When Sean Kingston released his 2011 song “Beat It,” he faced an uphill battle. The title of the track, so closely tied to Michael Jackson‘s iconic 1982 hit “Beat It” from his album Thriller, was ...

Session veteran Paul Jackson Jr. has handled six-string duties for B.B. King, Daft Punk, Whitney Houston, Elton John, George Benson, and the Temptations, to name but a few. However, it was his work on ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hugh McIntyre covers music, with a focus on the global charts. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” has become the quintessential ...

Eddie Van Halen considered hanging up when producer Quincy Jones called to ask if he'd perform the now-famous solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It." Assuming that it was all a prank, Van Halen ...