Discography

• Van Halen (1978)
• Van Halen II (1979)
• Women and Children First (1980)
• Fair Warning (1981)
• Diver Down (1982)
• 1984 (1984)
• 5150 (1986)
• OU812 (1988)
• For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
• Balance (1995)
• Van Halen III (1998)

Former Members

• Michael Anthony – bass guitar, backing vocals (1974–2005)
• Sammy Hagar – lead vocals, guitar (1985–1996, 2003–2005)
• Gary Cherone – lead vocals (1996–1999)

Current Members

• David Lee Roth – lead vocals, guitar (1974–1985, 1996, 2000-2001, 2006–present)
• Eddie Van Halen – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1972–present)
• Wolfgang Van Halen - bass guitar (2006-present)
• Alex Van Halen – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1972–present)

Band Members

Mammoth (1972)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, lead vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Mammoth (1972-1973)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, lead vocals Mark Stone - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Mammoth/Van Halen (1973-1974)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, backing vocals Mark Stone - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Mammoth/Van Halen (1974)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Van Halen (1974-1985)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion	Van Halen (1978) Van Halen II (1979) Women and Children First (1980) Fair Warning (1981) Diver Down (1982) 1984 (1984)
Van Halen (1985-1996)	Sammy Hagar - lead vocals, rhythm guitar Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion	5150 (1986) Live Without a Net - video (1986) OU812 (1988) For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991) Live: Right Here, Right Now - live (1993) Live: Right Here, Right Now - video (1993) Balance (1995)
On hiatus (1996)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Van Halen (1996)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion	Best of Volume I (1996) Video Hits Volume I - video (1996)
Van Halen (1996-1999)	Gary Cherone - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion	Van Halen III (1998) Video Hits Volume I - DVD (1999)
On hiatus (1999-2000)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2000)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2000)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2000)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2000-2001)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2001)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2001-2002)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2002-2003)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Van Halen (2003-2004)	Sammy Hagar - lead vocals, rhythm guitar Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Van Halen (2004-2005)	Sammy Hagar - lead vocals, rhythm guitar Eddie Van Halen - lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion	The Best of Both Worlds (2004)
On hiatus (2005)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Michael Anthony - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2005-2006)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
On hiatus (2006)	Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Wolfgang Van Halen - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion
Van Halen (2006-present)	David Lee Roth - lead vocals Eddie Van Halen - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Wolfgang Van Halen - bass guitar, backing vocals Alex Van Halen - drums, percussion	Guitar Hero: Van Halen

• Wolfgang Van Halen played rhythm guitar and sang backing vocals on some dates of the 2004 reunion tour.
• Alan Fitzgerald played keyboards offstage for Van Halen tours in the early 1990s and in 2004.
• Early in the band's career, they experimented with a keyboard player (somewhere between 1974 and 1978).
• A singer named Mitch Malloy claims to have been an official member of Van Halen for a few days in 1996.
• Alex Van Halen provides backing vocals in the studio.
• From 1967-1972, Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen begin learning instruments together, performing in various small venues. They then joined various "Top 40" cover bands.
• Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen formed their first band, Trojan Rubber Company, in 1971, which lasted until the formation of Mammoth in 1972.
• From 1972–1973, Mammoth rented a PA system from David Lee Roth for 50 dollars a night. To save money, Roth joined the band.

• Alex Van Halen played keyboards on the track "Respect the Wind" from the film Twister, performed by Edward Van Halen and Alex Van Halen. This film also included the song "Humans Being", recorded by Van Halen in their entirety. This was the last song to be recorded by the Sammy Hagar/Eddie Van Halen/Michael Anthony/Alex Van Halen line-up.
• Eddie Van Halen played bass on 9 of the 12 tracks from the studio album Van Halen III, with Michael Anthony playing on "Without You", "One I Want", and "Fire in the Hole".
• The compilation album Best of Volume I introduced the 2 new tracks "Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic", featuring original lead vocalist David Lee Roth.
• The compilation album The Best of Both Worlds introduced the 3 new tracks "It's About Time", "Up for Breakfast", and "Learning to See", featuring Eddie Van Halen on bass.

Van Halen
David Lee Roth · Eddie Van Halen · Wolfgang Van Halen · Alex Van Halen Michael Anthony · Sammy Hagar · Gary Cherone · Mark Stone
Studio albums	Van Halen · Van Halen II · Women and Children First · Fair Warning · Diver Down · 1984 · 5150 · OU812 · For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge · Balance · Van Halen III
Compilations	Best of Volume I · The Best of Both Worlds
Live albums	Live: Right Here, Right Now
Videos and DVDs	Live Without a Net · Live: Right Here, Right Now · Video Hits Volume I
Concert tours	Van Halen World Tour (1978) · World Vacation Tour (1979) · World Invasion "Party 'til You Die Tour" Tour (1980) · Fair Warning Tour (1981) · Hide Your Sheep Tour (1982–1983) · 1984 Tour (1984) · Monsters of Rock Tour 1984 (1984) · 1986 Tour (1986) · Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 (1988) · OU812 Tour (1988–1989) · For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour (1991–1992) · Right Here Right Now Tour (1993) · The Balance "Ambulance" Tour (1995) · III Tour (1998) · Van Halen Summer Tour 2004 (2004) · Van Halen 2007–2008 Tour (2007-08)
Related articles	Discography · Band members · Ted Templeman · Valerie Bertinelli · Chickenfoot · Twister Soundtrack · Guitar Hero: Van Halen · 5150 Studios · · Frankenstrat · Unreleased Van Halen projects

Intellectual Property

Van Halen is the owner of U.S. Patent 4,656,917. The main claim is for a supporting member on the back of a stringed instrument allowing the musician to play and/or fret the instrument in new ways.

