Entertainment
Van Halen’s 10 Best Songs, Ranked
Van Halen is one of the defining bands of the late 70s and 80s. Known for their unique sound, it felt like they were already ushering in the new decade before it started. Other bands followed their lead, yet Van Halen at their best has always stayed on top. Of course, the band had their own influences. “You Really Got Me” is a great cover of The Kinks, and “Ice Cream Man” is a lively John Brim cover.
Frontman David Lee Roth would leave in the mid-80s (to be replaced by Sammy Hagar), but the original makeup of the band will always be considered the strongest: drummer Alex Van Halen, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, Roth, and bassist Michael Anthony. The band was best known for Eddie’s virtuosic and innovative playing style—which included the technique of tapping the fretboard for particularly fast notes. The acoustic “Spanish Fly” is just as cool as the electric “Eruption.” Other honorable mentions include “Unchained,” “Drop Dead Legs,” “Beautiful Girls,” “Fools,” “Girl Gone Bad,” and “Dance the Night Away.” Of course, their lyrics typically aren’t the most introspective in the world. Songs about being attracted to your teacher, for instance, are just as juvenile and male-gazey as you would expect. But no one listens to Van Halen for serious contemplations on the human condition. They listen for the volcanic musicianship that the band brought to both the album and stage (as well as for party vibes), and these ten songs best exemplify that magnetic quality.
10
“Jump”
‘1984’ (1984)
The riff to “Jump” is simple but stirring, as Van Halen shows that they don’t always need a guitar to make a memorable verse. While some of the songs in their repertoire can bridge the gap between the late-70s and the 80s, “Jump” is very much a product of the 80s. It’s a bit odd to hear a song that’s not driven by guitar, but it’s still present enough to make sure the band isn’t completely overwhelmed by the synths.
Especially in the chorus, in which there is more emphasis on the guitar and less on the keyboards. It’s a solid balance, and the guitar solo feels pleasantly unique to this song. Then there’s the synthesizer solo, also performed by Eddie: this is particularly creative, building to a dramatic point that feels like a surprisingly graceful transition into the final section.
9
“Atomic Punk”
‘Van Halen’ (1978)
Is there any cooler example of intentionally muting the guitar than in “Atomic Punk”? The scratchy warping sound that comes out of Eddie’s guitar is a brilliant touch to a song that might have otherwise felt mid-tier. The rhythm he creates from it, along with his brother Alex’s light touches on the drums, makes for the perfect introduction. They could have made an entire instrumental out of this theme, honestly.
The actual riff has a different rhythm, an interesting shift that keeps the song feeingl a bit unpredictable as it continues. It’s a strong riff, and David Lee Roth finds intriguing ways to keep the vocals from feeling too run-of-the-mill. The guitar solo is great, and a return of the muting heard at the beginning is most welcome. The band packs a lot into just three minutes, and they feel stronger every time you hear them.
8
“Jamie’s Cryin’”
‘Van Halen’ (1978)
Another song from the first album, “Jamie’s Cryin’” has one of the band’s most compelling riffs—and one that’s easy to play. The slower pace gives this track a more relaxed vibe, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting to hear; the wailing guitar in the introduction tells us that this is going to be one of the record’s stronger tracks. David Lee Roth sings this with a relatively casual level of enthusiasm as he tells this story of post-one-night-stand heartbreak.
But he also infuses enough of his personality into the performance to make sure every phrase has enough nuance to keep the narrative interesting. Unlike the typical Van Halen piece, “Jamie’s Cryin’” doesn’t really have a guitar solo. While its musical themes are so good that it doesn’t need one, it’s still a curious choice. The bridge, which comes half-way through the song, nevertheless offers a departure that’s just as well-crafted as the rest of the song.
7
“Take Your Whiskey Home”
‘Women and Children First’ (1980)
Eddie Van Halen tears up the electric guitar so often that we forget that his acoustic work sounds equally phenomenal. The introduction to “Take Your Whiskey Home” serves as a refreshing reminder that these guys, like all rock bands, are big fans of the blues and are more than happy to spend some time unplugged. David Lee Roth shows that he can sing in this genre with just as much style and verve as with the band’s more contemporary take on rock.
The riff is just as strong as the band goes electric. The bass and the drums are forceful, and Eddie’s short solo in the middle works as a good transition into the final verse. Along with another short solo and a cool outro, “Take Your Whiskey Home” is one of those lesser-known Van Halen songs that deserves some more attention.
6
“Everybody Wants Some!!”
