Editing Van Halen (section)

{{short description|American rock band (1973–2020)}}
{{about|the band|their self-titled debut album|Van Halen (album){{!}}''Van Halen'' (album)||Van Halen (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Van Halen
| image             = File:Van Halen Lineup 1984.jpg
| caption           = Van Halen in 1984; ({{abbr|L–R|Left to right}}): [[Alex Van Halen]], [[David Lee Roth]], [[Eddie Van Halen]], and [[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]].
| background        = group_or_band
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Hard rock]]
* [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
* [[pop rock]]
* [[arena rock]]
* [[glam metal]]
}}
| discography       = [[Van Halen discography]]
| origin            = [[Pasadena, California]], U.S.
| years_active      = 1973–2020
| label             = {{flatlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
* [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
}}
| spinoffs          = {{flatlist|
* [[Mammoth WVH]]
}}
| website           = {{URL|van-halen.com}}
| past_members      = <!--DO NOT add "(deceased)" next to any names in the infobox. This is contrary to Wikipedia guidelines.-->
* [[Eddie Van Halen]]
* [[Alex Van Halen]]
* [[David Lee Roth]]
* [[#Band members|Mark Stone]]
* [[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]]
* [[Sammy Hagar]]
* [[Gary Cherone]]
* [[Wolfgang Van Halen]]
}}

'''Van Halen''' ({{IPAc-en|v|æ|n|_|ˈ|h|eɪ|l|ə|n}} {{respell|van|_|HAY|len}}) was an American rock band formed in [[Pasadena, California]], in 1973. Credited with restoring [[hard rock]] to the forefront of the music scene,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/van-halen|title=Van Halen|agency=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] |access-date=March 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913013201/https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/van-halen|archive-date=September 13, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-van-halen-rocked-the-business-world_us_58f75952e4b0f5cf16c7baf3|title=How This Band Rocked The Business World|first=Dave|last=Bookbinder|website=[[HuffPost]]|date=April 19, 2017}}</ref> and the virtuosity of their guitarist, [[Eddie Van Halen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prospect.org/article/rise-and-stall-van-halen|title=The Rise and Stall of Van Halen|first=Matthew|last=Duss|date=September 7, 2007|via=American Prospect}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/van-halen-feel-the-burn-63440/|title=Van Halen Feel the Burn|first1=Steve|last1=Pond|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=July 14, 1988}}</ref>

From 1974 to 1985, Van Halen consisted of Eddie Van Halen, his brother, drummer [[Alex Van Halen]], lead vocalist [[David Lee Roth]], and bassist [[Michael Anthony (musician)|Michael Anthony]].<ref name="Van Halen"/> Upon its release in 1978, the band's [[Van Halen (album)|self-titled debut album]] reached No. 19 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and sold over 10 million copies in the United States, achieving a [[RIAA certification|Diamond]] certification by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA). By 1982, the band had released four more albums: ''[[Van Halen II]]'' (1979), ''[[Women and Children First]]'' (1980), ''[[Fair Warning (Van Halen album)|Fair Warning]]'' (1981), and ''[[Diver Down]]'' (1982), all of which have been certified multi-platinum. By the early 1980s, Van Halen was among the most commercially successful rock acts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/35-years-later-van-halens-1984-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-the-band-11103309|title=Van Halen's 1984 Turns 35 Today, Is At Least The Second Best Work With That Title|first=Pete |last=Vonder Haar|date=January 9, 2019|newspaper=[[Houston Press]]}}</ref> The album ''[[1984 (Van Halen album)|1984]]'', released in the eponymous year, was a commercial success with U.S. sales of 10 million copies and four successful singles. Its lead single, "[[Jump (Van Halen song)|Jump]]", was the band's only number-one single on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].

