“I Just Don’t F***ing Get It” Alex Van Halen’s Anger Over Brother’s Low-Key Michael Jackson Collaboration

Eddie Van Halen’s low-key, uncredited collaboration with Michael Jackson created one of the most iconic guitar riffs of modern pop history, but it also created anger and discord between the rock star and his older brother, Alex Van Halen. And if you were to ask the elder Van Halen brother, the collab ushered in the end of their ‘80s rock legacy.

Even years after Eddie Van Halen’s death—and even longer since Michael Jackson released the record he played on—the younger Van Halen sibling’s decision still confuses and irritates the surviving brother.

Alex Van Halen’s Anger Over Michael Jackson Collaboration

While rock bands and regulations don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand, Van Halen did have one cardinal rule for everyone involved: don’t waste creative energy on projects outside of the band. In 1982, Eddie Van Halen broke that rule when he agreed to play guitar over Michael Jackson’s 1982 track “Beat It.” (You know the riff we’re talking about.)

In a 2024 interview with Rolling Stone, drummer Alex Van Halen admitted that he’s still angry over his younger sibling’s decision. “Why would you lend your talents to Michael Jackson? I just don’t f***ing get it. And the funny part was that Ed fibbed his way out of it by saying, ‘Oh, who knows that kid anyway?’ You made the mistake! Fess up. Don’t add insult to injury by acting stupid.”

Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t have at least an inkling of who Michael Jackson was in the early 1980s. The album Jackson released just before Thriller, which featured “Beat It,” included cuts like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You.” Thriller would go on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time. So, yes, Eddie knew who MJ was, and so did Alex (and just about everyone else).

The Uncredited Feature Marked The Beginning Of The End

Alex Van Halen credits Eddie Van Halen’s decision to take on a Michael Jackson collaboration as marking the beginning of the end for their rock band. Eddie’s decision prompted vocalist David Lee Roth to pursue his solo endeavors, and on and on it went until the band’s split priorities, substance abuse, and differences in artistic opinion caused the original lineup to fracture.

Ironically, Alex Van Halen didn’t even accept credit for his distinct guitar riffs on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Despite being one of the most instantly recognizable parts of the track, Van Halen forwent recognition in the hopes that it would soften the blow of him breaking his band’s cardinal rule. (Clearly, it didn’t.) Instead, Van Halen asked for a case of beer and for Jackson to teach him a few dance moves.

The price of the collaboration on Van Halen’s end was far greater, elder brother Alex later argued. He believed that creative energy was a non-renewable resource and that his colleagues should have reserved their artistic efforts for their band. Two years later, Thriller’s chart-dominating success confirmed his worst fears. Eddie had given his musical spark away to Michael Jackson, and the band was never quite the same after that.

Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images