Genres: Hard Rock, Contemporary Pop/Rock, Heavy Metal, Arena Rock, Album Rock, Pop-Metal Active: 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000's Formed: 1974 in Pasadena, CA
Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, The Who, Vanilla Fudge, The Kinks, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, The Dave Clark Five, Black Sabbath, Bad Company, Black Oak Arkansas, Jeff Beck, Golden Earring, Frank Zappa, Aerosmith Boston, Aerosmith, Queen, Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne, Poison, Quiet Riot, Rush, Scorpions, Tesla, Thin Lizzy, UFO, Warrant, Michael Angelo, Spinal Tap, Roxy Blue, Gary Hoey, Living Colour, Kiss Y&T, Mr. Big, Racer X, Poison, Queensr˙che, Blues Saraceno, Joe Satriani, Company of Wolves, Vince Neil, Bad 4 Good, Steve Vai, Giuffria, Kick Axe, Winger, David T. Chastain, Dweezil Zappa, Mötley Crüe, Yngwie Malmsteen, Alcatrazz |  |
With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sounds of machines and animals. It was wildly inventive and over the top, equaled only by vocalist David Lee Roth, who brought the role of a metal singer to near-performance art standards. Roth wasn't blessed with great technique, unlike Eddie, but he had a flair for showmanship that was derived as much from lounge performers as Robert Plant. Together, they made Van Halen into the most popular American rock & roll band of the late '70s and early '80s, and in the process set the template for hard rock and heavy metal for the '80s.
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Release: September 22, 2008
Label: WEA International
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Release: February 5, 2008
Label: Classic Rock Legends Ltd.
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