Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar reacted to Wolfgang Van Halen’s comments about his era giving Eddie Van Halen something the David Lee Roth era could not. Hagar agreed with Wolfgang’s view that he helped Eddie grow as a musician and songwriter.
Wolfgang previously praised the melodic direction Hagar brought to the band. He said, “To delve into the exhausting argument of which singer is better. I’m kind of of the mind where there’s positives in everything. And, you know, if you hate one side or the other, it’s like, hey, you know, the same guy wrote the stuff. You can really find stuff to appreciate. And I really appreciate the melodic addition that Sammy added to the band with this music. I think it allowed my dad to explore a more melodic style of songwriting. And there’s great stuff on here on ‘The Collection II’.”
Hagar responded: “Truth. This is not about taking sides. This is about Eddie Van Halen growing as a musician, songwriting artist. We all know he was already there as a Guitarist before I joined the band.”
The exchange reflects the long-running debate among Van Halen fans over the different musical identities of the David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar eras. Roth’s period is often associated with the band’s original hard-rock sound and theatrical style. Hagar’s tenure introduced another approach to the group’s songwriting.
The Collection II brings together four newly remastered Van Halen studio albums from the Hagar era. It also includes rarities recorded between 1989 and 2004. The box set was released on October 6, 2023, in five-LP and five-CD editions.
Hagar joined Van Halen in 1985 after Roth’s departure. He became the band’s new lead singer during a controversial transition. This change ultimately led to a successful new chapter for the group.
His first album with Van Halen was 5150, released in 1986. The band also recorded OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and Balance with Hagar. Together, these four albums helped establish the commercial success of the band’s second major era.
Wolfgang’s comments carry particular weight. He is Eddie Van Halen’s son and later played bass in Van Halen. His support for both periods suggests that the band’s legacy does not need to be reduced to a competition between singers. This is especially true since the same core musicians contributed to both eras.