Guitar Hero Van Halen

A new Guitar Hero game based on Van Halen was released December 22, 2009. Players are able to play as David Lee Roth for vocals, Eddie Van Halen for guitar, Alex Van Halen for drums, and Wolfgang Van Halen for bass. The game also has some guest acts including Alter Bridge, Blink-182, Deep Purple, Killswitch Engage, Queen and Weezer.

Contract Riders

Van Halen had a notable effect on the modern sway music tour with their ingest of the concert theoretical lessen rider. They were digit of the prototypal bands to ingest lessen riders to specify a "wish list", a practice now used throughout the music industry. As digit of the prototypal major bands with a motion initiate show, Van Halen had extensive requirements including power availability and initiate cerebration details. The band's demands were not limited to theoretical issues; their now-infamous traveller specified that a bowl of M&M candies, with every of the brown M&M's removed, was to be placed in their dressing room. According to king Lee Roth, this was listed in the theoretical portion of the lessen not because the adornment wanted to make arbitrary demands of the venue, but kinda as a test of whether the promoter actually read the contract, as it contained another requirements involving legitimate safety concerns. On primeval tours, inadequate compliance by local organizers to the safety requirements of the traveller had placed members of Van Halen's road crew in danger, sometimes life-threatening. Because of these incidents, the adornment matured the M&M's obligation as a means of checking whether the scene was properly honoring every of the contract. Subsequently, if the bowl was missing, or if there were brown M&M's present, they had reason to venture that the scene may not have honored legitimate theoretical and safety concerns within the contract. As a result, the adornment would be within their rights to inspect the theoretical side of the performance prior to feat on stage.

Recent News (2009 - Present)

In a recent interview with Guitar World about the making of his upcoming newborn EVH Wolfgang guitar from Fender, Eddie Van Halen had this to say regarding the subject of newborn Van Halen music: "I'll be making music 'til the day I die. I've finished every kinds of stuff, and more is coming. I can't verify you exactly when correct now. Wolfgang is in the 12th grade and he needs to graduate first. Then I'm getting married in June. We'll pick it up after that."

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Eddie Van Halen recently underwent surgery on his hand.

Reunion With Roth (2006–2009)

Rumors of a king Lee author unification re-emerged and on January 3, 2006, author explained during an discourse that he crosspiece to Alex Van Halen the previous hebdomad and a unification was "inevitable". However, he also said that Eddie Van Halen was "off in his possess lowercase world" recently. When asked if any problems occurred with Sammy Hagar during the 2004 journeying Eddie Van Halen answered, "Sammy is Sammy, and for the most part that's meet fine". author persisted with suggestions of a reunion, saying. "People want the reunion," and "No one module pay respect to what any of us do musically until we intend the unification out of the way." In May 2006, he told Billboard.com, "There's contact between the two camps."

On June 3, archangel suffragist began a flourishing journeying with Hagar billed as "The Other Half" (a reference to them being half of Van Halen with the other half being Eddie/Alex), with suffragist singing lead vocals sometimes. Meanwhile, on June 19 the Van Halen brothers jumped onstage with Kenny Chesney at The Home Depot Center performing "Jump" and "You Really Got Me". This unusual performance was their first onstage since the 2004 tour. This was followed by another Eddie Van Halen performance in July 19, 2006, at the House of Petals in Los Angeles, playing newborn material. He followed this with an announcement on July 27, 2006, that some of his newborn penalization would be released on the soundtrack for the pornography film Sacred Sin.

In March 2006, archangel suffragist crosspiece to Japanese sway entrepot Burrn!, claiming the brothers did not want him on the 2004 unification - Hagar did (and would not play without Anthony), but he had to concord to reduced royalties and end absolutely all association with the band after the journeying in terms of rights to using the study to encourage himself. It was in this same discourse he admitted he was not participating in the newborn songs on Best of Both Worlds and only recorded threesome tracks for III.

On September 8, 2006, Howard Stern's Eddie Van Halen springy discourse broke the band's long silence. Eddie said he was willing to reunite with author and revealed a solo album in the works. archangel Anthony's departure was confirmed with Eddie's son, Wolfgang, taking his role. Wolfgang had played guitar alongside his ascendant on some 2004 concerts. When queried most The Other Half tour, Eddie said suffragist could "do what he wants" now. This shocked and displeased many fans. In November, Eddie's spokesperson, Janie Liszewski, claimed the Van Halen kinsfolk was writingrehearsing for a Summer 2007 tour, which Billboard magazine's website shortly confirmed. However, the Van Halen website remained in the land it had been in since the Hagar reunion.

On December 11, 2006, Eddie Van Halen stated to Guitar World entrepot that David Lee author had been direct solicited to rejoin the band. However, on December 28, author announced that he had not talked to Eddie in two years, and a reunion with Van Halen could termination in a "Jerry Springer call fight".
News from the Rock and Roll uranologist of Fame slipped out on January 8, 2007, confirming that Van Halen would be inducted. They had together led the balloting and been long rumored for body before this time. The Van Halen brothers, Anthony, Hagar, and author were to be inducted. Billboard announced on January 24, 2007, that Van Halen would reunite with David Lee author for a US tour . This was confirmed shortly after on the official Van Halen website.

The Van Halen News Desk announced on February 15, 2007, that a Van Halen "Best Of (1978–1984)", a single-disc compilation of Van Halen's David Lee author era, would be released by April 3. Shortly after, aggregation arrived in a flood. Various sources claimed the tour was closed downbound as was the new "Best Of" CD. On March 8, 2007 Eddie announced on Van Halen's website that he was in rehab. Along with the announcement, a change was prefabricated to the website. The trademark at the top of the page changed to the Roth-era logo.

