Top ten stadium rock bands, part 4 – Van Halen

October 6, 2009 148 Comments

Here’s an old but cool Van Halen clip, hosted by Alice Cooper:

Filed Under: Van Halen

Vanicionado

Oh no… it’s back to the ol’ Kirk vs. Picard (Dave vs. Sam) debate.

Set phasers on… Zzzzzzzzz.

Just put out a new album already.
Rich

Phasers set to bore.

Look at it from this point of view:

Dave w/VH = 6 Multi platinum albums

Sammy w/VH = 4 Multi platinum (#1) albums. (Not sure if RHRN was multi platinum either…)

They both did something right. People don’t just buy albums to use them as frisbees.
phil

and the drama continues……
TBop

Fact: Van Halen are not Van Halen without Michael Anthony

Say no more.

Ed, Alex and Dave ok – but it needs Mike.

Bury the hatchet and get on with it. Its not fair on the fans, and dont forget what Ed and Alex said after the MTV award debacle – that they had no plans to tour with Dave and “rip the fans off”.

Well, they succeeded in doing just that last year. Thats why I deliberately didnt go see them, even though I had VIP tickets for the TO and Jax shows. (no lie)

Get fuckin Mike back in the band. He comes across as a nice guy, so whats the problem? If its money, lawsuits, contracts, whatever. One more album and tour with one of the best groups of all times deserves it. Chickenfoot are having a good time by the looks of things – but they aint shit compare to VH. Why not reconquer the planet? Ed, Alex, Dave, even Wolfie probably agrees – MAKE THE CALL!!!
kayser sozay

Dirty Duck – yeah, I hear bands all the time talking about how ashamed they are that they’ve had a number one album. You’d think that given the stigma of a number one album they would quit the music music business altogether if they somehow decided not to simply kill themselves.

Jesus, it’s amazing how people will try so hard not to gave Sam his due that it becomes absurd.
http://none Ducky / Dirty Duck

Kayser I was talkin about 70′s / Early 80′s rock music.
Bands werent focused on #1 albums. Whats your problem man?
Even ed said that when “jump” went #1 he was embarrased.

What “due” does sammy deserve so badly? He’s a millonare man! What more do you want people to do or say? Make it a fucking national holiday?
Kayser, at times I respect you but times like these when you turn me off man. Why are YOU so worried about what people think of sam? You one of those fruits? Where you need everyone to agree that sam is a great frontman and musician? Guess what? NOT EVERYONE HERE LIKES SAMMY HAGAR!
Get over it and be happy you have your fuckin chickenfoot.
There’s your due!
God…you would think that sam was paying his family to be on this site….
sammyvanroth

come on guys, just wait until VH releases their new album and it hits #1 then all of you who say a #1 album is no big deal will be saying how great it is that VH has a #1 album with DLR.
phil

i agree with you sammyvanroth, VH will hit #1 when their next album is release and i think it will be great. the point in making music is to have people listen, enjoy and buy your work. any artists would appreciate having a number #1 album on the charts. VH is and always will be great musicians and songwriters. bands who worry about the stigma of a #1 album don’t have the longevity and creativity that it takes to stay around for decades and have a successful career. alex said it best in an interview that a #1 album is a “validation of your work.”
Dooley

I really do hope Ed Al Dave & Wolf put out a #1 album in 2010. I’d get it right when it comes out, like I did with CF back around April. But first they gotta produce it. With these guys and their history, that’s no slam dunk. tick tock tick tock
pete

the time for talk has come and gone,demand more from this band like new music!!!!!
Ron

Ducky/Dirty Duck: “Long live david lee roth. The last frontman to still “have it” in his 50’s next to jagger…”

You obviously haven’t seen AC/DC recently. Brian Johnson’s still got it in his 60′s.
Ludwig

To Duck/Dirty Duck!

God Bless you and the mighty Van Halen!! That’s right the ‘MIGHTY’ VAN HALEN!! When Dave left VH the ‘MIGHTY’ in Van Halen was no longer there, but since he’s back the ‘MIGHTY’ has returned!!! Van Halen was dirty, nasty, so damn sexy with Diamond Dave and King Edward at the front lines!!! I’ve said this before on this site, Dave brings the best out of Eddie and Eddie brings the best out of Dave!!! That is untouchable!!! So glad that they finally know that they need each other and know that it’s what the fans really want!!!

P.S. It was a big surprised when I just heard that Van Halen wanted to get Dave back in durning the late 80′s, can someone please explain more about this rumour that’s just floored me?!!
Ludwig

Hey Ron!

