1984

Good ol rock n roll. Hot For Teacher is legitimately one of my favorite songs ever. Too many hits for me to critique everything else here too much.

This was much better than I remembered. Maybe a little more guitar wankery than I usually enjoy, but solid overall.

Not my favorite Van Halen, but very good. Might have been a 5 but I want to make space between it and some of their earlier work. Also, it might be suffering from the fact that I heard Jump two billion times when it came out. Surprisingly, though, the song holds up.

Yeah. Van Halen rules.

jump being the most pop track on the album is suck a kiiii good for them

Stellar album. Most of VHs best stuff on here. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Álbum excelente de Hard Rock. Vocais e instrumentais excelentes. Músicas muito divertidas. Celest Phoenixcall.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Jump, Panama, Hot For Teacher 1984 is just nowhere as good as Van Halen's eponymous debut album (which I am comparing it to because its also on the List). Points for being a short 33 minute whirlwind of sound. It has some nice tracks (the singles), but is also slightly boring. Solid 3 material. After listen number three, I've changed my mind.I liked it more than I didn't and that means 4.

Heard this album a bunch growing up so got some nostalgia bias going on

Jump is an all time classic. Some other lyrics didn't age quite as well.

House Of Pain

Gran disco

Turns out Van Halen isn't just one guy, they're a band? I imagine this won't be the last time this'll happen...

I’m a bit young for Van Halen; my older burnout cousins were into them and the butt rock thing didn’t really appeal particularly as I came of age musically when rock music had made a darker turn. But as a guitar player, it’s hard to not appreciate Eddie Van Halen. Its difficult to think of a modern guitarist who had more of an influence on guitar playing: he didn’t invent two handed tapping, but he popularized it; he was instrumental in the development of the Floyd Rose locking tremolo, in pushing the tonal capabilities of guitar amps. And while the 70s and 80s had a lot of shredders, EVH stood apart not just for his frankly astounding technical ability, but also his capacity to write songs. And yeah even though I want to dislike the bombast here, the dumb sexism, the sheer exuberance on 1984 wins me over. The guitar playing on this album is spectacular, not just on the hits, but also on the lesser known tracks like Top Jimmy with the opening riff with all those natural harmonics. And while EVH is rightly recognized as one of the best guitarists of his generation, you can’t downplay his synth work here either. Diamond Dave is a natural showman and his charisma is infectious. Alex Van Halen the drums and Michael Anthony on bass round out the band with some impressive rhythms. In terms of sheer talent, Van Halen are one of the greatest, but still they’re a fun listen. It’s still kinda butt rock, yeah, but it’s the highest form of butt rock.

Van Halen... This takes me back. Back to the 80s? What? No. I wasn't even alive back then. No, this takes me back to October 5, 2023. That was when I started the 1001 Albums project itself, and the first that I was given was Van Halen's 1978 self-titled debut album. 983 days later, I'm somehow still doing the 1001 Albums project and I get to listen to a second Van Halen album. I kinda wish I could've gotten this as my final album so that it would've gone full circle to the beginning, but the odds of that happening were always slim to none, so I can't exactly say that I'm surprised that I'm not reviewing this on day 1089. Then again, I am still pretty shocked that it took this long for me to get the second Van Halen album. So, after 32 months since my first Van Halen album, do I still like Van Halen as much as I did back then? Yes! This album's great! I do slightly prefer the debut, but 1984 still has a lot to love. Of course, many of that album's strongest elements return. Eddie Van Halen is still one of the greatest guitarists to ever live and David Lee Roth is a pretty good frontman. The songwriting is still fairly basic, but none of it is bad at all. In fact, the best songs on here are really great. "Jump" is a classic for good reason. The synth-heavy sound is definitely a change for the band, but it worked out pretty well, didn't it? The guitar-focused work isn't gone though. You still have some stellar rockers like "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher" to appreciate. The latter of those two songs opens with a pretty cool drum solo, so that's cool! "Panama" actually has a pretty funny story pertaining to why it was written. Apparently there was a reporter who claimed that Van Halen only made songs about parties, women, and cars, and David Lee Roth was like "Umm... no? We've never made a song about cars," so he decided to write a song about a car. I find that very funny and I don't know why. Great song though, as are the other ones I've mentioned. 1984 is a bit of a stylistic turn for Van Halen, but it is not a bad one in the slightest. The first few years of the 80s treated Van Halen well, it seems. I'm not sure that I could say the same for the years that followed since I haven't heard any of it, but maybe they were good too, I don't know. What I do know is that 1984 is a good album. 4/5.

This album was really consistently good

Highlights: Jump, Panama, Top Jimmy, Hot for Teacher, Girl Gone Bad Insanely strong opening. Hard af and fun to listen to. Not too crazy about a relisten any time soon doe.

Really great rock album. Jump, Panama. Fantastic.

Jump was one of THE songs of 1984 Together with Panama and Hot for Teacher, Dave Lee Roth's antics were hard to escape this year While the opening has shades of "Mr Robotto", thats all forgotten a couple of tracks in, even though the synth remains a too-prominent element While I certainly prefer some of their earlier material, this is an easy 4 stars for keeping the metal flag flying in the crazy eighties

Good dumb fun

база

The deep tracks have a good rhythm section, it's clearly very influential for the 80s. i just don't care about the 80s much

Loved the energy. So many songs I enjoyed. Perfect length!

Very fun listen, I've always enjoyed this album. The guitar-work is incredible, of course. More synth than I remembered. Some of the lyrics are cringy though

Such fun. 80s rock is the epitome of classic rock.

There was really good tracks that make you want to rock. There’s a couple that were just ok.

A fun rock album, makes you want to jump from your chair Fav songs - Jump, Hot for Teacher 4/5

It's 3.75

Some great glam metal. Favorite Track: Jump - The synths on this are so good.

Somehow I thought this would be all synths, since I mostly remembered Jump. But this has some good rockers too. Over all I was impressed by it.

This one is very nostalgic for me given it's release date and what was happening then. I know it well and enjoy the material. I probably rate higher than it deserves but it difficult to listen to objectively

A fun album with some big songs! I liked it 4 ⭐️

Pretty silly, but pretty enjoyable hair metal. EVH's playing is out of this world; I can only imagine the impact it had at the time.

How many bangers can you fit into one album? Seriously. Even the non-singles from this are so good.

Good guitar work. Overplayed

-1 for Hot for Teacher.

Yk what I actually really fucked with this one

I like Van Halen too much to even pretend this was an unbiased listen. Not every song on the album is a banger but they're damn close.

Singing Jump for a mattress commercial nearly got the New Directions banned from sectionals! And that's what you missed on Glee. Fun short album! Favourite song: Jump Least: Drop Dead Legs

Absolute banger for the just part. Starting with Jump and Panama sets it up to rock hard.

I don’t know what I thought about Van Halen prior to this but I understand it now!

bangers on bangers. 4.3 sterne

That Helene band that I’ve never really listened to too much as an album band only on the radio. I definitely understand why they were a powerhouse in the 80s. Every song rocks. Panama is my favorite.

4/7

While Eddie's guitar playing is formidable, VH wouldn't have particularly stuck out between all those other glam/hair metal/rock bands. His decision to use synths despite David's distaste of it really created an iconic sound that made the difference. Jump and those other songs still are absolute bangers.