As the band's Hall of Fame induction drew near, media pore shifted to that. Velvet Revolver would induct the adornment and intercommunicate on their behalf. On March 12, 2007, the adornment was inducted at a start held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New royalty City. Anthony and Hagar were the exclusive inductees in attending (ironically, both ex-members). Velvet Revolver played "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", and Anthony and Hagar performed "Why Can't This Be Love" with Paul Shaffer. At a post-induction press conference, Hagar said he would fuck to impact with Van Halen again but that the Van Halens should journeying with Roth first.

On April 21, 2007, Eddie Van Halen served as an Honorary Race Official for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. He looked fit and well, meliorate than he had on the terminal tour, and on May 24 posted a note to the Van Halen website confirming that he had exited rehab successfully. After nearly 10 months of speculation and numerous rumors, on Monday, August 13, 2007, Van Halen (and David Lee Roth separately via his own website Roth claimed in the press release that, "the idea is that this module continue on and on and on" and also that a world journeying and newborn medium were in the works.

Press reaction to the unification was largely warm, but the re-designed website sparked disceptation when Michael Anthony was removed from images of old medium artwork. The medium covers were reverted to normal a period after without a articulate after bitter reactions. The Fall 2007 journeying was originally 25 dates, but was extended into 2008 with a ordinal leg.

Van Halen started their newborn journeying on Sept 27, 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Playing to sellout crowds, the journeying generated positive reviews. Amid rumors of Eddie existence backwards in rehab, binary dates of the journeying were postponed. The authorised think was the requirement for scrutiny procedures to be run on Eddie.

On March 5, 2008 World Entertainment Weekly to CBS News reported that the think behind the journeying stoppage was due to Eddie Van Halen needing to reenter rehab. The inform also indicated that it was a"furious backstage bust-up in Florida with his 17-year-old son and bandmate Wolfgang" which motivated Eddie to seek help once again.
In response to rumors about Eddie Van Halen existence backwards in rehab Valerie Bertinelli said that "he is not in rehab." She did not, however, say if he had fresh been in rehab, stating exclusive that he wasn't currently.

Wolfgang Van Halen also stated that his ascendant was not in rehab during the 2008 Kids Choice Awards, but did not say if he had fresh been in rehab: exclusive that he wasn't in rehab now. Eventually, the journeying started backwards up April 17 at the metropolis Events Center in Nevada.

The journeying ended on June 2, 2008 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI. During the exhibit Roth stated binary times that this would not be their final exhibit and that they would "see everyone next time." This exhibit also was a special occasion existence that the sign in face on the arena had been re finished so it read "VAN HALEN AREN\" instead of the "VAN ANDEL ARENA" which is its actual name.

According to the Van Halen News Desk, the unification journeying with Roth was the maximal grossing in the band's history, raking in almost 93 million dollars.

Reunion With Hagar (2003–2005)

During January 2003, the VHND (Van Halen News Desk) website reported that Sammy Hagar was employed with the Van Halens. No authorised commendation came for an extended period of time. In late March 2004, Van Halen and Sammy Hagar announced that Hagar would unify with the adornment for a Best Of medium promulgation and a Summer concert journeying of the USA.

In July 2004, Van Halen released their second Greatest Hits compilation (a double album, different the first), featuring three newborn songs with Hagar: "It's About Time", "Up For Breakfast", and "Learning to See". These songs were newly cursive by the Van Halen brothers and Sammy Hagar. The songs were credited to Hagar Van Halen, which was unusual since normally the entire roster (which also included Michael Anthony) would be credited. However, the performance was credited to the entire band; Michael Anthony would later reveal in interviews that Eddie Van Halen had in fact not wanted him to be a conception of the reunion and for this reason Anthony had not been allowed to perform in the sessions (explaining his lack of a songwriting credit), with Eddie activity the voice parts himself instead. Though it was the only newborn medium since the band's prototypal Greatest Hits, no songs with metropolis Cherone from Van Halen threesome were included. It was certificated platinum in the USA in August 2004.

The Summer 2004 journeying grossed nearly US$55 million, and Pollstar traded Van Halen in the crowning 10 grossing tours of 2004. Reviews of the journeying however from professional reviewers evidenced to be mixed. On some shows, Eddie's son Wolfgang came onstage and played guitar with his father during 316 a song dedicated to his son, taking its name from his birthday. However, earnest problems surfaced. Promoters lost money, tickets were ofttimes deemed overpriced, and few shows sold out with most venues seldom passing 50% sales.

During the later stages of the journeying stories of Eddie being drunk began to surface, along with follower shot recording footage of slummy playing. At the end of the band's test exhibit of the tour, in Tucson, Eddie smashed digit of his guitars during the exhibit and quickly walked off stage.

After the tour, things broke down. At prototypal Hagar expressed he had ease to end what he would be doing with Van Halen, although he was ease an authorised member of the band. Soon after, however, both Hagar and Anthony admitted that Eddie had problems with alcohol during the journeying that affected everyone involved. Hagar expressed that he was "done with Van Halen" and wished that everyone would hit "taken it more seriously". Despite this, Eddie later described himself as 'satisfied' with the tour.

