Van Halen’s Finest Part 1

American hard rock legends Van Halen have probably been the most influential band in the history of rock music. The combination of the Halen brothers, and the vocals of Hagar and Roth have clocked 80 million albums in record sales till date. Here is the first half of their finest tracks.

1) Runnin’wth the Devil

This is the song that introduced the band to the Titanic that was Van Halen, the introductory car horns almost serving as a notice to existing bands to move over.

2) Ain’t Talkin About Love

Now easily. one of Eddie’s most famous riff, this song has been replicated note for note and even stretched over into a jam track. Yet till date it’s hard to pin point the song ever missing the spot.

3) Eruption

With Eruption, Alex and Eddie changed the sound of rock and metal music for ever. Eddie’s trickery dumbfounded people back in the day, the tapping parts making guitarist of the day wondering why didn’t they think of that. A legendary track by a legendary band, as symbolic of rock music as may be Voodoo Child or Smoke on the Water.

4) Mean Street

With his rendition of the slap bass technique Eddie pushed the barriers of rock guitar even further than ever imagined. The main riff although similar to something that could be heard on any previous blues-rock album, has the gaps glued shut by the extensive use of harmonics, giving it an overtly modernist sound.

5) Unchained

Unchained is another one of Van Halen’s classics and a sure shot in any Halen fan’s favorite list. David Lee Roth’s style of vocals on the track would be replicated by the band itself many times again,and also by many glam rock/metal bands of the 80’s.

6) Hot For Teacher

Fused with the bands sexual and raw energetic elements, Hot For Teacher is one of the finest tracks of all time by any band. With quirky lyrics to the song done in pure Roth style the song is hard to get out of one’s head.

7) Panama

Who knew a song about a car could turn out to be so hard poundingly good. Roth never was known was writing great lyrics that could move a stone, nor did he pretend to be writing them. Sticking to what he knew best that was extracting the most out of his playfully erotic voice.

8) Jump

The synthesized Van Halen track went a long way, may be more so than intended or desired. It announced not only a change in the sound of the band but also the sound of a new era. The sound that would be spelled out in pop music for the remainder of the 80’s.