Home · Albums · Van Halen · 1984

1984 1984
Album · by Van Halen ↗ View artist

1984

When Van Halen set out to record what would be their sixth studio album, the sound they were looking for was no longer limited to guitar power. By 1984, guitarist Eddie Van Halen was already building his own workspace, 5150 Studios in California, alongside his trusted engineer Donn Landee. While the equipment was being set up, Eddie took the opportunity to experiment with synthesizers, creating sounds that would later form the basis of many compositions. This process, which lasted about three months, resulted in material that fused the energy of the band's characteristic hard rock with a greater presence of keyboards, an element that Eddie himself, with a piano background, wanted to explore further.

Year
1984
Songs
9
Duration
33 min 30 seg
Listen to the album ★

About the album

1984, according to DoReSol

The result of these sessions was the album 1984, released in January 1984. It was a record that resonated strongly, reaching second place on the Billboard 200 charts and staying there for five weeks. From this work came singles that marked an era, such as Jump, which became the band's only number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Also notable were Panama and I'll Wait, which reached the top 20, and Hot for Teacher, a track that generated a very popular music video on MTV. This album became one of Van Halen's best-selling in the United States, exceeding ten million copies. The cover of 1984 also had its own story.

The original idea of showing dancing chrome women was discarded, and finally, an existing painting of a smoking cherub was chosen. The model for this image was Carter Helm, the son of a friend of artist Margo Nahas, who created the work. This album marked David Lee Roth's last collaboration as lead vocalist until 2012, after his departure from the band in 1985.

Discography

More from Van Halen

See all →
Van Halen 1978

Van Halen

11 song|s