On April 30, 1983, Michael Jackson began a three-week run at No. 1 on the US Singles chart with 'Beat It'—a feat which gave him his fifth solo US No. 1 🏆 As the third single from Jackson's Thriller album, 'Beat It' played a key role in the singer's rise to superstardom. According to the Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 songs issue, Jackson stated, "I wanted to write the type of rock song that I would go out and buy. But also something totally different from the rock music I was hearing on Top 4

Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” released in 1983, became one of his biggest hits—and a defining crossover moment in pop and rock—thanks in part to Eddie Van Halen’s legendary guitar solo. Van Halen recorded the solo for free, reportedly laying it down in just one take. His blistering performance added a raw edge to the Quincy Jones-produced track and helped break down racial and genre barriers on mainstream radio. The fusion of Jackson’s pop brilliance and Van Halen’s rock energy turned “Beat It” i