One of the best Van Halen albums with the best songs.

Feels like a classic rock album, Solid album for driving around. I liked the guitar work and sound on the tracks. Liked Panama and Hot for Teacher.

קידומת הולנדית

I love VH I&II, but to be honest, I'm not sure I listened to this entire album outside of it's singles. I won't say I'm a huge fan of DLR, but I definitely prefer this version of the band to Van Haggar. That being said, no matter who is singing, EVH does no wrong on the guitar. I strive to sound this effortless on the guitar. House of Pain guitar riff is KILLER. I'm learning that today. Solid album. Still prefer what they did in the first two albums, but this still great. Didn't feel like EVH was a focal point, which is the only reason I really like VH.

This album is such a treat, with the most 80s synth elements imaginable, with some incredible Eddie guitar work. Also, the hits are just classics for a reason. Can't wait to hear their first record.

start and end of album are rather different but i like both genres so…

This is a lot shorter and a lot better than I remember.

Lo quiero en vinilo

Many classics. Love the melodic rock. Very nice.

evh a monster

Iconic and thoroughly fun this album is packed with hits.

Like more than i thought i would. 33 minutes ain't bad. Done obvious bangers and the others were pretty good

Not that i'm too impressed - that was close to what i was expecting from this album. Solid.

1984: wonky synth noise kind of weird intro Jump: overplayed but still good reminds me of red rocks show Panama: good song but the guitar is all panned in the left ear and doesn’t have a lot of depth because it’s just in left Jimmy: really cool song different than normal Van Halen style Hot for teacher: obviously a great song fun to play and great in every instrument except for vocals but it is dlr Girl gone bad: even for a Van Halen album this has a standout guitar solo. Jazzy interlude

很难得的能让我喜爱的hard rock，虽然他听起来不像

It's 1984...it's great.

a part of me wishes I could become a world leader just so when macron comes to visit my country I can get my band to play hot for teacher instead of la marseillaise

Это было охуенно.

I don’t know why I thought this would be a harder rock but I guess it’s because I’ve never gone out of my way to listen to Van Halen. I could listen to these bitches shred for days

This is dope

Another album that I never listened before. Well until yesterday of course. I know all the singles from this album (Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher) but I never heard the other tracks of this album. And well I was suprised. I really enjoyed all of them and really thought that wouldn't be the case. 4/5

Fabulously energetic and just all around fun album, that despite having some insanely complex musical arrangements, somehow feels super approachable.

Their sixth album. Hair Metal /Rock. Hell of an intro and opening track. It's all so over the top, massive sound and 80s. It is such a short album but swings a big punch. No airs or graces, just Hair Metal in your face. Hair Metal, spandex, slow motion videos of leaping high kicks, it's all bollocks really but we all need escape from time to time eh !? This is just some food fun.

Good listening.

Really enjoyed this one! Good guitar work, not too much. Like the singer's voice, but didn't love it. Could swing along a couple of times. Would listen to this one again.

Singles still hold up STRONGLY. 33 minutes is the perfect run time for an album like this.

This cemented van halen as the dominant 80s group with expert guitar playing

Cool ass cherub smoking cigarettes… just jamming out without a care singing about being cool… it’s hard to hate Van Halen. Even though I remember Jump as the overused pop culture song it’s just so hard to hate it when you hear it. Cool and fun. It’s the simple things that make life worth living. Favorite Song: Top Jimmy Least Favorite Song: House of Pain

Si te gusta tocar la guitarra si o si tenés que escuchar este álbum, porque las locuras que hace Van Halen son impresionantes, tiene muy buenos temas y varios me sorprendieron por su complejidad sonora, el álbum del angelito prometió y cumplió.

Hell yeah, a van halen album. A very 80s sci fi intro. Love it. Right into jump, it’s obviously a classic! Great to hear on this album. Panama, Top Jimmy, Drop dead legs. All great guitarwork, especially that solo in drop dead legs. While hot for teacher is questionable lyrics wise, it is in fact an absolute bop. I’ll wait was great! Another few lyric choices I blinked at, but awesome all the same. Girl gone bad was just some pure rock fun! The guitars, the drums, all were great. House of pain was a perfect closer to this album. Overall, this album didn’t try to be anything it wasn’t! It had a sense of self, didn’t go on for too long, and was super fun! 4.5/5 ⭐️ 116/1089

To me, this album is the ultimate mid-80s time capsule, perfectly capturing an era of flashy showmanship, big hair, and sonic evolution. Van Halen absolutely kills it instrumentally, especially Eddie. He totally changed things up by mixing those synths with his insane guitar, creating a sound that was both commercially massive and technically brilliant. "Jump", "Panama", and "Hot for Teacher" are still the hot shit, but even the other tracks are killer. No filler here, just 33 minutes of pure energy. Yeah, the lyrics are a bit dated rock star and teenage, but it's so much fun, you can't help but grin. It's loud, proud, pretentious, and the best of the original Van Halen line-up.

This isn’t the best album of the 80s but god damn if it’s not close. Shreds, rips, just fuckin rocks.

Forty years after its wall-to-wall permeation of the airwaves, it’s hard to deny the infectious fun of Van Halen on and in 1984. You can’t listen to this album without seeing the broad grins on every band member’s face in those omnipresent videos; Van Halen was having a good time as rock gods and weren’t afraid to show it. I was surprised how great all the singles still sound today, even “I’ll Wait” (co-written by Michael McDonald, who was apparently in every 1980s recording studio). And the rest of the cuts piece the album together well enough to maintain the energy for 33 minutes. 3.5 stars

Classic

4 bangers, 4 mid tier and an intro squeezed into 33 minutes is pretty impressive. Was sitting at a 3.5 until I'll Wait came on.

This album rules. "Jump" and "Panama' may have been overdone but they are smashes for a reason....I also love "I'll Wait" and "Hot For Teacher". They embraced synths and modern production without selling out, and its a really nice length of an album too. I want to go 5 but I'll save 5 for the self-titled album

I'll wait is my favorite, but I'm not into this type of album, but yes incredible guitar players.

Wow - I’m embarrassed to admit how much I liked this. Shows that you have to separate the music from the look of the band. If I judged solely on the manitards this would never have gotten a listen. 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes! Glad I heard it before I died.

please don't make fun of the fact that the first time I heard Hot for Teacher was on Glee

Short and sweet. Proper classic rock, love all the synth. Not too much differentiation between tracks, but still a very good listen.

This was a lot of fun. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Yes, Glam Metal is commercial and mainstream as shit. That doesn't mean I can't have a grand old time listening to it. Hot for Teacher's drum intro is still as iconic as ever, and you can't help but shout "PANAMA!" each time it's sung in the songs. It's as eighties as eighties can be. But that adds to the merit of this album rather than detracts from it if you just consider it a fun time.

You can tell not everyone was on board with the new sound by how much effort the drummer is putting in. If the drummer is capable of a hot for teacher but doesn't do even a fraction of it on some of these songs... Van Halen works best when they all have their foot on the gas, going fast, loud and straight ahead. If they slow down you can see the places where it is unrefined. Like most of the lyrics. I'll give this one the benefit of the doubt, because hot for teacher is basically the best hair metal song out there.