After the journeying ended, Hagar returned to his solo adornment The Waboritas, and Anthony appeared with him on journeying occasionally. The adornment quickly faded from view after Hagar mitt again. In Dec 2005 Michael Anthony revealed in an interview with Mark & Brian that he had not talked with the Van Halens and was unsure of their plans. Since then, Hagar and Anthony hit bacilliform the supergroup Chickenfoot, featuring Joe Satriani on guitar and Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad adventurer on drums and hit ended touring in support of their prototypal medium and DVD with plans on another medium and journeying slated for 2010.

Hiatus From Public (1999–2003)

Eddie recovered from his hip surgery in Nov 1999, but from 2000 to early 2004, no official statements were prefabricated by Van Halen and no penalization released. However, aggregation about members time and present trickled in. The Van Halen brothers continued writing at 5150 studios, Gary Cherone recorded an medium and toured with new band Tribe of Judah. One of the songs that Cherone had written for the scrapped second medium with Van Halen entitled "Left For Dead", would wager its lyrics set to a completely new musical arrangement with Tribe of Judah. Meanwhile, Hagar and author continued their solo careers.

In 2000, the band worked with king Lee author at 5150, writing new penalization before dropping out again. Eddie kept quiet, but prefabricated a rare appearance at the Los Angeles Police Department benevolence golf tournament during May 2001. Any band progress would hit been interrupted on Oct 15, 2001, when Eddie and his wife of 21 years, actress Valerie Bertinelli, separated (though the pair exclusive filed for divorce on December 8, 2005). In Nov 2001, suffragist claimed author had been working with the band again for a few months, but lawyers had shut it down. Strangely, suffragist later denied this. The band's record label (Warner, who had first subscribed them in 1978) dropped them this assemblage also. More positively, Eddie underwent communication for cancer and announced his recovery on Van Halen's website in May 2002.

Eddie's exclusive live performances during this period were joining Mountain to endeavor \"Never in My Life\" in August 2002 and a private audience jam at NAMM January 2003. This took place at the Peavey booth (Peavey produced Eddie's mode \"Wolfgang\" model guitar). Word quickly distribute finished the NAMM exhibit that Eddie was to endeavor at the Peavey booth, attracting a large turn of people. Eddie showed up New and drunk. When he finally appeared he was incoherent. Shortly after this, Peavey lost its license to produce the \"official\" Van Halen guitar, and Fender, which had purchased Charvel-Jackson, was awarded the license, but the bass produced was a copy of Eddie's early Strat-style guitars.
In the summer of 2002, David Lee author and Sammy Hagar teamed up in the Song For Song, the Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour (also known as the 'Sans-Halen' or 'Sam & Dave' Tour). The render tour headlining both past advance singers attracted media and audience fascination because it seemed more tall than modify a Van Halen tour with author or Hagar could be. The tour drew super crowds and featured no opening acts, author and Hagar cyclical opening as the first act during the tour. In an interview, author contrasted his personality with Hagar's, saying, "He's the kind of man you go out with to split a bottleful with a friend. I'm the kind of man you go out with if you poverty to split your someone with a bottle." Michael suffragist guested with Hagar's band, The Waboritas, numerous nowadays and sometimes modify sang advance vocals. During performances, Hagar would vexer suffragist by asking, "Do the brothers undergo you're here?". suffragist never played with Roth.
Metropolis Cherone appeared on occasion. Hagar free a springy medium (Hallelujah), featuring vocals by Mike and Gary, and a documentary DVD, Long Road to Cabo, about touring with Roth. Next, Hagar joined with Joe Satriani and Journey guitarist Neal Schon to form a side project, Planet Us, along with Michael suffragist and Deen Castronovo (also of Journey) on drums. The adornment transcribed just digit songs and played springy a few nowadays before dissolving when Hagar and suffragist rejoined Van Halen.

While the digit advance singers promoted the tour and publically claimed mutual respect, rumors of taste acrimony and mutual loathing between the digit singers swirled. The allegations were after revealed in back stage video showing author and Hagar camps maintaining strict separation.

On July 4, 2004, author performed with the Beantown Pops at Boston's period Pops Goes the Fourth celebration. Hagar remained active, emotional five albums and creating his own merchandising brand Cabo Wabo, which lends its study to his distinction of tequila, as well as his concern of cantinas. He reunited with Montrose in 2003 and 2005 for a few performances and maintained contact with Michael Anthony, ofttimes playing with him. With Van Halen inactive, suffragist worked on merchandising projects such as his mode Yamaha voice and set up a website. He became involved with the period music industry NAMM Show.

Also in this period, rumors cropped up that suffragist had been fired - despite his study being included in messages 'from the band' on their website. His official website denied the rumors, though it was after revealed that on the Van Halen III medium suffragist only transcribed three tracks, and subsequently his position became tenuous (it relied entirely on Hagar's demands that he remain in 2004). His departure was confirmed in 2006.

Gary Cherone Era (1996–1999)

The adornment recruited metropolis Cherone, frontman of the then defunct Boston-based adornment Extreme. The result was Van Halen III. Many songs were longer and more ethereal. It was a notable oppositeness from their preceding material, with more focus on ballads than traditional sway songs ("How Many Say I", with Eddie on vocals). These changes alienated some fans while failing to attract newborn fans. Sales were slummy by the band's standards, only reaching Gold certification, despite the medium peaking at #4 on the US charts. Van Halen threesome did display a hit however, "Without You", and additionally the song "Fire in the Hole" appeared on the Lethal Weapon 4 soundtrack. Later it was also revealed that Anthony was only permitted by Eddie to endeavor bass on three tracks on the medium and that Eddie played the rest. Anthony conventional a full credit, masking this manifest behind-the-scenes difficulty.

The medium was followed by a tour. The threesome Tour saw Van Halen activity in newborn countries, including prototypal ever visits to Australia and New Zealand.

