Beat It: The MJ Song Van Halen Broke (Then Saved)
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Yes, this is a re-upload. The original version of this video mistakenly featured a photo that was likely AI generated. My apologies, and thanks to the commenter who called it out.
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SOURCES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l34u9-ZtcV4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YePluFoYSYE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwWfm-EY4aU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYEn8MdNrFc
#michaeljackson #thriller #vanhalen
TOPICS COVERED
Michael Jackson
Thriller
Making Of
Beat It
Eddie Van Halen
Steve Lukather
Quincy Jones
Mistake
SMPTE Time Code
Drum Case Snare
Sample
Interpolation
@itspoffy
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Wow what a great video.
@shhmandy
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
5:33 No, that's not correct. Eddie recorded his parts at his own studio 5150. After they recorded the solo, they wanted to move it. So Eddie's engineer cut the tape. When Quincy got it back, he couldn't sync it up, so he called Steve Lukather to fix it. This is significant, because there are people that recorded Beat It originally, but it's Steve Lukather's version that made it to the final album.
@LemonJuice-b3u
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
….then he broke it again on stage with michael 🤣🤣
@honeybeezyall
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Man ! Great video ! I love your positive energy and your commentary. You know your music production real good !
@hichammehditazi9945
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
GREAT JOB , thanx à lot from Morocco
@Rudeboy-5412
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Who's gonna know if I play on this black kid's record? The black kid who became the greatest of all time? They should have asked Prince instead; it would have been 10 times better!
@one4themoney2fortheshow
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Thanks for giving us a look behind the curtain. I always knew Michael was a musical genius for sure, but this makes me appreciate him even more. To understand singing, instruments, machines, performance, and dancing, videos, and more is mind boggling. No other artist comes close. Good music unites us more than we realize, let the great ones work together. I can never unsee the history you presented on Beat it..THANKS
@jesusmalena3741
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Even though Billie Jean, in many people's eyes was bigger, beat it even above thriller is the best song MJ has ever made.
@9800Richardson
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
I remember back in the 80's walking past a scummy hole in the wall biker bar (down south) and seeing all these mean tough looking crackers frozen in total silence holding their pool cues all of them enthralled by Michael Jackson's Beat it video on a tiny black and white TV mounted on the back wall. I wouldn't dare go in there if I wanted to live (my skin tone)but to Michael's credit he really was the king that year.
@chocodiledundee1
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
MY MISS’O AND I WERE SO FCKING FURIOUS AND DISAPPOINTED THAT THE BIOPIC FILM MICHAEL DID NOT FEATURED A ESPECIAL MADE SCENE OF MICHAEL JACKSON CALLING EDDIE TO PLAY IN HIS ALBUM AND THE LEAST WE EXPECTED WAS TO SEE AN ACTUAL ACTOR WHO LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE EDDIE COMING TO THE STUDIO IN HIS TOPLESS WRANGLER WITH HIS HIGHTOPS ADIDAS SNEAKERS HIS 501 LEVIS HIS TRADEMARK HAND PAINTED GUITAR 🎸 PLAYING THE SOLO MAN AFTER REALISING THAT HUGE AMOUNT OF DISRESPECT TOWARDS EDDIE AND WASTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ONE THE GREATEST ROCKNROLL CONTRIBUTION IN MUSIC HISTORY EVER IN A MOVIE MAN I AM SO DISAPPOINTED I CANNOT BELIEVE IT I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY DID NOT MADE A SCENE FOR EDDIE APART FROM JAAFAR ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE THE MOVIE SUCKED !!!! SO DISAPPOINTED SO DISRESPECTFUL TOWARDS EVH !
@robalvarado2466
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
You do an EXCELLENT job breaking down music and the music theory for the novice. I’m still trying to comprehend how the trash can hit saved the track esp with Eddies track “breaking” it. I’m sure it will click for me but keep doing what you’re doing. Love your content!!!
@marsmagdalene
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
You gotta give people time to GET to the dance floor when they hear that MJ song come on, and MJ understood that.
@Albee213
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
You know what the real lesson for all this? Stop trying to chase other people's sounds. Most of their iconic sounds were made by accident. Make you own mistakes and create the next iconic sounds others will be trying to chase. I play guitar and most players are always obsessed with re-creating other guitar players' sound. Drives me nuts.
@Ngozi419
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
"… if i play on this Black kid's record…" damn, Eddie! Life really was different. Even then, he was already Michael Jackson of the Jackson 5, the Jacksons, the Wiz… Thriller was his 6th solo studio record! I know life was different, and de facto segregation was stronger, but DAMN EDDIE!
@DJSoulbrother
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
That solo influenced so many before the Satriani/Vai popularity appeared, myself included as with Gary Moore, Jeff Beck, Brian May, Clapton and many others
@slimyelow
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Same chord vamp as Prisoner by Miley Cyrus.
@MichaelCGatesMusic
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
"20 minutes out of my life" > Me: "20 years out of my life, still trying to learn to play it."
@CosmicD
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
I always wonder what that falling sine zou
D represented that comes right after the gongs
@GET2222
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
So good….
@jbirdhoytwilliams
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Thanks!
@scottdavio3716
May 20, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Sin cla v a. Sinclavier, Bombardier, you US peeps mangle words with such confidence