Van Halen ( album ) - wikipedia Van Halen ( album ) Van Halen Studio album by Van Halen Released February 10, 1978 ( 1978 - 02 - 10 ) Recorded August 30 -- September 1977 Studio Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood Genre Hard rock, heavy metal Length 35 : 34 Label Warner Bros. Producer Ted Templeman Van Halen chronology Van Halen ( 1978 ) Van Halen II ( 1979 ) Van Halen II 1979 Singles from Van Halen `` You Really Got Me '' / `` Atomic Punk '' Released : January 28, 1978 `` Runnin ' with the Devil '' / `` Eruption '' Released : May 6, 1978 `` Jamie 's Cryin ' '' / `` I 'm the One '' Released : May 16, 1978 `` On Fire '' / `` Jamie 's Cryin ' '' Released : September 1978 ( Japan ) `` Ai n't Talkin ' ' Bout Love '' / `` Feel Your Love Tonight '' Released : October 25, 1978 Van Halen is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen. Released on February 10, 1978, the album peaked at # 19 on the Billboard 200. The album became widely recognized as the band 's popularity grew, selling more than 10 million copies in the United States by August 7, 1996 and being certified Diamond. Van Halen contains many of Van Halen 's signature songs, including `` Runnin ' with the Devil, '' the guitar solo `` Eruption, '' The Kinks cover `` You Really Got Me, '' `` Ai n't Talkin ' ' bout Love '', `` Jamie 's Cryin '', `` Feel Your Love Tonight '', and the cover version of John Brim 's `` Ice Cream Man ''. Contents 1 Background 2 Packaging and artwork 3 Release and reception 4 Commercial performance 5 Legacy 6 Track listing 7 Personnel 8 Charts 8.1 Weekly charts 8.2 Singles 9 Certifications 10 See also 11 References Background Van Halen began recording demos in 1976. However, a three - track tape financed by Gene Simmons attracted no interest from record labels. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen was not convinced of the quality of the material because they could not make the recordings with their own equipment. Simmons left to tour with Kiss after recording the demos, but said he would try to secure Van Halen a record deal afterwards. After recording the demos, Van Halen was offered several concerts. At a sold - out show in their hometown, Pasadena, the group 's future manager, Marshall Berle, discovered the band. He and musical entrepreneur Kim Fowley paired them with punk rock band Venus and the Razorblades for a gig at the Whisky a Go Go. After being well received by Berle at the Whisky a Go Go, the band gained the attention of Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman of Warner Bros. Ostin and Templeman were impressed with the band 's performance at the Starwood, and Van Halen proceeded to sign a contract with Warner. The recording of their debut album began in October 1977 and lasted only three weeks. With producer Ted Templeman, it was mostly recorded live. `` Runnin ' with the Devil, '' `` Jamie 's Cryin ', '' `` Feel Your Love Tonight '' and `` Ice Cream Man '' contain guitar overdubs. Overall, the album cost approximately $40,000 to produce. `` We did n't have a ton of material, '' recalled bassist Michael Anthony, `` so we basically just took our live show and all the songs we knew and went for it. The whole album took a couple of weeks. Ted Templeman wanted to make a big, powerful guitar record, and he had all he needed in what Eddie was doing. '' The subsequent tour began with the band opening for Journey, along with Montrose, in the United States. They later opened for Black Sabbath in Europe and the United States. Packaging and artwork The cover photos for Van Halen were taken at the Whisky a Go Go, a Los Angeles club at which Van Halen often performed during the mid-1970s. The guitar pictured on the cover of the album is Eddie Van Halen 's famous Frankenstrat Guitar ( before he added the red paint ), a Fender Stratocaster replica which is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Release and reception Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating AllMusic Robert Christgau MusicHound Rolling Stone ( 1978 ) Not Rated Rolling Stone ( 2004 ) The Rolling Stone Album Guide Kerrang ! Q In the United States, Van Halen reached number 19 on the Billboard Top 200 ; their debut single, a cover of The Kinks ' `` You Really Got Me, '' spent three weeks on the chart, peaking at number 36. Soon after its February 1978 release, Van Halen became regarded by fans and critics as one of rock and roll 's greatest debut albums ; however, its initial critical reception was mostly negative. In 1978, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a negative review, writing : `` For some reason Warners wants us to know that this is the biggest bar band in the San Fernando Valley... The term becomes honorific when the music belongs in a bar. This music belongs on an aircraft carrier. '' In 1978, Rolling Stone critic Charles M. Young predicted, `` In three years, Van Halen is going to be fat and self - indulgent and disgusting... follow ( ing ) Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin right into the toilet. In the meantime, they are likely to be a big deal. '' But he also wrote that : `` Van Halen 's secret is not doing anything that 's original while having the hormones to do it better than all those bands who have become fat and self - indulgent and disgusting. Edward Van Halen has mastered the art of lead / rhythm guitar in the tradition of Jimmy Page and Joe Walsh ; several riffs on