Top top Van Halen songs - one of the most legendary rock bands in history

"Van Halen."- one of the best rock 'n' roll bands this world has ever seen. In their songs, you'll find the perfect balance between moving lyricism and the frontman's flamboyant, hyper-masculine personality David Lee Roth! It is impossible to ignore the innovative musicality of the guitarist Eddie Van Halenwhose skills continue to inspire and delight today's artists. Usually when a band is named after a member who is not the frontman, it seems confusing. But not in the case of Van Halen! And it's hard to believe that this man - this genius - couldn't read sheet music. However, all the band members were not only great musicians and performers - they were also better songwriters than most of their contemporaries! They created material that combined a strong sense of songcraft with arrangements for radio. And today, we'll look back at some of their best songs.

"Hot for Teacher"

Van Halen fuelled many a high school fantasy with his song "Hot for Teacher". In the music video, the hot bikini-clad model was a teacher in a classroom full of teenage boys, which, strangely enough, some people found offensive and even tried to ban the music video!

"Everybody Wants Some!!!"

The track's unique bass and drum rhythm, along with a set of guitar tricks and Roth's classic shtick, brought the "Everybody Wants Some!!!" success and popularity!

"Runnin' With the Devil."

One of the heaviest songs the band ever recorded, "Runnin' With the Devil." kicked off the band's first album! Adorned with an onslaught of sledgehammer bass, drums, guitars and Roth's inhuman screams, the track also proved that Eddie Van Halen doesn't necessarily have to play fast to sound good.

"Unchained."

Even for a guitarist who had as many iconic riffs in his arsenal as Eddie Van Halen had by the time of his release "Fair Warning." in 1981, "Unchained." was a raising of the stakes: the track showed that Halen was louder, harder and cooler than ever!

"The name reflects the band's lifestyle," commented writer Chuck Klosterman. - "Their music reflects the power of their reality."

"Dance the Night Away"

"Dance the Night Away" was Van Halen's first top 20 hit: it reached number 15 in the US thanks to the song's mix of styles. The song's strong pop chorus and loose rhythm helped the song with radio rotation. The track also features one of Michael Anthony's coolest bass lines (his backing vocals are also an important element here).

"Panama."

"Panama." - is a great rock song about cars that contains some ambiguous sexual references.

The classic music video shows the band members basically goofing around!

"Little Guitars"

This sweet, romantic track from Van Halen's most underrated studio album hints at the alternative future that could be if the David Lee Roth didn't leave the band in the mid-'80s.

Musical ideas Eddie Van Halen were clearly becoming more sophisticated and pop-friendly - and less reliant on hard rock riffs.

"On Fire."

Essentially, "On Fire" is an extremely contrived illegitimate "child of classic rock 'n' roll," in which the Eddie put together a dizzying number of riffs and passages at all sorts of bizarre, fantastic angles.

"Romeo Delight."

Incredibly fast (even by standards Eddie Van Halen) The opening riff is the first thing that catches my eye in this track!

In the verse, however brief it may be, David Lee Roth skilfully conveys the momentum of the chorus riff, while Eddie builds the tension with volume boosts and other tricks. After the solo these two bring the track to a scorching boil.

"Eruption."

You could say, Eddie Van Halen reinvented modern rock guitar with this instrumental track from the band's debut album! "Eruption" introduced many of Eddie's musical innovations, including two-handed tapping, fast flutter, and the guitarist's use of both harmonics and sound effects.

"Eruption." popularised tapping literally overnight!

"Jamie's Cryin"

"Jamie's Cryin" - a beautiful and very sad story about a woman. And if the frontman David Lee Roth feigns sympathy, then Eddie's guitar is all about mocking and taunting the poor heroine.

"Beautiful Girls"

One of the most positive and danceable tracks of the band!

"Feels So Good."

Obviously, synthesisers have become a much more integral part of the experience "Van Halen." in the era of Sammy Hagara, and Eddie was just as open to expanding his skills on 88 keys as he was on six strings.

"Feels So Good." was one of the best studies Van Halen! Dave would probably never have let them get that far. But Sammy was more cooperative!

"I'm the One"

Another worthy track from the band's eponymous debut album.

"Right Now."

Manic piano intro. Eddie has tension and drama you can only dream of, and when the song finally takes hold, it's incredibly satisfying.

The ambitious music video was titled "Clip of the Year." at the 1992 VMAs! That said. Sammy was so angry at the explicit messages in the clip detracting from his lyrics that he even refused to film.