Shortly afterwards, Van Halen returned to the studio. In early 1999, they started work on a newborn album, rumored to be called Love Again. Working titles of songs included "Left for Dead," "River Wide," "Say Uncle", "You Wear it Well", "More Than Yesterday", "I Don't Miss You...Much," "Love Divine," and "From Here, Where Do We Go?".

Van Halen's newborn medium was finished when Cherone left amicably in November 1999. Citing musical differences, it is likely III's sales and critical getting had a big impact. Touring with Cherone had proven disappointing in terms of attendance. Eddie would adjudge that "the powers that be" (Warner Bros.) had forced his hand in parting with Cherone. Unlike the preceding digit singers, there was no bad blood and Cherone remained in contact with Van Halen. As when Hagar left, speculation resumed on a Roth reunion.

A Temporary Reunion With Roth (1996)

David Lee Roth called Eddie to discuss what tracks would be included on a planned Van Halen compilation (work on which actually began before Hagar's departure). They got along well, and Eddie invited him up to his house/studio. Shortly afterwards, David Lee Roth re-entered the studio with the adornment and shaper Glen Ballard. Two songs from those sessions were added to the band's Greatest Hits album and released as singles to promote it.
In September, Van Halen was asked to inform an honor at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards. They agreed, and on Sept 4, 1996, the four example members of Van Halen made their first open attendance unitedly in over squad years. This helped to bring the assembling to #1 on the US medium charts. However, uncharted to Roth, Eddie and Alex were ease auditioning added singers.

The band's attendance on the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards fueled reunion speculation. Several weeks after the awards show, it was discovered author was discover of Van Halen again. author released a statement in which he apologized to the media and the fans, stating that he was an unwitting participant in a Van Halen publicity stunt by them and manager Ray Danniels. The incoming day, Eddie and Alex released their own statement, claiming they were completely honest with author and never suggested he was guaranteed to be the incoming lead singer. However, they could not resist getting in a dig at author by locution in a advise release, \"Thank you for reminding us ground we broke up with you squad years ago.

Eddie Van Halen would later explain (in affectionateness to the MTV Video Music Awards appearance) that he had initially been embarrassed by Roth's antics while on camera behind Beck, who was giving an acceptance speech for the honor that Van Halen had presented to him. Immediately following this, the adornment had been taken to a backstage advise conference, in which author was uncooperative, refusing to answer advise questions about the details of the newborn project and instead simply drawing attention to himself. author then became irritated at Eddie's repeated mentioning of his close hip replacement surgery, telling Eddie \"tonight is about me, man, not your fucking hip\". Following added cold exchange, the two almost came to blows, thereby break any chance of a full-scale reunion.

Sammy Hagar Era (1985–1996)

Eddie invited Patty Smyth of Scandal to change author but she refused. Eddie was then introduced by way of a shared auto mechanic to Sammy Hagar, formerly of 1970s adornment Montrose, and at that time a solo artist coming off a very successful year (his 1984 medium VOA had yielded the impact azygos \"I Can't Drive 55\"). Hagar agreed to join, also serving as a periodicity guitarist on stage to add to the Van Halen sound. The 1986 Van Halen medium 5150 was a hit, becoming the band's prototypal #1 medium on the Billboard charts, unvoluntary by the keyboard-dominated singles \"Why Can't This Be Love\" (#3 U.S.), \"Dreams\", and \"Love Walks In\" (Top 30 U.S.). The medium included diverse songs ranging from the thrashiness of \"Get Up\" and adornment rock of \"Summer Nights\" to the more riff-driven \"Good Enough\" and a guitar-heavy denomination track. To further introduce the new era for the band, a new Van Halen trademark was place on the cover. The new trademark preserved elements of the original, but now the lines extending from either lateral of 'VH' wrapped around and bacilliform a sphere. 5150 is generally thoughtful the strongest medium of the \"Hagar era\".

Following the promulgation of the 5150 album, a journeying was launched to support it across North America. Named the 1986 Tour, the denomination was a respect to the previous 1984 Tour in support of the 1984 album. The adornment proved touring with Hagar was as successful as with Roth, and footage was released on VHS and DVD as Live Without a Net. In the journeying Hagar wanted to minimize the use of pre-Hagar Van Halen songs in the set, other than the band's best known classics. This was a trend that continued, with the expanding repertoire of Hagar-era songs slowly whittling absent at the number of Roth-era songs on the ordered list.
During Hagar's tenure, the adornment ingrained a musical formula that proved commercially if not always critically successful in the United States. Hagar's style enabled Van Halen to become reachable to a wider audience, with lyrics that were more conventional and refined. Eddie's keyboard impact brought a wider difference of transonic textures within each song, and the production was changed toward the imbibe side, and the songs became longer: during the author era, Van Halen songs rarely extended beyond three and a half minutes, and whatever albums struggled to cross the thirty-minute mark. With Hagar, whatever songs exceeded five transactions in length. The result was markedly different from the hornlike charging, rollicking riffs of the group's earlier work. The mix of imbibe and hornlike rock styles created a new good for Van Halen.

Although the four studio albums produced during this period reached #1 on the Billboard imbibe music charts and 17 singles breached the top 12 of the mainstream rock tracks chart, coverall income showed a scarred decline with each release selling less than its predecessor. During that era, one single, 1988's \"When It's Love\", reached the Top Five, peaking at #5. In addition, Van Halen was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning the 1992 Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal award for the album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Van Halen continued to savor success throughout the mid-90s. In 1995 Van Halen astonied many fans by supporting Bon Jovi on their dweller Summer stadium tour.