In 1985, Roth left the band to embark on a solo career and was replaced by former [[Montrose (band)|Montrose]] lead vocalist [[Sammy Hagar]]. With Hagar, the group released four U.S. number-one, multi-platinum albums over the course of 11 years: ''[[5150 (album)|5150]]'' in 1986, ''[[OU812]]'' in 1988, ''[[For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge]]'' in 1991, and ''[[Balance (Van Halen album)|Balance]]'' in 1995. The group released a double-platinum live album, ''[[Live: Right Here, Right Now]]'', in 1993. Hagar left the band in 1996 shortly before the release of the band's first greatest hits collection, ''[[Best Of – Volume I (Van Halen album)|Best Of – Volume I]]''. Former [[Extreme (band)|Extreme]] frontman [[Gary Cherone]] replaced Hagar and recorded the commercially unsuccessful album ''[[Van Halen III]]'' with the band in 1998, before parting ways in 1999. Van Halen went on hiatus until reuniting with Hagar in 2003 for a [[Summer Tour 2004 (Van Halen)|worldwide tour in 2004]] and the double-disc greatest hits collection, ''[[The Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen album)|The Best of Both Worlds]]'' (2004). Hagar again left Van Halen in 2005. Roth returned in 2006, but Anthony was replaced on bass guitar by Eddie's son, [[Wolfgang Van Halen]]. In 2012, the band released their final studio album, ''[[A Different Kind of Truth]]'', which was critically and commercially successful. It was also the band's first album with Roth in 28 years and the only one to feature Wolfgang. Eddie was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, and died of the disease on October 6, 2020.<ref name=Wolf>{{cite tweet|user=WolfVanHalen|title=I can't believe I'm having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every single moment I've shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop.|number=1313561314598350848|date=October 6, 2020|access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref><ref name="latimes.com">{{Cite news|date=October 6, 2020|title=Eddie Van Halen, grinning guitar god for a rock generation, dies at 65|url=https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-10-06/eddie-van-halen-guitar-dies-65|access-date=October 7, 2020|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/79952/eddie-van-halen-confirms-cancer-diagnosis|title=Eddie Van Halen Confirms Cancer Diagnosis|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=April 27, 2001|access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref> A month after his father's death, Wolfgang confirmed that Van Halen had disbanded.<ref name="RS2020">{{cite magazine |last1=Hiatt |first1=Brian |title=Van Halen Considered Reunion Tour With Both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eddie-van-halen-vault-wolfgang-interview-1090873/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=November 16, 2020 |date=November 16, 2020}}</ref>

{{As of|March 2019}}, Van Halen is 20th on the RIAA's list of best-selling artists in the United States; the band has sold 56 million albums in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/ |title=Gold & Platinum|website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |agency=Recording Industry Association of America}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statisticbrain.com/van-halen-band-career-statistics/ |title=Van Halen band career statistics |date=November 8, 2010 |access-date=September 20, 2013 |archive-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224154304/http://www.statisticbrain.com/van-halen-band-career-statistics/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and more than 80 million worldwide, making them one of the [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling groups of all time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/20070601/features-more-volume.html|title=More Volume!|work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]]|date=June 2007|access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6465504/van-halen-first-live-album-david-lee-roth |title=Van Halen to Release First Concert Album With David Lee Roth |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=February 7, 2015 |access-date=January 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2012-04-05/music/van-halen-at-bankatlantic-center-april-10/full/ |title=Van Halen at BankAtlantic Center April 10 |newspaper=[[Miami New Times]] |first=Victor |last=Gonzales |date=April 5, 2012 |access-date=February 11, 2013}}</ref> {{As of|2007}}, Van Halen is one of only five rock bands with two studio albums to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States<ref>{{cite book |title=Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga | publisher=John Wiley & Sons |author=Christe, Ian |author-link=Ian Christe |year=2007 |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |isbn=978-0-470-53618-6}}</ref> and is tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American band. Additionally, Van Halen has charted 13 number-one hits on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Mainstream Rock]] chart. [[VH1]] ranked the band seventh on its list of the "100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2000/vh1hardrock.htm |title=Rock the Net-VH1: 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists|access-date=February 16, 2017}}</ref>