this record beat anything Aerosmith has come up with in years. Vocalist Dave Lee Roth manages the rare hard - rock feat of infusing the largely forgettable lyrics with energy and not sounding like a castrato at the same time. Drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Michael Anthony are competent and properly unobtrusive. '' According to Rolling Stone 's Holly George - Warren, with the album 's release the mainstream media focused on Roth 's `` swaggering good looks and extroverted persona, '' while fans and musicians `` were riveted by Eddie Van Halen 's guitar mastery, '' which included `` an array of unorthodox techniques. '' She notes that, even before the band 's debut, `` Eddie became a legend among local guitarists. '' Kerrang ! magazine gave the album a very positive review, and considers the album to be an `` essential purchase. '' They wrote, `` IT 'S DIFFICULT to overstate the effect VH 's debut had upon its release. With the music world split between punk, disco and prog rock, Van Halen combined a dazzling live show with a party - hearty motto and, in Eddie Van Halen, a guitarist who redefined what was possible on six strings. His sound on this album -- christened ' The Brown Sound ' -- remains the holy grail of guitar tones. '' Commercial performance On August 7, 1996, Van Halen was re-certified by the RIAA for selling ten million copies in the US alone. One of only six rock bands to release two RIAA Diamond status albums, Van Halen remains one of Van Halen 's two best - selling albums, along with 1984. Van Halen went to Gold status on May 24, 1978, and then went to Platinum status just a few months later, on October 10, 1978. In less than a year the album sold more than one million copies in the US alone, meaning that the album was already a great success. However, on October 22, 1984, the album went to 5 × Multi-Platinum status, in other words, with that, the album still had a lot to sell. The album went to 6x Multi-Platinum on February 1, 1989, and then went to 7 × Multi-Platinum on September 29, 1993. In less than a year later, on July 11, 1994, the album went to 8x Multi-Platinum, and finally, on August 7, 1996, just two years later, the album went to Diamond status by RIAA. The Van Halen album, like Van Halen 's other David Lee Roth - era albums -- excepting Van Halen II, which was re-certified in 2004, to coincide with the promotion of a Warner Bros. Records greatest hits collection -- was last brought by Warner Bros. Records to the RIAA for re-certification in 1996, while 1984 was re-certified on February 8, 1999. The band 's split with Warner Brothers in 2002, and subsequent agreement with Interscope has eliminated Warner Brothers ' incentive for paying the ( relatively substantial ) fee to promote Van Halen 's back - catalog by having its albums re-certified. Despite lack of re-certification, Van Halen 's 1978 debut has continued to sell prolifically, re-appearing numerous times on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Pop Catalog Albums charts, as recently as 2014. Legacy AllMusic 's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described Van Halen as `` monumental '' and `` seismic, '' while noting that it is typically not viewed as an `` epochal generation shift '' in the same way as the debut albums of Led Zeppelin, the Ramones, The Rolling Stones, and the Sex Pistols. He explains, `` The reason it 's never given the same due is that there 's no pretension, nothing self - conscious about it. '' He commented : `` The still - amazing thing about Van Halen is how it sounds like it has no fathers... Like all great originals Van Halen does n't seem to belong to the past and it still sounds like little else, despite generations of copycats. '' In Erlewine 's opinion, the album `` set the template for how rock and roll sounded for the next decade or more. '' A retrospective review by Q noted, `` Hit singles came later, but this dazzling debut remains their trump card. '' In 1994, Van Halen was ranked number eight in Colin Larkin 's Top 50 Heavy Metal Albums. Larkin described it as `` one of the truly great '' debut albums of heavy metal. According to authors Gary Graff and Daniel Durchholz, writing in MusicHound Rock : The Essential Album Guide ( 1999 ), Van Halen is a `` headbanger 's paradise '' ; before its release, `` no one had heard or seen anything like it. '' In 2003, Rolling Stone, listed it among The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, at number 410. According to Rolling Stone 's Joe Levy, the album `` gave the world a new guitar hero and charismatic frontman '' in Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth, respectively. Levy credits the tracks `` Runnin ' with the Devil '' and `` Ai n't Talkin ' ' Bout Love '' with `` put ( ting ) the swagger back in hard rock, '' praising Eddie Van Halen 's `` jaw - dropping technique, '' which `` raised the bar for rock guitar. '' In 2006, Guitar World readers ranked it number 7 on a list of the Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. In 2013, Rolling Stone listed the album at number 27 of the 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time. On April 15, 2013, David Lee Roth was interviewed by Jay Mohr for his podcast, where he selected the album as his favorite Van Halen album. In 2017, students of the Los Rios Rock School in San Juan Capistrano, California, re-recorded the full Van Halen album in one day