Still holds up after all this time, I had no idea that the drummer was that good.

Must hear before you die? You've probably already heard it by the age of for. All criticisms are valid. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ anyway.

TA cabron nomas

7/1001 1984 - Van Halen (1984) Man this album surprised me completely. First off, the songs I was dreading most were Jump, Panama, and Hot for Teacher having heard them so many times in so many different contexts. But no, they absolutely are the best tracks here, and listening to them in the album made me appreciate them a lot more, and unfortunately made nearly every other track seem not quite as great. Eddie's shredding gets a lot of completely fair praise but Alex's Harley Davidson drumming on Hot for Teacher is unbelievable. This sort of hard rock/glam is something I have a natural distaste for which I think will be demonstrated in my subsequent reviews from this genre - but this was such a surprise to me as it holds up pretty well. Can't stop thinking the album cover looks like something from the wall of a bowling alley though. ★★★★

Fun and rocky. Panama continues to be very fun, 40 years on

It’s going to be a Van Halen summer

Maybe the first 80's album I actually enjoyed. It was diverse and not monotonic, good ol' Rock

This iconic cover with some iconic songs.Has a consistent flow and didn’t feel bored in any part of it. 8/10

I’m hot for teacher!!

Production on this is surprisingly good.

Bangerssss from Van Halen again. Killer performance all around, multiple mega-hits, doesn’t sound too dated, excellent production. Alex is an all-time drummer.

Absolute classic banger Hardrock album. But kinda blend

Det her va veldig mye morsommere å høre på enn æ hadde forventa, og det va æ storfornøyd med. Det e jo ikke min greie sånn generelt, men det va fornøyelig og underholdanes og æ likte det!

Excelente disco

Eddie will be for ever Eddie, one of the best guitar players I ever heard. This album is great, I love it!

Van Halen at the peak of dirtbag rock. Their final entry with David Lee Roth, one of our great Americans, "great" in the sense of exemplifying America for better and worse. Four stars in that I would listen again.

Wenisimo

Me gustó el álbum y la composición de la mayoría de sus canciones. Ciertas canciones suenan un poco estridentes por parte de la guitarra; situación que es normal ya que por lo general, en la época se intentaba alcanzar notas agudas con la guitarra.

Some of the best classic rock from this time has to offer. Amazing singles and virtuosic playing. Really embracing the epically cheesy synths and meshing it with catchy songwriting and rocking riffs/fills.

1984 saw Van Halen cross over to the American pop charts in a pretty major way, with all four of its singles reaching the Billboard Hot 100 and three of those cracking the top 20. it released at the very beginning of its titular year, and its success made the band into one of the biggest in the country and, increasingly, the world over. the only thing keeping it from hitting #1 on the Billboard 200 was Thriller! despite the slight move away from raw hard rock and towards glammier pastures (especially the prominent use of synths), the DNA of Van Halen—Eddie's razor-sharp riffing and shredding, Alex's tight, frenetic drumming, David Lee Roth's bad-boy attitude, and Michael Anthony holding down the fort—remains intact. my top three tracks here are, unfortunately, all singles. I like the deep cuts (especially "Drop Dead Legs", which I remember hearing on the radio here and there), but I think Van Halen and Warner Bros. chose the singles very well. and, hey, I'd still take even the weakest moments here over just about anything this band made in the Hagar years. "Panama" was the song that played under the opening cutscene of Gran Turismo 4, and is thus probably the Van Halen song I've lived with for the longest. it's a song about a car as a thinly-veiled metaphor for sex; a fairly common topic for bands at the time, but one which the band turns into a borderline cinematic three-minute pop odyssey. the quiet bridge after the guitar solo, where the music moves from major to parallel minor, is especially effective. the keys on "Jump" sound a little silly, especially when there's no guitars underpinning them, but it's another wonderfully structured tune; the pre-chorus with its new drum pattern is especially hair-raising. "Hot for Teacher" is a strange one, with a blistering drum opening, verses containing Foley art of a rowdy classroom, and an unrelenting shuffle. I tend to think of the rock music mainstream in the 80s as being pretty inert stylistically, on account of all the dime-a-dozen glam rock and hair metal acts that are all, at the end of the day, fairly indistinguishable. a big reason for that is that many of them were trying to bite Van Halen's thing, and none of 'em came close. strong 7/10.

3.5

4.5

Van Halen was my first favorite band as a kid, and this album was released at the height of that fandom. I know a lot of Van Halen purists don't love this album as it leans into a poppier sound and there's some synth driven stuff, but I think it's really fun and brings me a lot of joy. Plenty of great tunes here, including "Jump", "Hot for Teacher", "I'll Wait", and my personal highlights "Panama" and "Drop Dead Legs". Excellent stuff. 4.5 stars.

Some glorious magic singles on this. Hot For Teacher is great big banging blistering bundles of 256BPM fun and Jump is a synth player’s Smoke On The Water. Panama? Fuck yeah! There are a few firecracker moments elsewhere but it is mainly these 3 songs that make this album what it is. Surprised to see Michael McDonald get a co-write on I’ll Wait although it’s disappointing that they didn’t even try to go for something that matched his turn on Ride Like The Wind. It’s not even a Yo Ma Be There. Album is ultimately one where I’d rather just watch the hits on MTV or YouTube. Artwork is horrible. That cherub is going to emphysema for the rest of his heavenly days. Mid to low 4. Second best 1984 behind George Orwell’s.

I quite liked this album, the opening track was a bit weird but overall very good, some very big hits on this album. I did find that although this album wasn’t long I did find myself struggling to get through to the end and if it was any longer that would affect my score more but still a pretty good one overall

Jump is always a great start into the album. You’ve got to love EVH’s playing. I don’t usually listen to hair metal but bring back the hair and the feel good. As an album it’s great and so short you can’t exactly pick it apart.

enjoying! it's giving like Deadpool battle sequence good diversity in songs but they still all worked well as an album i enjoyed it but im not like devouring it hence four stars

4.5 this was fun and fast and feel good! my favourites were 1. hot for teacher 2. girl gone bad 3. top jimmy i.e. the fastest songs… they were awesome even though it’s the most famous song I didn’t enjoy jump too much - I generally prefer the guitar-heavy songs over the synth-heavier songs like Jump and I’ll Wait but yes i will listen to this album again for sure

I really liked this one. It's some classic rock and I was honestly surprised with how good all of the songs were across the album. Often with older music like this it feels like there are only 2-3 songs that are actually solid, but this is pretty killer overall. I've never sat down and actually listened to them, but I can see myself coming back and listening to this for sure. 4 stars I think because I am not saving anything to my liked songs right now.

this was awesome. jump is such an iconic song, the guitar riffs and melodies are great. just a great album overall. love this. 8/10

Classic of 80s rock. A few tracks don’t stand up much for me, but a solid listen just the same. 4/5

A pleasant surprise. I know the singles, but this record really holds up, despite the horny '80s cheese with Hot for Teacher. Jump into Panama is a heck of a one-two, and the rest is solid. Great record.

Thats the good stuff

Glam Rocki üks menukaimaid esindajaid. Ma olin üllatunud, tegelt oli album täis head kraami ja muidugi super kitarrimängu. Trummipartiid on head ning David Lee Roth laulmine on alati iseloomulik. Väärt kuulamine, 3.9/5.

