Van Halen

With flamboyant David Lee Roth sharing center stage with guitar god Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen emerged from Los Angeles in the late '70s, recharging a stagnant hard rock scene and storming up the charts with a series of rock-radio staples, capped by 1984's "Jump." At last, here was a context in which spandex made perfect sense. Follow Van Halen from Sunset Strip to stadium and back, in Next Steps.

Diamond Dave was fired from Van Halen just as the band was plotting a follow-up to its biggest hit, 1984. Sammy Hagar stepped into the high-profile position, and, to the surprise of critics, Van Halen didn't miss a beat, scoring repeatedly well into the '90s — until a trial reunion with Roth angered Hagar, prompting his dismissal. Van Halen's revolving door for front men continues to spin in Deep Cuts.

With the jettisoning of Hagar, a third incarnation of Van Halen emerged with Gary Cherone at the mic. Two songs from this short-lived lineup ("Fire in the Hole" and "Without You") demonstrate Van Halen's ongoing commitment to arena rock — and that the heart of the band remains Eddie Van Halen, guitarist extraordinaire.

The battle royal over the Van Halen lead vocalist slot garnered the headlines, but fans have always known that no matter who was at the mic, it was Eddie Van Halen who set the quartet's pace. The band emerged from late-'70s L.A. with a series of hits and kept their momentum going when David Lee Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar . . . who was replaced by Gary Cherone . . . who was replaced by a recalled Hagar . . . who was replaced by Diamond Dave . . . An epic story fit for an epic band.