It was 40 years ago today!

Celebrating the world premiere of the “Beat It” music video by the late “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)

The iconic video had its world premiere on MTV (and on my TV) during prime time on March 31, 1983.

Matthew Rolston; Distributed by Epic Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The song’s guitar solo was provided by the late Eddie Van Halen. On July 13, 1984, during The Jackson’s Victory Tour, Michael and his brothers were joined on stage by Eddie, who played the guitar in his solo spot.

Fun fact: The Tour’s first three shows were on July 6, 7, and 8, 1984, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri (my home town). The next three shows on July 13, 14, and 15, were at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas.

July 8, 1984: The Jacksons performing on stage at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, during the Victory Tour

Photo Credit: Larry Davis, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The unforgettable music video for the song “Billie Jean” had its world premiere on MTV (and also on my television) on March 10, 1983. My late mother, like millions of us, loved this song and its video. Ultimately, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, and their videos, along with the long-form music video for the title track “Thriller”, helped to crown Michael as the “King of Pop”. His music, talent, style, and essence, were everywhere. We remember!