8/10

4.5

For Panama and the cover art, that's a 4 by itself. 4/5

Never been a huge fan, but cannot deny the craft. Some monster tracks with true innovation/skill in playing. Somehow early electric drums sound cool! Never cared for Jump in my skate rink days of yore, but it's a cool exercise and panama and hot for teacher all time bangers.

The right sort of 80s cheesy. Like cheese and pineapple on a cocktail stick.

It's fun. Very technically proficient guitar (goes without saying). Overall felt a bit empty though. A generous four from me.

I expected to hate this based off of the singles I've heard too many times but it's rockin' too hard to ignore Favorite tracks: Drop Dead Legs, I'll Wait, Girl Gone Bad

Van Halen and I have an interesting relationship. I'm absolutely so fucking tired of hearing their music over the radio from every classic rock station in a 50 mile radius, especially the same 5 songs (the worst offender being "Beautiful Girls" which has one of the most annoying hooks I've heard in a song). I've mostly moved past my need for flashy, glammy MTV-era hard rock (with some exceptions) and VH was one of the ones left in the dust when I mostly pivoted away from this kind of music. But at 13, some of these tracks were my life. "Jump" and "Panama" still resonate. It's also worth noting that I didn't hear this album in its entirety until today. That might be part of the problem. This is actually pretty fucking great. Either my bias has slipped away or this is an exception.

This album had some great hits, but it's not their best overall.

Back then I only knew jump and panama and thought to myself that van halen wasnt my type of band so when I saw this album as today's album, i was kinda disappointed tbh so i started listening without any expectations but damn i was so wrong, literally the best album I've listened so far I know now to not judge an album by the popular songs only, because in fact popular albums with popular songs have hidden masterpieces that not everyone knows about

Me gustó muchísimo !!

The vocals are kind of meh but it is forgiven because the instrumentals are FIREE! Panama and 1984 are my favs :)

Jump! And other assorted hits

Loistava levy. 4/5.

4,5 would be

F yeah! David Lee Roth Van Halen is the best Van Halen. This is 80s rock at its finest. David’s voice, Eddie on guitar and Alex on drums?! Insanely good.

Never gave Van Halen a chance, pleasantly suprised. 3.9/5

Truly surprised to rank at 4. Some bangers and the rest are good enough

ya conozco el album, difícil hacer una preview asi jej muy buen álbum, creo que es la representación perfecta de van halen, un rock pesado con una guitarra bien marcada y una vibra bien "badass", sin caer en lo simple y sin volverse glam

Such a classic. Not a huge fan of this style of rock but this album is a bop. “Jump” is an ear worm that I’d rather skip but it’s an undoubted hit (as Van Halen’s only No 1 hit according to Apple Music). The rest of the album was fun and FINALLY some good vocals and coherent instrumentals that I can follow with ease.

nice

Jump is a silly funny song to me, but Panama's a fun rocker. Drop Dead Legs has an insanely fun, heavy swing, Top Jimmy presents a lot of pep with a roaring solo, and Drop Dead Legs doesn't feel like it hides any influences, especially with the phaser on those drums. But the start of the B side with Hot For Teacher... insane drumming. Insane guitar soloing, the Van Halen brothers were pretty unmatched in speed then. But even ignoring that, Alex VH's tom drums evoke so much character, he makes them go from sounding like a motorcycle engine to a goddamn jazz big band ensemble. And on this solo and throughout the whole record, Eddie makes pinch harmonics, tapping, and sweeping seem easy at rapid speeds, seamlessly juggling all of these techniques while still rocketing up the charts. I can do without I'll Wait and Girl Gone Bad, but House of Pain is a fantastic bar fight closer.

Good music. I reo this album from my childhood. It was good to reminisce. The hits were still great. DLR was still a good front man even though I think Van Halen grew bigger with Sammy Hagar. EVH and the band were amazing on this album but it’s not overly amazing.

Great album of them!

Liked it !!

Not a huge Van Halen fan or Glam Metal in general but I can't deny that this rips

The first album I ever bought was this when it was released at the end of ‘83. Whole reason why I picked up a guitar. Not as good as VH1 but definitely this album throws it back to that first album. I feel that all the albums in between were loaded with filler (except for my favorite Mean Streets), especially with Diver Down that was released before this one.

Umulig å ikke bli i godt humør av å høre på denne.

Tre stjerne opprinnelig, pluss en ekstra stjerne for Hot For Teacher.

Har denne på vinyl, haha. Perfekt vaske/roadtrip/nachpiel-musikk.

what else :D

Une impression grisante de faire des roues arrières en moto sur la road 66 avec de très jolies lunettes d'aviateur. Le synthé années 80 est toujours un plaisir dans les oreilles, donc JUMP et I'LL WAIT sont mes préférées.

Super découverte ! Sauf pour Jump, que je connaissais déjà, le reste de l'album a été une super surprise pour moi. Juste une envie de l'écouter en boucle dans un long road trip à travers le globe. Note : 4 À réécouter : Oui

Man, I was really not expecting to like this as much as I did. I knew the singles of course, but the other songs were also mostly good!

Synth and pinch harmonica for days! The hits are great, the other songs ok.

-this is an album that, on paper, I should hate. I don't really love heavy metal and I especially dislike shred metal. I can't stand rock machismo, especially from the 80s. But somehow I have a soft spot for VH. The songs are technically complicated but not over-produced -- this is pop music at its core. -DLR is a totally juvenile goof, but his rizz is kinda undeniable. He's like a vaudeville character. -EVH overplays absolutely everything, but somehow I actually enjoy listening to him. Most of the songs sound like a single guitar take with minimal overdubs and it's pretty interesting to hear him shred through a full song, jumping through different styles and techniques. -the rhythm section is laughably mid. AVH is crazy overrated -- yeah, he's got some fancy drum tricks but he also slips out of the groove pretty regularly. Michael Anthony is a master of pedaling the same note for a full song, which is definitely a skill but it sounds pretty funny in contrast to EVH's wild gymnastics.

Energetic, frenentic, and wonderful! You can smell the cheap beer and cigarrets coming off this album. This album give off the feeling of what Fort Lauderdale smells like after spring break. Im glad to not have been the correct age for this album when it came out, but this is an awesome time machine album where you wish you could go back and hang out for a weekend.

I've never voluntarily listened to a full album of rock music!, it's pretty cool. Also, found a childhood memory this fast!

Really great album - some absolute classics. “Hot For Teacher” the standout fave, but some other memorable moments and incredible guitar work. There are 2-3 tracks that don’t hit the same heights as others in my view, but other than that this is a very strong album that brilliantly blends hard-rock with more accessible genres.

