Van Halen: 5150 / David Lee Roth: Eat "Em and Smile

In the 1980s fifth calendar flip through, Van Halen had once again scaled to the top of Rock ‘n’ Roll Mountain. After hitting a slight speed bump in the commercial and critical acclaim department early in the decade, Van Halen plastered “The Mighty” back in their moniker with their 6th studio album, 1984.   At this point, it seemed like Van Halen was indestructible. But as fate would have it, the disease of more, ego, creative differences, and simmering frustrations would boil over and forever change the band's tenor. 15 months after 1984’s release, Van Halen was left without a lead singer…   On April 1st, 1985, Van Halen and David Lee Roth filed for a musical divorce. While stories still conflict over whether Dave quit the band or Van Halen fired him, enough evidence points to the two sides mutually agreeing to part ways.   The original Van Halen run was over. But Eddie and Dave still had many musical chapters to write. In 1986, their first full year as separate entities, both Van Halen and David Lee Roth proved they still had plenty left in their creative tanks.