"Beat It" Tops The Hot 100 As Thriller Takes Off

Today 30 April 1983, Michael Jackson's fight is funky and strong, as "Beat It" hits #1 in America for the first of three weeks.

With Thriller's "The Girl Is Mine" pairing him with Paul McCartney and "Billie Jean" topping charts around the world, Jackson is on the verge of superstardom. Quincy Jones, who produced the record along with Jackson, wanted a rock-and-roll number to round out the album and boost the singer's crossover appeal. Jackson explained: "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."

Enter "Beat It," a rock-driven single inspired by the perils of gang life, complete with an overdriven guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen.

Read more Songfacts Beat It by Michael Jackson

Jackson is one of the first artists to use music videos to promote an album, and he goes all-out with this one, showing off his dance moves in the midst of a street battle. Along with "Billie Jean" and the forthcoming "Thriller" clip, the popular video makes Jackson one of the first black artists to gain regular airplay on MTV, while the success of the song itself is a testament to his appeal to both black and white audiences.

Along with accolades for the album, "Beat It" takes home two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.

Read more Michael Jackson Biography

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