Billie Jean / Beat It
by Michael Jackson
- Type: Single
- Released: 14 March 1983
- Label: Epic
- Country: United States
- Length: 9:01
- Community rating: 4.27/5 from 4 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
Intentionally designed to bridge the racial and stylistic divide between R&B dance music and heavy album-oriented rock, 'Beat It' shattered the lingering segregation of early MTV. The track opens with a distinctive Synclavier synthesizer gong before erupting into a driving hard-rock riff. Eddie Van Halen's explosive, chaotic guitar solo—famously recorded in one take and completely unpaid as a favor to Quincy Jones—helped propel 'Thriller' to historic heights.
Genres
Descriptors: melodic, rhythmic, violence, dance, four-on-the-floor
Tracklist
- Billie Jean (4:50)
- Beat It (4:11)
Credits
- Brian Gardner - lacquer cut by [runout etching ❀]
- Michael Jackson - primary artist, co-producer, written-by
- Quincy Jones - producer