A Look Inside: 'Van Halen at 50'

‘Van Halen at 50‘ is the new hardcover coffee table book by rock ‘n’ roll author Martin Popoff, coming May 28th, 2024. Here’s an exclusive look inside!

But do you need to wait until May 28th to get it? Not if you order it directly from Van Halen Store. They’re shipping the book NOW, so it could be in your hands within a few days!

‘Van Halen at 50‘ is a gorgeously crafted book of 50 of Van Halen’s career highlights augmented with crisp and often rare photography. It’s hardcover with nice embossing and spot-varnishing, and there’s a foldout timeline. 192 pages.

Explore Van Halen’s extraordinary history through the groundbreaking band’s 50 most important moments, brought to vivid life with photos and memorabilia.

Formed in Southern California in 1974, Van Halen became one of the best-selling bands in rock history, and one of the highest-grossing touring acts with their rock-solid rhythm section, the histrionics of outrageous frontman David Lee Roth, and the wildly inventive and until-then unimaginable guitar heroics of Eddie Van Halen. In Van Halen at 50, prolific rock journalist Martin Popoff pays tribute to the band on their 50th anniversary by curating 50 significant milestones, from their formation in 1974 to the passing of Eddie Van Halen in 2020.

This volume features:

Stunning concert and candid offstage photography, images of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and a gatefold Van Halen timeline.

Across five decades, Popoff covers it all:

The band’s formation in Pasadena, California, and early years as a So-Cal party band
13 best-selling studio albums and the tours undertaken in support of the LPs
The departure of Roth and his replacement by “The Red Rocker” Sammy Hagar
Notable appearances like Texxas Jam, Farm Aid, and Monsters of Rock
A selection of their greatest singles, like the classic-rock standards “Runnin’ with the Devil,” “Hot for Teacher,” “Jump,” and “Why Can’t This Be Love?”
Awards such as MTV Music Video Awards, platinum and diamond album certifications, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Eddie Van Halen’s battle with cancer
Bassist Michael Anthony’s replacement by Eddie’s son, Wolfgang

In addition, Van Halen at 50 features:

Stunning concert and candid offstage photography
Images of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and more
Gatefold Van Halen timeline

Throughout the book Popoff includes a selection of sidebars covering specialized topics like Eddie’s finger-tapping technique, the band’s album art, and the eternal Dave vs. Sammy question. Every page is illustrated with incredible images, including on- and off-stage photography, gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, ticket stubs, and more. The result is an apt tribute to one of the most popular bands in rock history.

Author Martin Popoff has penned more than 100 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock, and record collecting. For 14 years, he was Editor-In-Chief of the now-retired Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Canada’s foremost metal publication. He has also contributed to Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, Record Collector, bravewords.com, and more. He currently resides in Toronto.