Dreams Realized On April 26, 1986, 5150 officially reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was anything but inevitable. By 1986, the band had already built one of the most powerful runs in rock. Six albums deep—all of them charting, and all of them shaping what Van Halen was. Yet none had taken that coveted top spot. Then everything changed. New lineup. New … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen News
Van Halen ‘Live in New Haven 1986’ Coming to Vinyl & CD June 5
Van Halen fans are getting another shot at Live in New Haven 1986—this time as a widely available release. A crystal-clear vinyl edition of the album was released today as part of Record Store Day and quickly sold out at many independent record stores. Now, a standard black vinyl version is on the way, set for release on June 5, along with the first-ever standalone CD … [Read more...]
Going Mad in Wisconsin: Van Halen Destroys the 7th Floor of the Sheraton Inn
In 1978, Van Halen was a four-man party looking for a place to happen. For the third stop of their first world tour, the band checked into Madison, Wisconsin's Sheraton Inn. The problem was that the seventh floor didn’t survive their visit. Inside the liner notes for their second album, Van Halen II, the band thanks, among others, “The Sheraton Inn (seventh floor), Madison, … [Read more...]
Alex Confirms NEW VAN HALEN ALBUM in the Works. Eddie, Alex, and Wolf Have Already Recorded Their Parts
In a new interview with Gastão Moreira of Brazil's Kazagastão, Alex Van Halen has confirmed that his previously mentioned collaboration with Steve Lukather is that Steve is helping Alex put together songs that the three Van Halen's have recorded together (Eddie, Alex, and Wolf). Alex: "Many people have asked, what about releasing unreleased stuff?' Well, we're not gonna … [Read more...]
Van Halen Trail 2026: Historic Pasadena Locations [Video]
Photo by Zeil Zlozower Pasadena played a critical role in the early lives of the Van Halen brothers, David Lee Roth, Michael Anthony, and original Van Halen bassist Mark Stone. The Van Halen Trail 2026 video, filmed this week by VHND contributing writer, Jeff Goebel, documents the real locations connected to the band's history — from childhood homes and rehearsal spaces to … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Shares Home-Movie of a Young Eddie Van Halen
Alex Van Halen just blew us away. In a tribute to his brother on what would have been his 71st birthday, Alex posted a short teaser video featuring a glimpse of a very young Eddie Van Halen playing guitar at home. It's surreal to watch this. Note the spark in his eye as he absolutely loves playing guitar at such a young age. Thank you, Alex! The silent home-movie … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen (1955–2020): A Life in Music
Credit: Neil Zlozower By VHND & contributing writer CJ Chilvers Today marks what would have been Eddie Van Halen’s 71st birthday. Edward Van Halen gave the world a gift—four decades of musical genius. His approach to the guitar gave birth to an entire generation of guitar players who see it as an instrument with unlimited possibilities. He introduced a myriad … [Read more...]
Photos: Opening Night of Van Halen’s 1984 Tour
Van Halen kicked off their legendary 1984 world tour on January 18th — 42 years ago today! Michael Anthony, Neil Zlozower and Tim McCrum share their memories of that first show, below. McCrum also shares his photos from that night exclusively with VHND, and Eddie recalls how massive that tour was. A sold-out crowd of 11,628 people witnessed Van Halen's first show of the … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Is Done Being a ‘Punching Bag’: ‘I’m Not a Kid’
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Wolfgang goes deep on his great new album as Mammoth, (reluctantly) addresses his feud with David Lee Roth, reveals his weight-loss journey, and much more By Brian Hiatt Wolfgang Van Halen, who records as Mammoth, talks about his new album and much more in the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now. Listen to the Podcast. "It's as … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Kramer Ad’ Guitar Sells For $2,734,000 At Auction
Eddie Van Halen's iconic ‘Kramer Ad’ electric guitar has sold at auction for $2,734,000, making it one of the most sought-after guitars in history. This remarkable price makes it the sixth most expensive guitar ever sold at a public auction. Sold on October 24. In August, Sotheby's announced it would auction one of the most high-profile Van Halen guitars ever. Built in … [Read more...]
‘Van Halen: A Visual Biography’
A new Van Halen book was just published and is now available at Van Halen Store. Here are all the details: Presenting the NEW SOFTCOVER EDITION of Van Halen: A Visual Biography by Martin Popoff, following the now out-of-print hardcover release. (This edition showcases a stunning new cover photo of Eddie Van Halen.) This visually stunning book spans 224 pages. With roughly … [Read more...]
A Farewell to the King, Part 2
Photo by Kevin Baldes By Chris Gill [Originally written in 2020 for Guitar World. Part 1 is here. Here is Part 2, below:] My favorite interview with Ed was a cover story for Guitar Aficionado, where he invited me to his 5150 studio to view about 40 guitars from his collection. Ed told illuminating stories about each guitar, and I quickly realized he could find the … [Read more...]