Listen along with our 
Source Material: Van Halen, 1984 playlist. And don't forget to also check out this one: Van Halen: Their Greatest Hits With Diamond Dave.If asked to list the ultimate '80s albums -- those that I most closely associate with the decade (even if I didn't necessarily listen to all of them) -- 1984 would sit at the top of the list next to Thriller, She's So Unusual, Purple Rain, Born in the U.S.A., the Top Gun soundtrack, Like a Virgin and The Wrestling Album.
Yet I must confess: I wasn't a big fan.
I was nine in 1984; Van Halen were my older brother's band, and he absolutely loved them. In fact, he belonged to a circle of pals who bonded over their worship. Even back then, at that age, I knew V.H. fandom was intense and unique. I've since met many more longtime fans, and each and every one of them possesses a similar degree of obsession. Van Halen might not go down as rock 'n' roll's most famous band, but they are certainly one of its most loved.
I think a lot of this has to do with their singular mix of titanic swagger, down-to-earth dude stuff and sheer comical absurdity. They were crazy and larger than life for sure, but they also seemed like neighborhood clowns ready to hang whenever and wherever good times were to be had. The "Jump," "Hot for Teacher" and "Panama" videos, all of which absolutely dominated MTV in the year following the release of 1984, expertly broadcasted these qualities with an infectious charm. If you want a taste of the Van Halen persona in microcosm, check out the blow-dryer scene during the moody middle section of "Panama." Pure genius.
Another impression that hit me when I was young was that Diamond Dave, Eddie, Michael and Alex were different from the hair-metal bands slowly taking over MTV. I think this has been somewhat forgotten as the Myth of the '80s has evolved through the years. Van Halen released their debut in 1978; they belong to a lineage that is older and hairier. Montrose, Cactus, Black Oak Arkansas, Aerosmith, the Motor City Madman ... pure 1970s, in other words.
But even this doesn't fully explain 1984. It's far more than just bell-bottomed boogie metal. Recorded at Eddie's home studio, 5150, the record belongs in the same category as Queen's The Game, Rush's Signals, ZZ Top's Eliminator and Yes' 90125. Each of these albums is the product of an older rock titan successfully keeping apace with changing times. Rather than regurgitate the aging rock sounds of the previous decade, they embraced New Wave: glorious pop hooks, chilly synthesizers and all manner of arty licks. Granted, Van Halen's music always reflected a love of pop, but never to the extent that it does on 1984. The trivia factoid that Eddie played the solo on MJ's "Beat It" seems to be telling of the band's increased emphasis on pop, as does Daryl Hall's admission that the guitarist once told him that he lifted the classic "Jump" synth line from the thoroughly un-rocking "Kiss on My List."
I might not have been one of the converted back in the day. But now, whenever I hear 1984, I'm amazed at the fact that I know a record I never owned inside and out. This isn't just a testament to its omnipresence on the pop landscape in the mid-1980s, but to its stone-cold awesomeness. My brother was right: these guys rule.
Queen
The Game
Never mind that "Another One Bites the Dust" is one of the most ridiculously funky songs ever recorded -- Queen's 1980 effort proved that these leather-clad, mustached freaks could do whatever they wanted. Huge ballads, '50s rave-ups, colossal hard rock, triumphant power-synths and disco funk rock. Have you listened to "Dragon Attack" lately? It's unbelievable. [Jon Pruett]
RushSignals
Moving Pictures was Rush's bridge from the '70s to the '80s. On its successor, Signals, they burned that bridge down. This music is pure '80s: clinical production, crisp compositions, wiry interplay, synthesizer as texture. Lyrically, the trio eschewed the fantasies of yore for a psychogeographic rendering of the modern, particularly the artificiality of suburbia. "Sprawling on the fringes of the city," Geddy Lee sings, "In geometric order, an insulated border, in between the bright lights and the far unlit unknown." Even more intense: "His world is under anesthetic, subdivided and synthetic." [Justin Farrar]
MontroseMontrose
Sammy Hagar may have become one of the most annoying singers of all time, but no one can deny the pure rock genius of this 1973 release. Not only does the young Hagar sound great, but guitarist Ronnie Montrose peels off an incredible number of killer riffs. "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Space Station #5" find the spot where early heavy metal and psychedelia meet. [Mike McGuirk]
Van HalenFair Warning
Van Halen never sounded meaner than on this 1981 release, perhaps because they all hated each other by the time they recorded it (so the story goes). "Mean Street" and "Unchained" are as close to heavy metal as the group ever came, and Eddie goes bananas at every opportunity, piling screeching effects on top of his already unearthly playing. [M.M.]
