Beat It

About Beat It

"Beat It" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. Quincy Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album, 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. "Following the successful Thriller singles "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean", "Beat It" was released on February 14, 1983 as the album's third single. "Beat It" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, staying there for three weeks. It also charted at number one on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. Billboard ranked the song No. 5 for 1983. It is certified 5x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With over 7 million copies sold worldwide, it is one of the best-selling singles of all time. "Beat It" was a number one hit in Europe, reaching number one in Spain and the Netherlands. The single, along with its music video, helped propel Thriller into becoming the best-selling album of all time. more »