79: Van Halen – Van Halen

: Cover of Van Halen

If you've ever been to a local music store guitar solo contest, you know when it comes. You hear the first chord and know you're about to hear yet another sixteen-year-old grind out "Eruption" in hopes of winning the free guitar. No guitar solo contest would be complete without "Eruption" rehashed by too much testosterone.

Another scenario: at some point in your life, you've substituted one your friend's names for Jamie's name in "Jamie's Cryin'", especially your overly dramatic friend named Jamie. How can you not? Here's a fun fact: the one-second drum intro at the beginning of "Jamie's Cryin'" is one of the most sampled pieces of music. Ever.

Van Halen's first and self-titled album (1979) is, without a doubt, one of the most influential rock albums of all time. Just forget for a minute that David Lee Roth has an IQ of 55 and Eddie Van Halen has thrown away nearly every good thing he had for the sake of his own ego. Also forget that Sammy Hagar added a much needed element to Van Halen that, at least to me, made them a perfect band. (Please let's not argue Roth versus Hagar; it's about as pointless as Apple versus Windows.) Van Halen is required listening at the School of Rock. You cannot pass without basic Van Halen 101.

Like a lot of things that get ruined by too much exposure, you may not appreciate Van Halen. Think of it like Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". You know the story because it's been imitated, remade, rehashed, brutalized, butchered, taped back together, and overplayed. However, if you clear your mind and go back read the actual "A Christmas Carol" story without all of the current pop culture associations, one thing is clear: it's a damn good story. Van Halen is a damn good album.