The album kicks off with arguably the most recognisable synth intro ever recorded – Jump, along with this being one of if not their most popular track. It’s an absolute classic and it would be hard not to enjoy it even if it has been overplayed. It makes you wanna dance, while still being rocky enough with some cool guitar riffs in the pre chorus. The middle section of the song is where it shines though, a shorter yet still great guitar solo from EVH, followed by my favourite part which is the synth solo section. The entire song shifts for this bridge before returning to that synth riff again. Straight into Panama which again is one of their biggest and most known songs. A much punchier, driving track than the previous. Another one that’s hard not to enjoy, slick riffs and a wild virtuoso solo. “Top Jimmy” I hadn’t heard before – man EVH is just on top form again. Fast changing riffs again and some good use of harmonics on the quieter section. He doesn’t waste a single second as he crams as much into the riffs as possible. Hot For Teacher – an absolutely phenomenal track. From the killer drum intro (not to mention the drums throughout the entire song actually) to that lush opening solo – a masterclass in tapping and legato. The pace absolutely doesn’t let up for the majority here. EVH on fire as always with a great main riff driving along. It also has some of my favourite David Lee Roth vocals – great falsetto use and I don’t think anyone could deliver the lines like he does. Girl Gone Bad and House of Pain keep that energy going – both great tracks. Overall a 4/5 for me – I don’t give 5/5 too easily but this wasn’t far off.

Es un muy buen disco.

Lo volvería a escuchar. La canción hot for teacher 10/10

This songs from this album was everywhere in 1984. I was in high school and it was yet another sexual awakening. This is my first time listening to the album. The songs that are hits were definite hits. The ones that weren't released as singles are best kept that way. They're passable but not nearly entertaining as Panama, I'll Wait, Jump, and Hot for Teacher. Gosh these guys were fun! Eddie just smiling as he played his guitar. Amazing.

This record is completely over the top, mostly in the best possible way. It’s big, loud, swaggering arena rock that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t apologize for it. The hits are undeniable. “Jump,” “Panama,” and especially “Hot for Teacher” still rip. That drum intro alone is legendary for a reason—so many toms, so much confidence. Eddie’s playing is outrageous throughout, and while some of the deeper cuts feel more like vehicles for crazy guitar and drum moments than fully fleshed-out songs, the musicianship is never in question. It’s flashy, but it’s earned. There’s definitely nostalgia baked into this one for me—it was tied to my first massive concert experience—and that made it especially fun to revisit. It’s not transcendent or emotionally deep, but it absolutely delivers on energy and craft. A strong four. Big, brash, and still a blast.

Very good album with phenomenal guitar playing from one of the best to ever do it. It's dripping with 80s excess in all the right ways and is just a blast. Whilst the quality drops in places in the middle, the energy doesn't.

7.5-8

Raised in a household that put a lot of these 70's and 80's rock greats on a pedestal, this album has me feeling very conflicted. To start with the positives, I think this album is Eddie Van Halen at his best compositionally, including a tinge of that classically-trained complexity in their generally very straightforward and accessible song structures. As always, his solos are standout, and highlight almost every track. Another positive is that the band surrounding him feels significantly tighter here than they often do on the band's albums- specifically Alex Van Halen, this feels like his best work in my memory. Now for the negatives. This is supposed to be Van Halen's entrée into synth-laden music, and it at most feels like a compromise that includes it *sometimes* instead of earnestly incorporating it into the band's sound wholesale, and the half-measure here drags it down as a complete work. I can't help but compare it to an album I feel still holds up today, ZZ Top's "Eliminator", which successfully did the above- pulling driving, futuristic sawtooth basslines into the band's gritty, no-nonsense blues rock sound, and placing sexy multi-part harmony vocals over the top in a way that made the band more accessible to contemporary listeners without sacrificing their signature swagger. In Van Halen's case, this was most likely because Roth was unconvinced that synths had a place in the bands sound and would often refuse to write lyrics for the tracks that EVH had placed them in front and center. On top of this, I really feel that a lot of the standout tracks here are the ones that do not feature synth work, I'm generally unimpressed by "Jump". Sort of contradictorily, "I'll Wait" is the best track on the album, and the only one where the synth leads truly feel to set the track above. Place this on top of the fact that a lot of Van Halen's cock rock sensibilities seem very sophomoric and cringe in 2026, especially on tracks like "Hot For Teacher", where the band is at it's most electric instrumentally, and the track is brought down at regular intervals by Roth's sexual yelps and very hamfisted innuendos and jokes. A soft 4 that was almost a 3 due to my gripes, but got brought back by the meat-and-potatoes greatness that the band evokes instrumentally on the project. Favorite Tracks: "I'll Wait", "Drop Dead Legs" Least Favorite Track: "Jump"

Sure ain't a lack of guitar on this one. A bit more hard-edged than the glam rock moniker may lead you to believe. Not much in terms of depth, but with the short runtime that's just fine. Rock on!! Listened to: at Metrotech. Favorite tracks: Jump, Hot For Teacher, I'll Wait, House of Pain

Pretty awesome

Wild and crazy. Very good but intense in the morning.

A classic

Last album with original members, including David Lee Roth, the best combo IMHO. Good times.

- First song first impressions: epic and futuristic intro

Damn, just banger after banger on this album! XD

Love. Classic. I feel 9 years old again.

Great! Can't believe I've never listened to it before. Fantastic guitar work, as expected, but surprised how much I liked it. 4

You know, I've always wanted to dislike this record because I've never loved the synths that run through "Jump" (which are truly a product of the time), but I've never been able to. Eddie Van Halen is just too good of a guitarist and David Lee Roth is too charismatic a personality to ever dislike this record. It just screams "goofball fun" throughout. Plus, good gosh, Eddie Van Halen was one of those exceedingly rare guitar virtuosos that actually wrote music that you might want to listen to. Holy shit, can he play a guitar. 8.5/10

It may not be flawless, but 1984 absolutely pulls its weight - a defining ‘80s rock record with enough hits and jams to justify its legendary status.

What it does, it does well. Spandex, teased hair & loud riffs.

Blow, Blow jobs, hand jobs, and possible statutory r*pe(?), the Album. Oh, also all on top of a keyboard.

377/1089 - The Top Jimmy intro has been stuck in my head for a long time and I finally know what song it is now! Great guitar playing. The synths leave a lot to be desired. Overall a very hit or miss album for me with lots of great songs and a good chunk of mediocrity.

Altijd lekker

As a young kid I would take this cd from my dad and rock out. Since then I’ve only heard a few songs about a million times in passing as they’re pretty hard to dodge. In general I don’t much care for classic rock but this album is still a fantastic listen!

only heard the most popular tracks off of this album, so this will be a relatively new listen for me 1984 - no rating Jump - 5/5 Panama - 5/5 Top Jimmy - 4/5 Drop Dead Legs - 3/5 Hot for Teacher - 4/5 I'll Wait - 3/5 Girl Gone Bad - 3/5 House of Pain - 4/5 Average score: 3.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ short, sweet and fun to listen to. i find glam rock/metal to be kinda hit or miss, but this is a sound i can come back to no matter the year

There's a lot of nostalgia surrounding Van Halen. When I think of 80s radio rock, I think of them. Many prominent figures in my childhood exposed me to Van Halen, especially this album. For example, my driving instructor would play this album while teaching me how to drive. I'll never forget him doing air drums to Jump while telling me "When taking a turn in a car you want to be like shit leaving a whale. Slow to start, quick to exit." Many other great memories surround all these tracks. Made throughout my life and still being made today. I love this album, and music in general really, for it's ability to amplify my experience on this earth. Anecdotes aside...it's just a solid, quick collection of mostly feel good tracks riddled with great guitar, drums and synth. 3.5 rounded up for Button The Driving Instructor.

This album rips. I've never been super into VH, but goddamn, this album absolutely shreds. Not a cover-to-cover classic, but its highs are amazingly high. 8/10

Maybe a 3.75. I liked it, I already liked Jump and Panama and this had some other enjoyable songs. However, I did expected a bit more

Fun album, but the best part of it are the rock riffs. I've always found the lyrics of VH to be fun if you're in the right mood, but pretty juvenile if you're not. That stayed true here. Still, this album has a lot of their hits, and there's something to that.

I wasn't a Van Halen fan at the time, but there's no denying that guitar work. And listen to that drummer! This is some good party music! Should have seen them live.

--1984...sci-fi intro --Jump...maybe a little synth heavy but it's a bop --Panama...who's got the nose candy?! --Top Jimmy...great harmonics at the beginning. never was a huge Eddie fan, his playing is too good? if that makes sense. but his technical ability elevates the song here --Drop Dead Legs...a little Jimmy Page in here. descends into some unfortunate noodling --Hot for Teacher...this song reminds me of my salad days in Ms. Franklin's class and makes me feel ho--wistful! --I'll Wait...for some reason I miss Eddie's largely absent guitar here --Girl Gone Bad...this rips. great driving rhythm section. Eddie being Eddie. Diamond Dave at his most sparkly --House of Pain...doesn't sound quite as tight as other tracks. maybe it was added to fill out a short album

The LP that broke up van Halen. Some of my favorites by the boys on here.

Jump!

guitar riffs is so cool. Great 80s hard rock. :top jimmy Drop dead legs Hot for teacher House of pain

Me gusto muy ochentero

Short and sweet. Catchy songs.

I never know what I’m going to get when the genre is metal. This is the hard rocking variety and there is not a weak track on the album.

i actually enjoyed it, it was fun

Good album, great even, a true classic. It might be the reason why i feel that something is missing.

This was the biggest thing going when I was in 5th grade. So it sure feels like. A classic. Listening now, the synthesizers are a bit much! Oozing 80s. But Eddie Van Halen’s guitar licks are masterful, love this or hate this. Personally, it’s not for me, but there are so many hits on this album and I know the lyrics to almost every song. It was a cultural phenomenon when released and it still (admittedly) kinda rocks. The height of pop “hard—ish) arena rock.

Fave tracks- jump, panama, drop dead legs

Intros and guitar playing were excellent; I’d never really listened to Van Halen to hear how good they were as musicians.

Half the album are classics, and it doesnt overstay its welcome. Happy to give it 4 stars.

fun rock album- good forf workouts?? 33m 4

Really solid album, I liked it more than I had anticipated.

This was huge when it came out. Of course I've heard (and liked) all the singles from it, but don't think I've ever listened to the album in whole. Starts out a bit too 80s synth for me - which is why I always avoided it, preferring the earlier rawer albums, but progresses in to a solid hard rock album.

I still remember how big this album was when it came out

Haven’t listened to the whole album in a long, long time. Forgot how good Alex’s drumming is on this one. And SO MUCH SYNTH!

I own this album and mostly only ever listen to the singles. Going back through some of the deeper cuts was fun. Had I been alive when this came out, I'm sure I would've complained about the synth, but now I quite enjoy it. If only DLR could still sing like this.

What is going on here why am I getting scanned by lasers hello? This is so 80s this is like a caricature of the 80s lmao. I thought this was gonna be another boring rock album not something interesting. Where have I heard Jump before?? This is like the 80s song. It sounds the like soundtrack of every 80s movie ever. Do you know what I mean? The synth or whatever in the background is so sitcom. Big fan of whatever tf is going on actually. Maybe from Ready Player One. Definitely from Ready Player One. I really like the guitar it's so cunt. The way it sounds fried (distorted? Idk the right term) is so delicious with the drums and everything. This is soooooo cunt, big fan of this actually. Is it really an oldies classic if you don't have a problematic age gap song? It's a vibe nevertheless. You've gotta appeal to the teenage masses somehow I suppose. You're so right Van Halen, I am a girl gone bad. Speak on it. Favourite: Girl Gone Bad Least favourite: Hot For Teacher

Rawk!

Non stop power rock no skips hot for teacher is the highlight

I think I love 80s rock. This pumped me up

Can’t help but find it funny cos it sounds like so many 80s movies

это классика это знать нужно блять!!

I don't think there's anything more to say about this that I didn't already say in my review of the first Van Halen album we listened to. I like this one better, but not enough to deserve another star. When the first one came up, I was pretty excited to listen to it. This time, less so, but it's still an easy listen. I guess as long as I listen to some Van Halen once or twice a year, that's enough for me. It's good cock rock.

Peak 80s Rock! Jump is an absolute classic. Rest of album never quite lives up to that level, but it’s still good. Like a lot of the 80s it sounds so of its era now, but my god these songs jumped out of even the most crappy cassette player back in the day. 4

ey super buen album, solidisimo y me parece que de lo mejor que escuche del genero. 4,5 Que divertido cuando suena una canción súper conocida y no te lo esperabas Favs: top jimmy, hot for teacher, drop dead legs

-wowowww loading up -stranger things -🎸 favs: drop dead legs, hot for teacher emojis: 🎸🕰️🪽☎️📻

Honestly just fine but jump is a miracle

Ufff que se puede decir, qué álbum más bueno, lo disfrute de principio a fin, un rock al puro estilo de los 80s, por supuesto que lo que más resaltaría sería la guitarra, sonido espectacular, además de la energía que te transmite la voz, sin duda un muy buen álbum, quede con gusto a poco. Los otros instrumentos acompañan bien a lo principal, batería brillante, bajo justo y necesario, sin mucho más pero lo pide al ser un álbum enfocado en uno de los mejores guitarristas de la historia. Nada que decir, volvería a escuchar este álbum, de hecho lo escuché primero de ida y después de vuelta del viaje a la u. Canción favorita: Top jimmy (infravalorada), Jump

What a fantastic rock album, what fantastic riffs! I knew of Van Halen being a great Guitar Player, but even the songs are great on this album. I would give up a lot to experience what it feels like to play the guiter like that - like it meant to be!

EVH and AVH are just too good. David Lee Roth trying his hardest to ruin it. Definitely made the right decision when naming the band.

yeahhh

9/10 - was so good and such a classic. i never would've listened to it, but i loved it. almost every song was added to another playlist. i'll wait or house of pain definitely the best

great guitar + melodies

Estou a ouvir a primeira faixa, wtf is going on vêm aí aliens?!? Also, a imagem é um bebé anjo a fumar um cigarro?!? O álbum tem vibes anos 80 (o que faz sentido ne) Bem vibes disco no inicio mas depois passou para rockalhada braba Amei a bateria na Drop Dead Legs Hot for Teacher - e quê a mota não pega, ah calma é “percussão”(?) certo… Gostei da vibe rock mas n fiquei muito wow então ya nao sei se voltava a ouvir este albuns em específico mas adorei ler fofocas sobre a banda que há meia hora atrás não conhecia Achava que o album ia acabar na girl gone bad pk deu bue essa vibe mas afinal tem mais uma Não conheço o Van Halen vou pesquisar sobre ele: - afinal van halen é uma banda formada por dois irmãos: Eddie Van Halen e Alex Van Halen - Há bue fofocas sobre saidas de membros constantes e a banda parou em 2004 - Voltaram em 2007 quando o filho de um dos fundadores entrou p ser baixista - Amei esta fofoca na wikipedia: O primeiro disco do Van Halen sem Roth, saiu em março de 1986 e levou o nome de 5150. A explicação da banda é que 5150 é o nome do estúdio de Eddie Van Halen. Mas rumores persistem que era uma réplica ao álbum de estreia de David Roth, Crazy from the Heat, "enlouquecido pelo calor", já que 5150 é o código da polícia americana para situações onde existe um louco a solta. Além disso, a própria arte do álbum (capa e contracapa) traz uma mensagem subliminar que induz a entender que o homem que ali aparece, não conseguindo segurar o logotipo da banda, seria o David. Ambas as bandas entraram em turnê e disputavam a preferência do público e o espaço na mídia. Em julho de 1986, David lança o primeiro álbum com o seu supergrupo (The David Lee Roth Band), que fora montado para concorrer com o Van Halen, com o nome Eat 'Em and Smile. O álbum seguinte do Van Halen, OU812(1987), supostamente também seria uma réplica ao título, visto que pode ser lido como "Oh you ate one too". Outra possível resposta viria dessa vez de Roth, quando após o Van Halen lançar o álbum For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), que abreviado fica o palavrão "fuck"; o álbum seguinte de Roth, em 1994, era Your Filthy Little Mouth.

This album is the epitome of dad music. Despite only previously having listened to Jump, I swear I’ve heard all of these songs at least once on the radio. They were all followed up with my dad asking, “who sings this?” Overall, I really loved the vibe of the album and can see myself listening to it again soon.

Superb rock album Fave track: Jump

DROP DEAD LEEEEEGSSS definitely hard rock

Probably giving this a higher score than I should just because of Eddie, but his riffs are so good, even if this isn't the best album showcasing his skills. Also I kinda like Panama and have some nostalgia for Hot for Teacher, thanks to Guitar Hero.

I guess I'm not in the mood for big riffs, but I appreciate it I guess

I try not to have guilty pleasures. By that I mean that I try not to feel guilty about my pleasures. Life's too short. However, I am genuinely annoyed by how much I liked this obnoxious record. I've always skipped Van Halen and their brand of radio-friendly neon and sleaze. And trust; there is not one moment of artistic revelation on 1984. It is late glam/early hair spectacle from start to finish. But damn, the bombastic synths, Eddie Van Halen's virtuosic trickster riffs, and the watertight rhythm section of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony are so much fun that I find myself, even as a middle-aged man, being drawn to their testosterone fuel like a cartoon character floating through the air after smelling a cherry pie cooling on the windowsill. And David Lee Roth? This son of a bitch is the platonic ideal of a dead-eyed, leather-clad douchebag. He wins the award for most punchable face in rock 'n roll. He's the walking/talking equivalent of a roofie in your drink. He's the god of the ugly peacocking sham glam assholes. But, reluctantly, I have to admit that he's still a god. None of the swaggering frontmen of the hair bands that followed Van Halen in the mid-to-late '80s could hold a candle to him. He irks me, but he is so, so good at what he does. In a way, Van Halen's 1984 is humble in its execution. It is fun, and it rocks. It never pretends to do or be anything other than a stupid good time. On that point, it is a raging success. Four stars.

7/10 jump 12/23/25

Such a classic Tons of energy, great songs Not much to say

Superbra! 8/10

masterclass after some shitters between this and vh2

Great album by a great band.

not bad riffs Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? Maybe 3.6

I jumped, rest was okay, Panama ook goed

Very 80's, but pretty good. Faves: Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher

De eerste twee nummers zijn zo iconic dat ik niet weet of ik ze serieus kan nemen haha. De rest was eigenlijk heel goed, dus ik heb me vermaakt

good classic 80s dad rock, nothing crazy but nothing terrible best song: panama, hot for teacher

3.75 ich habs nicht ganz fertig gehört, weil ich kaum Zeit hatte. die ersten paar Songs waren aber ganz ok. ist halt so ne art glam metal(?), aber schon gut

Some childhood classics hear. Hot For Teacher? One, please.

Would have no qualms adding this to my collection. Never listened straight through before, but enjoyed it all the way. Nice that it's not so long that it might start to wear on you if this weren't your thing.

Ach hätten sie den sythn nicht entdeckt...

J'ai beaucoup aimé. Il y a de l'énergie sans que cela soit désagréable. L'album est entraînant (surtout Tip Jimmy), la guitare électrique est bien présente et la bienvenue. J'aime bien comment il pose. Par contre je n'ai pas compris les paroles, il faudra que je revienne dessus. 2 écoutes

Synth driven genesis meets the who Jump Panama Hot for teacher

Great album. Love 1 best of all.

Excellent energetic rock.

If I’m ready to go back to the mid-80s Grow out my hair, put in some glitter and pop some pills with a bottle of vodka. I know what I’m putting on.

Already a classic in my household. Love

Solid

I remember listening to this record when I was a kid. My uncle had in on vinyl and I would spend hours crouched in from of his record player with headphones listening to it over and over. I've still never heard an album intro so surprising and etherial that then leads into one of the greatest rock songs of all time. This sets up the rest of the record for a brilliant rock ride that never lets up.

1984 has always been a favorite of mine because of its sentimental value. It contains tracks that introduced me to Classic Rock at an early age. I can remember hearing Hot For Teacher for the first time and being struck by the drum solo; it was nothing like I'd ever heard before....and it was most likely either with Jim or in Jim's dad's car on the way to baseball or basketball practice. Jump and, of course, Panama are the other classics on this one. I always think back to the scene in SuperBad where McLovin is doing donuts in Bill Hader's and Seth Rogan's cop car with Panama blasting. Even though I'm not this huge Van Halen fan, they were one of the first rock bands (alongside AC/DC) that really caught my attention.

Album came out when I was -10 years old

I think this is a 4 for me. Pretty solid album.

I remember this being just about the last album with the original group and it is amazing. One track wasn't outstanding, but you can't win absolutely everything. A solid 4.4 for energy level and the smile. I should probably mark it down for Hot for Teacher being a bit iffy, but it got in under the wire in my life timeline and gets a pass.

This is just a dumb, fun 80s hard rock album. It's chock-full of catchy riffs and great solos, but the lyrics are standard fare for the era's glam rock/metal. The singer lacks anything remotely approaching range, and the album is kind of built around his limited vocal abilities as much as Eddie's solos. It's the epitome of "cock rock", and I am all here for it. Those riffs really do wonders for my hard rock-loving ears.

lord forgive me for this but i think i have to give it 4 shit goes kinda hard

Good. 3.9

Just a really strong album. The first 3 songs are 5/5's and the rest are 3/5 or 4/5's, so I don't think a 5 is justifiable, but definitely a great album either way.

What a ripper. It’s got the hits, it’s got deep cuts, short and sweet and never lets up. I can see why people wouldn’t like it but i think it’s great.

Prolific guitar work let down slightly by some sometimes mediocre songwriting

Going to start off by mentioning the album art. Few are as iconic as the angel baby smoking. Permanently engrained in my mind, and always will be. I’ve got some very fond memories of playing “Hot for Teacher” on Guitar Hero. Imagine that song coming out today though. It could never happen. Probably for good reason, but as it stands it’s one of the catchiest songs on the album, and I can’t stop singing it, lol. This album is so tight. It’s over in the blink of an eye. It would be easier to tell you the tracks that I didn’t recognize on the album. Having not heard this from top to bottom before, I knew all but 2 of them. That is to say, with songs like “Jump” and “Panama”, and the lesser known, but maybe my favorite song on the album “I’ll Wait”, this is a pretty damn good collection of hair metal jams. You’re either going to love it or not. I think most people are going to love it, personally. I know this came out in the 80’s, but for some reason I was kind of surprised just how psychedelic and funky this album was. Always going to be a fan of “future noises”, especially when it’s contextually relevant to when the album came out and not just a throwback, although those can be cool as well. I was going to say that this is Van Halen at its absolute best, but holy shit their first album is also pretty good. Going to be fun trying to determine which one I like more when I roll that one. As it stands right now, I’m on the border of giving this a 3 or 4. While I enjoy most of the songs, none of them absolutely blow me away. But it’s iconic, very tight, and I knew pretty much every song going in. So I don’t know man. Damn, this one is hard to rate. I’ll be nice and let the cool album art have a place on my profile.

Classic 80's hair guitar rock from one of the best to ever do it. Loaded with good songs, a few stinkers, but solid all the way through, was happy to see it included. "1984/Jump" (1B listens) is not a great song, it's a catchy song that everyone knows but it should not be the track people associate as VH's best song. The keyboards were a new thing, and at the time, I struggled to accept the new sound. "Panama" (502M) is balls out VH rock n' roll, catchy while still pedal to the floor. "Top Jimmy" is a good glue song and sounds like it could have been on their second album. "Drop Dead Legs" (30M) has a killer bottom end and guitar hook. "Hot For Teacher" (220M) was the video no kid would forget and shows off Alex's drumming abilities. "I'll Wait", the underrated track on the album, is such a great groove (36M) and Eddie's keyboard works shines on this one. All of those songs are on the radio, still today. The filler track, "Girl Gone Bad" (feels unfinished) & "House Of Pain" (really not that bad) were both included to fill the album, they are average at best and don't shine since everything else is higher quality. They're the only two tracks with under 15M listens. Any album with 7 songs on the radio has to be considered a gem. "Jump" has over 1B listens, "Panama" comes in a half a billion, that alone gets you on this list. Throw in huge hits/rock radio staples "Hot For Teacher" + "I'll Wait" and you have an album that deserves it's spot on the Top 1001.

front loaded with 2 bangers not a huge fan of the rest

Gear: ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio Odyssey 2 Artwork: 🚬👼🪽 Production (2015 Remaster): 👊🤑👍 Music: 🏆🎸🎉 Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥(🔥)/5

Fun rock. Sound like an american genesis post 1985

Bit of a classic so can’t score down

Yeah it was a banger

Stands the test of time

I've always been biased toward this music because I grew up listening to it with my mom. There's something stupidly fun about these glam-rock/hair-metal groups, and the nostalgia certainly helps. I'm not going to sit here and say that this is the most genius songwriting ever, or even that this album is particularly exceptional -- but damn it all this is fun, and Alex can play the fuck out of those drums, and Eddie can play the living fucking daylight out of that guitar. And, other than "I'll Wait," there are basically no misses. Four stars.

Powerful 80s pop rock. Fun to listen to.

Van Halen is always such a pleasant surprise. I want to dismiss them as dad rock, but every album I've gotten of theirs has been a banger. Where most albums just ramble and have lots of filler, this one keeps it tight. 4* Jump is such a fun start. I always thought panama was "cannonball." Hot for teacher has excellent instrumentals. Highlights: jump, panama, hot for teacher

Being of Gen X and reared on MTV, the hits on this one are ingrained in my brain. I like that it starts off with a synth instrumental on the self-titled track. It makes you wonder if this is going to lead into some prog rock territory. The synths continue on "Jump" and those synth power chords are awesome. It's funny how from a band named for the guitarist, the guitars don't kick in until a minute or so into the second track. But, when they do kick in, Eddie's licks, riffs, and solos let you know that he was a virtuoso. Is it just speed and hammer-ons? I don't know and I don't care. It works here and it was what was needed in the 80's. Same with David Lee Roth's vocals. They fit here. I feel like I did a disservice to this album by not blasting it from a corvette or camaro, but I liked it nonetheless.

Southpark

Pretty good! Not too many complaints. Great blend of rock, metal and pop!

Guitar

Fun album. Van Halen kind of found their formula and stuck with it, but it was something no one else could replicate. 33 minutes with hardly any filler. Dinged for being dumb, but great for the ear candy. 3.5 if I could.

This is a fun album lots of fond memories listening to this as a kid great sequencing. I love it up until about i’ll weight and the last couple songs are a little boring however, all in all a great fun record it’s only 33 minutes so you don’t get bored of it.

Great album. Half the tracks are hits: Jump, Panama, Hot For Teacher, I’ll Wait. Interesting that there’s a mix of keyboard tracks that feel more like Genesis and guitar heavy tracks, some of which have a slightly bluesy-rock bent (the verse riff in Hot For Teacher could be a ZZ Top song). I always knew Eddie was a wizard on guitar but this album makes me appreciate Alex on drums too.

Say what you want about hair metal, this album RIPS.

Almost as much fun as the book!

Good

The hits still stand up.

This was a fun, quick listen. It's more of a 3 but I'll round it up to a 4 because it was better than truly middle of the road

My oh my. I have never really enjoyed Van Halen. But listening to this album and changed my mind. the musical talent is really good. The guitar, the synths, and the drums are so good. Downside is the lyrical content of a few of the songs. An era of the time, but like most albums on this journey we have to look at the context. A surprise 4 stars

Van Halen is great. Hits were still the highlights for me, but no shame in that. The other songs were still solid with the same sort of sound. Top Jimmy is a fun one.

Fun album! Deserving of its status of A Classic

I have no other place to admit I'll Wait is one of my 5 favorite Van Halen songs, so here it is. What if we made an album with 8 songs where they were all pretty good?

Absolute banger, have heard most of it on the radio but the non radio songs kinda absolutely rip

Jump! 🫶

The LP that killed Van Halen. A very successful LP and tour. Several hits. Not their best but certainly worth a listen.

Quintessential album of my youth. Best year of music.

I've said it before here, and I'll say it again (for what should be the last time in this process): if you don't like VH, you don't like fun.

This is distilled 80s rock. Big hair and bigger sounds, 1984 is a quintessential corner piece for anyone wanting to experience the classics. Absolutely crazy guitar riffs across the entire 33 minute run time with memorable hits like "Jump," "Panama," and "Hot for Teacher." Great album.

If you want some upbeat feel-good rock this is a great way to spend your time. Van Halen showcase great musical skill combined with an incredible energy that I'm sure would absolutely destroy live. It may be big and a little cheesy, and belong to an era I never lived, but it's a real fun taste of 80's Arena Rock.