With Sammy Hagar’s new album release imminent, I decided to lovingly hand-pick the 20 greatest Van Halen songs of all time. The rules of this particular game are very strict. No covers and NO Edward Van Halen solo pieces. Each song has to feature all four band members, so that wipes out everything on Diver Down, with the exception of Hang’ Em High. And spoiler alert, that isn’t in there. This also means that there is no Eruption. Yep, sacrilege, I know.
Now, of course, we are going to get the Roth versus Hagar versus Cherone argument. To be fair, Cherone never really features in that argument and is usually afforded nothing more than a sympathetic nod after appearing on one rather haphazard album. That said, the Cherone era generally is completely overlooked as the DLR v Hagar argument rattles on to this very day.
You won’t agree with everything, and nor should you. If there’s one thing that Van Halen could (and still can) do, it’s create an argument. So without delay, here are Van Halen’s 20 greatest songs.
20. Outta Space (A Different Kind Of Truth)
Lifted off the 2012 album A Different Kind Of Truth, this track is a straightforward up-and-down rocker. This relatively short number features a brief solo but an excellent hook throughout from Ed Van Halen’s guitar.
19. Dirty Movies (Fair Warning)
Fair Warning was a dark and dirty album, quite experimental, and this song epitomises that. With its mid-paced opening drum beat, Eddie Van Halen performs some rather peculiar guitar pyrotechnics, which would sound like nonsense if they came from anybody else. But he makes it work.
18. Light Up The Sky (Van Halen II)
This track is rather reminiscent of Outta Space. In fact, you could probably play them both back-to-back and they would fit almost seamlessly. This is a highly underrated track, but it’s brilliant. With Michael Anthony’s incredible vocal skills (arguably, he was actually the best singer in Van Halen), this is an unsung classic.
17. Right Now (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)
This is Van Halen’s first entry into the top 20 with Sammy Hagar fronting them, and it’s a great song. Weirdly, it actually dates back to 1983, with a version appearing in the 1984 movie The Wild Life. In fact, the song itself was disliked by Hagar, despite a rather brilliant video linked to it.
Right Now was also licensed to Pepsi, which caused a bit of a furore, as well as being used by various US political entities during their campaigns. The irony is that it didn’t chart well. But it was a great song, with a catchy melody and one of the best guitar solos Ed Van Halen ever performed. Another unsung classic.
16. House Of Pain (1984)
Gritty, dirty, nasty. This is what Van Halen are really about: taking a song and ramming it straight down the listener’s throat. With its choppy opening, heavy-duty crash cymbals and thundering bass, this knocks you right off your perch. A truly underrated classic. Given the choice between this, Panama and Jump from 1984, this wins hands down.
15. You And Your Blues (A Different Kind Of Truth)
This is the second song to appear in the top 20 from A Different Kind Of Truth. Interestingly, although the album was well-received critically, it was never a fan favourite.
With seven of its songs being reworkings of tracks demoed in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the album unfairly received the cold shoulder from many fans. There were, however, some fantastic tracks, which is why You and Your Blues is at number 15.
All of the credit should go to Dave Lee Roth here and his crazy lyrical genius. There are references to at least nine other songs within the lyrics, including Led Zeppelin’s Communication Breakdown and The Rolling Stones’ 19th Nervous Breakdown. Another underrated song which deserves more respect.
14. Somebody Get Me A Doctor (Van Halen II)
Another cracker from Van Halen II, the real standout on this track is Michael Anthony’s backing vocals. As well as being one of the nicest guys in the music industry and a really good bassist, he had a fantastic voice.
It’s fair to say he probably had the best voice in Van Halen. If you get the opportunity to hear him sing this song live as lead vocalist, there are videos worth watching. As for the track itself, it’s a short, sharp lesson in how to create a great rock song.
13. Mine All Mine (OU812)
Although a massive worldwide hit, OU812 didn’t actually have a plethora of great songs. Following 5150 was always going to be tough. By far the best track on the album is Mine All Mine. Lyrically, it seems somewhat autobiographical. Hagar absolutely tears up the lyrics and spits them out with real venom.
Although the bass on this track and the whole album seems a little flimsy, possibly a mixing issue, the song really hits the spot. A cracking track.
12. Atomic Punk (Van Halen)
Eddie Van Halen didn’t just play the guitar. He stuck his middle finger in the air and ripped the rule book up. From the muted striking of the strings that opens the song to an unforgettable riff, it’s another Van Halen masterclass.
With the bass rumbling underneath and Alex smashing his way through the drum kit, it just leaves Diamond Dave to sing, growl and squeal his way through. Something he does with aplomb.
11. The Dream Is Over (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)
Sammy Hagar blasts this one out of the park with some gritty subject matter, punctuated by Michael Anthony’s almost angelic vocals on the chorus. The rhythm guitar work is a standout, with Ed Van Halen being slightly restrained on the solo (in my opinion).
A winner that deserves its place just outside the top 10.
10. Mean Street (Fair Warning)
Fair Warning is Van Halen’s darkest album by a considerable margin, and Mean Street is a testament to that. It’s hard to know what prompted this track. There’s very often a story behind a song, but this is just nasty. Dave Lee Roth exudes rough-and-ready here, and it deserves a top-10 finish.
