Van Halen

Van Halen reshaped hard rock conventions from the outset by centering every phase of its evolution on Eddie Van Halen’s extraordinary technical skill and inventive guitar approach. The band initially forged a jubilant, party-oriented pop-metal style in the early 1980s that leaned on lead singer David Lee Roth’s flamboyant stage presence, then gradually shifted toward a smoother, radio-friendly sound that proved even more commercially successful once Roth departed soon after the landmark 1984 album and Sammy Hagar stepped in as vocalist. From 1985 through 1996, Hagar’s tenure brought polished songcraft tailored for airplay, allowing the group to top the charts repeatedly with multi-platinum releases such as 5150 and OU812. Following the brief interlude after Van Halen III in 1998, which featured Gary Cherone on lead vocals, the band later welcomed back both Hagar and Roth, with the latter handling vocals on the final studio effort, 2011’s A Different Kind of Truth. Operations ended permanently after Eddie Van Halen’s death in 2020.

Born to a Dutch bandleader, Eddie Van Halen relocated with his family from the Netherlands to Pasadena, California, in 1962 at age seven alongside his nine-year-old brother Alex. While their father earned a living performing in wedding ensembles, the siblings maintained classical piano studies until rock & roll captured their attention. Eddie took up drums and Alex chose guitar before the two eventually traded instruments. They launched the hard rock outfit Mammoth, gigged locally in Pasadena, and crossed paths with David Lee Roth, who had grown up in an affluent California household and was then fronting Redball Jet. Impressed by the Van Halen brothers, Roth joined the project, soon followed by bassist Michael Anthony, previously of Snake. After learning another group held rights to the name Mammoth, the musicians adopted Van Halen in 1974, turning down the suggestion of Rat Salade.

Over the next three years the quartet performed across Pasadena, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles in clubs and hotel lounges. Their sets blended pop, rock, and disco before original material took greater prominence. Within several years they stood as Los Angeles’s top local act, with Eddie gaining recognition for his pioneering technique. In 1977, after catching the band at the Starwood Club, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons funded a demo session. On Simmons’s endorsement, Warner Bros. executives Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman signed the group, issuing its debut album the following year.

Strong word-of-mouth, relentless touring, and AOR radio support propelled Van Halen to gold status within three months and platinum within five. The record ultimately moved more than six million copies on the strength of AOR staples “You Really Got Me,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” and “Runnin’ with the Devil.” Van Halen II followed in 1979 and sustained momentum when “Dance the Night Away” became the band’s first Top 20 single. Women and Children First reached number six on the album charts in 1980 despite lacking charting singles; the supporting headlining international arena tour accelerated the group’s ascent. Fair Warning, released in 1981, peaked at number six, while Diver Down hit number three in 1982 behind the number 12 cover of Roy Orbison’s “(Oh) Pretty Woman.”

The 1984 album, issued on New Year’s Day, elevated Van Halen to superstar status by climbing to number two behind the chart-topping single “Jump.” Several tracks, including that hit, showcased Eddie’s newly adopted synthesizer, an addition initially resisted by Roth yet widely credited with broadening the band’s appeal. Further singles “I’ll Wait” and “Panama” reached the Top 15, and “Hot for Teacher” became a radio and MTV fixture throughout 1984.

Internal strains surfaced despite commercial triumph. During the 1984 tour the members performed separate solos and stood physically apart onstage. Roth voiced displeasure over Eddie’s guest appearance on Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit “Beat It,” while Eddie grew weary of Roth’s comedic antics. Roth issued the solo EP Crazy from the Heat in 1985, which yielded covers of “California Girls” and “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody.” When Roth postponed work on the follow-up to 1984, the band dismissed him. Observers expressed surprise at the selection of Sammy Hagar, formerly of Montrose, whose solo career had included arena-metal successes such as “Three Lock Box” and “I Can’t Drive 55.”

Contrary to critical doubts, Hagar’s first collaboration with the group, 1986’s 5150, topped the charts and produced the hits “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Dreams,” and “Love Walks In.” OU812 followed in 1988, again reaching number one, earning stronger notices, and generating “When It’s Love” and “Finish What You Started.” For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge debuted at number one in 1991, aided by the MTV success of “Right Now.” The double live set Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now appeared in 1993.

Tensions between Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar intensified by the spring 1995 release of Balance. Eddie had recently completed publicized treatment for alcoholism, while Hagar’s party-centric lifestyle was reflected in the Balance track “Amsterdam,” a tribute to hash bars. Critics also accused the band of repeating a formula. Although Balance entered at number one and quickly sold two million copies, sales soon plateaued. Plans for a greatest-hits collection met resistance from Hagar, widening the rift. After a 1996 dispute over a song for the Twister soundtrack, Eddie pursued a change in singers. The band recorded new tracks with Roth without Hagar’s knowledge; upon learning of the sessions, Hagar reacted angrily. Accounts differ on whether Eddie fired Hagar or Hagar quit. Roth contributed two new songs to Best Of, Vol. 1, and initial media response was favorable, including an MTV welcome-back spot. The reunion dissolved after the MTV Music Awards when Eddie dismissed Roth, asserting he had been hired only for the two tracks. Roth maintained he had been misled into believing a full reunion was underway. Former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone was announced as the new frontman. Although Best Of, Vol. 1 performed well, Eddie’s public image suffered. Cherone’s debut, Van Halen III, arrived in March 1998, debuting at number three before declining amid mixed fan, critical, and radio reactions.

After Van Halen III became the lowest-selling album in the band’s history and its supporting tour drew limited attendance, Cherone was let go in 1999. Rumors of a David Lee Roth reunion resurfaced. In early 2001 Roth posted on his website confirming he had recorded several new songs but had received no further communication since the previous summer. Days later Eddie revealed he was undergoing cancer treatment yet expected full recovery. That summer he informed MTV News that the remaining members had written material equivalent to three albums and had not yet chosen a new vocalist. Months afterward the band parted ways with Warner Bros., its label since 1979, citing the label’s focus on younger acts and acknowledging that Cherone’s replacement had not been found and Roth was no longer under consideration.

The ensuing years saw members address personal and professional matters. Eddie and his wife Valerie Bertinelli separated, Michael Anthony joined Sammy Hagar’s Waboritas regularly, and Roth and Hagar toured together on the Heavyweight Champs of Rock & Roll Tour. In 2004 Van Halen announced Hagar’s return for an American tour supporting the greatest-hits set The Best of Both Worlds. The concerts succeeded commercially yet were marked by friction; afterward Hagar and Anthony resumed work with the Waboritas. In 2007 the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, prompting fresh speculation of a Roth reunion. On August 17 the group confirmed dates, also revealing that Michael Anthony had been replaced on bass by Eddie’s son Wolfgang. The tour launched in September and ultimately grossed over $93 million, the highest-earning trek in the band’s history.

Building on that momentum, Van Halen entered the studio with producer John Shanks to record its first album since 1998’s III. The sessions concluded in 2011, and the band staged a full-scale return with a January 5, 2012, showcase at Cafe Wha? The single “Tattoo” followed five days later, and A Different Kind of Truth appeared in February. The album received generally favorable reviews, debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200, charted similarly worldwide, and later earned gold certification in Canada. A worldwide tour ensued, highlighted by a June 21, 2013, performance at the Tokyo Dome later issued as the 2015 double album Tokyo Dome Live in Concert, Van Halen’s first live recording with David Lee Roth. In the late 2010s Eddie Van Halen again confronted cancer and died on October 6, 2020, at age 65.