Last Friday, February 10th, was the 45th anniversary of the release of Van Halen's self-titled debut album.
The iconic album was released on February 10th, 1978. It was produced by Ted Templeman, who is known for his work with The Doobie Brothers, Van Morrison, Little Feat and Carly Simon. The album featured many of Van Halen’s most popular songs, including "Runnin' With the Devil," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Jamie's Cryin'," along with their covers of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and bluesman John Brim's "Ice Cream Man."
Van Halen peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200 and reportedly cost only $40,000 to produce.
The album went gold in May 1978 and then platinum after that.
Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony once commented on the group’s steady climb to success with their debut album. He said, "One thing I really thank God for is it was a steady building process. Even though I thought our music was great, I'm glad we didn't bust onto the scene like maybe a Boston or a band like that around that time where all of a sudden you're thrown into the stadiums or whatever because I think we really appreciated the success a lot more."
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[Source: Classic Hits Today]