- 1984 · 1983
- 1984 · 1984
- Van Halen · 1978
- Van Halen · 1978
- Van Halen · 1978
- 1984 · 1984
- Van Halen II · 1979
- For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge · 1991
- Fair Warning · 1981
- Van Halen · 1978
- 5150 · 1986
- Van Halen · 1978
- Women and Children First · 1980
Essential Albums
- Sammy Hagar’s first studio album with Van Halen fits snugly into the band’s party-metal tradition; the wildly raucous “Get Up” recalls the nuclear-fueled boogie of “Hot for Teacher.” But key differences turn up as well: “Dreams” leans more heavily on the chilly pulse of Eddie Van Halen’s synthesizers, and the pop-driven power ballad “Why Can’t This Be Love” is tailor-made for Hagar’s gritty heart-on-sleeve vocals.
- With the sci-fi synth swell of 1984’s opening instrumental track, Van Halen fans knew they were in for something different. Released in its namesake year, the band’s final album with singer David Lee Roth—for about three decades, anyway—was launched into the stratosphere by the deliriously catchy single “Jump.” Propelled by massive synths rather than massive guitars, the song was not only a distinct outlier for Van Halen, it was also the group’s first and only No. 1 single. It may have seemed bizarre for a band founded almost entirely on Eddie Van Halen’s next-level guitar wizardry, but the keyboard-boogie of “Jump” indicated where the members of Van Halen were in 1984 (and with 1984): on top of the world. That means they could do anything they wanted—as evidenced by the band’s second single, “I’ll Wait,” which bumps even more synth. This time it’s darker, with a Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” feel and menacing drum fills, not to mention a vocal melody co-written with the Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald (apparently, the lyrics are addressed to a female model wearing men’s underwear in a magazine ad). Of course, fans worried that Eddie may have abandoned his trademark riffs and licks had nothing to fear. Guitar fireworks are everywhere on 1984. The school-daze fantasy “Hot for Teacher” kicks off with Alex Van Halen’s 30-second drum solo before Eddie serves up one of his most dexterous performances. And that’s on top of his dizzying speed-harmonics on “Top Jimmy,” and his insane interplay between rhythm and lead on “House of Pain.” After a journalist accused Roth of writing only about women, partying, and fast cars, Roth realized he hadn’t actually written any songs about cars. That led to the birth of “Panama,” an acrobatic ripper inspired by a race car the singer had seen in Vegas. (In keeping with the theme, that’s Eddie’s Lamborghini revving in the background during the bridge.) Then there’s “Drop Dead Legs,” which tattoos a seductive power-groove onto the pumping thighs of strippers everywhere, while Roth rhymes “Betty Boop” with “loop-de-loop.” It might be one of Van Halen’s slowest songs, but it’s also one of their best. Meanwhile, Alex and bassist Michael Anthony lay down a Rush-worthy rhythm workout on “Girl Gone Bad”. Sadly, 1984 would be Van Halen’s last gasp with Roth, at least until 2012’s A Different Kind of Truth. But what a way to go out.
- Arguably their finest album (some give the nod to the debut), <I>Fair Warning</I>, the band’s fourth, presents every lovable facet of Van Halen in one quick package. From the opening blitzkrieg riff of “Mean Street” to the manic panic rumble of “One Foot Out the Door,” it’s all here: David Lee Roth’s hilarious, incoherent ramblings and gratuitous screeches, Eddie Van Halen’s gold standard avant-garde-heavy metal fretwork, and the rhythm section’s loose <I>and</I> tight groove that meshes behind-the-beat funk with hard rock’s cataclysmic wallop. The songs are particularly strong. The arrogant swagger of ‘Sinner’s Swing!,” the heart-dropping melodicism of Eddie’s guitarwork throughout “Hear About it Later,” the tongue-in-cheek taunting at the heart of “Unchained,” and the simple, haunting synthesizer churn of “Sunday Afternoon in the Park,” this is rock n’ roll as one breathless rollercoaster ride. With the absence of a hit single, it is sometimes overlooked, but rest assured <I>Fair Warning</I> is one of the most original and exciting releases of the 1980s.