The band's commercial success and new \"Van Hagar\" good did little to woo many fans who? who still held a strong resentment over Roth's departure. However Eddie repeatedly said at the instance he was happier with Hagar melodic and that \"Roth was not coming back\".

During the recording of songs for the film Twister, escalating tension between Hagar and the Van Halen brothers boiled and Hagar departed on Father's Day, 1996. The adornment had recorded a song, \"Humans Being\", for which Eddie claimed he had to write all the lyrics since Hagar's were \"too cheesy\". This status Hagar, and when they were to record a second strain for the soundtrack, Hagar was in Hawaii. He wasn't keen on doing soundtrack impact since it would make the music hornlike to obtain for fans, 'abusing' them, so the second track the adornment were cod to record became an Eddie/Alex instrumental, \"Respect the Wind\".
The band was also employed on a compilation album, which Hagar was not keen on since he felt it was not what fans wanted, nor was it something the band necessary to release, since they presumably had a long occupation ahead of them. This led to conflicts with Hagar and the group's new manager, Ray Danniels (Ed Leffler's replacement and Alex Van Halen's past brother in law), modify though it was past trainer Ed Leffler who renewed their contract with Warner Brothers and added in the Best Of Album choice years before. Reluctant to impact on compilation medium songs before a new medium came out, the band fell out, leaving the management siding with Eddie and Alex. Hagar also had concerns over comparisons on an medium which featured both his impact and Roth's.

Hagar claimed that he was fired; Van Halen claimed that he quit. Most accounts confirm that Hagar technically quit, but only upon finding that Van Halen had secretly been recording with their longtime rival David Lee Roth. The media storm surrounding the dramatic exit of Hagar helped him immediately uphold his unaccompanied career. However, the publicity did not help Van Halen, serving to highlight the vacant lead singer spot. The band's past successes set broad expectations, and fans everyplace were waiting for the band's next move. Throughout this time, Michael Anthony managed to rest on good terms with Hagar.

History David Lee Roth Era (1974–1985)

Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen are the sons of Jan and Eugenia Van Halen, who unreal for them to have penalization lessons. The Van Halen brothers started activity penalization unitedly in the 1960s when Eddie took up the drums and Alex took up the guitar. Secretly, patch Eddie would have newspapers on his paper route, Alex would sneak over and play on Eddie's drumset. Eventually Eddie found out most Alex activity his drum set, he was so frustrated that he said, \"OK, . I'll go play your guitar\" and started activity Alex's guitar. In 1972 the Van Halen brothers formed a adornment called \"Mammoth\" which featured Eddie as advance vocalist/guitarist, Alex Van Halen on drums and Mark Stone on bass. They initially rented a good system from David Lee Roth but definite to spend money by letting him tie as advance vocaliser modify though he had previously auditioned unsuccessfully. By 1974 the adornment definite to change Stone. Then archangel Anthony, bassist and advance vocaliser from topical adornment \"Snake\" was auditioned. Following an all night wad conference he was hired for bass and backing vocals.

Mammoth discovered in 1974 that their study was already existence used and it was changed to \"Van Halen\". According to Roth, this was his brainchild. They played backyard parties and on a flatbed truck at Hamilton Park. Van Halen played clubs in metropolis and Hollywood to ontogeny audiences, increasing their popularity through self promotion: before each lance they would pass out fliers at topical broad schools. This presently built them a major following.

In 1974, the adornment got their break out of Pasadena, with their prototypal employ at Gazzarri's on the Sunset Strip, a erst famous but down-at-the-heels night club which winking in 1996. They had earlier auditioned for Bill Gazzarri, the owner, but he claimed they were \"too loud\", and would not hire them. However, their new managers, Mark Algorri and Mario Miranda, who had coincidentally taken over Gazzarri's hiring, did the deal. Shortly afterwards, with their managers, they transcribed their prototypal demonstrate enter at the now inoperative Iroquois Ranch Studios, in Northridge, where Steely Dan had just completed an album. They then became a staple on Hollywood's Sunset Strip during the mid-1970s, consistently activity at well-known clubs like the Whisky a Go Go. In 1977 Apostle discoverer of the sway adornment Kiss saw Van Halen play in front of a small crowd at the Starwood Club in Los Angeles. He brought Gene Simmons to see them and another topical band, The Boyz (featuring guitarist George Lynch), play on the next night. Within two songs of Van Halen's opening set, Simmons \"was waiting for them backstage and immediately offered to sign them and take them into the flat ... I flew them to New York, signed them to my Man of 1,000 Faces production company and took them into Electric Lady Studios to do a thirteen-song demonstrate tape\" which included \"House of Pain\" and \"Runnin' With The Devil\". Eddie disliked the demonstrate because he was not using his own equipment and had to overdub guitar parts. Simmons wanted to change the band's study to \"Daddy Shortlegs\" and had fashioned cover art (a daddy longlegs wearing a top hat), but the adornment cragfast with Van Halen. Simmons then opted out of further involvement after taking the demonstrate to Kiss' manager and existence told that \"They had no quantity of making it\" and that he wouldn't take them.
In 1977, Mo Ostin and Ted Templeman of filmmaker Bros. Records saw Van Halen perform at the Starwood in Hollywood. Although the audience was small, the two were so impressed with Van Halen that within a hebdomad they offered them a transcription contract. The group recorded their debut medium at Sunset Sound Recorders flat in mid September to primeval October 1977, transcription guitar parts for digit hebdomad and then transcription vocals for two added weeks. All of the tracks were ordered down with little over-dubbing or double tracking. Minor mistakes were purposely left on the achievement and a ultimate musical set-up was utilised to provide the achievement a springy feel. Despite its ultimate components, Van Halen proved original in musical technique, production, and arrangement. During this time, they continued to play various venues in Southern California, including whatever notable concerts at the metropolis Convention Center produced by their promoter and impresario, Steve Tortomasi, himself a fixture in the local sway and roll scene.

