Pop culture has been defined by debates such as Marvel vs. DC, Coke vs. Pepsi, Freddy vs. Jason, and Ford vs. Chevrolet. But none have been as divisive and dangerous as Van Halen vs. Van Hagar. With David Lee Roth, Van Halen became America’s party band while proving hard rock could be fun. With Sammy Hagar, Van Halen conquered FM radio by proving pop could rock.
No matter where you stand, Van Halen has always been and always will be a force to be reckoned with in rock music.
In a recent interview with Oklahoma City’s KATT 105.5, Wolfgang Van Halen (son of Eddie Van Halen as well as bassist for Van Halen since 2007) was asked about his feelings on the Sammy Hagar era.
“That era [of Van Halen] doesn’t get any respect, I don’t think. There’s a lot of amazing songs and just obviously brilliant guitar playing on a lot of that – on all of that stuff – and I think people don’t give it a chance ’cause they fall into that just exhausting ‘this singer is better, this singer is better’ crap, when it’s, like, just give it a chance. There’s some really good stuff in there.” – Wolfgang Van Halen
First and foremost, I will admit that Sammy Hagar is a good singer. On a technical level, he can sing circles around David Lee Roth. But Roth’s vocal imperfections make Van Halen special to me – he had the voice Van Halen needed.
Let me put it another way. In my 2020 tribute after his passing, I said that Eddie was a guitar god, but he was also an everyman. The problem with Sammy is that he doesn’t come off as an everyman. Sure, Roth’s lyrics are rarely introspective or deep, and neither are Sammy’s, but when he tries to ham it up like Roth, it’s not funny or entertaining. It’s cringe, jock-ish, and borderline misogynistic. In fact, most of Sammy’s lyrics are embarrassingly bad, especially compared to Roth’s jokey bad boy shtick that always felt tongue-in-cheek. He was in on the joke. Roth eventually displayed some philosophical reverence on the band’s final album, A Different Kind Of Truth.
That’s not to say I straight-up hate the Sammy Hagar era. It’s just a different band to me. And that’s okay.
It also helped that Eddie continually evolving his craft and the band’s sound. That’s why it was still Van Halen. Thus, in respect to Wolfgang and his thoughtful opinion, I created a list of my personal top 10 Van Hagar songs.
10. “Best Of Both Worlds”
The very first single from the Sammy Hagar-fronted Van Halen was “Why Can’t This Believe Love,” and despite being on the mushy side, it was a bonafide hit. If the Roth-era bop “Jump” was the band dipping its toes in pop waters, “Why Can’t This Be Love” was a cannonball. They followed it up with “Dreams” and “Love Walks In”, both synth-heavy pop tunes. Where was the rock in America’s favorite rock band? Could the new singer excel in both genres?
The 4th single from 5150 was self-aware enough to answer the question. Part R&B and part AC/DC doing Kool & The Gang, “Best Of Both Worlds” reassured rock fans that Van Halen could still have fun. Sure the lyrics are inane, but the same could be said about any pop song. Either way, I dare you to listen to the track and not smile.
9. “Finish What Ya Started”
When I think of Van Halen, the last thing that comes to my mind is country music. While “Finish What Ya Started” is about the closest the band ever got to the genre, to me, it’s closer to the vamp of ’70s Rolling Stones. Like most of the Sammy era, the lyrics are terrible, but the dryness of the vocal performance works well here.
I’m not sure why anyone would ever actually want a subdued variant of Van Halen, but the versatility is unexpectedly kinda cool. I love how in the video during the ‘chicken pickin’ solo, Eddie is dressed like a stereotypical cartoon hick. The man was a beast but never took himself seriously. I’ll always love that.
8. “Get Up”
Manipulating full chords with a whammy bar and playing at break-neck speed, Eddie reminds us he is also one of the greatest rhythm guitarists who ever lived. It definitely didn’t hurt that Alex Van Halen did for drums what Eddie did for the guitar. It may not be the most memorable Van Halen track but there aren’t too many that compete with the intensity of this one!
7. “Runaround”
On the surface, “Runaround” feels kind of generic. The hook is okay, the solo isn’t the most inventive, but it really excels in its cadence. Regardless of how you feel about Van Halen with Sammy, the track sounds like a band firing on all cylinders. Especially the drums. I feel Alex doesn’t get talked about enough. Zone in on the drums of this track, and you’ll hear what I mean.
6. “Cabo Wabo”
As Van Halen’s follow-up to Sammy’s debut, OU812 leaves much to be desired. The album is bogged down by terrible production, uninspired songwriting, and just an all-around feeling of corporate obligation. It didn’t help that the band was physically and mentally defeated. The Van Halens had lost their father, Sammy took an extended vacation, and the band was exhausted from touring. I guess that explains why the best song on the record is a 7-minute vamp about getting drunk on the beach!
Despite the near-parody lyrics, “Cabo Wabo” has a really cool vibe. With Eddie going back to his 1984 sound, he gives his best Jimmy Page impersonation. The song doesn’t have a real chorus, but I love the fun bridge with its chord progression lifted straight from the verses of The Bee Gees’ “Night Fever.” This song only works because it shouldn’t, and I don’t even drink.
