Michael Jackson’s Thriller -era guitarist says Beat It was “too metal” before producer Quincy Jones stepped in.

Eddie Van Halen almost hung up on producer Quincy Jones when he called to ask the guitarist to perform on Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album.

Quincy Jones, who passed away Sunday, helped produce Michael Jackson’s albums “Off The Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad.”

The legendary producer, who died in November 2024 at the age of 91, worked with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra before hitching his wagon to Jackson in the late 1970s. Jackson, meanwhile, was a pop sensation after singing with his brothers in the Jackson 5 as a kid before branching out into solo work.

In a recent interview, guitarist Steve Lukather revealed that the Quincy Jones-produced song was almost a heavy metal record.