with the help of the Produce Like a Pro team. The session was recorded in the same studio that Van Halen recorded in, using the same recording equipment that Van Halen originally used. The Van Halen album continues to inspire young musicians 40 years after its creation. Track listing All tracks written by Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, except where noted. Side one No. Title Writer ( s ) Length 1. `` Runnin ' with the Devil '' 3 : 36 2. `` Eruption '' 1 : 42 3. `` You Really Got Me '' Ray Davies 2 : 38 4. `` Ai n't Talkin ' ' bout Love '' 3 : 50 5. `` I 'm the One '' 3 : 47 Side two No. Title Writer ( s ) Length 6. `` Jamie 's Cryin ' '' 3 : 31 7. `` Atomic Punk '' 3 : 02 8. `` Feel Your Love Tonight '' 3 : 43 9. `` Little Dreamer '' 3 : 23 10. `` Ice Cream Man '' John Brim 3 : 20 11. `` On Fire * '' 3 : 01 On many cassette releases, `` On Fire '' is the 6th track, leaving `` Ice Cream Man '' as the final one. Personnel Van Halen Michael Anthony -- bass guitar, backing vocals David Lee Roth -- lead vocals, acoustic guitar on `` Ice Cream Man '' ( credited as David Roth ) Eddie Van Halen -- guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen -- drums Production Dave Bhang -- art direction and design Jodi Cohen -- typesetting Elliot Gilbert -- photography Logan Jervis -- engineer Donn Landee -- engineer Peggy McCreary -- engineer Jo Motta -- project coordinator Kent Nebergall -- engineer Ted Templeman -- producer Charts Weekly charts Billboard ( North America ) Year Chart Position 1978 Pop Albums 19 1984 The Billboard 200 117 Singles Billboard ( North America ) Year Single Chart Position 1978 `` You Really Got Me '' Pop Singles 36 1978 `` Runnin ' with the Devil '' Pop Singles 84 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Canada ( Music Canada ) 4 × Platinum 400,000 Finland ( Musiikkituottajat ) Gold 25,305 France ( SNEP ) Gold 100,000 Germany ( BVMI ) Gold 250,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 100,000 United States ( RIAA ) Diamond 10,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone See also List of best - selling albums in the United States References Jump up ^ Renoff, Greg ( 13 October 2015 ). Van Halen Rising. Toronto : ECW Press. p. 279. ISBN 978 - 1 - 77041 - 263 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Sunset Sound '' ( PDF ). sunsetsound.com. ^ Jump up to : `` You searched for van halen - RIAA ''. RIAA. ^ Jump up to : `` Volume : Van Halen - Biography and Discography at HardHarderHeavy ''. hardharderheavy.de ( in German ). Retrieved December 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Grow, Kory ( March 22, 2016 ). `` Gene Simmons Talks Lost Seventies Van Halen Demos ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016. I gave the demo back to the band, told them I had a tour to go on and afterward I would try to get them a record deal, but until then, I tore up our contract and set them free. It did n't take them long to get on Warner Bros. Jump up ^ Renoff, Greg. `` How punk and new wave resurrected Hollywood 's legendary Whisky a Go Go in the 1970s ''. medium.com/cuepoint. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Tolinski 2010, p. 38. Jump up ^ Tolinski 2010, p. 116. Jump up ^ Renoff 2015, p. 561. Jump up ^ musicradar.com/news/guitars/michael-anthony-my-6-career-defining-records-249695 Jump up ^ `` Journey 's Past Tour Information ''. journey-tribute.com. Retrieved December 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on July 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 10. Jump up ^ Quan, Denise ( February 4, 2009 ). `` Eddie Van Halen reinvents the guitar ''. CNN. Retrieved July 15, 2011. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Van Halen -- Van Halen ''. AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 22, 2011. Jump up ^ Christgau, Robert ( 1978 ). `` Consumer Guide ''. The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Graff, Gary ; Durchholz, Daniel ( 1999 ). MusicHound Rock : The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57859 - 061 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Rolling Stone : Van Halen : Van Halen : Music Reviews ''. archive.org. April 27, 2007. Jump up ^ Edwards, Gavin ( November 25, 2004 ). `` Van Halen : Van Halen ( 2004 review ) ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen : Album Guide Rolling Stone Music ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen - Where to Start with - Kerrang ''. archive.org. March 15, 2014. Jump up ^ Q, August 2000 Jump up ^ George - Warren 2001, p. 1028 ; Whitburn 2010, p. 683 Jump up ^ `` CG : Van Halen ''. Robert Christgau. Retrieved February 22, 2014. Jump up ^ Young, Charles M. ( May 4, 1978 ). `` Van Halen : Van Halen ''. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 27, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Rolling Stone : Van Halen : Van Halen : Music Reviews ''. archive.org. April 27, 2007. ^ Jump up to : George - Warren 2001, p. 1028. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen - Where to Start with - Kerrang ''. archive.org. March 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Gold & Platinum Searchable Database -- February 21, 2014 ''. RIAA. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen -- Chart history ''. Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen -- Chart history ''. Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Stephen Thomas Erlewine ( February 10, 1978 ). `` Van Halen - Van Halen Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards ''. AllMusic. Retrieved February 22, 2014. Jump up ^ Q, August 2000 Jump up ^ Larkin 1994, p. 182. Jump up ^ Graff & Durchholz 1999, p. 1187. ^ Jump up to : Levy 2005, p. 203. Jump up ^ `` 100 Greatest Guitar Albums ''. Guitar World. October 2006. A copy can be found at `` Guitar World 's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time -- Rate Your Music ''. rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved October 12, 2011. Jump up ^ `` The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time : ' Van Halen ' ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 22, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Mohr Stories ''. Retrieved February 8, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Kids record Van Halen 1 Live in One Day at Sunset Sound ! - Produce Like A Pro ''. producelikeapro.com. August 31, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen - Van Halen ''. Discogs. Jump up ^ `` Van Halen -- Van Halen ''. Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Canadian album certifications -- Van Halen -- Van Halen ''. Music Canada. ^ Jump up to : `` Van Halen '' ( in Finnish ). Musiikkituottajat -- IFPI Finland. Jump up ^ `` French album certifications -- Van Halen -- Van Halen '' ( in French ). InfoDisc. Select VAN HALEN and click OK Jump up ^ `` Gold - / Platin - Datenbank ( Van Halen ; ' Van Halen ' ) '' ( in German ). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Jump up ^ `` British album certifications -- Van Halen -- Van Halen ''. British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Enter Van Halen in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ `` American album certifications -- Van Halen -- Van Halen ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH Works cited George - Warren, Holly, ed. ( 2001 ). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll ( 2005 ed. ). Fireside. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7432 - 9201 - 6. Graff, Gary ; Durchholz, Daniel ( 1999 ). MusicHound Rock : The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57859 - 061 - 2. Larkin, Colin ( 1994 ). Guinness Book of Top 1000 Albums ( 1 ed. ). Gullane Children 's Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 85112 - 786 - 6. Levy, Joe, ed. ( 2005 ). Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ( First Paperback ed. ). Wenner Books. ISBN 978 - 1 - 932958 - 61 - 4. Whitburn, Joel ( 2010 ). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 1955 -- 2009 ( 9 ed. ). Billboard Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8230 - 8554 - 5. Tolinski, Brad ( April 15, 2010 ). Guitar World Presents Van Halen. Backbeat Books. p. 38. access - date = requires url = ( help ) Renoff, Greg ( October 1, 2015 ). Van Halen Rising : How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal. ECW Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 77090 - 791 - 1. Retrieved December 30, 2016. Van Halen Eddie Van Halen Alex Van Halen David Lee Roth Wolfgang Van Halen Mark Stone Michael Anthony Sammy Hagar Gary Cherone Studio albums Van Halen Van Halen II Women and Children First Fair Warning Diver Down 1984 5150 OU812 For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Balance Van Halen III A Different Kind of Truth Compilation albums Best Of -- Volume I The Best of Both Worlds Live albums Live : Right Here, Right Now Tokyo Dome Live in Concert Videography Live Without a Net Live : Right Here, Right Now Video Hits Volume I Concert tours Early days Van Halen 1978 World Tour Van Halen World Vacation Tour Van Halen World Invasion Tour Fair Warning Tour Hide Your Sheep Tour 1984 Tour Monsters of Rock Tour 1984 5150 Tour Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 OU812 Tour For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour Right Here Right Now Tour The Balance `` Ambulance '' Tour III Tour Van Halen Summer Tour 2004 Van Halen 2007 -- 2008 North American Tour A Different Kind of Truth Tour Van Halen 2015 North American Tour Related Articles Discography Twister soundtrack Guitar Hero : Van Halen 5150 Studios Frankenstrat Van Halen Rising People Donn Landee Ted Templeman Bands The David Lee Roth Band Montrose Extreme Planet Us Chickenfoot The Circle Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Van_Halen_(album)&oldid=854280259 '' Categories : 1978 debut albums Van Halen albums Albums produced by Ted Templeman Warner Bros. Records albums Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders Hidden categories : CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Finnish - language sources ( fi ) CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Use mdy dates from July 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018 Certification Table Entry usages for Canada Certification Table Entry usages for Finland Certification Table Entry usages for France Certification Table Entry usages for Germany Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Certification Table Entry usages for United States Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Français Galego Hrvatski Italiano Magyar 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Українська 10 more Edit links This page was last edited on 10 August 2018, at 05 : 28 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when was van halen's first album released
Answer: February 10, 1978