5. “Poundcake”
After the ’80s died, Van Halen dropped the synths and used For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge to enter the ’90s and make up for the lost time. While jokingly written around sexual innuendos and an actual cake recipe, the real ingredient ratio for “Poundcake” is 10% lyrics and 90% guitar. The track features 6 distinct guitar tracks layered on top of one another: 2 12 strings, a clean rhythm, a distorted rhythm, one played with a power drill, and one with a wah pedal. Suprisingly, Eddie had never used the latter two before.
The composition is very early ’90s though. In fact, the bass guitar reminds me of Madonna’s “Open Your Heart,” but the guitars are everywhere, so that’s cool. I also wish the guitars were a little louder in the mix to cover up Sammy’s vocals.
4. “5150”
It’s no secret that most of 5150 was written while Roth was still in the band – musically speaking. But there is a rumor that the song “5150” was originally titled “It Takes Two” and written with Michael Jackson in mind. If you can blank out Sammy’s vocals, you could totally picture Jackson singing the verses. It’s also a bit of a weird song that doesn’t really fit the rest of the vibe of the album. Maybe that’s why I like it.
3. “Judgement Day”
By the time 1991 rolled around, rock n’ roll got more serious. All the Aqua Net pretty boys were singing acoustic ballads and pretending their spandex days were behind them. While Van Halen shouldn’t be lumped up with hair metal, you can’t ignore the contrast between party rock anthems and “Rusty Cage,” “Jeremy,” or “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” How could a band like Van Halen compete?
Well, they really couldn’t, at least not in terms of angst. However, “Judgment Day” proved they could channel some darker energy. The main riff reminds me of Judas Preist’s “You Got Another Thing Coming.” It gives the whole song an early MTV metal vibe, a scene Van Halen purposely avoided back in those days. I don’t know what that proves, but the pseudo-edge is fun.
2. “The Dream Is Over”
With production being the weakest link in the Van Halen machine on OU812, Van Halen tapped Led Zeppelin producer Andy Johns to produce For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The result was a heavier, meaner album, poised and focused. Allegedly, Sammy wasn’t a big fan of being produced by anyone other than yes-men. Thus, the band recorded the album with Johns while Sammy recorded vocals with Ted Templeman.
It’s a shame because Eddie, Alex, and Michael all stretched their musical wings a bit while Sammy took it easy. All is not lost! I think the duality of hard work and laziness gives “The Dream Is Over” an interesting vibe. The music is aggressive, but the vocals are breezy. Unfortunately, it was easier to say the honeymoon was over.
1. “Humans Being”
In early 1996, the deteriorating relationship between Eddie and Sammy came to a head when Van Halen agreed to write two songs for the movie Twister. Ed and Sammy were at odds over the lyrical content (against the director’s instructions, Sammy insisted on lyrics involving tornadoes), as well as where the song was to be recorded. Sammy walked out before finishing “Humans Being,” much less starting the other song. The event would lead to Sammy’s exit from Van Halen two months after the song’s release.
Musically, “Humans Being” is an aggressive romp where Eddie’s guitar goes back and forth between blues and metal. Sammy’s incomplete verses were padded out by distorted, ad-libbed vocals by Eddie himself, giving the track some unexpected industrial influences. What makes the song fascinating to me is how it’s the sound of a band breaking up. Eddie’s playing is once again inspired and urgent – something that had been missing since Sammy joined the band.
Van Halen was always about the party on the surface. Even at its darkest, the band soared on the chorus.
Beneath the hood, the group’s energy came from having something to prove. On the first Van Halen album, Eddie single-handedly changed the way guitar was perceived. Throughout David Lee Roth’s tenure, Eddie was in constant battle with Roth’s ego, so he looked for every opportunity to push the musical envelope. Some of that steam was found on Sammy’s first record with Van Halen too, mostly because Eddie again felt he had to prove himself with a new singer.
While Eddie continued to evolve from pure guitarist to well-rounded musician during the Sammy years, I also think he lost some of the fight-or-flight that fueled early Van Halen. With nothing to prove and no egos to square up against, Eddie didn’t have the same swagger. It wasn’t until Eddie and Sammy’s relationship became strained, that hunger returned, but it was too late.
After a brief stint with Gary Cherone in 1998, Sammy would return to Van Halen in 2004 for 3 new tracks on a greatest hits package. Unfortunately, Eddie wasn’t in the best health or mental state, and those 3 songs are easily the worst Van Halen songs ever recorded.
I think it’s unfair to fully discredit or completely ignore the Van Hagar era.
And I say that as someone who’s a die-hard fan of Roth-era Van Halen and not a big fan of Sammy Hagar as a musician or a person. Sammy brought a new sense of pop sensibility to the band Eddie was already leaning into. He also had a bright sense of hopefulness. Albeit cheesy, it was fitting for the era. We shouldn’t think of it like Sammy is the Michael Graves to David Lee Roth’s Glenn Danzig. Instead, it’s just an entirely different band featuring the key members. It’s also okay to have our personal preferences.
Besides – regardless of the lineup or behind-the-scenes drama, the Van Halen legacy is ultimately all about Eddie. He wrote those songs and played his heart out on them, too. Thus, whether you prefer diamonds or tequila, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.