Four decades ago, Eddie Van Halen crafted one of his most iconic guitar solos under unexpected circumstances. Often in pop music, it's high-profile vocalists who forces to create a memorable collaboration track. However, sometimes the best collaborations occur when a vocalist and an instrumentalist work together.

Eddie Van Halen lent his guitar talents outside his band, collaborating with some huge names such as Brian May, LL Cool J, and Nicolette Larson. His guitar playing was legendary, and it was never surprising to see other musicians eager to team up with him. In fact, the most surprising aspect may be that more didn't. Regardless, he had some fantastic collaborations over the years, and he deserves continued recognition for the piece he contributed to an incredible Michael Jackson song.

The Guitar Solo In "Beat It" Went To Eddie Van Halen After Pete Townshend Declined

The Who Came Before Van Halen

Pete Townshend rose to fame as a member of the legendary band, The Who. Alongside Roger Daltrey, they created some of the most well-known rock tracks, such as "Baba O'Riley" and "Pinball Wizard." After 20 years of building their name from the '60s to the '80s, Townshend had become one of the most respected guitarists in the music industry. Consequently, other musicians sought his talents, including Michael Jackson.

In 1982, producer Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson began putting together the album, Thriller. The two wanted to involve Townshend in "Beat It," but the timing didn't work out. Although he had to decline, Townshend told Rolling Stone that he didn't leave Michael empty-handed, stating: "I said I couldn't do it but recommended Eddie, who called, and we chatted." Ultimately, Townshend was able to get Eddie Van Halen on board.

In his own right, Eddie Van Halen had an incredible start to his career up to this point. His band, Van Halen, had released one of the best debut albums in 1978, which they followed up with other successful albums. Eddie was also gaining recognition as one of the best guitarists in the entire music industry. Therefore, he was a fitting replacement for Townshend.

Van Halen Helped To Rearrange The Midsection Of "Beat It" Completely

Eddie Just Wanted To Help

Before Eddie Van Halen signed off on being part of "Beat It," he had to meet with producer Quincy Jones first. After realizing that Jones' call wasn't a prank, they arranged a time to meet. Jones asked him what he thought about being part of it, but Eddie was unsure of what he could bring to the table, thinking the tune would be more like what Michael had done with the Jackson 5. After listening to it, he realized there were parts he could change and found exactly where he could fit in.

During a 2012 interview with CNN, Van Halen spoke about his initial listening, stating: "I turned to the engineer and I go, 'OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.'” After about 10 minutes, this was done, and that's where Van Halen went to work. He added in two solos, hoping that Michael would like it. To his surprise, Michael did and told him, "Wow, thank you so much for having the ion to not just come in and blaze a solo, but to actually care about the song and make it better."

Now, with Michael on board, one would think it became a huge arrangement, but it didn't. In fact, Eddie did the work on the song for free. When asked if it was true he got paid with a case of beer, Eddie replied, "Yeah, something like that. Actually, I brought my own, if I right." Of course, many people were shocked that Eddie did this for free, but for him, he was just happy to help. Michael approved and that was all he truly needed. This is a testament of the type of person Eddie was.

"Beat It" Is The Legacy Of Not Just Michael Jackson, But Also Eddie Van Halen

Both Deserve Praise

Michael Jackson's Thriller has gone on to become an unprecedented 34x platinum in the United States. Not only that, but with 70 million records sold worldwide, it is the best-selling album of all time. With all this success, it would only make sense that Eddie would receive some recognition for his contribution, but according to the musician in his 2012 interview with CNN, that wasn't the case: "I don’t even think I’m credited on the record. It just says, 'Guitar solo: Question Mark' or 'Guitar solo: Frankenstein'."

The one thing Eddie did say he received was a thank-you letter from Quincy Jones, which, to the guitarist, was good enough. It was something he preserved throughout his life, as he found it humorous. He even got to play on stage with Michael during a 1984 performance on Michael's Victory Tour. Nonetheless, it still feels like more should have come from this than just one performance and a letter.

It truly is a shame Eddie never received any recognition for the song. This should be one of the biggest collaborations in music since it featured the "King of Pop," and the person many consider one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Unfortunately, after the deaths of both icons, this is one of those stories that must be shared to be ed. For those who know, there is no way they can hear "Beat It" without thinking about Eddie Van Halen.