9. I’ll Wait (1984)
Another corker from 1984. The lyrics are commonly misattributed to Dave Lee Roth and his frustration with Ed Van Halen’s relationship with Valerie Bertinelli. The reality is that the song was inspired by a woman wearing men’s underwear in a Calvin Klein advert.
The Doobie Brothers’ vocalist Michael McDonald was drafted in to help write the lyrics after the band became stuck on its direction, and the result was an absolute classic. Although synthesiser-heavy, it’s a real electro-pop/Metal crossover that stands the test of time and is far superior to Jump. The guitar solo is brilliant.
8. 5150 (5150)
With its choppy opening riff, this mid-paced rocker quickly turns into a frenetic avalanche of guitar pyrotechnics. Taken from the album of the same name, it showcases both Ed Van Halen’s incredible depth as a rhythm guitarist and virtuoso performer, along with Hagar’s vocal abilities.
7. The Seventh Seal (Balance)
By far the best track on Balance, this one seems to emerge lyrically from Ed Van Halen’s demons and his fight for sobriety. A powerful, mystical venture into the guitarist’s mental state at the time.
The album itself was the final one recorded with Hagar. The fractures in the band were too great to overcome, and the vocalist departed. It seems that somebody cracked the Seventh Seal.
6. Best Of Both Worlds (5150)
Another great track from 5150, their first of four albums to hit the US number one spot. With some great drum and bass driving this track, EVH really is part of an ensemble here, as opposed to a dominating force.
With Hagar’s note-perfect range and Michael Anthony’s amazing backing vocals, this is easily the best number from Hagar’s debut album with the band.
5. Hot For Teacher (1984)
Can I tempt you with a 30-second Alex Van Halen drum solo? Of course I can! Would you like me to follow up with a 30-second Ed Van Halen guitar solo? No? Well, alright then! Would you like a bunch of kids acting as the group’s little doppelgangers? Well, OK then, you cheeky lot, at number 5 I give you Hot For Teacher.
Hot For Teacher defined Van Halen as the ultimate party band of the ’80s. It covers so many styles and genres, there really is something for everybody. With his double-kick bass pedal in full flow, Alex Van Halen steals this one from Ed.
We all knew what we were going to get from the world’s greatest guitarist, but what wasn’t expected was Alex’s performance. He really was a great drummer, somewhat overshadowed by his younger brother.
Mean, fast and furious, he clobbered the life out of his drum kit here. Then there’s the video. Four little mini-mes emulating the band in a school classroom. What’s not to love?
4. Runnin’ With The Devil (Van Halen)
It’s funny how Van Halen’s debut album barely scraped into the top 20 on release and yet is regarded as one of the greatest debuts of all time. The first track, Runnin’ With The Devil, is a barnstorming opener.
From the slowed-down car horn at the start to Michael Anthony’s dull, single-note bass thump, this number alone set a high bar for the rest of the album. Inspired by the Ohio Players’ track of the same name, it became a live-set mainstay.
3. And The Cradle Will Rock (Women And Children First)
Right, let’s get one thing straight – the opening to this track is NOT a guitar. It is, in fact, a flanger-effected Wurlitzer electric piano played through Ed Van Halen’s 1960s 100-watt Marshall Plexi amplifier. OK. Oh, and during the Women And Children First tour, Michael Anthony would play the keyboard.
This was the band’s first foray into the use of keyboards, and it’s the best of the lot. Although lyrically tongue-in-cheek, it still sent out a powerful message surrounding youth development and disaffection. Ahead of its time. Ed’s fretwork is understated, mostly in the background. It’s only when the solo kicks in that the magic happens.
An absolute classic, well deserving of the number 3 spot.
2. Humans Being (The Best Of Van Halen Volume 1)
Oh! Now I know you didn’t see this one coming. Humans Being never actually featured on a studio album. It was written for the film Twister, though it later appeared on The Best Of Van Halen Vol. 1. If there’s one song where you can tell a band are utterly hacked off with each other, this is it.
The background doesn’t cover Ed or Alex Van Halen in any glory. Hagar was summoned back to the 5150 studio to record vocals instead of being in Hawaii with his wife, who was due to give birth. He offered to record locally, but the brothers refused. This was the final straw – and Hagar split with the band.
What you’re left with is a visceral display of hard rock that reaches into your gut and rips out your organs. Beginning gently, the song then blows the doors off with fabulous power chords punctuated by a gnarly, dirty riff.
While Hagar sings his lungs out, Ed growls alongside him, spitting venom with every word. Michael Anthony breaks up the snarling with beautiful backing vocals.
This song shouldn’t really be this high, but it has so much anger that it needs to be.
1. Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love (Van Halen)
If you were to be asked which song defines Van Halen, this would be it. A riff that still sounds fresh today, a bassline every budding bassist wants to learn, drums that drive like a freight train, and vocals that tell a story.
As for the solo, it’s not an overblown shred-fest, but a considered, well-structured accompaniment.
This song has everything. Pure perfection.
