Sammy Hagar on David Lee Roth: My Van Halen ‘melodies and range were so much better’

Abby Gillardi, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Published on:

Upon David Lee Roth stepping away from Van Halen in 1985, Sammy Hagar joined the band and became their lead vocalist; the “Sammy Hagar Era” of Van Halen lasted until 1996, which is when Hagar left the band.

Both Roth and Hagar are incredible vocalists, with each lending their voice to awesome Van Halen albums.

But between these two great eras of Van Halen… which one stands as the “best”? Funny enough, this is something that Hagar recently provided an answer to.

During a recent conversation with MarketWatch, Hagar was asked which era of Valen Halen (between his and Roth’s specifically) he thinks is the best.

His answer may (or may not) surprise you, but here is what the ex-Van Halen singer had to say in regard to that question:

“Dude, that’s like asking what came first, the chicken or the egg? For me, I think the Hagar era was much more elevated musically.”

He goes on to add, “We wrote much deeper, more complex songs. And my melodies and my range were so much better than what Dave could do. Dave was more about the antics of the band and the gimmicks.”

If you are a Van Halen fan, which era of the band is your personal favorite? Are you more of a Hagar fan, or a Roth fan? Or Neither?

When it comes to other stories involving Van Halen, are you aware of the heartbreaking song the band created that is about Kurt Cobain‘s suicide? Having been so deeply impacted by Cobain’s death, Hagar wanted to write a song that could help people in need; specifically, he wanted to create a song that might speak to people who suffer like how Cobain suffered.

To learn more about this story and find out what that song is, follow the link below. You will also find links to other Van Halen-related stories below as well.

The Heartbreaking Van Halen Song About Kurt Cobain's Suicide

The Van Halen Song Sammy Hagar Couldn't Sing Live

Sammy Hagar's Mechanic Got Him the Gig In Van Halen