Yeah Brian Johnson still got it, but he does need a helping hand from the fans!!! Most of the time the fans are singing louder than he is!!! AC/DC & Van Halen…CLASSIC!!!!!!!!

By the way I still prefer Bon Scott (the original and the best!) My big brother saw him many times down under here in Melbourne, Australia. They guy had Marshall stacks in his lungs!!!! The loudest fuckin vocalist you’ll ever here, he’ll make Sammy bald by the end of the 1st verse!!! AC?DC with Bon Scott is the best, much like Van Halen with Roth is!!!! Just am glad that Dave is alive but sad that Bon didn’t live longer, you yanks never really got to hear AC/DC with Scott long enough.
Skutch

Agreed Rich, phasers set to bore. Redirecting the nerdship to The Cheeseburger Picnic!
RickieVanWhalen

this thread is just about done
Elf

List of frontmen who have still got it:
* Glenn Hughes
* Ronnie James Dio
* Mick Jagger
* Robert Plant
* Paul Stanley
* Danny Bowes
* Bruce Dickinson
* David Coverdale
* Steven Tyler
* Ian Gillan

Most aren’t nearly as good as they were, but all still carry the ability to rouse a crowd through talent rather than sheer fame, impressive vocal power/range and can still get up every night and do it.

You can raise criticism against their natural talents, but I can’t think of any of them who have become dramatically worse due to age – I don’t get the “ovr 50″ point. Joe Elliot’s range isn’t so high as it was and David Coverdale can’t do his Robert Plantisms quite as often as he used to, but age isn’t hitting ANY of these guys that hard. Ozzy and Vince Neil are the only rock singers who age has ravaged and neither were siners to begin with. The rest you may have liked or disliked at some stage, but can’t say they’ve gotten much worse – even if they’ve lost the peak abilities of their youth.

Axl Rose’ll hit 50 soon and on the 2006/7 tours proved he’d not lost it at all. On the 2001/2 tours he showed how easy it is to fall our of practise, though.
bennythejet

Happy 54th birthday to the best frontman in the history of rocknroll!!Hopen DLR joins me and Blinky for some jack at the jet centre.
Rick Pride

Happy Birthday Diamond Dave!!!!
SCAR

DLR, have a great birthday!!! Enjoy the party!!!! This toke is for you dude!!!!!!
ClubfootKolby

Don Henley is one of the best rock frontman ever, and Sammy is a lot better guitar player than Eddie.
Rich

WHOA, ClubfootKolby.

“Sammy is a lot better guitar player than Eddie”.

Holy cow you must be having your cereal topped with bullshit.

Hopefully that’s just your opinion, because dude, you may prefer Sammy as a guitar player but Eddie is just leagues, generations and years ahead of Sammy guitar-wise. There are “guitar battle” jokes of them two on YouTube at old VH concerts….Sammy gets his ass kicked!

Heres one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkmQ0ZtkldY
Jrocks

Diry Duck, I think you’ve summed things up beautifully…now whenever the Dave/Sammy thing comes up people can refer back to your comments for understanding, thanks
Patrick

I LOL’ed at the above comment.
Ted

American Satadium Bands:

1 Journey
2 Bon Jovi
3 Bruce Spring and the E
4 Van Halen
5 Motley Crue
sammyvanroth

long live vh! happy bday dlr
RickieVanWhalen

ClubfootKolby – remove your head from your ass. Your on the wrong site dude. This is the vhnd not gay men’s health crisis.
jrocks

Hey Dirty Duck…you said it beautifully…my thoughts exactly…now if the topic of Dave/Sammy ever comes up again people can refer to your comments and everything will be clear.
MICAL VEE

All i can say to the sammy fans,look at the ’81 oakland video’s! You needed to be with VH from the start to understand why they were called THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN!!!!!!!!!!
Dawn

I would of loved to seen Bon Scott. I love watching old footage of him.
SCAR

Earth to ClubfootKolby, what the fuck are you smoking putz????
phillster

englbert humperdink is the best rock frontman &
ralph macchio is a lot better than ed.
“top that” bullshit LOL
john

Sammy was great when he was a frontman for Montrose…..after that, nothing……
ClubfootKolby

It’s great having a little fun on the VHND, I know Eddie is the best guitar player ever, I also like all versions of Van Halen, cant wait for some new stuff. The Oakland show was great, but so were a lot of the Sammy shows. Have fun.
Russ

Duck:
Respectfully agree with your comments. While I can’t recall Sammy being a major force in the 80′s, I do remember him at least in rotation on the radio. What a funny decade…where a nerd could be a rock star. But at least there was variety. I beleive the new VH will be #1 and go platinum from hype alone. IT WILL SELL. No doubt about it. Then we can debate the quality of the work. As much as I do miss MA, I am really starting to see Wolf’s influence in this whole thing and wonder if any of this would even be possible without him in the mix.
Russ

By the way, everyone go see Zombieland. It rocks out with Everybody wants some in the movie! And it is just plain hilarious!
Kevin

oh God, i love how Dave Mustaine said they need to grin and bear it…. when he needs to grin and bear it and make up with metallica and put the feud behind him
pat

dave is 55, in his book crayzy from the heat he write that he is born 1954
/pat
pete

BTW happy (1 day late) birthday sammy.
Ludwig

Hey Russ!

