Van Halen’s Monumental Debut Album

This week on the WPDH Album of the Week we'll feature the self-titled debut album from Van Halen.

Van Halen's self-titled debut was released on February 10, 1978, by Warner Brothers, and the album was produced by Ted Templeman. The album was recorded between August 30 and the end of September in 1977.

The album contains some of Van Halen's most well-known songs which include Runnin' with the Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love, Jamie's Crying' and their cover of The Kinks song You Really Got Me. Eddie Van Halen's one minute and 42-second instrumental Eruption is considered one of the best guitar solos of all-time.

Van Halen's debut album allowed Eddie Van Halen to popularize his technique of two-handed tapping.

The album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than ten million copies, earning Diamond certification from RIAA. Van Halen's 1978 debut has continued to sell prolifically, re-appearing numerous times on the Billboard charts, as recently as 2020.

The cover photos for Van Halen were taken at the Whisky a Go-Go, a club at which Van Halen often performed during the mid-1970s. That is the club where the band caught the attention of Warner Brothers executives.

The tracklisting for Van Halen: