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All 131 Van Halen songs ranked

tbone_

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45,887

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"Runnin' With The Devil" should be #1.  I'm good with "Eruption" #2, so #1 ain't bad.  I still love the vibe of "You're No Good", and think it's way underrated at #78.

I still don't for the life of me get all the hype about "Unchained".  The song does nothing for me, but most VH fans think it's their best riff and best song.  

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honolulu horn

honolulu horn 6,158

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3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

"Runnin' With The Devil" should be #1.  I'm good with "Eruption" #2, so #1 ain't bad.  I still love the vibe of "You're No Good", and think it's way underrated at #78.

I still don't for the life of me get all the hype about "Unchained".  The song does nothing for me, but most VH fans think it's their best riff and best song.  

That's how I feel about Runnin' with the Devil. I feel like DLR was the only thing that made that song interesting. The riff and pacing are fine but the song doesn't click for me.

Unchained is just the opposite -- up tempo pacing, crunchy riff, and solid groove rhythm throughout the verses. I'd have it in my personal VH top 5, along with Hot for Teacher and more obscure gems On Fire, Somebody Get me a Doctor, and DOA.

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TexasBeta

TexasBeta 1,261

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"I'm the One" should be top ten. One of Eddie's best guitar work. All in all, not a bad list. I'm not a fan of Van Hager but I get it. 

11 hours ago, tbone_ said:

The debate really should be which 25 Van Halen songs are tied for 1st

This is 100% correct... and now on to Spotify to binge on the first 4 albums!

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Jerry Callo

Jerry Callo 8,698

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Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

"Runnin' With The Devil" should be #1.  I'm good with "Eruption" #2, so #1 ain't bad.  I still love the vibe of "You're No Good", and think it's way underrated at #78.

I still don't for the life of me get all the hype about "Unchained".  The song does nothing for me, but most VH fans think it's their best riff and best song.  

First song that popped into my head when I read the thread title.  Glad to see it in the top 10.  I would have placed Jamie's Cryin' higher as well, but I confess that I don't recognize every Van Halen song by title.

Edited by Jerry Callo
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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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11 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

"Runnin' With The Devil" should be #1.  I'm good with "Eruption" #2, so #1 ain't bad.  I still love the vibe of "You're No Good", and think it's way underrated at #78.

I still don't for the life of me get all the hype about "Unchained".  The song does nothing for me, but most VH fans think it's their best riff and best song.  

That's because it is their best song. It's Van Halen at their Van Halen-est.

Putting "Runnin with the Devil" at #1 is just as wrong as putting "Why Can't This Be Love" at #131, and for the same reason. Just because a first song is great/underwhelming doesn't mean it should outrank better/worse songs. I skip that song half the times it comes up on my shuffled playlists.

I never, ever skip "Unchained."

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PencilPusher

PencilPusher 454

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7 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

That's because it is their best song. It's Van Halen at their Van Halen-est.

Totally agree with this......it is my favorite VH song. Others in that panopoly of great VH songs:

Runnin'

Eruption/You Really Got Me

Panama

Hot for Teacher

Feel Your Love Tonight

Yes, they are all from either VH I or 1984, other than Unchained. 1984 was the second cassette tape I ever bought and I wore the shit out of that tape. Because of 1984, I went back into the VH catalog and discovered the greatness of VH I. We probably should have a thread for iconic debut albums by bands. "VH I" and the "The Cars" would be 2 of mine.  

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45,887

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18 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

\Putting "Runnin with the Devil" at #1 is just as wrong as putting "Why Can't This Be Love" at #131, and for the same reason.

I could not disagree more, but surely experience comes into play.  (Not to discount your experience, I don't even know what it is.)

I was not quite 15 when Van Halen released their debut album.  A buddy invited a few of us over to listen to it on his new stereo.  None of us had even heard of the band -- I don't know how this guy got wind of the album, but he did.  We dutifully gathered in his room, with his Pioneer silver series integrated amp and Technics turntable, dimed the volume, dropped the needle, and as soon as those Volvo car horns descended into the bass frequencies the woofers on his homemade speakers practically launched across the room in a ball of fire.  Speakers blown.

So, we went to the living room and played it on his Dad's stereo, at a somewhat more moderate volume, and my life was changed.  There is no way for me to disassociate from the experience of hearing "Runnin' WIth The Devil" for the first time, and especially so since it was the first Van Halen song I ever heard.  I subsequently saw them on their first headlining tour (VH II) and they were absolutely fucking brilliant.  Top 5 bands of all time for me, easy.  Until Sammy showed up.

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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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21 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Eh.  I like the playing underneath the verse and prechorus.  The chord riff under the chorus is literally something I could play (and write), which in my mind takes it completely off the table when it comes to "great riffs".

Is that the riff you're referring to?

Yeah, but you didn't write it, and nobody plays it like Eddie plays it.

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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I could not disagree more, but surely experience comes into play.  (Not to discount your experience, I don't even know what it is.)

I was not quite 15 when Van Halen released their debut album.  A buddy invited a few of us over to listen to it on his new stereo.  None of us had even heard of the band -- I don't know how this guy got wind of the album, but he did.  We dutifully gathered in his room, with his Pioneer silver series integrated amp and Technics turntable, dimed the volume, dropped the needle, and as soon as those Volvo car horns descended into the bass frequencies the woofers on his homemade speakers practically launched across the room in a ball of fire.  Speakers blown.

So, we went to the living room and played it on his Dad's stereo, at a somewhat more moderate volume, and my life was changed.  There is no way for me to disassociate from the experience of hearing "Runnin' WIth The Devil" for the first time, and especially so since it was the first Van Halen song I ever heard.  I subsequently saw them on their first headlining tour (VH II) and they were absolutely fucking brilliant.  Top 5 bands of all time for me, easy.  Until Sammy showed up.

You just... literally... and in wonderful detail... described the precise reason why I said what I did. :)

I mean, you've got a personal connection to that song and what it meant, and I think if you take that into consideration, look at the song outside of that experience, "Runnin' With the Devil" isn't even in VH's top 10. It still gets a lot of love because that song popped a lot of people's Van Halen cherry, but I think it's just... without the bias of that formative experience... not even the best song on that particular album, much less in their whole catalog.

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45,887

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10 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

You just... literally... and in wonderful detail... described the precise reason why I said what I did. :)

I mean, you've got a personal connection to that song and what it meant, and I think if you take that into consideration, look at the song outside of that experience, "Runnin' With the Devil" isn't even in VH's top 10. It still gets a lot of love because that song popped a lot of people's Van Halen cherry, but I think it's just... without the bias of that formative experience... not even the best song on that particular album, much less in their whole catalog.

Which is why I said "but surely experience comes into play".  I cannot get outside my own experience . . . nor can you.  I will still say it's their best song in their catalog.  It's an opinion.  I see it as defensible.

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TexasBeta

TexasBeta 1,261

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30 minutes ago, smuggs said:

On Fire outranked 18 spots by Humans Being. 

Get the fuck out of here.

Nothing from Van Hager should appear until all DLR songs have been ranked IMO. On Fire is a great song - just the intro alone is great. 

I rank mine by albums b/c there is not a bad one among the first 5 - 

Fair Warning

VH I

VH II

Women and Children

Diver Down

1984

1978 - Listened with a group of my friends. Runnin' comes on.. I'm like ok.. Eruption comes on and I just remember thinking maybe I should give up the guitar b/c I have no idea how it played that. Nobody did. We couldn't figure out how he played so many notes so fast - nobody had seen him play so we didn't even know about hammering.. that and we were 13. 

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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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2 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love, should be higher. 

 

Agree. And to be fair, like @jimmyjazz with his absolutely wrong opinion on "Unchained," Klosterman fesses up here.

52 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I just don't get it.  It's completely unremarkable.

Like @tbone_ said above, it's about the right hand, the harmonics chirping out when he hits the string with the pick during the riff. It's the way Dave fucks with Ted in the studio. It's the sheer energy in the whole song, that captures the spirit of their live show. None of that is "unremarkable."

