
Drums on the song were played by Toto co-founder Jeff Porcaro.
A remix of "2 Bad", is featured on Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix containing a sample of "Beat It" as well as a rap by John Forté and guitar solo by Wyclef Jean.
File Hashes
HASH1: 08C213EC50167598 HASH2: AF4E8188611EFFB4 (MP3) HASH1: A594AE0A303A4CCE HASH2: 4D07059E673D7E2D (MP3) HASH1: 68E19EC3FD84549B HASH2: 8A48EB9623E60D1E (MP3) HASH1: DFC6B430F89A22BD HASH2: 8A48EB9623E60D1E (MP3) HASH1: 1B2A37E34D9F234A HASH2: 377E79EB107013CE (MP3) HASH1: 7BC229D8A9B11741 HASH2: 377E79EB107013CE (MP3) HASH1: 1B4DC9B0653AA57C HASH2: EA8DA5B6969A03C7 (MP3) HASH1: B61DE961BF113C7D HASH2: EE84DFF888BB3BC3 (MP3) HASH1: 86DB8D2142EA34B4 HASH2: 1BFDE41B151C49C8 (MP3) HASH1: 78101BD6E495D4D9 HASH2: 20E5BB39C821556D (MP3) HASH1: BCB2E46F60FFAF46 HASH2: 257E61968937C3AF (MP3) HASH1: 765D0359AF395AFB HASH2: 9F40BA151ED98911 (MP3) HASH1: C1AA74C03B6AD90E HASH2: 0FCB9479B047A254 (MP3) HASH1: CC59B1F30E3BAD5C HASH2: B24EF251913D1EF4 (MP3) HASH1: FE6B0EFE040193F5 HASH2: 73EC24F8DA721F30 (MP3) HASH1: 772CC5A55334C739 HASH2: F9ACAC7253C9920B (MP3) HASH1: 882F26012A7A979C HASH2: 4AE930046BAF2008 (MP3) HASH1: E72773ABFD359DB8 HASH2: F4B988DCC4673052 (MP3) 
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