Michael JacksonThriller
The biggest-selling record of all time, Thriller marked a zenith in pop music songwriting. With practically every song on here hitting the Top 5 at some point, the album was a sensation in the truest sense of the word. Inspired millions across the country to dress like one-gloved space captains. [M.M.]
CactusCactus
The release of Zep's first two albums in 1969 unleashed a wave of groups obsessed with ear-splitting rock and savage boogie. One of the very best was Cactus, a (kind of) supergroup comprised of former members of Vanilla Fudge, The Amboy Dukes and Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels. Released in 1970, their debut is ferocious. The rhythm section, Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice, bash away. Renegade frontman Rusty Day howls like a maniac. But the star of the show is Jim McCarty. The guitarist's rapid-fire assault transcends meter on "Parchman Farm" and especially "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover." [J.F.]
Yes90125
Nobody -- and we mean nobody -- in the early '80s expected a dinosaur like Yes to release a killer slab of modern MTV pop. Yet that's exactly what the group accomplished. In terms of British art-rock mingling with New Wave, 90125 is very nearly the equal of Queen's masterful The Game. Every single track, particularly the hook-laced "Owner of a Lonely Heart," is an intricately constructed collage full of sharp edges, jagged collisions and oddly funky grooves. The X factor is producer Trevor Horn, who expertly applies his knowledge of disco and club music to the proceedings. [J.F.]
Black Oak ArkansasRaunch 'N' Roll Live
There are points during this set when it seems like Black Oak Arkansas were the best live act of the '70s. Basically this is anytime uber-weirdo Jim "Dandy" Mangrum introduces a song, or sings. The rest of the time the band boogies, choogles and chit-lins (if that's even possible for a band to do) way better than almost any other Wouthern rock group of the era. This definitive version of "When Electricity Came to Arkansas" is so deep-fried you can eat it. "Hot and Nasty" is another major highlight. [M.M.]
Hall & OatesVoices
"Kiss on My List" and "You Make My Dreams" were major chart-toppers when Voices hit the shelves in 1980 -- the first indicators of Hall & Oates' total dominance to come throughout the decade. Their Righteous Brothers cover ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'") and "Everytime You Go Away" (taken to No. 1 by Paul Young in 1985) also find their way onto greatest-hits collections and into the duo's live sets, making for an album even casual listeners will recognize chunks of. That said, lesser-knowns "United State" and "Hard to Be in Love with You" prove they weren't ignoring New Wave. [M.M.]
AerosmithRocks
From Steve Tyler's first shriek to Joe Perry's muted, hard funk guitars, "Back in the Saddle" is one of the band's weirdest, best numbers. They keep up the eccentric pace with the sleazy robot of "Last Child" (how'd they do that, anyway? Even Bowie can't make robots sleazy), proving that Rocks is one of those albums where you can feel a band hitting their stride. [M.M.]
Ted NugentCat Scratch Fever
Album No. 3 from the Motor City Madman cemented his place in history with the smash hit single "Cat Scratch Fever," one of the all-time great juvenile vocabulary lessons. Throughout the album, Nugent's totally burnin' guitar is matched by the cock-rockin' vocals of Derek St. Holmes. Don't forget to play "Homebound" anytime you are returning from the hunt. [M.M.]
The Pointer SistersBreak Out
Though they had already been recording for a full decade, Oakland's Pointer Sisters really hit the big time with Break Out, their tenth studio album. Bolstered by the huge hits "Jump (For My Love), "I'm So Excited," and "Neutron Dance" (featured on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack), this LP made them crossover superstars and household names. [Brolin Winning]
Further listening
ZZ Top, Eliminator
Golden Earring, Moontan
Scorpions, Blackout
Def Leppard, Pyromania
Asia, Asia