Formed by Eddie Van Halen (Guitar), Alex Van Halen (Drums), Michael Anthony (Bass) and David Lee Roth (vocals), Van Halen’s classic formation made some loud noise in the rock and roll world in the end of the 70s and through out the 80s even when Lee Roth left the band and was succesfully replaced by Sammy Hagar.
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And to honor this great band, we prepared a nice list of the Top 5 bands to listen if you like Van Halen. But it is not easy to play like Eddie Van Halen so you will notice that many of the bands on the list has some relation to the band itself.
Check it out:
David Lee Roth
This option may seem obvious but David Lee Roth’s solo career emulates his success on Van Halen, bringing also virtuoso guitarists to his band, such as Steve Vai and Jason Becker. The first version of the David Lee Roth Band formed in Pasadena, California in 1985 originally featuring a supergroup line-up of guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette.
Sammy Hagar
And if David Lee Roth is on the list, Van Halen’s second singer, Sammy Hagar should also be, although his solo career doesn’t emulate his ex-band’s sound so much, but of course, due to his way of singing, if you are a Van Halen fan will see the similarity with the band.
Def Leppard
Joe Elliott’s band is certainly one of the bands that gets more closer to Van Halen’s sound because they also mixed hard rock and pop in a good way. Def Leppard was formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitars, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitars, backing vocals). This is the band’s longest lasting line-up.
Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot was a rock supergroup formed in 2008, the band consisted on vocalist Sammy Hagar (ex–Van Halen and Montrose), bassist Michael Anthony (also ex–Van Halen), guitarist Joe Satriani, and drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Due to consistent recording and touring commitments to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kenny Aronoff joined the group in 2011 as a touring replacement for Smith. While the band has not formally announced a breakup, in June 2016 Smith said that he had doubts about its survival due to their busy schedules.
The Circle
And another supergroup made by Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony! The Circle, also named Sammy Hagar + The Circle are the current supergroup of the great friends Hagar and Anthony. The band also has guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer Jason Bonham. In 2019 their released their first album and toured to promote the band.
I'm a Brazilian journalist who always loved Classic Rock and Heavy Metal music. That passion inspired me to create Rock and Roll Garage over 6 years ago.
Music has always been a part of my life, helping me through tough times and being a support to celebrate the good ones. When I became a journalist, I knew I wanted to write about my passions.
After graduating in journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, I pursued a postgraduate degree in digital communication at the same institution. The studies and experience in the field helped me improve the website and always bring the best of classic rock to the world!
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