Beat It was released by Michael Jackson in 1983 as a single from Thriller, the 1982 album that became one of the best-selling records of all time. The song blended pop and rock, with a famous guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen, and its street confrontation theme made the chorus instantly memorable. Decades later short excerpts recirculate on TikTok and other video platforms, where a recognisable hook can anchor a repeatable dance, transition or entrance format and be copied by thousands of creators.