Van Halen ranked
self explanatory!!!! |
| 12 |  | Van Halen
Van Halen III
Honestly, its not as bad as most people make it out to be. However, Cherone's vocals simply do not mesh with Van Halen. Most of this was written by Eddie, and is extremely experimental. It is honestly worth a listen due to how different it is. "Without You" is a jam. "Ballot Or the Bullet" rips pretty hard too. The gem of this one is actually unreleased and called "That's Why I Love You". It was nixed in favor of the abysmal "Josephine". All current and former members of Van Halen refuse to accept this as a member of their discography and would rather pretend it didn't exist. |
| 11 |  | Van Halen
Diver Down
The penultimate release of the original lineup is a huge letdown. It consists of half covers and half originals. Many of the covers sound cheesy or as if they were meant to be a joke. "Hang 'Em High" is easily the best track (being an original) and is a miraculous return to form; a very fast, riff oriented song with great hooks. Still, the album fails to hold up and seems more like an odds n ends collection of songs rather than an album. |
| 10 |  | Van Halen
OU812
Weakest of the bunch for the Sammy-fronted years. This album, with its heavy synth sounds very dated. Add to the mediocrity, there are no standout "good" tracks that lasted on the radio or in the band's live catalog. "When Its Love" was a minor hit from this one. Opener "Mine All Mine" rocks pretty hard too. |
| 9 |  | Van Halen
Van Halen II
VH's sophomore effort comes off as very rushed to meet the demand after its predecessor's success. It is essentially a dumbed down version of VHI, complete with weaker songwriting efforts. Generally uninspired, but still raw and still containing a few gems. |
| 8 |  | Van Halen
A Different Kind of Truth
Very decent comeback album for Roth-fronted Halen. Although mostly rerecordings from 1976, this album can be considered a return to form in many aspects. "Bullethead" and "China Town" come to mind. Lyrics are among the weakest of VH's catalog, however. |
| 7 |  | Van Halen
Women and Children First
Great redeeming third album that branched out in style with the band's first synth-oriented song "And the Cradle Will Rock" and bluesy "Fools". |
| 6 |  | Van Halen
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
The darkest album of the Sammy years. praised for returning to "rock" music with little to no synthesizer. Criticised for being a bit too polished, but this album holds up well with great tracks like "Top Of the World", "Poundcake", "Judgement Day", "Runaround", and "Right Now". |
| 5 |  | Van Halen
1984
If Van Halen had a peak, "1984" was it. It propelled them even further into the mainstream with monster hits "Jump", "Panama", and "Hot For Teacher". The lesser known songs are just as great. |
| 4 |  | Van Halen
5150
An impressive debut for the band with Hagar as the new vocalist in 1986. A natural progression from "1984" in terms of synth oriented rock. Lots of timeless love ballads interspersed with plenty of classic VH rockers. Only one weak song. |
| 3 |  | Van Halen
Van Halen
The spark that ignited the flame. Raw, genius, and classic. |
| 2 |  | Van Halen
Balance
Truly an underrated and unfairly rated gem in the catalog. This album slays, and Hagar's vocals do it complete justice. Definitely the most emotional and raw of the Hagar years. It's a shame that this album was the catalyst for Hagar's departure. There are a few instrumentals, but they really tie the piece together. It is a very cohesive work and has some of the most mature songs Van Halen has ever written. This album drips with emotion and is an important progression for the band musically. |
| 1 |  | Van Halen
Fair Warning
Pure classic. Raw in every form. Meatiest guitar tone, has some of their top songs. An overlooked gem in the Roth-fronted category. |
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