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Steve Stevens's electric guitar solo on Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" is the only solo on this hard rock-inflected track from the Bad album. Playing at 119 BPM in G minor, Stevens delivers a brief but incendiary solo, his distorted tone and aggressive technique bringing genuine rock credibility to the production. Best known as Billy Idol's guitarist, Stevens was recruited to provide the same kind of authentic rock edge that Eddie Van Halen brought to "Beat It" on the previous album. His solo reinforces the song's dark, seductive atmosphere with pyrotechnic guitar work that became one of the most recognizable guitar moments in 1980s pop. "Dirty Diana" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the fifth consecutive chart-topper from the Bad album.
Steve Stevens was 26 to 27 years old at the time.
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