Billie Jean / Beat It

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.