- This concise follow-up to the L.A.-based band's self-titled debut appeared less than a year after these shredders' first album. Van Halen had already injected chop-intensive heavy metal with a pop sensibility, campy humor, and the energy of punk rock (they once opened for the Germs at the Whiskey) on their debut. That record was years in the making and it shows. By comparison, Van Halen II sounds a little bit thrown-together, but not in a bad way. The music here is fun, loud and rad. Sometimes you think the band totally is aware of how stupid they can be, ("Dance the Night Away," "Beautiful Girls") while other times you think they must be idiot savants ("Bottoms Up," "Somebody Get Me a Doctor"). In either case, it's always so entertaining that it doesn't really matter.
- Van Halen’s 1978 debut was earth-shattering. From the slow-mo car horns that open “Runnin’ with the Devil” to the bass-burst fade-out that closes “On Fire,” Van Halen—affectionately known as Van Halen I—changed the hard rock and heavy metal landscapes forever. Eddie Van Halen single-handedly rewrote the lead guitar playbook with “Eruption,” his fret-tapping, neck-snapping solo instrumental that has haunted Guitar Center employees for decades, while David Lee Roth’s vaudevillian-acrobat showmanship set a new template for rock ’n’ roll vocalists everywhere. And bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen formed a high-powered rhythm section for the ages, made all the more impressive by Anthony’s pitch-perfect backing vocals. Plus, Van Halen kicked out the party jams. “Runnin’ with the Devil” had nothing to do with the satanic posturing that would engulf heavy metal a few years later. With lyrics inspired by the Ohio Players’ “Runnin’ From the Devil,” Van Halen’s opening track is a celebration of the open road and the indulgences that come with it. The song is soon followed by “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love,” which was initially conceived as a punk parody, and echoes the album’s party-hearty philosophy: We’re here for a good time, not a long time. Featuring some of Eddie’s most famous guitar-playing, “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love” is often credited with jump-starting the hair metal movement. Nowhere was that changing of the hard-rock guard more apparent than on Van Halen’s 1978 tour, in which the group opened for Black Sabbath: While the Sabs were sluggish and uninspired, the members of Van Halen were like a Fourth of July fireworks display, full of sound, color, and youthful energy. Elsewhere on Van Halen, the frenzied guitar workout “I’m the One” features a barbershop a capella break that perfectly captures Van Halen’s sense of humor and varied talents. The teenage breakup tune “Jamie’s Cryin’,” meanwhile, didn’t hit the chart after it was released as a third single, but enjoyed a second life when rapper Tone Loc sampled it for his 1988 hit “Wild Thing.” And one of the heaviest tracks on the album, “Atomic Punk,” shows off Eddie’s dizzying chops while Diamond Dave spins a yarn about a nuked-out night crawler cruising the streets for illicit kicks (that song is followed by “Feel Your Love Tonight,” the first of many California feel-good hits Van Halen would deliver over the next few years). Much to Eddie’s consternation, the band’s cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” was chosen as the first single. While it got the desired attention, it remains a puzzling choice, given the quality of the band’s original tunes. And it’s not the only cover here: “Ice Cream Man” starts off as a relatively faithful rendition of Chicago bluesman John Brim’s 1953 acoustic ditty before Eddie Van Halen-izes it by turning the last 90 seconds into an extended guitar solo. Then there’s “Little Dreamer,” one of the album’s overlooked gems. With its strutting groove and spacious arrangement, the song feels almost ominous—until Anthony slides in with those angelic doo-wop harmonies. In many ways, he’s the unsung hero of the album—and of Van Halen—lending his sweet pipes to so many of the band’s best tunes.
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
More To Hear
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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.
- FROM
- Pasadena, CA, United States
- FORMED
- 1972
- GENRE
- Hard Rock