Van Halen

Van Halen ( van HAY-len) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. From 1974 to 1985, Van Halen consisted of guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter Eddie Van Halen, his older brother, drummer Alex Van Halen, lead vocalist David Lee Roth, and bassist Michael Anthony. Released in February 1978, the band's self-titled debut album reached No. 19 on the Billboard 200 the following month, and 18 years later, in 1996, had sold over 10 million copies in the United States, achieving a Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By 1982, the band had released four more albums: Van Halen II (1979), Women and Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), and Diver Down (1982), all of which have over time been certified multi-platinum. By the early 1980s, Van Halen was among the most commercially successful rock acts. The album 1984, released in January 1984, was a commercial success with, by February 1999, U.S. sales of 10 million copies and four successful singles. Its lead single, "Jump", was the band's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1985, Roth left the band to embark on a solo career and was replaced by former Montrose lead vocalist Sammy Hagar. With Hagar, the group released four U.S. number-one, multi-platinum albums over the course of 11 years: 5150 in 1986, OU812 in 1988, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in 1991, and Balance in 1995. The group released a double-platinum live album, Live: Right Here, Right Now, in 1993. Hagar left the band in 1996, shortly before the release of the band's first greatest-hits collection, Best...