Who played the guitar solo in “Beat It”?

The guitar solo in the iconic Michael Jackson song “Beat It” was played by Eddie Van Halen. The famous rock guitarist and leader of the band Van Halen recorded the memorable performance with Jackson’s team at his home studio in 1982. His distinctive style and tone can be heard throughout the entire three-minute long solo. This collaboration has since become one of the most popular examples of a crossover between pop music and hard rock, a signature sound that propelled both artists to new heights in their respective genres.

Eddie Van Halen’s Contribution to the Song

Eddie Van Halen is widely considered one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock music. The Dutch-born virtuoso rocketed to fame with his distinctive solo on Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, and is credited with bringing the electric guitar to a much wider audience than ever before. Released in 1982 as part of Jackson’s Thriller album, ‘Beat It’ featured an iconic solo that marked a watershed moment for electric guitar playing and popular music more broadly.

The composition was heavily influenced by Van Halen’s own hard rock style, which incorporated dazzling technical proficiency with powerful riffs and electrifying energy. His effortless playing earned him great acclaim from both critics and fans alike, quickly propelling him into superstardom. Despite the song being written by Jackson himself – along with co-producer Quincy Jones – it was Eddie who gave ‘Beat It’ its unique character that defined it as one of the greatest songs ever created.

Van Halen’s influence extended well beyond this one track however; he provided innumerable other chart hits throughout his career that continue to inspire musicians everywhere today. With his incredible knack for catchy hooks and brilliant technique, Eddie Van Halen will always remain one of rock’s true legends.

The Evolution of Beat It’s Guitar Solo

Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” single is widely recognized as one of the most iconic and beloved pop songs of all time. The song features a prominent guitar solo that many fans regard as an integral part of the track’s unique charm and appeal. While this section has become synonymous with the record, it was initially created by Eddie Van Halen in collaboration with Michael Jackson.

At first, Van Halen had conceived of the solo for a different project entirely, but after working on it with Jackson he eventually agreed to let him use it for his own song. Although some early critics questioned if the solo fit into such a disco-tinged song, it soon became clear that its unusual style brought a whole new layer to the hit single. By blending blues rock elements with funk riffs and shredding licks, Van Halen managed to create something truly original that everyone would remember for years to come.

The influence of “Beat It” and its guitar solo continue to be felt today; many contemporary acts cite Eddie Van Halen’s work on this classic track as their inspiration when writing their own songs or solos. What began as an experiment quickly turned into one of history’s most notable examples of fusion between rock ‘n roll and pop music – proving once again just how powerful creativity can be.

Michael Jackson’s Collaboration with Eddie Van Halen

Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen first collaborated in 1982 on the iconic track, “Beat It.” The song was written by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones, but it featured an unforgettable guitar solo from legendary rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

The collaboration between two seemingly disparate artists was a groundbreaking moment for music history. Both were giants of their respective genres, and joining forces helped bridge the gap between rock ‘n’ roll and pop. The resulting single created a sound that straddled both worlds and went on to become one of the most successful songs of all time–it charted #1 in multiple countries across the world and earned Michael Jackson two Grammy Awards.

Although this particular collaboration was incredibly successful, it would be their only partnership together; shortly after “Beat It” reached its peak, Van Halen returned to his hard-rock roots and Michael Jackson continued to make hit records as a solo artist. Nevertheless, many fans still regard their work together as a remarkable contribution to modern music history–one that continues to inspire musicians today.

Van Halen’s Influence on Michael Jackson’s Music

Van Halen’s influence on Michael Jackson’s music is undeniable. Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar solo for the 1982 hit single “Beat It” established the song as one of Jackson’s most recognisable songs, and showcased a unique blend of rock-inspired riffs and classical composition that catapulted it to fame. Eddie Van Halen had previously worked with Jackson on his Thriller album in 1983, where he produced some guitar solos and other musical elements for multiple tracks including “The Girl Is Mine”.