Right on dude!! I saw the trailer to Zombieland and I think Van Halen’s music brings it to cult status!!! Isn’t it fantastic how classic Van Halen is honoured in most movies being made today!!! If you want a bit of fire and punch in your movie, put on some classic Van Halen and all is well!!

By the way I’m really warming to the fact that the new Van Halen album will be a massive success/comeback for the mighty Van Halen!! I too miss MA backing vocals. But think about it for a minute, there are 3 Van Halen’s; same blood, similar musical brains, same vocal pipes, similar sound (much like The Beach Boys!). It will sound different, but if those that listened carefully to Wolfgang & Eddie’s backing vocals from the last tour, you could hear the new sound beginning to grow and develop….and I LOVE IT!!!!

I always thought Eddie’s backing vocal was just as important as how George Harrison was in The Beatles. Their backing vocal sound blended sonically beautifully with the others!! Eddie’s backing vocals are just as important as Mike’s was. Want proof?! Have a listening to Chickenfoot CD/live, it doesn’t have that sonic quality as it did in VH with Eddie’s backing vocal sound. It sounds empty, to high end. Sammy & Mike’s vocals a too similar, they kind of clash. One trying to outdo the other. I’ve noticed recently that Mike is singing backing vocals like a lead vocalist. That’s a NO! NO! that musicians know all about. Basically Chickenfoot haven’t got that 3rd vocal sonic harmony sound, in a nutshell EVH!! Just goes to show you how great and a genius King Eddie is, the cat can do anything!! As Jimmy Page famously said of EVH years ago; “I can’t play what he plays, yet if I can I won’t be able to smile, run and jump around like Eddie does!”
bosox

VH should give there fans what they want! New music and a live album from the early 80′s. A 2 sided cd/double cd along with the new release would go and sell 3 millon in 1 week. No doubt. Work a deal with Target or whoever. They should hire me as a consultant. My God the VH camp is so friggin fickle it is there real handicap. Core VH fans are not getting any younger!
Drummer Boy ’72

this must be a Dave board only. No mention of Sammy’s birthday on 10/13.
Dooley

We’ll probably see a Van Halen lunch box/thermos combo pack (“So This is Lunch…”)or some other new inane merchandise before new music.

I soooo hope I’m wrong. I’ll get any new music the first day it’s out. Not holding my breath at this point.
phil

ummm, i think the VHND people are on vacation…..
Van Hagar

This posting is as boring as Van Halen “Right Now”

I don’t care about old Dave, what is he doing now????

You never hear about him even during the 2007 tour????
How about something new, if not music at least news, or is Sammy and the FOOT all the new Van Halen stuff were ever going to see.
phillster

Van Hagay your post is boring.
“Right Now” Dave`s recording with the =VH= Family.
deal with it.
Sammy&the toe ARE the closest YOU personally will get to your favorite version of =VH=.
I call them the “TOE” not the “FOOT” because that`s giving them too much credit.=VAN HALEN= is a “Foot”!Sam&mike are a
couple of “toes” pretending to be a foot
Dooley

“Right Now” Dave`s recording with the =VH= Family.

Really…philster? They’re keepin’ ya’ posted, huh?
Chickenhead

Dave, Dave WHO????
I hear all about CHICKENFOOT and Sammy Hagar but never any thing about David Lee Roth, and Eddie so what he was on 2 1/2 MEN, his voice and guitar playing sounded just likewhat he flushed down the toilet after he came out of the bathroom!

“Right Now” Sammy, Mike, Joe and Chad are worn out from a very long 2009 producing new music and a very successful tour!

Dave WHO ???????????????
Wizemagix

I’m sorry, but David Lee Roth was ready to bomb with Van Halen, luck for Eddie he quit Van Halen and bombed on his own and Sammy Hagar came in and did some serious rock and roll and took Van Halen to four (4) #1 albums and a load of Top 40 hits, making them, to me, the more popular and better Van Halen. I miss the Van Hagar days, and I miss Van Halen.