- 1984 · 1983
- 1984 · 1984
- Van Halen · 1978
- Van Halen · 1978
- 1984 · 1984
- Van Halen · 1978
- Van Halen II · 1979
- Van Halen · 1978
- Van Halen · 1978
- 5150 · 1986
- For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge · 1991
- 5150 · 1986
- Fair Warning · 1981
Essential Albums
- Sammy Hagar injects the band’s pop metal with gritty earnestness.
- One of hard rock’s premier bands at the pop-friendly peak of their powers.
- 1981
- 1979
- Fun, rowdy, and totally radical, the band’s debut remains a game-changer.
- 1998
- 1995
- 1988
- 1986
- 1984
- 1982
Top Videos
1983
1984
1984
1978
1982
Artist Playlists
- Pop and metal cross paths with these hard-rocking legends.
- Don't deny your love for Van Hagar.
- Everybody loves Diamond Dave.
- The band's legacy rests upon Eddie's shredding hard rock.
- The guitar heroes who kicked these legendary hard rockers into action.
- All kinds of metalheads worship these legends.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
Compilations
- 2015
More To Hear
- In May 1983, no music festival could match the US Festival.
- Jenn celebrates the life and music of Eddie Van Halen.
About Van Halen
In the late ’70s, hard rock was largely the domain of leather-clad metal aficionados and gruff growlers—until Van Halen came along to crash the party. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his drummer brother, Alex, initially started playing music together in the mid-’60s and graduated from gigs at backyard parties to shows in Hollywood, which led to a record deal and the band’s 1978 self-titled debut. Eddie wielded virtuosic guitar technique (the use of finger-tapping on the instrumental “Eruption”) and a melodic, fluid playing style (“Runnin’ with the Devil,” the riff-heavy “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love”) that complemented the vocal razzmatazz offered by the band’s frontman: David Lee Roth. Diamond Dave’s over-the-top stage demeanor and vocal calisthenics gave the band a theatrical edge—later abetted by playful videos—that revolutionized rock well into the ’80s. The original lineup’s popularity peaked with the keyboard-iced 1984 No. 1 hit “Jump” and the rock blockbuster 1984; Roth parted ways with the group soon after for a solo career. Former Montrose frontman Sammy Hagar stepped in and immediately guided Van Halen to four No. 1 albums in a row, starting with 1986’s 5150. After his successful commercial run, Hagar ceded the vocalist position to Extreme’s Gary Cherone in the late ’90s, but Roth eventually returned to the fold—leading to Van Halen releasing the well-received A Different Kind of Truth in 2012 and embarking on several major tours. Eddie Van Halen died in 2020 after a battle with cancer.
- HOMETOWN
- Pasadena, CA, United States of America
- FORMED
- 1972