Even if you aren’t real familiar with Van Halen’s body of work, you have probably at some point heard one of their songs, even if you didn’t know it was, in fact, by Van Halen. Below are my top 10 songs by Van Halen that you should definitely give a try.
“You Really Got Me”
This song is infectious and one that I really enjoy when I want to listen to something fun, it is also one of my favorite songs to play on Guitar Hero II. I love dancing around my bedroom to this song, swing my hair to and fro while I sing along.
“Can’t Stop Loving You”
When I listen to this I imagine women with teased hair, shiny black spandex capris, and an animal print top swaying back and forth as she hangs on every last word of this song. I enjoy this song because it gives me that classic 80’s feeling.
“Pretty Woman”
It might not be what you expect from Van Halen if you are familiar with numbers like “Jump” and “Panama”, but that doesn’t make it unworthy of being one of their top 10 songs. I grew up dancing around the kitchen to this song, and I still love it to this day.
“Unchained”
I like this one and I can’t exactly explain why, which happens sometimes when I hear a song. Since I can’t give you an exact reasoning for enjoying this tune, I guess you will just have to trust me and give it a listen.
“Jump”
Without a doubt a classic Van Halen piece. I don’t know many who aren’t familiar with this song, making it definitely worth of being on any top ten Van Halen list. Besides, who can forget a spandexed David Lee Roth throwing his leg up into the air clear to his ear?
“Hot for Teacher”
There was a math teacher at my high school that many of my guy friends found quite attractive, and Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” was their song of choice when it came to discussing her physical attributes. It is for this reason that “Hot for Teacher” has a place in my list of top 10 Van Halen songs.
“Runnin’ With the Devil”
This one is just another classic Van Halen song, one that can really set the tone for any new Van Halen listener. I love this piece for anyone who isn’t a hardcore Van Halen fan, or anyone who isn’t familiar with a large portion of their work, because it has popular appeal.
“Panama”
This feel good, Spring Break anthem is sure to get stuck in your head after listening to it. “Panama, Panama-ah.”
“Dreams”
I love songs that are uplifting in either message or sound, and this song is both, making it one of my favorite songs by Van Halen. I love when rock bands come out with a song that less about rockin’ out and is about something other than having the “hots” for someone, I can even appreciate cheesy lyrics in such cases.
Ice Cream Man
It’s different and a little funky for Van Halen with it starting out calmly with acoustic guitar and David Lee Roth and then halfway through turning into a full throttle rock song about halfway through, which really speaks to the versatility of Van Halen. While I like it when a group has a distinct sound that I can recognize, I also enjoy when groups try different styles.
