10 Perfect Albums That Started Rock Genres

Somewhere in the golden age of the '70s, rock and roll started to forget how to be fun. As much as some bands like Led Zeppelin may have been able to fill out stadiums, the whole thing started to feel like more of a spectacle than anything someone would actually listen to for fun. The days of hard rock seemed to be coming to a close, and then we got a band coming out of West Hollywood that was as much about the heavy riffs as they were about their party band image.

Although every member of Van Halen had mentioned just using their debut album to capture the sound of their live show, every song on here is a different facet of what they do best, from Eddie Van Halen becoming a guitar superstar overnight because of the tapping licks on Eruption to the irresistible charisma that David Lee Roth brought to the table on songs like Ain't Talkin Bout Love and Jamie's Cryin.

While it's up for debate whether this falls under the category of metal music, it definitely shares the intensity of the genre, putting a lot more volume and attitude behind their songs but creating an atmosphere that felt like being invited to one of the greatest parties that the Sunset Strip had ever thrown. The record may have been released in 1978, but Van Halen's debut serves as a teaser of what the '80s were going to be, with bands like Poison and Motley Crue carrying the torch and turning the Sunset Strip into a 24 hour party.