Today we throw back 40 years to the week of May 14, 1983, when a song called ‘Beat It’ by little-known pop singer Michael Jackson topped the Billboard Hot 100.
I was surprised to see I hadn’t featured ‘Beat It’ on the blog through 5,432 Songs of the Day. The closest I’ve come is a Random Weekend feature of ‘Beat It 2008,’ a bonus track on the 25th anniversary re-release of Thriller that remixed the song and added vocals by Fergie. Exhibit A of why Throwback Weekends are already better than Random Weekends.
‘Beat It,’ the third single from Jackson’s record-breaking Thriller, spent just three weeks at #1 but sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. Its video became a staple on MTV and was hilariously parodied in ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic’s ‘Eat It.’
Jackson wrote ‘Beat It’ after producer Quincy Jones suggested Thriller could use a rock song. To boost those rock bona fides, Jackson recruited Eddie Van Halen for a blistering guitar solo. Van Halen offered his services free of charge, a decision that cost him a ton of money in future residuals.
Despite Thriller‘s status as the best-selling album of all time, ‘Beat It’ was one of only two #1 hits on the record (following ‘Billie Jean’). So this will be Jackson’s last appearance on Throwback Weekends until I get around to 1987, when Bad produced five chart-toppers.
They told him, “Don’t you ever come around here
Don’t wanna see your face, you better disappear”
The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it (Ooh!)
You better run, you better do what you can (Ooh!)
Don’t wanna see no blood, don’t be a macho man (Ooh!)
You wanna be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you wanna be bad
[Chorus]
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it (Beat it)
Just beat it (Beat it)
Just beat it (Beat it)
Just beat it (Beat it, uh)
[Verse 2]
They’re out to get you, better leave while you can
Don’t wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man
You wanna stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it (Ooh!)
You have to show them that you’re really not scared (Ooh!)
You’re playin’ with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare (Ooh!)
They’ll kick you, then they’ll beat you, then they’ll tell you it’s fair
So beat it, but you wanna be bad
[Chorus]
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it (Beat it, beat it, beat it)
Beat it (Beat it, beat it, ha, ha, ha, ha)
Beat it (Beat it, beat it)
Beat it (Beat it, beat it)
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right (Who’s right)
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it (Hoo-hoo!)
No one wants to be defeated (Oh, lord)
Showin’ how funky (Hee-hee!) and strong is your fight (Hee-hee-hee!)
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it (Beat it!)
No one wants to be defeated (Oh-no!)
Showin’ how funky (Hoo-hoo!) and strong is your fight (Hee-hee! Hoo!)
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right (Who’s right)
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it (Hoo-hoo!)
No one wants to be defeated
Meet Me In Montauk 
All hail the new Random Weekend format! It’s like when a radio station changes to a great new format.😉
I second that emotion. Such fun to revisit all these great songs, those we know so well and those that are complete surprises.
Great way to start the weekend!