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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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3 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Which is why I said "but surely experience comes into play".  I cannot get outside my own experience . . . nor can you.  I will still say it's their best song in their catalog.  It's an opinion.  I see it as defensible.

It's totally defensible (when I say it's an "absolutely wrong opinion" above, I'm joking). Klosterman's experience informs his list (as he confesses), my experience informs my list -- I rank "Aftershock" probably far higher than it ever deserves to be, simply because at the time I'd been dissed by this slutbitchho I'd convinced myself I was in love with, and it was the right fucking lyrics at the right fucking time.

In fact, I'd say the best value of this discussion is when we get to hear about our experiences that lead us to rate songs above or below where they arguably objectively belong. :)

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jimmyjazz

jimmyjazz 45,887

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I have to admit, I am immensely fond of VH as much for DLR as Eddie.  For being a so-so singer, he sure was a helluva vocalist.  I couldn't see the suppressed dinner club MC that was there all the time, I just saw an absolutely cock-sure front man with immense charisma.  Funny as hell, too.  That first concert was a master class in how to own a stage and an arena, and it was all Dave.  The rest of them just sat back and laughed.

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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 54,207

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I saw that Chuck Klosterman wrote this article from the link, and I knew it would be shit.

I was not surprised.

I mean, Eruption as their best song????  That's someone trying waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard to be edgy. 

 

Even though he has it too high, I will shamefully agree that Dance the Night Away is one of my favorites:
 

Quote

But the more essential truth is that this song just makes people feel good. You can’t listen to “Dance the Night Away” without feeling good. This should be the hold music for suicide prevention hotlines.

 

Jump sucks.  Should be last.

 

Agree with everyone about Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love.  Should be top 10.  Maybe their best.

 

Personal: Back when I ran marathons, I'd listen to Right Now and Top of the World as my last two songs to get ready to run. 

 

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Anton Chigurh

Anton Chigurh 3,319

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Nothing from Van Hager should appear until all DLR songs have been ranked IMO. On Fire is a great song - just the intro alone is great. 
I rank mine by albums b/c there is not a bad one among the first 5 - 
Fair Warning
VH I
VH II
Women and Children
Diver Down
1984
1978 - Listened with a group of my friends. Runnin' comes on.. I'm like ok.. Eruption comes on and I just remember thinking maybe I should give up the guitar b/c I have no idea how it played that. Nobody did. We couldn't figure out how he played so many notes so fast - nobody had seen him play so we didn't even know about hammering.. that and we were 13. 


Agree, but mine goes:

1984 (probably mostly because of Panama and HFT, my favorite two tracks)
I
II
Women and Children
Diver Down
Fair Warning (need to listen a lot more)

I will say I’m only 29 though, so my perspective is much different and I wasn’t able to listen as they came out new.
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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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10 minutes ago, TexasBeta said:

Nothing from Van Hager should appear until all DLR songs have been ranked IMO. On Fire is a great song - just the intro alone is great. 

 

Oh come ON. You can NOT actually tell me with a straight face that "Tora! Tora!" is better than, say, "The Best of Both Worlds."

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UTCzech III

UTCzech III 2,907

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Slightly off topic, but I grabbed a bunch of CDs this morning (I know, right?) to listen to at work, happened to include 2 CDs worth of 1977 demos (the Complete Zero demos, fyi).  Incredible, basically has songs from every VH album from I to 1984 (and even the "new" one that came out a few years ago), it's crazy how many musical ideas Eddie already had before they even recorded their first album.  It's a virtual "name that tune", lots of songs have different lyrics, then stuff like one tune has is basically Mean Streets, but has the end of Hot for Teacher tacked onto it.  Another is House of Pain, but has the instrumental breakdown from the middle of Mean Streets stuck into it.  Supposedly Gene Simmons is going to release these at some point (I thought I heard that a couple of months ago...).  Would be nice to get a sonic upgrade, but these'll do for now.

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Rimbo

Rimbo 25,911

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4 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

I saw that Chuck Klosterman wrote this article from the link, and I knew it would be shit.

I was not surprised.

 I mean, Eruption as their best song????  That's someone trying waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard to be edgy. 

 

Speaking of people "trying too hard to be edgy..."

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