Song story
Beat It
- primaryMichael Jackson
"Beat It" is a song credited to Michael Jackson, released on 1982-11-30.
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How “Beat It” carried Thriller onto rock radio
First released on Thriller on November 30, 1982, and issued as the album’s third single on February 14, 1983, “Beat It” joined Michael Jackson’s songwriting to Quincy Jones’s production and a guest solo by Eddie Van Halen. Its reception on rock radio, pop charts and at the Grammy Awards made the song’s crossover reach unusually concrete.
The song has two relevant release dates
“Beat It” first appeared as the fifth track on Thriller when the album was released on November 30, 1982. It was subsequently issued as the album’s third single on February 14, 1983. The earlier date therefore marks the recording’s album debut, not its standalone single release.
Sources: time.com, michaeljackson.com, thriller40.com
Michael Jackson wrote it—not Rod Temperton
Michael Jackson was the sole credited writer of “Beat It.” Rod Temperton wrote other Thriller songs, including the title track, but not this one. Jackson later explained in his autobiography Moonwalk that he wanted to create the kind of rock song he himself would buy, while its subject reflected his preference for escaping a dangerous confrontation rather than fighting.
Sources: loc.gov, thriller40.com
How the recording took shape
Quincy Jones produced “Beat It,” with Jackson credited as co-producer. Jones recruited Eddie Van Halen for the guitar solo. Van Halen recalled that he was given broad freedom, rearranged the song’s middle passage and improvised two solos. Steve Lukather later explained that he played the rhythm guitars and electric bass while Jeff Porcaro played drums, with their parts fitted around Jackson’s vocal and Van Halen’s solo. Bruce Swedien recorded and mixed the track.
Sources: grammy.com, thriller40.com
Its crossover success was measurable
Contemporary Billboard reporting noted that album-oriented rock stations were playing “Beat It” even before it became a single, identifying Van Halen’s contribution as an important point of entry for rock programmers. The song subsequently reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the 1984 Grammy Awards it won Record of the Year and earned Jackson Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male—recognition that placed the same recording in both the general and rock fields.
Sources: grammy.com, grammy.com, grammy.com
Documented credits
- Artist, songwriter, lead vocal, vocal arrangement and co-producer
- Michael Jackson
- Producer and co-arranger of rhythm arrangement
- Quincy Jones
- Guitar solo
- Eddie Van Halen
- Guitars and electric bass
- Steve Lukather
- Guitar
- Paul Jackson Jr.
- Drums
- Jeff Porcaro
- Rhodes and synthesizer
- Greg Phillinganes
- Keyboards
- Bill Wolfer
Research sources
- Thriller — National Recording Registry essay · loc.gov
- Thriller — Michael Jackson Official Site · michaeljackson.com
- Why Michael Jackson’s Biggest Success Was a Surprise · time.com
- Beat It — credits transcribed from the Thriller LP liner notes · thriller40.com
- Michael Jackson’s Grammy Night ‘Thriller’: 30 Years Later · grammy.com
- 26th Annual Grammy Awards · grammy.com
- 1984 Record of the Year · grammy.com
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Selected TikTok examples
Popular videos featuring Beat It.
Sound: Beat It
@mj_k.i.n.g
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104M views
Watch on TikTok ↗Sound: Beat It
@sarinha_sarita
just beat it 🥊 #foryou #foryoupage #dance #besties #bestfriend #duo #viralvideo
52.7M views
Watch on TikTok ↗Sound: Beat It
@dance10fikshunofficial
✅⚔️✅ @imdavidchernandez Sound design: @Tony Jax #fight #comiccon #sword #action #trending
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Watch on TikTok ↗Sound: Beat It
@yoboyja100
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34.4M views
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There is more to Michael Jackson.
ArtistSphere connects Michael Jackson with dance, pop, soft pop catalog signals. Start with Billie Jean, Beat It, Beat It - PCM Stereo to explore the music represented here. Continue through verified Spotify, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok links and fan discovery sections.
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Spotify royalty estimates
All time
$6,369,000
Rounded forecast · nearest $1,000
estimated Spotify gross royalties to rightsholders
Inputs and assumptions
- As of
- Sep 7, 2026
- Source
- Chartmetric
- Formula version
- artistsphere_spotify_gross_preview_v1
Each figure multiplies an identity-matched Chartmetric Spotify stream count by a deterministic $0.003 modeled gross rightsholder rate. The estimate is gross to rightsholders before contractual splits, fees, recoupment, and taxes; it is not artist take-home pay.
These estimates represent gross royalties to rightsholders before contractual splits, fees, recoupment, and taxes. They do not represent artist take-home pay.
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