This collaboration continued in 1987 when Van Halen was invited by Quincy Jones to produce yet another classic solo for Jackson’s Bad album: “Bad.” While this solo only featured minimalistic riffs, its simplicity added an important dynamic contrast to the heavy bass-line of the track which made it stand out from any other song released at that time. This helped establish “Bad” as another signature MJ song as well as cementing Van Halen’s place in rock history.

Jackson also drew inspiration from Eddie Van Halen’s innovative technique known as tapping – an electrified version of hammer-on/pull-off fretboard techniques used often by blues guitarists but utilised by very few hard rock acts such as himself – during his live performances, employing finger movements along with strumming that replicated a violinist or violist playing bowed strings. By showcasing these remarkable skills on stage during concerts, MJ showed that he could incorporate more complex instrumentation into his work while maintaining its danceable energy, something that proved popular with audiences around the world.

Other Contenders for the Guitar Solo in Beat It

Michael Jackson’s iconic hit ‘Beat It’ remains one of the most celebrated pop songs of all time and its legendary guitar solo has become an integral part of the track. Although widely credited to Steve Lukather, there were several other contenders for the coveted solo spot.

Before Luke was selected, session musician Greg Phillinganes had laid down a version of the guitar solo which pleased Michael Jackson but his demanding schedule prevented him from officially recording it. Then Eddie Van Halen made a surprise appearance at the studio and although Michael liked his version he opted to stick with Phillinganes’ rendition in order to remain true to the original idea.

American rock guitarist Rick Derringer was another possible choice for ‘Beat It’s solo spot as he recorded a hard-driving instrumental line for the song during pre-production sessions which would have drastically altered its musical style had it been used. The song’s producer Quincy Jones, however, deemed that it did not fit and refused to include it on final recordings.

Insights from the Recording Studio Sessions

The recording sessions of Michael Jackson’s song “Beat It” were an unforgettable moment in history. The iconic track featured one of the most celebrated guitar solos ever recorded, and speculation has run rampant as to who was behind the solo. To get a better sense of what went on during those recording sessions, we need to look no further than engineer Bruce Swedien’s account of the event.

According to Bruce, Eddie Van Halen arrived at the studio with no intention of playing on the record; he had only come for moral support for his friend Quincy Jones. However, once hearing the track, he spontaneously joined in with a searing solo that wowed everyone present in the room. Despite his enthusiasm for it, Van Halen asked that his performance not be credited on the record due to contractual obligations with Warner Bros. Records – this way Quincy could take full credit for having produced another classic pop hit single.

Van Halen improvised two different takes of the solo which were later edited together by Jones to create a truly magical section within a timeless piece of music – testament to both Eddie’s skill and Quincy’s knack for detail-oriented producing work. Though there was a certain degree of mystery around it all at first, engineering accounts from Bruce Swedien have thankfully shed light on just how much effort went into making “Beat It” such an iconic song over thirty years ago today.

Why Eddie Van Halen Was Not Credited Initially

When the world heard Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar solo in Michael Jackson’s classic hit single “Beat It”, it was immediately clear that this was something special. However, the name of the legendary guitarist was not credited on the initial release of the song and remained unknown to many for quite some time. While there are several different theories as to why Van Halen went uncredited, one of them is rooted in copyright laws that were in place during the 1980s.

At this point in his career, Eddie Van Halen had only recently achieved success with his rock band and trademark sound as a soloist. He feared that allowing himself to be associated with such a major pop star like Michael Jackson would have serious repercussions on his budding career since there were no royalty agreements between him and Jackson at that time. As a result, he did not want to take any risks by having his name officially listed as part of the credits – after all, if things had gone south then both parties would be held responsible legally.

Another contributing factor may have been Columbia Records’ attempts to market Michael Jackson as an individual artist instead of relying too heavily on outside help or collaborations from established musicians like Eddie Van Halen who could overshadow him. In other words, they wanted people talking about MJ first and foremost instead of getting caught up on praising someone else too much for their involvement in creating such an amazing song. This strategy worked out very well for everyone involved; although Eddie’s name wasn’t credited initially, he eventually became widely recognized anyway due to overwhelming public demand from fans wanting more information about who played the memorable guitar solo.