Beat It: Eddie Van Halen’s Best Work

Eddie Van Halen has said that the guitar work on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” is one of the standout pieces in his career: "“Beat It” by Michael Jackson is a masterpiece. Quincy Jones asked me to play the guitar on it. Within 15 minutes, I recorded two takes, and I told them to pick whichever one they wanted. Then Michael came in and said, ‘Wow! I really like that fast, low thing you played.’ Working on this track was incredibly fun. It’s mind-blowing that something that was ready in such a short time could go beyond the furthest limits you could imagine." Source: eMJey.com / smithsonianmag.com