12 PERFECT Hard Rock Albums With No Bad Songs
3. Van Halen - Van Halen
By the end of the 70's, the world of hard rock seemed to be in a strange transitory period. While the heavy metal bands of old were still going strong, there were still traces of the glam rock movement along with the influx of prog bands that left music feeling stagnant. Once a band from California emerged from the shadows, rock was back to sounding fun again.
The debut record from Van Halen is probably the closest any band has come to making a full blown greatest hits record as their opening statement. All across this record, the band is in top form with David Lee Roth exuding charisma from the first time he opens his mouth. Roth was definitely the showman, but what made the record truly pop was the guitar magic displayed by Eddie Van Halen.
When most bands were still anchored in simple blues-based playing, "Eruption" took the world by storm with some of the most furious guitar tapping that the world had ever seen. Even on hits like "Jamie's Cryin" or "You Really Got Me," Eddie still finds ways to inject the song with some of the most jaw-dropping leads that have ever been committed to tape. After this record, the time of 70's excess was over and the glam metal movement was officially underway.