The Van Halen demo was financed by Gene Simmons in 1977 and helped them get their first record contract along with the touring of the L.A. club scene, especially at the Whiskey a Go Go where the cover art for the album came from. The first single introduced us to the incredible Eddie Van Halen with “Eruption” into “You Really Got Me”. We never heard this kind of guitar playing before with Eddie’s hammer on technique then going into a classic rock song by the Kinks…brilliant combining New Rock with a classic rock song from the Kinks. The rest is history selling over 10 Million copies by 1996, giving the album Diamond status from the RIAA.
Learn more about the album:
Van Halen: the story of the debut album that saved rock
How Van Halen’s Debut Changed Rock History
One minute and 42 seconds of Van Halen’s guitar transformed music
Essential video:
Listen to the album: