1984

The synth additions to the VH sound really worked for me. Still think the 1st two albums were their best though.

Great Music! Great performances. Some timeless classics. One of Van Halens best albums

Surprisingly good, had always bagged these alongside 'poodle perm rock' bands but this is pretty decent to be fair, beyond generic

3 out of 5. I had no idea so many well known songs came from this album.

Sure there's some good guitar. I just don't care for big hair '80s rock

Awful

It’s got Jump, man.

Absolute classic

This was just a lot of fun.

I've heard this album a million times and I still enjoyed listening to it. Not much more to say than that.

Pananahthankman 3/10

During the early 80’s, these guys faded from my view, as I turned my attention squarely towards punk and power pop. Plus I hated Jump. Fast forward 30 years, and thanks to my youngsters, I learned to appreciate some of the other songs on this album, and a compilation of my own making has a few of these in play on regular. Do miss Eddie. Can do without David.

78/100. A good record from Van Halen, featuring one of their biggest hits, "Jump."

surprised i already knew so many of these

Super!

Lots of fun with a couple of classics

Petty freaking good. Nothing to unpack here, just songs about banging chicks.

крутяк)

It's a good album, I think it made me more interested in Van Halen's music. Certainly, I had become very comfortable in the repetition of their hits that are often repeated over and over again on the radio, but on this album I found other gems like I'll Wait and Top Jimmy. PS: I recommend listening to it while watching the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Girls beauties. Perfect

There is nothing interesting about this to me 😭 I’ll give it 2 because I didn’t hate listening to it.

A solid 80s rock album. The songs flow really well and for its fairly short runtime it has a lot of variety to it. Van Halen brothers at their absolute best, and David Lee Roth is a powerhouse on vocals.

grew up listening to VH. This is not my favorite, mostly because it's the most overplayed. I am 2 weeks in on this album generator thing and just happy that today's album wasn't more Brit-pop which seems to be a popular theme

My best friend in highschool and I used to have a constant debate if Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix were the better guitar player. I still think it’s Hendrix. I’ve listened to this album in the past and it’s got a few really solid tracks but a surprising amount of filler for a 33 minute album. I prefer their self titled album but this one holds up relatively well. It’s surprising that Jump is so good despite having almost zero guitar from a band renowned for their guitar god. After Panama and Hot for Teacher there’s not left for me here. Maybe the archetype has changed with the times but a song about someone having hot legs feels so ancient. Hot for Teacher is a classic but even the lyrics feels like the Greasers in Greese talking about Danny Zuko’s summer fling.

this album flat out rocks. I think when you describe what the 80's hair band sound is, this album should be one of your first introductions. sweet guitar riffs, pounding drums, and guitar solos that absolutely scream. I was really close to giving this a five, but I think a high four is more realistic. all in all, this album slaps.

Every song is pretty good. I think Jump is the only song I knew before, and is the most memorable. I definitely enjoyed this album but for some reason it didn’t draw me in as much as I would like.

Probably like most people, my first introduction to Van Halen was jump which, as I later learned was not really emblematic of their catalog. I really don’t like that song tbh. It’s not the artists fault, it’s just that it’s in so many things like cheesy movies, shows etc that I got so tired of it. I do like that there is that little intro song before it on the album and it makes it a little more palatable going into that futuristic (at the time) synth sound. Despite my feelings about jump the rest of the album bangs. Panama is so great and actually has some very cool chord progression stuff near the end in I guess what would be the bridge in the last 30 seconds with those major ascending whole steps that elevate it to more than just a basic rock song. At 33 minutes I maybe could have done with one or two more songs but it really didn’t feel that short.

Another good 4. Really enjoyed it. Wouldn’t have associated the songs that I knew with Van Halen.

A classic album with three massive hits and really good b-sides. I enjoyed this most recent listen and will enjoy coming back to it again. Not a five star, but pretty close.

I love these Van Halen albums! They each have 2 songs that you know by heart, 1 or 2 songs that you kinda know, and 5 to 8 decent songs that match the tone of the big ones. Half an hour to get in, throw down, and get out. I've never been able to commit to buying a Van Halen album, because I don't know which is my favorite. I still can't choose. I guess they're another greatest hits band for me.

Too 80s hard rock for me. I can appreciate the mastery at the guitar and drums but…

Man this whole album is full of bangers!!! 5 stars hands down. These guys know how to make amazing intros. The drum solo at the beginning of Hot For Teacher is dope! Intro to I'll Wait, fire. Would have been fun to be in my 20s during the mid 80s.

Great guitarist but I never want to hear any of these songs again, possible exception for I'll wait which I wouldn't change the station on 3/5 if I could've stripped out the vocals

УУУУ ГАТ ИТ БЭЭЭД ГАТ ИТ БЭЭЭЭД ГАТ ИТ БЭЭЭД АЙМ ХАТ ФО ТИЧАААА

literally 1984

great

Jump is one of the most epic rock songs in history. Mid 80s. Excellent stadium rock, fantastic guitars.

Peak Hair Metal. Sex appeal, thrashing guitar that is both subtle and not so much, the Roth-squeal, and just some dirty breakdowns that could fit into any heavy metal band of the time. These guys spread themselves wide but never too thin. The music is fun and interesting and the chances taken on synth and pop stylings pays off with some truly timeless hits.

A classic. Love this album, even the non hits on this are killer. Girl Gone Bad is way proggier than I would’ve thought. Just a kick ass 80s metal album.

hard fun rock n'roll! Sammy who? Finally, something breaking the recent skid of 8 of 10 albums with 1-3 ratings. I miss Roth..

We don’t need this. We have steel panther who can imitate the guitar explosions and spandex wearing idiocy, but they do it with a huge sense of irony that is missing from this slab of cheesy bollocks.

Shift in sound. A little cheesy

Radio music. Extra star for some fun gimmicky guitar solos.

Just awful

its dumb fun, what more do you need

[7/10] Surprised me, I liked this! Kinda falls off at the end.

Alright

Irgendwie schon nice, aber vor allem hat Spotify danach im autoplay "Right Now" gespielt und das Lied ist ja mal hammer.

certainly 80s

Great, classic album

He's real good at guitar

Brad says "are you getting really into 80's hair metal now?"

F*ckin’ A!! Guitar riffs that spontaneously light your Marlboro red, and songs that rattle your IROC-Z. Obviously, there are at least 4 timeless hits that are in constant rotation on Nike Monarch radio, but the guitar work on ‘Drop Dead Legs’ and ‘Top Jimmy’ are ear tickling gems! And kudos to Michael Anthony and Alex bring the rhythm and groove (especially during Girl Gone Bad)!

There might as well only be two tracks on this album for me, but jump and panama absolutely slap

Loved the classics, was eh on the others. Hot for Teacher did not age well

Cringed a little when I saw Van Halen but this was short sweet to the point and hit harder than I thought so bravo

Not my favorite music but I had fun

On one hand I don't like 80s hair metal. On the other hand it's not a bad version of hair metal, if I'm going to listen to it.

I didn’t realize all those great songs were one album. Excellent.

Rips

Just a fun ride. Is it deep, hell no. They can play but it serves the song and atmosphere rather than look at me. Diamond Dave is a limited vocalist but he has his thing going down. Gets slagged off because it’s pop and their look, nowt wrong with pop just Good fun rock n roll, time to party music.

His virtuosity aside, I can’t get into this - when it’s quietest, I’m happiest, like at the beginning of ‘Top Jimmy’ or ‘Drop Dead Legs.’ When it’s off, when it’s over, I’m really most pleased. I don’t mind dumb, or even fake, but a dud ‘tis, especially the squandering of ‘Hot for Teacher’ and ‘Girl Gone Bad.’ By the time ‘Jump’ (the best song, by far) starts soloing, there’s nothing left that I can remotely enjoy, it’s all so thin and, like so much hard rock, so soft. If he shreds, well, I can do w/o that verb.

Eddie is wilding out on the Oberheim synths. They could’ve 5150’d him for that one. Hot For Teacher is dumb, but otherwise the fellas deliver on what should have been their swan song.

Pretty basic.

Ok

Needed a blast of this today!

Panama

When they went synth and their four album with all the notable hits

Lots of great songs, wouldn't listen to it that much though

Estuvo bueno, me gustaron 3 canciones. 7.5/10

Giga kitsch avec quelques trucs pas si pire

Really fun! Surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but I should have known based in the hits. 4.4.

This album would have been much better if the keyboard were replaced with a guitar or sax. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Van Halen’s debut was solid in my eyes, but also a really big turning point for hard rock. And it still remains as a defining record in a lot of people’s lives. Personally, I was more excited to hear 1984 for the first time. You can’t even really make the argument that they became sellouts later on in their career, because they always had mass appeal. They were always a big band during their prime years, and both the debut and this album make very high periods of success. And I’m so beyond glad that in the six years between these two releases, the band did not at all abandon what made them so good. In fact, it seems they delved even further into their own rambunctious madness. The lineup is entirely the same. And everything I enjoyed about the debut is still here, plus more. And it’s all turned up to eleven. Eruption might be an impressive solo, but I’ve never been that blown away by it. And it doesn’t compare to the best this has to offer. If Eddie somehow hadn’t proved himself by now, this is what seals the deal. This band very much lies in that same Red Hot Chili Peppers category, where the singer is often the one people blame. But Roth’s antics are somehow more tolerable here than I found them to be prior. Jump is an interesting song to start on, because when you combine it with the titular opener, you go almost 2 minutes without any proper guitar. Which, for a Van Halen record of all things, is pretty big. But it still ended being the band’s biggest hit, and it’s undoubtedly an iconic song. Panama is really where this takes off, and it’s a steady ride to the end. I specifically want to highlight one song as not only being my favorite on the album, but also my favorite Van Halen song period. If anyone else has ever had the pleasure of being in a car with a good stereo on a high volume when this song comes on, you will know how thunderously loud Hot for Teacher is. And it’s fucking glorious. Probably one of my favorite hard rock songs ever made. I never get sick of it. I could probably write a review nearly this long on just that song. But that’s beside the point. I’m genuinely impressed at how good this album is, and how much I enjoy it. As someone who generally doesn’t enjoy this glam metal infused stage of hard rock, this is exactly what I was looking for from the band. They managed to adapt their sound with songs like I’ll Wait, and also maintain their originality with tracks like Girl Gone Bad. And the sheer musicianship of every member makes each song a joy to listen to. Rating: 9/10

I HAVE THIS ONE ON VINYL

A good introduction to the 80s rock sound. However, the album fades away when compared to other pieces by Van Halen.

Good album. Eddies Guitar comes through a bit to much in places. It can be too dominant in the mix. I'll Wait could be a phil collins song. But hit for teacher, Panama and Jump are all classics.

Fun album. Classic David Lee and Eddie. Lots of memories from this one.

Being forced to listen to hair metal against my will? Literally 1984.

Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher are classic hair metal tracks but the rest of the tracks aren’t quite up to the same standard even with EVH’s guitar playing pulling them along.

This album has 3 bangers (Hot For Teacher, Panama, and Jump) that have withstood the test of time. The rest of the album is great too. A fun mix of synth guitar, kick ass drums, and classic 80's style vocals. Honestly, I'm not sure what else an album can do to earn a 5/5. Peak Glam Rock and there really aren't many other projects from that genre/era that can compete with it.

Full of hits - fun to listen to although I rarely choose to do so. It’s only fitting when I chug beers with my old buddies

Classic rock

sdfsdf

Pretty fun album

I enjoyed it! It's good fun glam rock and of course Eddie is the master of the solo. 3 stars only because I didn't have much of a desire to listen to it again but I wouldn't be mad about it if I did.

There are three songs here that are significantly better known than everything else, and it’s easy to see why as the quality outside of Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher takes a massive nosedive. Technically gifted as EVH is his playing is all flash and little substance for me - if you want a guitarist known by three initials start looking at SRV instead. Mid-rate, poodle rock, ‘hey ma, look how good at meedly-meedly solos I am!” uber-American inconsequential ear-botherers.

I sighed when this popped up as today's #1001albums, but I was also a little hopeful. Was this listen-through going to redeem Van Halen the way yesterday's assignment fixed my appreciation for Talking Heads? No. Sorry, I'm just not crazy about rock for jocks to do coke and air guitar along with, specifically with these kind of lyrics and vocals. There's some incredible musicianship going on here. And if it could be nothing but technical breakdowns all the way through maybe I'd be more into it (drum break from Chorus to Verse and everything that isn't singing in Girl Gone Bad had me nodding along)..then again I'm not really a math rock guy either* so maybe there's no pleasing me with this kind of band. *Technical speed metal excluded

Decent album with some epic tracks.

There are some classics on here, which is *just* enough to get this to a 4 for me. This is about as good as it gets for glam metal, but it's not a genre I love. 3.5

Imagine having all of that Vam Halen talent, being in your 30s, and making a song about horny teens sexualizing their teachers. Many great tunes, but, ya know, yuck.

Not my favorite metal album but quite good.

Not as strong as the self-titled debut, but still exhilarating, darn it. Jump has that instantly recognisable synth riff that gives it a legendary stadium-rocker status (akin to Paul Simon's You Can Call Me Al). The short opening track also sets the atmosphere for Jump nicely. Hot For Teacher / I'll Wait is a brilliant one-two punch later in the album, giving the listener an adrenaline booster after the relatively standard rock fillers Top Jimmy and Drop Dead Legs. The bass playing deserves a big shoutout here: it's hard to miss, but incredibly addicting once you catch onto it. One thing that knocks this album down is that its lyrics (and melodies) aren't particularly singable (with a possible exception being Hot For Teacher). They're danceable and hair-thrashing – easy to drive along to with slicked-back hair and a convertible – but not exactly singable. David Lee Roth still pulled them off fairly convincingly, but at the end of the day these compositions just aren't as compelling as on the band's debut. Good guitar playing though. 4/5 Key tracks: Jump, Hot For Teacher, I'll Wait

not my cup of tea

A solid rock album. Very brat.

This album is so saturated with its time period, but the musicians and the production is just fuckin flawless. Dave’s voice is peak on this one. They are firing on all cylinders. Deliciously self indulgent. Great sequencing. That’s a great ride.

Oooh I love Van Halen. Listened to the first two a lot so it would be nice to delve into newer material. Some big hits here like Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher. I don't know if it's my headphones but I'd expect it to sound "bigger". Also, Jump is such a perfect song. Eddie is awesome here, instead of shredding like he can, he gives us tasteful licks that really add to the songs that's driven by keyboards. Solo is shreddy yet short, and it ends like something out of Camel's The Snow Goose. Dynamics on Panama are to die for. Just great. It's different from their early stuff. Not as heavy probably. Still incredible. Drop Dead Legs is not as good. Similar formula. Nice muted riffs. Still very nice dynamics to keep the song interesting. Hot For Teacher is exciting. The start is kind of a homage to Eruption in a sense, in that it shows off Eddie's skills. Then it kinda morphs to a more bluesy ordeal and then picks up energy again. Gotta hand it to Van Halen for always keeping interesting dynamics in their songs. I feel like after Hot For Teacher the album kinda fizzes out. The famous singles are great but the album tracks not as much. I'll wait is nice, but it doesn't have that VH oomph. Girl Gone Bad is slightly better, still I feel like after Hot For Teacher the energy is gone. I like the vocal melody on House of Pain, but the mix is kinda bad making the vocals sit in the background instead of the forefront. The Keyboards are so 80s. All in all, a great addition to the catalog but uneven, not on par with VH and VHII IMHO. I'd call this three stars. Note that I'm rating the 1001 best albums ever here so three stars is a lot, it means par for the course. This inspired me to listen to other later VH albums. 5150 is so much better.

More tolerable than other hair metal from the era. I really don't care for Panama and Jump, but Hot for Teacher is a classic with great playing from Van Halen and saves the album from rating it lower. The other deepcuts here are fine if not something I won't really visit again. The album feels too polished for a hard rock album.

Very much a 80s hair band album. Some classic tracks on here, especially jump and hot for teacher. My favorite is panama. Overall not my taste but I can see how others would love it.

Fun, but in a kind of stupid way. The hit songs really stand out and the rest of the album is pretty mediocre. 3/5 Might listen again

There are two kinds of people. People who realize half this record sounds like a chain saw, and people who realize Jump + Panama + Hot for Teacher are all that matter.

Fun hair metal album and couple of great songs. Easily digestible, great playing, kinda cheesy and quintessentially 80s. 3.5 Repeats: Panama, hot for teacher, I'll wait

I'm actually giving this 4 and 1/2 stars. It would get five if it was not for the Mr Jimmy song. Van Halen in top form. I think Hot For Teacher is my favorite.

One of the best 80' rock band. A guitar enthusiast's bliss.

One of my favorite Van Halen albums

I’m a known Van Halen hater, their hits are truly the worst. Panama is an abomination, Jump is beyond annoying, and Hot For Teacher would be cool if there were no vocals. Those last 3 songs earn this an extra star though, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Goddamn hit parade is what it is. It's gonzo and fun and undeniably a drug-fuelled menace.

Hot For Teacher and I'll Wait were my favorites. Easy rock listening.

Great Album

1984 was the sixth album from Van Halen, and the work that made the band into superstars. The were already well known, with a number of hit singles. The band was built around Eddie Van Halen's prodigious guitar skills. 1984 saw the band add synthesizers to their sound, which may have helped the work's popular appeal. The album includes the singles "Jump," "Panama," and "Hot for Teacher," all of which feature Eddie's wailing guitars, and David Lee Roth's brash, provocative vocals.

\"1984\" is an impressive collection of songs, which really stretched the sound of Van Halen. The introduction of synthesizers was met with great reluctance by lead singer David Lee Roth, but most would agree now that it led to really classic songs that sat perfectly alongside the guitar driven tracks. What's great about this album is how no two tracks sound alike, but they all manage to work together as a whole. There's synth pop, metal, classic rock, and art rock, all merging together and with some chart topping hits coming out in full force. I absolutely hate the fact that a song called \"Hot for Teacher\" is great, but despite some cringing at the lyrics, the music is fantastic. \"I'll Wait\" is a surprising art rock piece along the lines of Talking Heads and the unexpected highlight for me. There is a bit of filler on there if I'm honest. A few tracks are a bit forgetable, but the rest is classic.

What a disgusting album cover - That alone would have meant I'd never of listened to this album otherwise. Not a fan of this glam rock trash. Album is carried by 3 songs: Jump, Panama, and Hot for teacher. Jump is too crisp and overplayed. Panama is okay, if a little 'basic'. Hot for teacher - starts strong (Daft Punk link) and has a pulsating rythym but the lyrics are pathetic. The rest is average and forgettable.

The album pop metal was made for. And this project seems to be showing me that I prefer Van Halen to Led Zeppelin.

I mean, it's Van Halen - you know what you're getting yourself in for! It's unabashedly horny jock-rock with noodly guitar solos, but it knows what it is and does it well. I am seriously not a fan of the lyrical content of Hot for Teacher, but it is still a masterclass in instrumentation.

Some friends of mine just the other night went to hear this cool cat blow, they said he sang so good that the roof fell in and he didn't even stop the show. The ultimate car cruising partying album of the 80s. The last of the Diamond Dave era. These guys built their signature sound and showmanship like no other band at the time. If it weren't for Thriller, this would have been number one for a few months in 84. Remember kids, we couldn't stream back then.

Jump was the number 1 song on the hot 9 at 9 for months when I was in fourth grade. It felt like the entire school year. To say this album was popular would be an understatement. I prefer Sammy, but 1984 is pure Van Halen in your face rock.

Some great songs. Some dated stuff. Love DLR

fun music! generally not super memorable I fear… but fun!

Cool!

Top Jimmy y Girl Gone Bad se quedan como mis preferidas El itro de Hot For Teacher es 10/10, sendo doble pedal En general, mejor experiencia que lo que esperaba

I can't ever decide if I like Van Halen or not. Their first album was great, I do like that one a lot. Everything after that is kind of just more of the same. I mean they are all great at their respective instruments and you can deny Eddie Van Halen's impact on guitar playing. But I tire quickly of the 80s hair band stuff. It has very little variance from one band to the next and it's not something I would ever really listen to by choice. And David Lee Roth just seems like he'd be a gross guy to know in real life. I suppose I have to rate this album in isolation, and it's fine. It's exactly what you would expect a Van Halen record to be even if you had never heard Van Halen before. That's sort of disappointing in a lot of ways. But you can't really rate something like this without regard to the rest of their albums. It's pretty much the same album. I feel like the first Van Halen album would have been plenty for this list. 2.5/5 but will round down to because even though Eddie Van Halen was an unbelievable guitar player, this specific album just kind of washed over me and I was ready to move on before it was over.

An absolute classic from Eddie and the boys.

classic. 2 hit

A Van Halen classic, iconic guitar work.

Includes some all-time Van Halen hits including Jump, Panama and Hot For Teacher. Thoroughly enjoyed hearing their best and discovering some new ones too.

The opening with the cheesy synth sounds that so date this album set the mood right off. I'm definitely more a fan of the pure guitar rock of Panama and Hot For Teacher. Let the good times roll.

Classic, cliched 80's rock. I can smell the hairspray from here. Jump is OK, but apart from that it's pretty generic. 2/5

Great Guitars!

pour teenagers (comme moi à l'époque)...

This was not bad rock music but it was pretty samey, I can't say anything really stood out. Stand-out: Panama

I get this as a fun party night out with its semi-live feel but as a serious album it is clearly lacking. Virtuoso guitar is one thing but it needs context and subtlety. Ideal for air guitar and head nodding with one's mates.

Hot for Teacher is a great fucking song and every one of you here knows it

The cover artwork for Van Halen's 1984 album is undoubtedly striking but ultimately misses the mark in terms of artistic coherence. While the rebellious imagery attempts to juxtapose innocence with vice, it feels more like a gimmick than a meaningful statement. The choice of a child-like figure engaged in such adult behavior raises eyebrows and seems out of place, detracting from any potential depth the artwork might have had. Overall, while memorable, the artwork does not resonate as deeply as it could, earning it a mere two stars. Album artworks rated: 2/1001 Music's great tho.

Well, I listened to the whole thing, so it would therefore rank higher than a 1. If I never hear “Jump” again, I’ll be happy. “Hot for Teacher” will always have a special place in my heart, and “Panama” is a silly classic. A lot of filler-“I’ll Wait” is a great contender for a Weird Al parody (it already sounds like one). This is what I thought Van Halen was, so wrote them off (until I learn their first album, which changed my mind). Thankfully this album is short, so I could listen to other stuff. Very 80s, very white, very silly.

4 Good tracks, everything else was forgetful.

Good, fun metal.

van halen's 1984 has a weird aura in the respect that, like, intellectually i understand this is an album whose target audience is horny drug-addled adults, but emotionally i struggle to imagine this sound impressing anyone over the age of like 12 i came into this album with fondness for the singles and left it with slightly less (but still some) fondness, perhaps because i'm also no longer 12 alex van halen was a beast on the kit tho

ну хз мне просто не нравится…

It's fine. It has a couple stand outs and mostly filler. Extra star for not being long

Alright

I remember these songs from MTV in the 80s. Catchy, but never really vibed with them

Van Halen - 1984 At first, I wasn't really expecting much from this album, and then I heard "Jump"... From then on, I was hyped to see what this album had to offer, and so far, it did not disappoint. Almost all the songs here are catchy and sound really great, it's a really fun album to listen. From a rock band like this, I'm surprised that I never heard of them before, but now I know, this is great! 1.- 1984 = 6/10 2.- Jump = 10/10 3.- Panama = 9/10 4.- Top Jimmy = 8/10 5.- Drop Dead Legs = 8/10 6.- Hot for Teacher = 8/10 7.- I'll Wait = 9/10 8.- Girl Gone Bad = 9/10 9.- House of Pain = 8/10 FINAL SCORE = 8.3/10

eh

Already knew several of these songs. It’s very guitar heavy which I don’t love. I sort of like hot for teacher and Panama, and really like jump but not really a fan of any of the others.

A career highlight, 1984 shows Van Halen at the top of their game. Tracks like Jump and I'll Wait have the band incorporating the keyboard seamlessly into their sound, while Hot For Teacher's blistering drums and energetic guitar riffs are as impressive as they are catchy. The record tends more towards a mainstream pop sound than their previous efforts, but still retains what made the band great to begin with. While their excellent debut album put them on the map, 1984 cemented Van Halen as one of the finest rock bands of the era. Highlights: -Jump -Panama -Hot for Teacher -I'll Wait Lowlights: -Top Jimmy -House of Pain

This is not my favorite Van Halen album, but it is a great one. Eddie was such an amazing and creative musician. The guitar and keyboard hooks on this album are so catchy and stay in your head long after the songs are done. This is one of those albums that just stands the test of time. Definitely a 5/5 for me.

basic-sounding rock, boring enough. Jump is great though. Just not a big fan of this era/pop rock

Stuðplata fyrir allan peninginn. Þetta er rokk að mínu skapi og ég býst fastlega við því að ég muni setja þessa í spilun þegar ég ætla að komast í gírinn þótt ég sé kominn með smá leið á Jump

A triumph

Amazed I have never listened all the way through before. Jump and Panama are the stand outs, but possibly as they are the best know songs, but the rest of the album moves along nicely and holds up well even if the sound is very much of uts time

I do not like Van Halen. Never have.

I always thought “Jump” was such a departure in sound for Van Halen. I’m not exactly a fan of them or anything (though I did LOVE their debut album when it was handed to me for this project months ago), but what I know of their sound is so different from “Jump” that I honestly always assumed, when hearing it on the radio or in a show or movie, that it was some other 80’s band. So, seeing that it was essentially the lead track on this album, I was really curious to see if it set the tone for the whole thing or if it was a blatant single composition. Well, the answer is no it doesn’t really set the tone for the rest of the record. “Jump” is not, in my mind, entirely indicative of the rest of the album’s sound. And even after relistening, it isn’t even THAT poppy. It still has a killer guitar solo. But it definitely feels like a song arranged in such a way and put as the first real track on the album so that it pleases the record company as a lead single. And yet it’s still pretty good. The rest of the album feels really similar to their first one, though they seem to have reigned Eddie in just a little. That doesn't mean he isn't shredding throughout, because he definitely is. But they didn't give him his own track like they did with "Eruption" on the first album. Part of me feels like I shouldn't give this five stars solely because it does feel really similar to the first album is a lot of ways, and that lack of growth is a little disheartening. But in the end, I loved the first one and there is enough of a change in sound, albeit somewhat subtle, that I can still give it five. If you'd told me when this whole thing started that I'd be giving two Van Halen albums five stars, I would've thought you were crazy. But here we are. Standout Tracks: Jump, Panama, Top Jimmy, Drop Dead Legs, Hot for Teacher, House of Pain

Of Van Halens albums with David Lee Roth, this is always the one I’m least inclined to revisit. I get their most popular and they were operating at the top of their video game. I find most of this pretty tame for a band that constantly sounded so dangerous. I did do the supplementary material and watched the music video for Hot for Teacher which I haven’t seen for like 15 years. Besides the teachers ripping their clothes off, was this the greatest music video in history?

For a few years, I worked as a wedding bartender. One of my coworkers was a hilarious mom whose favorite band was Van Halen. I always asked the band or DJ to play "All Night Long" by Lionel Ritchie and she always asked them to play "Jump" by Van Halen. Good times!

this should have been Jump repeated 8 times.

baaaaaaddddd

Debut LP was much better!

I like the runtime and I enjoyed it much better than I thought I would. Hair metal is really not my thing but I had fuun

Jump is still a tune, so is Panama, but the rest is pretty MOR and forgettable.

David Lee Roth was at his all time beat on this album. The willingness to experiment with Synth on this album shows VH openness to opportunity and experimentation. Great tracks Jump, Hot for Teacher and Panama just three.

Fun listen, starts strong and tails off a bit but some classics on here. Scrapes a 4. 3.75/5

Guitar solos and synth, very enjoyable

Not for me.

5 booms BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪

I made the awful mistake of setting "Jump" as my alarm sound a couple years ago. Now whenever I hear it I want to kill myself. Great album though.

This is the first time I’ve ever sat down and intentionally listened to Van Halen. I have a completely open mind and I’m a little drunk on a Friday night, which I feel is probably ideal for this album. Let’s see how this goes. 1984: ok this is some quintessential 80’s synth album intro wankery. This album was made in 1984, I’d expect nothing less. No complaints. Jump: Oh shit, this song? This is a fucking bop. Legitimately had no clue this was VH. Damn that synth absolutely rips. Panama: I think I know this one too. Oh shit, yeah I’ve heard this one. Wait, they’re saying “Panama”?!? Cross my heart, I always thought they were saying “Cannonball” 😂 Top Jimmy: The intro and interludes are the shit. Love the harmonics. Rest of the song is kinda shite. Solo shreds, though. Drop Dead Legs: God damn, I feel like I would’ve done just fine if I was in my 20’s in the 80’s. Seems like there were no worries. No wars to speak of. Economy was booming. Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll, man. 🤘 Hot For Teacher: I have such a love-hate relationship with Guitar Hero. It introduced me to all these old iconic songs, but seared them in my memory as some sort of kitschy gamified nonsense. I can’t even be objective about this track because all I can think of are 5 multi colored buttons, an endless incoming stream of notes, and hammering the whammy bar to get my star power. But fuck it, gimme that high score and 5 stars. The crowd loves me. They really love me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ll Wait: I’ll wait… for this track to be less of a let down after the frenzied perfection of Hot For Teacher. But wait a minute now. Synth is trying to save the day here. Ahh but now we’re onto a half-hearted guitar solo. Yeah nah. I’ll wait…for this track to be over. Girl Gone Bad: I feel like Eddie said, “Hey just put one track on there where I can shred for 4 minutes.” And the rest of the band was like, “Yeah, ok but it has to be the second-to-last track.” House of Pain: This sounds rather Black Sabbath-ish. Ok ok. I like that breakdown. That’s a fun groove. Saved the track, for me. But a fade-out to close the album? Really??? Overview If this album didn’t fall apart over the course of the last 3 tracks, it would’ve been 5 stars. But I had a lot of fun and it’s a solid 4. 4/5 Highlights: Jump Drop Dead Legs Hot For Teacher

not a van halen fan but this is 33 minutes of lightning

This sounds significantly better, perhaps because one doesn't have to put up with their annoying fans in anything like real time. The slightly softer edges do VH well here, showing their ability to adapt at just faster-than-dinosaur speed, to the New Wave tsunami which made them look (without too much effort, really) silly, buffoonish and badly out of date. "Jump" is still good, if a touch cheesy, but bonus points for inspiring Aztec Camera's legendary cover. Eddie keeps shredding, perhaps showing slightly more control and restraint, while DLR seems seems a bit abashed here, which might be read as an indicator of potential maturation, if not actual proof of maturity. "Hot for Teacher," however, is pure shameless throwback, with a sort of truth to it. This has aged much better than one would have expected. 3.7 for a most surprising 4, given one's quite pronounced and fully justified snobbery toward VH in the era of their prominence.

Not for me, but seem

First album bought!! BANGER start to finish. I love it as much today as the day I bought it. RIP eddie.

Vale, tiene dos exitazos en Jump y Panama, pero resto palidece y agota rápidamente.

Sounds like the soundtrack of a film that became dated the minute it dropped.

Feels like mall music pretty ok

Well i grew up on Van Halens music so this is a biased score. not as good as their first album but allot of hits and a great sound overall. not to long album either so it don't get to repetitive in the sound.

Van Halen is a band I always think it going to be so much harder than they are, and for me that is good. To me there is something fantasy or mystical to their music, its like you are always in the clouds and everyone is dressed in silver or gold flowing gowns. Yet they can rock a guitar and write a catchy song that makes you dance and sing along.

I've never understood why we are singing "Panama". Is this a song about a hot chick from Panama? Are all the songs about hot chicks? No, some of them are about jumping. Okay. Whatever. This is a great album. Don't over think it. It's only Rock n Roll. The hits are pretty overplayed for me but they are still great rock songs. I'll Wait is my favorite song on the album and you can really hear the Van Hager sound that they will grow into.

This album is super fun. Lots of guitar shredding. Love Jump and its intro, and there are a few other rockin’ classics on here too. The non-hits kinda lost me, but overall it was a good time.

eh, Jump was my favorite song, the album didn’t feel very cohesive to me

I’m convinced whoever coined the term MOR rock must have been listening to this album at the time.

Cock rock, meets the 80s and synthesisers - what could possibly go wrong? Pretty much everything! I like the album cover though.

Bloody list strikes again. I was fully prepared to hate this, given a lifelong aversion to ‘Jump’. Albeit it’s the only Van Halen song I’ve consciously listened to. My first listen was sporadic across a day and wasn’t that impressed, however, I gave it a second chance as I had the weekend. Second time round, I found myself rather enjoying it. ‘Jump’ aside, which is still a synth rock nightmare (it’s just 80s pop). The rest of it was rather good really (albeit a bit crass in places). Some good riffs and what I now discover is Eddie’s signature solo stuff. But it is what 80s hair rock is, just dumb OTT fun, don’t look to deeply just go with it! Tbh having been on quite the run of 70s albums of late, this did feel a bit of a refreshing change, maybe I’m beginning to understand 80s music now, gulp.

I should have been listening to this when I was 14..... Hot for teacher is a speed rock classic.

Interesting guitars at times, cool synths, pretty fun

I enjoyed the album but it is not something i would personally listen to in my free time. fav songs were jump and hot for teacher. i think this music is something i could dance to but it doesn’t connect with me enough to listen to it again but i loved all the guitar riffs and naturalness to the music. it’s real rock and i appreciate that just not much depth to it which i enjoy in an album.

Incredibly fun, can’t deny Eddie’s guitar, just easy to listen to hard rock. It’s ok to sit back and enjoy stuff like this, it doesn’t all have to be art rock.

Panama is a 6.

80's glam rock one good song

Jump :)

I'm biased positively towards this album, Van Halen is my dad's favorite band, and I listened to this album a lot growing up. Coming back to it now after many years of not listening to it left me with some surprises. For one, I realized that my dad removed the more sexual songs from my mpe player lol. For two, I remembered Van Halen as being part of the masturbatory rock genre, and while that's true, the combination of shorter songs with the bona fide talent of Eddie actually makes for pretty tightly made songs. Lastly, it is coherent as an album, especially a pop album. That's not pejorative at all, in fact, I prefer having some pop sensibilities in rock especially because otherwise we end up with these shitty rock albums where somehow they think it's okay to have a 3 minute solo PER SONG.

With three of their biggest hits plus additional tracks that show what Van Halen is all about, this has to be their finest work. Catchy hooks throughout, irreverent subject matter, and Eddie's game-changing guitar playing are on fully display on this record. There are a couple tracks that are forgettable, but everything else more than makes up for it in my mind. Notable Tracks: - Jump - essentially the opener and one hell of one at that - Panama - Drop Dead Legs - killer guitar solo - Hot for Teacher - probably my favorite Van Halen song - I'll Wait 9/10

I never did like this version of Van Halen. I love the drums and DLR's vocals are always good. Shameful secret: I never cared for Eddy Van Halen's guitar work. He's in such a hurry to get moving on. He rarely repeats a riff, and he doesn't lengthen them out. And, while I love synth rock, it didn't improve VH's style-- for me. Obviously, I am outvoted here. I love Hot for Teacher and Top Jimmy-- the more bluesy tracks. But this will never be a favorite of mine. Given how many people love it, I feel like I'm missing out. 3/5

Man, Eddie Van Halen is a monster. There are guitar sounds on this album that I still have no idea how he made. And all the other musicians are great as well, just a very cohesive, fun album. Truly a seismic shift for rock music.

Jump is great! Did not like the rest.

As Van Halen as Van Halen gets.

I'm a big fan of this album - short and to the point, 33 minutes of 80s glam rock with the best Van Halen vocalist

Some of their best work

Allt í lagi pop rokk

Ekki gott.

It’s just so simple or something. The songs never get interesting. Even if it is a style you enjoy I don’t really see these songs going anywhere but that’s probably my outside perspective. I can’t justify giving it higher.

1. 1984 - 1 2. jump - 1 3 panama - 2 4. jimmy - 1 5. legz - 1 6. teacher - 1.5 7. uuait - 1.5 8. bad - 1 9. pain - 1

Great Rock N Roll

⭐ Jump

Some classics on here. So 1980s.

Favorite Track: Panama

Van Halen is so much better than I gave them credit for when I was younger. Part of that is certainly due to the fact that I became aware of them during the Sammy Hagar era. This album is so tight. It fits together perfectly, has a ton of great songs, and it never starts to fee samey. Fuck it, 5 stars 5/5

Much better than I expected.

3.5 really, this one is fun.

Eddie Van Halen is a musical genius (I mean, the middle 8s here are so awesome--when Panama slows down?) and David Lee Roth is, well, not. The highs on this album are really high and the fluff is not great. I'm going 3 here even though Panama has lived rent free in my head since 1984

Let’s rock!

That was exactly what I expected! Pretty good!

pairing guitar virtuosos with a Front Man™ instead of a journeyman always ends in disaster. I cannot stand Roth's vocals or antics. there's some good stuff here but it's all of a time and the dated sounds don't really hit for me

This was a really great album! I love the more synthy sound that they started to head toward in this album, and there wasn't a single moment where I was bored or wanting the song to end.

all the best of dad rock and a little filler but not a lot so it's fine

Eddie van Halen. Was für ein Genie. Jump begleitet mich seit 40 Jahren. Ein Stück das sofort die Sonne scheinen lässt. Auch an trüben Tagen.

Loved this, includes one of the best all time drum intros (hot for teacher). Reminds me of Saturday nights at the floral hall (midnight madness anyone?)

General impression: big penis rock Detailed review: This isn’t for me. It’s big-corporate-takeover rock. That said, no one can deny “Jump” and “Panama,” which kick ass. Honestly, the production rules, the guitars and synths sound so crisp and clean and powerful. But god, the lyrics suck. The vocals are bleh. Just shiny, muscly testosterone. Deeper thoughts (context): This may be the best any “hair-metal” or 80’s jock rock album gets from me. Score: 2.9 (3) Number of albums left to review: 969 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 18 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 14 (including this one)

Cheesy and fun

Classic dad music.

Not a fan

I've never been a fan of this type of music. Never listened to this group, except what I was subjected to it. Yada yada yada the guitar playing is incredible but the whole package just wasn't my thing. So I was surprised to discover I enjoyed this! What struck me was the innocence! I know that sounds odd but the way the subject matter was addressed seemed pretty tame compared to now. I expected it to be more hedonistic, I guess. I could be completely off base, but that was my first impression.

I don't know if I've ever actually liked Van Halen, but I definitely have wanted to like them. They seem fun, EVH is obviously a great guitar player, certain songs are legit good, but in my heart I just don't like this band. David Lee Roth is too damn obnoxious. Through this listen I enjoyed "I'll Wait". Panama is good but i think ive just heard it too many times, also the chorus just being PA-NA-MA! struck me as dumb this time. May be too old for VH!

There's something about Van Halen that has never connected with me. I think it's the clash between the technical virtuosity of the instrument playing and the sort of idiot-cock-rock mentality of the lyrics and persona (largely david lee roth's fault, I'm guessing). It sounds like wasted potential to me. Like the band, as a whole, was always settling for appeasing their fans of horny teenage boys and trying to get laid by groupies rather than committing to making great art. That's no great sin in most cases, but it seems sort of tragic to me in this specific case, because EVH clearly had real, no-doubt transcendent genius in him. While some of the great albums from the 50s and 60s we've heard still sound current today, and some albums we've heard from Africa or the deep south sound great no matter what culture the listener is part of, VH (to me) still sounds locked in to a very particular moment (the 80s in LA). I think that's what happens when you never push your own boundaries artistically.

This is one the best party albums of all time. The length is perfect. Energy is high for all 33 mins except for Ill Wait - which was a really nice switch up and a successful single for the album. The synths were welcomed and not overly done. You could tell where the band was going with this sound. My only criticism is Girl Gone Bad is just a fluff track that added no value.

Jump and Panama back to back is insane. What a fun album. I faded a bit on the back half but the rest was like heroin

Teeters on cheesy but Eddie saves it every time.

I prefer their debut over this one. I've never liked Jump (it's supposed to be hard rock, not synth "rock"), but Panama is a decent enough song. I like the catchiness of I'll Wait, in spite of the synths. You can hear that they are talented musicians, particularly on Hot for Teacher, but when the song is as bluesy and busy as it is, I can't enjoy it at all. The song quality is more important than talent. Drop Dead Legs is horrible, Girl Gone Bad is horrible, House of Pain is boring.

миксик такой неплохой, нет перекоса в мягкость, нет перекоса в говнарьство

It was better than I remembered

This is just a stupid fun record. The amount of spandex and coke that must have been involved in its recording is palpable.

I did not use a private Spotify session for this one. I have owned several VH albums in my lifetime, but not this one, probably because it was played everywhere. Van Halen jumps in to the synth saturated 80s, but still rocks. This album is a lot of fun.

One star per good track

cool! jump!

Time machine the 80s. It may lack some substance, but man they sure can shred (I feel this can be said about much of 80s music). And everybody knows Jump, it’s essential 80s Americana.

Bastante más popo/ochentoso de lo que conocía de Van Halen. Re mediopé.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Van Halen leaning into the pop, oh what fun.

Better than most of "these" bands, but not really my thing.

I mean jump is obviously a classic I was disappointed this was the artist but then realized I actually kinda like it lol I always thought “Panama” was “cannonball” I take it back, the first couple songs were good but this is too much electric guitar for me and I’m not a fan

boo. sounded like a bald eagle chewing tobacco and voting against abortion. the horny teacher one was kinda fun tho

Boring album. Even the two hit songs are boring now. Overplayed. Not for me

Exactly what you’d expect.

It's very over the top hair metal, when jump kicked in I wasn't really up for it. As it went on it became clear how much better Eddie van halen/David lee Roth are at this than most bands. Hot for teacher is class and the tracks onwards from this were good too. Not a genre I would listen to frequently but van halen have to be one of the best at it. 3.5.

It is exactly what you expect it to be - hair metal. And very good hair metal it is too. Jump is a classic for a reason, and whilst Hot For Teacher might have ageda bit badly, 1984 is a cracking introduction. And - it is short!

I do have time for some acts like this, the over the top kinda glam rock type thing, but not Van Halen.... In their defense I had never listened to an album before this, but it is what I expected. Recognised "jump" and "Panama" but not a particular fan of either of these. "Hot for teacher" is just crap. It's all just a bit cringey I think. 2.5

Pretty good album. I can’t believe it’s only 33 minutes but has 4 iconic Van Halen songs. Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher, I’ll Wait. I wasn’t a fan at the time but I get it.

A good time for sure. 80s in a nutshell.

Well that was tedious.

i just don’t know how else to say like i just don’t like this very much like i just don’t think it’s made for me and i found it honestly really boring to listen to i’m sorry it’s just like lame sorry van halen

Pre-listening thoughts: this cover looks like an AI post that boomers think is real on Facebook. Also can I stop getting repeat artists this week 😭 please I just wanted to hit 100 albums with as few repeats as possible Post/during listening thoughts: Jump always reminds me of the glee scene where they sing it on the mattresses. Just listened to a dungeons and daddies episode where Anthony Burch did a bit where he sang Panama as “stereotypical macho comedy music” or something along those lines. It was very fitting. Van Halen are so talented and I would be lying if I said this wasn’t good rock. I think I prefer their self titled though ngl. 6/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nope Fav tracks: jump, I’ll wait Least fav tracks: hot for teacher. I mean come on we can’t all be abba

I'll give this a 3 inly because there a few EVH moments that make it worthwhile. The song "Jump" is fun but the rest of the album, not so much.

Popular songs are pretty good Rest is too solo-y

First time listen. Highlights: I’ll wait

Knew most of the songs. I get why some people like it but just not for me!

2583 - Production is good, so is the drumming, but the vocals and song writing are not particularly invigorating.

Good drums but really jerky guitars and terrible writing 4.8

bad

Jao, jaaako ću se morati truditi biti nepristrana. Odrasla sam, između ostalog, uz Van Halen i zbog nekih stvari emocionalno sam dosta vezana uz taj bend, ali evo, probat ću zamisliti da slušam prvi put, for the sake of the project. Kao prvo ovaj cover - apsolutni vrh. Pitanje je bi li u današnje vrijeme mogli uopće tako nešto objaviti, vjerojatno ne. Ovi sintići 🥹🫶🏻 Jako su sirov bend, neke stvari zvuče trash, ali da - to je taj dio gdje mi je teško biti objektivna. Ne mogu reći da mi je svaka stvar dobra i/ili dobra u cjelini. Početak Top Jimmy mi je kul npr ali ostatak pjesme mi je dosadan, a Drop Dead Legs je baš dosta lejm. Ove boce koje zveckaju na Hot for Teacher - vrh 😂. I'll wait mi je dobra stvar i sintići su mi kul, kao i početak Girl Gone Bad. Najdraža njihova pjesma mi je zapravo uvijek bila Why Can't This Be Love, ali to je drugi album. Ah, mladost 🤍 Malo mi je glupo ne staviti ovo u kontekst drugih albuma i uspoređivati jer koji je point projekta onda i statistike koju ću imati. Tako da, bit će 3 ili 6.5/10.

Wow, nikad nisam u potpunosti preslušao njega, iako znam za njega još od djetinjstva i to zbog dexterovog laboratorija, crtica jel. Tamo je bio jedan dio kao capten America (ako nisam pobrkao nešto, možda je to bio zaseban crtić, ali čini mi se da je crtić u crtiću) E tamo je bio tim heroja s posebnim moćima, jedan od njih je bio van Helen koji je jebao majku sa svojom gitarom Album kreće vrhunski, tipa prva pjesma je kako bi svaki album trebao početi 😂 Idemo u Jump, malo mi se povraća jer kužim koliko je glamerski, ali kad krenu solaže mi je zapravo ok pjesma A da, iduće tri su prilično glamerske, nije mi pretjerano napeto, ali ono što moram primjetiti je da su ovo sredine osamdesetih i da su jako lako mogli završiti s onim 80s zvukom snera (onaj kojeg svi imaju i koji zvuči kao da slon siluje metalnu kantu). Da su otišli u tom smjeru, ovo bi meni bilo neslušljivo. Hot for teacher mi je oduvijek bila vrhunska stvar, nisam ju jako dugo čuo doduše. Ali da, još uvijek je. Ovo pretjerano drkanje po svemu na početku i onda ovaj hard rock beat hahaha ma super. Ova pjesma izvlači album i po meni diže broj zvjezdica Zadnje dvije su mi generalno bolje od prvog dijela albuma, ali ništa posebno Ukratko, vrh početak, jedna dobra pjesma, malo nostalgije i jako puno gitarskog izdrkavanja Solidna trojka

4/10 Ovaj hard/glam rock mi zna biti nekad zanimljiv, ali ne kod Van Halena. Jump mi je usla u uho kad sam na kraju osnovne otkrio osamdesete, pa se stvar naravno nasla na vecini kompilacija. Danas mi nije bas najdraza - jedna je od onih na koju najcesce okrenem ocima kad ju cujem vani, ali razumijem zasto je bila hit. Osim nje, ostatak albuma mi je zesce dosadan, jedino moram priznat da mi se malo pred kraj popravio dojam sa I'll Wait i House Of Pain. Biram Kiss bilo kad prije ovog Van Halena, cak mi nije ni za usporedbu iako su zanrovski dosta bliski. Sjecam se da sam davno citao hvalospijeve o ovom bendu, ali mislim da nisam ciljana publika. Ne znam, danas nije bio los dan pa cu mu dati cetvorku, iako je bila u planu i niza ocjena.

Beginning of 2 era Van Halen

There are two really good tracks on here and a great guitar on all of them.

Hollywood Rocks!

One of the greatest rock albums ever. In Van Halen's discography, it is second only to their debut album.

Who doesn’t like a bit of Van Halen? I’ll admit that the over use of guitar wankery can get a little much at times, but they can definitely write excellent pop rock songs when they want to. I remember the first time I managed to play the intro to Hot For Teacher, I felt like an absolute badass. For me, the guitar wankery doesn’t get to go too overboard here, so I can enjoy the music for what it is. This is probably one of the better Van Halen albums.

Fun album. Good rock and roll vibes. Nothing too serious. RIP Eeddie💕

Yeah its just not great

A nice reintroduction to Van Halen

I hadn't listened to this full album in maybe 30 years, and hearing it now was both enjoyable and a little bit sad. Some iconic VH songs of the David Lee Roth era here, of course, but it's impossible to listen to this without realizing that it was clearly the beginning of the end.

pretty dull album but Jump is a bop 2/5

I hate David Lee Roth almost as much as I hate Geddy Lee. Otherwise, this was not bad

So solid. A short, easy listen that makes me feel like I’m at a Devils game. There are some pretty infectious guitar licks. You can’t deny the integrity of a metal infused pop rock album.

Fine but not that good

The most popular album of their career and their last one with David Lee Roth until the early 2010s, 1984 sees Van Halen ascend the hard rock/metal world and into a whole other playing field, one that was brought on by ongoing momentum and dabbling in already prevalent musical trends that they would help shape in their image for the time being. Although steeped in the early 80s sound, much is to be enjoyed in regards to 1984 and it is a tad pitiful that the dynamic found here wouldn't sustain itself for long. Favorites: Jump, Panama, Drop Dead Legs, Hot for Teacher, House of Pain.

banger

This album rocked and was really solid all the way through. Haven't listened to Van Halen and didn't expect to like it so much. I instantly recognized a lot of iconic riffs/synth parts from songs like Jump and Panama, hadn't ever heard the songs all the way through. Loved the build up on songs like Drop Dead Legs and I'll Wait. The heavy guitar licks sounded awesome and made me want to crank the volume to 11. Favorite songs were: 2. Jump 3. Panama 5. Drop Dead Legs 7. I'll Wait 10/10

To preface, I have many years of loving Van Halen going into this. Long ago I was a stoned teenager learning guitar, and as such Eddie has been an idol ever since those early days. Van Halen is one of my go to "good time/good mood" bands, and 1984 hits that spot every time. We've been having a heat wave in the Bay, and my car's AC can't keep up. I was driving to work with all the windows down, the sunroof open, and Panama playing loud crossing the Bay Bridge and it was some of the most California I've ever felt. The guitar work on this album is incredible - I could go on about that forever but then this review would be too long. I never liked Jump, its definitely the weakest on the album. Every other song is a 4 or 5 star track though. Album cover: (A) I am not a fan of babies visually, and it loses points for having a baby. It gets those points back for giving the baby cigarettes. Overall I don't love looking at it, but its an arresting and iconic cover and it fits.

This album fucking rocks. Not sure there's a single weak track? The only thing that could make this album better is if I had a pack of smokes right now. Might go buy some Lucky Strikes tonight...

"Jump" is such a meme-y 80's song that I actually laughed when it came on. This is the kind of song I would never put on because its so corny, but if it comes on at a wedding and I've got some drinks in me then I'll be JAMMING. I haven't heard a single song on the rest of the album before, so I'm looking forward to hearing it. "Panama" is the exact same song as Jump. My comments above apply equally here. "Hot for Teacher" is a ridiculous and funny song. It feels like in the 80s everyone stopped taking music seriously as an art form and decided to just get silly with it. But they all got silly with it in the exact same way. Songs from this era are immediately recognizable as so many of them sound the same. I probably wouldn't ever choose to listen to this on my own time, but it's a lot of fun to have come on in the car or at a wedding. 6/10

Not my kind of music. I can see how it was the sound of the mid 80s though. Very big hair, big guitar, big music. Probably wont listen again.

#365. I gave the other Van Halen album an extra star for not being the album Jump and Hot for Teacher are on, but unfortunately I can't do that for this one, and will give it the two stars it deserves. Also, side note: I listened to ABBA yesterday, and if I had a nickel for every time I had to hear a song about children wanting to bang their teacher, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened two days in a row. 2/5: trash Song added to playlist: I'll Wait I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Not my music, but this is an album with a disproportionately high amount of time filled by banger songs. Panama, Jump, and Hot For Teacher are all massive hits, and that's 12/33 minutes of the album. This album is a testament to quality over quantity.

Not much to say. Was a short listen, I think it fit a lot into it, overall it was okay. I found I didn’t have much to say on each song because they all seemed to follow the same formula. Favourite - I’ll wait Least favourite - jump

While I am not sure if it is Van Halens best album, that just goes to show what an incredible band they are. First and foremost, there is the musicianship. Eddies solos are insane, but I feel like he don't get nearly enough credit for his rhythm playing — much like Hendrix. Just listen to Panama, especially the mid section, or the riff to «Girl Gone Bad» or «Drop Dead Legs». Or the rhythm guitar parts on «Jump», for that matter. Then there is the rhythm section, and it is probably one of the most underrated of all time. Granted, Michael Anthonys bass playing is more virtuosic on other records, but it is still perfect for what is needed on this album. An Alex Van Halen truly reminds you that there isn't only one person behind that last name. Few drummers do so much to fill out a soundscape like he does. Bonus point: Eddies keyboard playing is wild. Listen to the comping for his guitar solo on Jump, it is wild. And obviously the solo right after is amazing. Then there is the songwriting. «Jump» is a cocaine rock anthem about a guy considering suicide, an intriguing idea with just enough of the macabre to make it interesting. I literally can´t listen to «Panama» while driving a car, cause I would be fined for speeding in an instance. «Hot for Teacher» and «Drop Dead Legs» are a bit sleazy in hindsight, but well-crafted rock tunes none the less. «Top Jimmy» is a fun throwback to early Van Halen, while «I'll Wait» is a beautiful anthem which hints at what's to come with Van Hagar. Speaking of Hagar, I actually prefer Sammy Hagar to David Lee Roth. That being said, he is still the perfect peacock-frontman and has a crispness to his delivery that would suit a band with a more lyrical focus. Speaking of vocals: Michael Anthonys and Eddie Van Halens range as background singers is insane. I love this album, not least because it reminds me of a time in my life filled with beautiful childhood memories. So yeah, five stars!

All I think of when I hear 'Jump' is Shamu. Thanks, Sea World! Not bad. I don't usually like 80's hair metal. Made better because it's a short album and my son likes this so much. 4/5

Musical DNA. Shut up. I don't care what you think. There is no better opening than Hot for Teacher. The middle finger extended as the high level virtuoso playing gets mixed with juvenile sexist puerile nonsense is sublime.. Isn't that what Scotty Moore, Cliff Gallup, Duane Eddy, Chuck Berry did? In another life, Eddie Van Halen is Alan Holdsworth, changing the world of guitar . while playing to a tiny but devoted audience. The genius is David Lee Roth, he of the ok vocals, but massive charisma, and naughty lyrics. Alex van Halen was the perfect foil to his brother, and the secret sauce is Michael Anthony on bass and backing vocals. Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher, the opening track.. musical DNA... just magic.

Oh. Music for a Walkman. You get me at a weak moment it seems. I honestly cant tell if I like it because I woulda liked it then, or if hearing now (First Time) I like it Ironically. What the hell is going on? Ever feel guilty or self aware for liking bad junk food (and this is junk). So I let out my belt, and put on a daiper, pulled up a keg of root beer, and turned my Focal headphoens up a bit too loud and enjoyed the soo cool and dated grainy humm of the Synth of JUMP! and was transported to a time when I could clock GYRUSS in an arcade parlour. (ah, exalting victory music elements - as if stolen form Toccata by SKY (1980), and the Gyruss rip off of that.) Its definitely fun in a retro , pumped up , dayglo airguiter way. I blame my vintage primary auditory cortex, meninges and hypothalamus for not knowing better. The catch ? Its also exactly the indulgent crap I thought Bill and Teds satirised as mindless. Which works on teenage boys. (*) I also liked Bach, George Thoroughgood, Timbuckthree and Corey Heart back then. The zone of proximal exposure hypothesis? Thsi is gonna be great music for vacuuming if the robots rebel.

I sort of wanted to hate this, preferring the earlier, more spontaneous (and harder rockin') Van Halen albums. But it is hard to dislike this record. The songs are really catchy, and the playing is incendiary, almost overworked in the production, but not quite. I like the variety of bringing in the synth (a suitably crunchy oberheim). The four singles are stellar (with excellent videos, perfect for MTV), and even the album tracks are pretty strong. Top Jimmy and Drop Dead legs are possibly just filler, but they don't suck. 1984 is a really good, solid (heavy) pop album that is a lot of fun to listen to. It is also fabulously and appropriately brief, and doesn't outstay its welcome at only 33 minutes. 1984-era Van Halen are like an awesome gatecrasher at your party; they arrive with a swaggering fanfare, flirt with all the girls, drink all the beer, dance on the tabletops, cracking jokes with a big cheesy grin, and then disappear into the night before the cops turn up. Awesome!

It was alright liked 3 songs but rock ain’t my vibe

5 st

Man, that slaps!

I had fun.

It was okay.

Great

Mercifully short. Can't stand DLR's voice. Eddie Van Halen is technically amazing but it does nothing for me. And this album cover is terrible.

1 star! I particularly dislike hard rock and this one was just not it.

Some of the best instrumentalists of their time come together to create the most boring album possible

01) 1984 - 7,0 02) Jump - 10,0 03) Panama - 7,5 04) Top Jimmy - 6,5 05) Drop Dead Legs - 6,5 06) Hot for Teacher - 6,0 07) I'll Wait - 7,0 08) Girl Gone Bad - 6,0 09) House of Pain - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,94 (69/100) Current ranking: 222/319

I just don't like the singer. If the album was purely instrumental it would be amazing and 5 stars. Smoke on the Water is great though.

I love Eddie, he is a real maestro. And in general pretty good album. Mind-blowing solos and distinctive 80s style. I did not really like some lyrics tho, but overall I would listen to this album again and again!

Entertaining short hard rock album. Awakens 80s nostalgia in someone who didn't even live through the 80s. 3.5/5

Not in the mood for this

This album isn’t great, despite some of the songs on it being great. Feels like a late stage greatest hits with some unnecessary filler in it honestly. Panama fucking rules though.