Coming after Dave Lee Roth’s acrimonious departure and heralding the arrival of their new singer Sammy Hagar, 1986’s 5150 was always going to be pivotal for Van Halen. It turned out to be more than that. The band had spent the late 70s and early 80s building up an irrepressible head of steam, but Roth’s egomaniacal behaviour on and off stage and guitarist Eddie Van Halen’s desire for respect alongside his fame were increasingly incompatible.
Hagar was not a familiar figure to Van Halen fans who did not know or care about his Montrose past or his solo hit singles, but his singing style – more straightforward than Roth – fitted in well, and 5150 gave them their first No.1 album, on the back of three hit singles: a couple of power ballads in Why Can’t This Be Love and Love Walks In, plus the inspiring, anthemic Dreams.
