They influenced more bands in that decade than any other, they were the first band to be really technical on the guitar, every genre, from pop to thrash to grunge borrowed from Eddie's technique in some way, David Lee Roth set a new standard for frontmen across the globe, and they sold more records than almost any other artist in the decade (only topped by MJ of course  ::)). To me, Chuck Berry defined the 50's, the Beatles defined the 60's, Led Zeppelin the 70's, Van Halen the 80's, and Nirvana the 90's.

No.

Ant

It depends on the style of music.  Van Halen was probably the quintissential band for Hard Rock.  There were other major influential bands that performed for most of the 80's such as:

Pop/Rock - U2
Heavy Metal - Metallica
Pop - REM / Huey Lewis and the News

Van Halen made a lot of great contributions to 80's music, but I wouldn't necessarily call them the quintessential band of the 80's. There were so many other bands that I think made the 80's the way it was.  :)

No.

Ant


100% agreement

I do agree that Van Halen had a tremendous influence on rock music in the '80s and beyond. While they weren't necessarily "glam" in nature, alot of there over the top style did help inspire the over the top posers that would pollute rock by the late '80s.

They were an important band in the '80s, but in my opinion, some of there best work actually came out before 1980 on Van Halen and Van Halen II.

They influenced more bands in that decade than any other, they were the first band to be really technical on the guitar, every genre, from pop to thrash to grunge borrowed from Eddie's technique in some way, David Lee Roth set a new standard for frontmen across the globe, and they sold more records than almost any other artist in the decade (only topped by MJ of course  ::)). To me, Chuck Berry defined the 50's, the Beatles defined the 60's, Led Zeppelin the 70's, Van Halen the 80's, and Nirvana the 90's.


I pretty much agree with you, since alot of the hair metal bands in the second half of the '80s and 1990ish took from them, both in their appearance and musical style. Not just the crappier Wingers and Warrants from the tail end...but even the bigger ones Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.


To me "Jump" was one of the quintessential '80s songs (I LOVE that one, even if I'm not a big VH fan in general)...just because I think it had an equal influence over both pop and heavy metal. Like I was saying, I think that was the template for most hairbands. On the other hand, it was really synthpop-influenced and something you could dance to as well. It's a good idea for the eighties radio sound - esp since Eddie Van Halen did lots of crossover stuff, like the solo for MJ's "Beat It".

They influenced more bands in that decade than any other, they were the first band to be really technical on the guitar, every genre, from pop to thrash to grunge borrowed from Eddie's technique in some way, David Lee Roth set a new standard for frontmen across the globe, and they sold more records than almost any other artist in the decade (only topped by MJ of course  ::)). To me, Chuck Berry defined the 50's, the Beatles defined the 60's, Led Zeppelin the 70's, Van Halen the 80's, and Nirvana the 90's.


   I agree that VH personified the decade in their way:  loud, flashy, arrogant, popular, rich, excessive, bigger than life...

   "Rock Stars"... 8)

They were an important band in the '80s, but in my opinion, some of there best work actually came out before 1980 on Van Halen and Van Halen II.


  Their last best work, IMO, was 1981's Fair Warning in it's dark, moody, commercially unsuccessful excellence.  The novelty Diver Down did have a few kick ass tracks among all the covers...

  Their last best work, IMO, was 1981's Fair Warning in it's dark, moody, commercially unsuccessful excellence.  The novelty Diver Down did have a few kick ass tracks among all the covers...



Agreed ;)

I have Fair Warning on vinyl and it is truly an awesome album.

Actually if we're talking about their early stuff, I like the debut album from 1978 the most. It seems to have the most variety despite not really having any true ballads (which Roth tended to not like doing). I especially like "Janie's Cryin" and "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", I guess I'd call that midtempo hard rock with a certain darker feel. It's still catchy though.

The song "Dance the Night Away" is good too, that's more poppy.

Actually if we're talking about their early stuff, I like the debut album from 1978 the most. It seems to have the most variety despite not really having any true ballads (which Roth tended to not like doing). I especially like "Janie's Cryin" and "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", I guess I'd call that midtempo hard rock with a certain darker feel. It's still catchy though.

The song "Dance the Night Away" is good too, that's more poppy.



Yeah, their debut is one of best debut albums ever from a song standpoint (right up there with Boston's self-titled debut from two years earlier, although not close in sales).

Van Halen II also had alot of good songs, along with "Dance The Night Away", including "Beautiful Girls" and "Spanish Fly".

Agreed ;)

I have Fair Warning on vinyl and it is truly an awesome album.


Their best work, bar none. Mean Street has to be the greatest VH song ever. I think it's their Kashmir; every element of their early DLR years wrapped up into one incredible song. And the dynamics... whoa! They touched on them a bit on Women and Children First, but not like this!

Funny how it turned out to be their worst selling album until VH3 :)

   Their last best work, IMO, was 1981's Fair Warning in it's dark, moody, commercially unsuccessful excellence.  The novelty Diver Down did have a few kick ass tracks among all the covers...


Excellence is the understatement of the year :)

As for Diver Down? Little Guitars, baby! Little Guitars!!

