Beat It – Michael Jackson

“Beat It” is a song by American singer  from his sixth studio album,  (1982). It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and . Jones encouraged Jackson to include a  song on the album, though Jackson had never previously shown an interest in the genre. 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… That is how I approached it and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students.” It includes a guitar solo by .

Following the successful Thriller singles “” and ““, “Beat It” was released on February 14, 1983 as the album’s third single. It peaked at number one on the , staying there for three weeks. It also charted at number one on the  chart.  ranked the song No. 5 for 1983. It is certified  by the  (RIAA). With over 7 million copies sold worldwide, it is one of the . “Beat It” was a number one hit in Europe, reaching number one in Spain and the Netherlands.

The “Beat It” , which features Jackson bringing two gangsters together through the power of music and dance, helped establish Jackson as an international pop icon. The single, along with its music video, helped make Thriller the . “Beat It” has been cited as one of the most successful, recognized, awarded and celebrated songs in the history of ; both the song and video had a large impact on .