Van Halen

The follow-up, Van Halen II (1979), made the US top 10 but didn't pack the same sales punch despite following the exact same formula. It did, however, spawn their first hit single, Dance The Night Away. The albums Women and Children First (1980) and Fair Warning (1981) improved their standings, both in the critical and commercial circles, but Diver Down (1982) would see them expand their horizons. A cover of Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman would give them another US top 20 to pull the album into the top 5 standing; it was the strongest track of the mostly re-hashed '60's songs that held the record up. As strong as the album was it would end off proving to be one of their weakest efforts.

The next year Michael Jackson came calling, and Eddie answered it as a one off guitar guest player on his Beat It single; the track from which would be incorporated onto Michael Jackson's Thriller album shortly later, an album that would become the biggest selling record in history. It was a sales record yet to be beaten, and as a result it gave Eddie good crossover exposure. 1984 (a.k.a. MCMLXXXIV), released new year's eve that same year of its namesake, would make Van Halen one of the biggest rock bands in the world for the time. The accompanying hit track (turned single) Jump made it to number 1, and for many, especially in England and Europe, they saw 'Diamond' Dave and crew for the first time. Now their videos and live shows featured them doing acrobatic acts, death-defying feats and generally taking 1980s experimentation with ease. The album would spawn other lesser hits, such as the lewd tongue-in-cheek track Hot For The Teacher; and over-all spent a full year in the charts and went as high as number 2. It was clear that Van Halen were at the height of their career, but Roth decided to jump ship and start up his own circus with a solo venture.

Van Halen returned two years later with replacement Sammy Hagar (ex-Montrose) and the single Why Can't This Be Love, giving them a number 3 chart position. Even though the absence of Roth was obvious, and the record company executives even suggested they change the band name, they released their most ambitious project in 1986 titled 5150 (California police radio code for the criminally insane and later the name of Eddie Van Halen's studio). It was clear their chemistry had changed.There was still enough formula left, however, to give them their first US number one for an album. After this they were virtually guaranteed a platinum release for everything they did. They got it with OU812 (1988), another number 1. The album was considered a weak effort by lacking direction and overly formulated, but Van Halen could do no wrong and went up the charts because of their name brand status. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991; a.k.a. F.U.C.K.) was a highly improved effort with gritty and serious rock. Due to its juvenile (but creative) name derived from their disgust over the Tipper Gore (PMRC) censorship issues, it raised controversy past the musical content. The album, however, proved to stand up to the contemporary 'grunge' bands of the time and still sold well. Their first live recording, Right Here Right Now, finally came out in 1993. 1995's follow-up, Balance, got them another US number 1, and their first top 10 in the UK It was released on both CD and vinyl at a time when the old black discs were starting to fade into history.

David Lee Roth would return for the Best Of: Volume One (1996) compilation by appearing on the only two new tracks the set offered, Can't Get This Stuff No More and Me Wise Magic, but was quickly out again when egos got in the way in favor, this time, for Gary Cherrone (ex-Extreme) who made his appearance on their 1998 Van Halen III, a 4 US/43 UK effort. Montrose went back to his solo effort in 1994. Roth, for his part,was not totally out in the cold for he had embarked on a semi-successful solo career in the mean time in his own right and returned to that effort.

In 2004 the operation's compilation Best of Both Worlds featured three new songs with Hagar that would lead to Hagar's return to the band full time for 2012's Tattoo that featured Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen on bass; the single would find its way onto the follow up album A Different Kind of Truth later that year.

On August 30, 2012, Eddie Van Halen was diagnosed with diverticulitis and underwent surgery postponing the shows in Japan initially scheduled for November 2012. On April 20, 2013, the Roth-fronted Van Halen played its first show outside North America since 1984, and their first in Australia since 1998, at the Stone Festival in Sydney. This was followed by one show each in Tokyo and Nagoya, and two in Osaka, from June 18 to 26.

In February 2015, Van Halen would be released their first ever live album with original vocalist David Lee Roth, Tokyo Dome Live in Concert on March 31, 2015. The band also released newly remastered versions of their 1978 debut and MCMLXXXIV (a.k.a. 1984) on CD, digital, and vinyl.

On March 24, 2015, Van Halen announced a 39 date tour with Roth to take place during July-October 2015 across North America.

On September 2019 would see Van Halen announced they would be releasing a box set of the Japanese singles. This set was released on November 1, 2019.

On October 6, 2020 Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang announced that his father had died from a long battle throat cancer the ultimate end being a stroke at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. His battle was known to the media, but his death was sudden. He was 65 years old. The band folded shortly after.