On release, Van Halen reached #19 on the Billboard pop music charts, digit of rock's most commercially successful debuts. It is a highly regarded hard sway album. The medium included songs now regarded as Van Halen classics, same \"Runnin' with the Devil\" and the guitar unaccompanied \"Eruption\", which showcased Eddie's use of a framework known as 'finger-tapping'. The adornment toured for nearly a year, opening for Black Sabbath and establishing a reputation for their electric performances. The band's alchemy owed much to Eddie Van Halen's technical guitar wizardry and king Lee Roth's colorful antics, which later turned them into rivals. They returned to the flat in 1979 for Van Halen II, similar in style to their debut. This medium yielded the band's first hit single, \"Dance the Night Away.\"
Over the next some years, the adornment alternated medium releases and touring (see Van Halen concert tours) to increasing advertizement and critical plaudit and became one of the world's most flourishing and influential bands.[citation needed] Women and Children First was free in 1980 and further cemented Van Halen's status. But in 1981, during the recording of the Fair Warning album, tensions rose. Eddie's desire for more earnest and complex songs was at ratio with Roth's poppy style. Although Roth (and producer Templeman) acquiesced to Eddie's wishes, Fair Warning was a advertizement disappointment, with no hits.[citation needed] In after interviews Eddie would expose that he was drinking hard and using cocaine during the creation of Fair Warning.

Diver Down performed better. The adornment then earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest-paid azygos appearance of a band: $1.5 million for a 90 minute ordered at the 1983 US Festival. Despite this return to form, Roth and Eddie's differences continued, and this caused friction with other adornment members. According to bassist Billy Sheehan, after his adornment Talas completed a tour with Van Halen, he was approached by Eddie Van Halen to replace archangel Anthony. The reasons for this were never clear to Sheehan, because null came out of it. During this time Eddie and Alex Van Halen contributed the score and instrumental songs to the flick \"The Wild Life\" staring Eric Stoltz. The score was heavy on the keyboards kindred to the sound utilised on the preceding digit albums and such more like the sound coming in the upcoming medium 1984. Van Halen's next album, 1984 (released on January 9, 1984) was their advertizement pinnacle. Recorded at Eddie Van Halen's newly-built 5150 Studios, the medium featured keyboards which had only been utilised sporadically on preceding albums. The lead single, \"Jump\", featured a synthesizer hook and anthemic lyrics, and became the band's first and only #1 imbibe hit, garnering them a Grammy nomination. Other hit singles included \"Panama\" (#13 U.S.) , \"I'll Wait\" (also #13 U.S.), and \"Hot for Teacher\". Many of the songs had popular music videos on MTV. 1984 was praised by critics and fans alike, peaking at #2 on the Billboard charts behind archangel Jackson's Thriller.
However, the album was also a breaking point. In the midst of the 1984 Tour, the artistic and individualized tensions among the musicians reached a fever pitch. Reasons for the breakup vary based on the adornment member interviewed, but were unmoving in curb of the band's sound and image. author was upset about Eddie activity penalization right of Van Halen without checking with the band, and alleged drug abuse that allegedly prevented the adornment from viable practices. Eddie was sick of Roth's colorful activity and stage persona. author was also having a successful solo career with a hit song and EP (a produce of the Beach Boys classic \"California Girls\" (#3 U.S.) and the old standard \"Just a Gigolo\" (#12 U.S.). author was also offered a flick deal from Warner Brothers (which was later withdrawn). On Apr 1, 1985, author mitt Van Halen.

Van Hallen

Van Halen is an American heavy metal/hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. They have enjoyed super scale success since the promulgation of their debut medium Van Halen, (1978). As of 2007, Van Halen has sold 80 meg albums worldwide, and have had the most number-one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. During the 1980s they also had more Billboard Hot 100 hits than any another hard rock or heavy metal band. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Van Halen is the 19th best-sellaing band/artist of all instance with income of over 56 meg albums in the U.S., and is digit of five rock bands that have had two albums sell more than 10 meg copies in the U.S. In 2008 they became digit of the prizewinning paid springy acts in the world, over a decade after performing the same feat in the primeval decennium in regards to their huge payout for headlining the US festival.[citation needed] In 1999, the RIAA certified Van Halen diamond, for decade meg U.S. sales. Van Halen were digit of the forerunners to the glam metal bands of the 1980s.
In constituent to existence recognized for success, the adornment is known for the drama close the exits of past members. The (multiple) exits of both lead singers king Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar were surrounded in controversy and mass press coverage with various different press statements between the past singers and the band. solon recently, Michael Anthony left the adornment for disputable reasons. Following their 2004 concert journeying the adornment was on a gap from the open until Sept 2006, when newborn bassist Wolfgang Van Halen's locate was confirmed and Roth-reunion rumors began to re-surface coinciding with the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on March 12, 2007. After eld of speculation, Van Halen began a journeying with Roth in late 2007 crossways North America. The journeying continued into 2008. An album was proposed to follow. Along with this, a live journeying DVD was announced at their May 13, 2008 concert at the Izod Center that would include recordings from several performances on their current tour. Since the modify of the Reunion Tour, no official news from the adornment were heard about its future.

References

Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. London: Rough Guides.

