Van Halen is the self-titled debut album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1978 (see 1978 in music).

Significance

Recorded in 1977 and released in February of 1978, the album roughly delineates the border of heavy metal and the emergence of hair metal (or glam metal). Bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Queen and Kiss were heavy metal staples who had, though the mid-1970s, defined the commercial character of the genre: distorted guitars coupled with dark, brooding, mystical lyrics (often laced with elements of the occult).

Van Halen marked the beginning of a decade-long revolution, commercialization and mass consumption of heavy metal music. Although Van Halen helped push this new, high energy, image conscious, egoistic artform (ready for the party scene and video music industry) out from obscurity, it was significant for another reason. It helped establish the "LA club scene" as the center of the contemporary music universe and marked a shift in emphasis from UK based heavy metal bands to American ones.

From a technical perspective, Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo, "Eruption", was hugely influential on many guitarists. The complex interlude toward the end is generally regarded as being responsible for the popularity of fretboard tapping as the "standard" guitar solo of the 1980s. The solo's "dive-bomb" pitches also lead to the wide-spread use of Floyd Rose-type floating bridge whammy bars, although the guitar used in the recording did not have one.

Track listing

all songs by Anthony, Roth, Van Halen and Van Halen, except where noted

1. "Runnin' With the Devil" - 3:36
2. "Eruption" - 1:42
3. "You Really Got Me" (Ray Davies) - 2:37
4. "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" - 3:49
5. "I'm the One" - 3:46
6. "Jamie's Cryin'" - 3:30
7. "Atomic Punk" - 3:01
8. "Feel Your Love Tonight" - 3:42
9. "Little Dreamer" - 3:22
10. "Ice Cream Man" (John Brim) - 3:19
11. "On Fire" - 3:00

Personnel

• Michael Anthony - bass
• David Lee Roth - vocals
• Alex Van Halen - drums
• Eddie Van Halen - guitar

Production

• Producer: Ted Templeman
• Engineers: Donn Landee, Peggy McCreary, Kent Nebergall
• Mixing: Steve Hoffman
• Project coordinator: Jo Motta
• Art direction: Dave Bhang
• Design: Dave Bhang
• Photography: Elliot Gilbert
• Typesetting: Jodi Cohen

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

RIAA Certification

• Gold: May 24, 1978
• Platinum: October 10, 1978
• Multi-Platinum:
  • October 22, 1984 (5x)
  • February 1, 1989 (6x)
  • September 29, 1993 (7x)
  • July 11, 1994 (8x)
  • August 7, 1996 (10x)
• Diamond: March 16, 1999