‘Women and Children First’ (1980)
It’s so Van Halen to add two exclamation marks to the end of a song about getting laid. Alex bangs the hell out of those toms and the bass drum in the extended introduction to “Everybody Wants Some!!” Eddie’s guitar gradually comes to the forefront, squeaking, screeching, and ripping through to make this one of the coolest openings in the band’s discography. When the verse arrives without the conventional guitar riff, it feels like a minor but noticeable departure from the run-of-the-mill song—and it totally works. It’s a little more atmospheric, which enhances the subject matter.
But you can’t have a proper Van Halen track without Eddie Van Halen’s explosive contribution. His guitar does feature prominently in the chorus, and it’s very catchy as David Lee Roth sings about how he wants some too. With lyrics about trying to have sex on a subway train, “Everybody Wants Some!!” amusingly sums up this band’s overall aura.
5
“Runnin’ With the Devil”
‘Van Halen’ (1978)
Van Halen’s eponymous first album starts off very strong. With the horns that slowly fade out, the bass that takes over briefly, and the explosive guitar that follows, “Runnin’ With the Devil” has one of the band’s most powerful introductions. When Roth sings this, it sounds like he’s having the time of his life. As the rest of the band recedes to put focus on him in the verse, the lead singer shows that he’s been knocking it out of the park from the start.
Even so, we can hear these little inflections that Eddie is doing on the guitar in the background. It all leads to the return of the riff in the chorus—and the vocals there make you feel like their voices are echoing behind as they (and the devil) speed past you. The solo is very short but effective, leading us into an ending that has the song land on its feet.
4
“Panama”
‘1984’ (1984)
“Panama” unleashes its wild vitality from the get-go, as the chords jump from one part of the guitar neck to another while Alex Van Halen’s bass drum pumps up the listener’s anticipation. It’s an introduction that communicates the kind of thrills to expect in the rest of the song. The riff is just as cool, and Roth finds exactly the way to sing along. The chorus flows naturally out of it, but the solo is even better.
Eddie Van Halen isn’t just shredding mindlessly; his solo segues into a much lower-energy bridge. This is the best part of the track, as the frantic atmosphere is briefly allowed to cool down as Roth eases the seat back. This part gradually builds back up to the chorus, and the result is easily one of the most hard-hitting Van Halen songs of all time.
3
“And the Cradle Will Rock…”
‘Women and Children First’ (1980)
The roaring opening seconds to “And the Cradle Will Rock…” are fantastic. It transitions into showing off the riff and having David Lee Roth belt out a few screams—only then do we get to the verse. It’s propulsive, it’s concise, it’s vintage Van Halen. In the verse, Roth treads the line between talking through it and finding moments to let his voice really fly. The man knew how to find infinite little nuances.
The solo is one of Eddie’s greatest, knowing exactly when to go a million miles an hour and when to let the notes keep blaring a little longer. It’s also charming how this section slows the band to a brief pause, at which point Roth says “Have you seen Junior’s grades?” and everyone picks the pace back up again for guitar-solo-part-two. Overall, the band is in total control while giving off the energy of a kid who’s out of control.
2
“Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love”
‘Van Halen’ (1978)
The best piece of rock from 1978, “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” boasts what may very well be Van Halen’s greatest riff. Eddie picks every one of those notes in a staccato that feels both unpredictable and utterly irresistible. It builds to a note that’s both lower and longer than the others, offering a brilliant sense of contrast. We’re exhilarated before anyone else in the band has even joined in.
The verse shows Roth finding vocals that complement the riff while adding personality to an already propulsive aura. Then there’s the chorus, which is just as well-realized. Excellent drumming from Alex here, and the guitar section that replaces a verse in the middle of the song works marvelously. The bridge slows the pace briefly in a way that maintains our interest. The guitar section from earlier returns to segue into the outro, and what we get is a track that announces the beginning of a new age.
1
“Hot for Teacher”
‘1984’ (1984)
The introduction to “Hot for Teacher” is everything. It takes almost a minute to get to the riff, and the journey we take to get there is genius. Whatever is happening on the drum kit here is more than this writer can describe, but let’s just say that it’s one of the most iconic displays of percussion in rock and roll. In comes Eddie Van Halen shredding the guitar to pieces, and the jam bounces along into another level of intensity. Then, suddenly, it stops—and all we have now is one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time, as well as what sounds like David Lee Roth drinking booze.
Roth’s voice always seems to be exploring how many different volumes and tones he can manage in one song, and he’s never more creative than here. Surely one of the best songs of any genre in the 80s, “Hot for Teacher” is Van Halen’s most dynamic and animated track, bar none.
Van Halen: Video Hits Vol. 1
- Release Date
-
January 1, 1996
- Runtime
-
65 minutes
Cast
-
Sammy Hagar
Lead Vocals, Guitars
-
David Lee Roth
Lead Vocals
-
Gary Cherone
Lead Guitars, Vocals
-
Eddie Van Halen
Bass, Vocals
