10 Greatest Classic Rock Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die

At the end of the 70's, rock was caught in a weird transitional period. While there was a great assortment of rock, folk, and even prog coming to the forefront, there was nothing mind-blowing that really blew fans out of their seats. Almost by divine intervention, four rockers from California released their debut and set the world on fire.

Van Halen's debut is a flawless piece of hard rock badassery from start to finish. Each of the songs are incredible anthems, as if designed to be your new favorite songs the minute you hear them. The tunes may be essential, but the true power of the band was in Eddie Van Halen, whose tapping techniques all across these tracks gave teenage boys a new guitar god to worship.

Even if the insane fretwork didn't blow you away, the vocal presence of David Lee Roth kept you engaged all the way through. With his bluesy delivery and incredible charisma, Roth is still regarded as one of the greatest rock frontmen of all time. After this record, the band had all but defined what would become the sound of 80's hair metal. Though many bands tried to attain that hard rock magic, Van Halen I proves that you simply cannot beat perfection.