Actually if we're talking about their early stuff, I like the debut album from 1978 the most. It seems to have the most variety despite not really having any true ballads (which Roth tended to not like doing). I especially like "Janie's Cryin" and "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", I guess I'd call that midtempo hard rock with a certain darker feel. It's still catchy though.

The song "Dance the Night Away" is good too, that's more poppy.


Their 1978 debut is my personal favorite, too. In a way this album is special to me, because it was released about a month or so after my birth.  :)

Their 1978 debut is my personal favorite, too. In a way this album is special to me, because it was released about a month or so after my birth.  :)


Yeah I know what you mean, it almost feels like you were born with it. :) I feel the same way with music from 1981 and '82. Plus, I associate lots of those songs with my little kid years in early Elementary school 'cause that's when I first heard them (from still being on the radio alot, or my mom listening to the albums).



But yeah, the debut is their best full album, even if my favorite songs are from 1984. The singles were great, but the rest of it feels like total filler.

I would say more of the 70s and maybe part of the 80s.  People seem to forget that Van Halen came out with their first LP in 1978. Some of their best stuff was before the Diver Down and 1984 LPs.

  Is Van Halen the quintessential band of the 80's?..
  one word comes to mind here..................... :)  "NO"!

I would say more of the 70s and maybe part of the 80s.  People seem to forget that Van Halen came out with their first LP in 1978. Some of their best stuff was before the Diver Down and 1984 LPs.


I realize Van Halen had two albums in the 70's, and they were around since '72, but I'm saying they defined 80's rock because nearly every artist of the decade borrowed from them in some way. Just look at 'Jump', which was a mega hit in both pop and rock, and '1984' pretty much single handedly put hard rock back on top. I guess the 80's are a lot harder to define since they more or less seemed like a montage of all types of rock and dance music, with some hip hop squeezed in, while other decades had one or two genres that were on top while all others received little exposure (70's disco and prog rock, and 90's grunge and gangsta rap). I suppose this was because of the then-new MTV, which opened the doors for a lot of other genres (how ironic that in the 90's it became a tool to limit what was popular), which is happening again right now with the internet (emo is to Myspace what hair metal was to MTV...meaning its imminent death is approaching  ;D). But I digress, Van Halen is the band that took rock to whole new level, both in technicality and attitude, and I just can't see another band from that time that has effected popular music in such a drastic way.

I'd have to say No..I would pick Def Lepard or Bon Jovi,even U2 over Van Halen
Maybe the first 4 years of the 80's

No.

Ant


I agree.

Van Halen were a solid stadium rock band (I love songs from both the Lee Roth and Hagar eras) with a zeitgiest but defining a period of time is not the same as being the quintassential band of the 80s.

  Van Halen became a household name in the 80s and the cultural references to the band are innumerable.  Even if you didn't like them you knew who Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth were.  The same might be said for Bon Jovi and Lep to a lesser extent.  Not so with U2 and Prince.  The closest to Van Halen in name recognition and popular appeal could be Huey Lewis & the News and I don't mean that in a good way...

  VH's breakthrough and excellent follow-up happened to hit in the late 70s, but VH will always be a band of the 80s...

But yeah, the debut is their best full album, even if my favorite songs are from 1984. The singles were great, but the rest of it feels like total filler.



   C'mon man..!

   Have you ever really listened to 1984, besides as background music while painting your room?  Turn off the 'puter and the TV, throw on 1984, plug-in your headphones and play the entire album, paying particular attention to Drop Dead Legs, Top Jimmy and House of Pain with the volume turned-up as much as your ears can bear...

   Forget Panama and Jump...

   Total filler my a$$..!

   C'mon man..!

   Have you ever really listened to 1984, besides as background music while painting your room?  Turn off the 'puter and the TV, throw on 1984, plug-in your headphones and play the entire album, paying particular attention to Drop Dead Legs, Top Jimmy and House of Pain with the volume turned-up as much as your ears can bear...

   Forget Panama and Jump...

   Total filler my a$$..!


Agreed. I think the mentality here is that if there's anything that doesn't resemble a hit, it's filler. But to each his own. I hear more filler on a Glass Tiger or Duran Duran album than a Van Halen album, to be sure.

"Drop Dead Legs" is an awesome song. Also, from 1984, don't forget "I'll Wait" 8)

How did Duran Duran borrow from Van Halen?

Van Halen are nowhere close to definitive 80s. They're more similar to 70s classic rock bands, and Jump borrowed from new wave bands, not the other way around.

This is a very rock-biased topic.


Bear in mind though that the starter of this thread was born in 1990

Bravo, what a refreshingly new subject. That's only come up about twelve million times in the history of this board. Ugh....you don't have to be a certain age to know about things. ;)

I'm not sure if they influenced Duran directly...but like I myself said earlier "Jump" was a huge pop hit. I would say it's more dance or new wave than hard rock, but because they are a hard rock band, it ended up influencing both areas.

I also pretty much agree with Vegatto's assessment of the early MTV generation. I think that's why so much '80s music (of al styles) was cleancut and poppy, because the goal was to get as many people into it as possible. MTV kinda mainstreamized all types of music.