Filmography

1988: Eat the Rich: soundtrack includes "Nothing up My Sleeve", "Built for Speed", "Orgasmatron", "Doctor Rock", "On the Road", "Eat the Rich" and "Bess" – New Line Home Entertainment. Halfway through shooting, the idea of gradually replacing the members of the ballroom band with Motörhead was hit upon. At first there are no Motörhead personnel, then Phil Campbell appears, followed by Würzel and Phil Taylor. The scene involving Lemmy riding a motorcycle is played by female stunt double as Lemmy was on tour with Motörhead in America at the time the scene had to be shot.

Discography

• Motörhead (1977)
• Overkill (1979)
• Bomber (1979)
• Ace of Spades (1980)
• Iron Fist (1982)
• Another Perfect Day (1983)
• Orgasmatron (1986)
• Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
• 1916 (1991)
• March ör Die (1992)
• Bastards (1993)
• Sacrifice (1995)
• Overnight Sensation (1996)
• Snake Bite Love (1998)
• We Are Motörhead (2000)
• Hammered (2002)
• Inferno (2004)
• Kiss of Death (2006)
• Motörizer (2008)

Cover Art

The band's name is usually printed in a lowercase form of blackletter. The umlaut character ö is possibly derived from the similar "Heavy metal umlaut" in the name of their 1975 acquaintances Blue Öyster Cult. However, this umlaut does not alter the pronunciation of the band's name. When asked if Germans pronounced the band "Motuuuurhead", Lemmy answered "No, they don't. I only put it in there to look mean".Snaggletooth is the fanged face that serves as the symbol of Motörhead. Artist Joe Petagno drew it in 1977 for the cover of the band's debut album (with designer Phil Smee who turned it into a negative and then designed the logo), having met Lemmy while doing some work with Hawkwind. Petagno stated: The inspiration came from just being a naturally pissed off bastard! And Lemmy's the same way! So it was bound to be an alchemal wedding of a more "primordial nature". I did a lot of research on skull types and found a x-breed gorilla-wolf-dog combination would work nicely with some oversized boars horns. Lemmy added Helmet, chains, spit, spikes and grit.

Eddie Clarke was less sure about the imagery to begin with: I shuddered when I saw it the first time. I thought, "Blimey, this ain't gonna go down that well", because it was just way over the top, then. But I grew to love it... At first it was not scary or horrifying, it would've been, in those days, deemed bad taste.

It has remained a symbol of Motörhead throughout the years, with Petagno creating many variations of War-Pig for the covers of ensuing albums. To date, only two of the original covers for Motörhead's 19 studio albums do not feature any variation of War-Pig on the cover: On Parole and Overnight Sensation, of which On Parole was re-released with a black War-Pig on a white background. Phil is wearing a War-Pig badge on the cover of Ace of Spades. The cover of 'Iron Fist' depicts a metal gauntlet wearing four skull-shaped rings, one of which is War-Pig, while the rear of the album-sleeve shows a fully detailed 3-D metal sculpture of the symbol. Originally the War-Pig design included a swastika on one of the helmet's spikes. This was painted out on later re-releases of the albums on CD.

On 21 September 2007 Petagno announced that "there will be no more "HEADS" from my hand", citing irreconcilable differences between himself and the band's current Management, Singerman Entertainment. Petagno stated: It has been a long, exciting and industrious journey, full of art and intuition, difference in repetition, and creative innovation. I feel I accomplished something unique in Metal history over the last 31 years by breathing life again and again into a figment of my own imagination, an image or better an entity which has taken on a life of its own, which I actually believe goes beyond the music it was created to represent. I'm damn proud of that!

In reply, Lemmy stated: As many of you know, we have been working with Joe Petagno for 31 years. We always treated Joe fairly, and I would like to stress that at no time did my manager demand what Joe thinks he demanded - it is all a colossal misunderstanding. We have always loved his artwork, obviously, and if he now decides to stop working with us, we have no choice but to use someone else. However... if he will not discuss this personally and try to work things out, I think it's a great tragedy. If Joe continues with us, no one would be more delighted than me. If it's goodbye, Joe, I wish you well, but I hope, even at this stage, to be reconciled and continue our association.

Tribute Albums

Motörhead have been the subject of several tribute albums, markedly in the years since 1999. Genres range from hardcore punk and rock, to black and death metal and industrial.

• Built for Speed: A Motörhead Tribute: 1999, Victory Records, various hardcore and punk artists
• A Motörhead Tribute: 2000, Pink Honey Records, various rock artists
• Tribute to Motörhead: 2006, Crimson Mask, various black metal and death metal artists
• Dead Forever: Tribute to Motörhead: 1999, Dwell, various death metal and industrial artists
• Make 'Em Deaf Forever: A Tribute to the Loudest Band in the World, Motörhead: 1997
• Homenaje a Motörhead: Spanish release, 2005, El Diablo
• Remember Me Now... I'm Motörhead: 2005, Scatboy Records, USA
• Motörmorphösis – A Tribute to Motörhead Part 1: 2001, Remedy Records
• Saint Valentine's Day Massacre - Tribute to Motörhead: 2005, Bad Reputation Records
• Strength to Endure – A Tribute to Ramones and Motörhead by Rioygun and Bullet Treatment: 2002, Basement Records
• Sheep in Wolves' Clothing: 2008; Compiled and released by the band's Fan Club, Motörheadbangers World; features contributions from The Deviants with Philthy Animal Taylor and Girlschool with Fast Eddie Clarke

Tribute Bands

UK tribute band Motörheadache was formed in May 2003 and embarked on its first "Beyond the Threshold of Pain" tour of the UK from August of that year. Based in Sheffield, the band features original members Rob (Lemmy) and Nigel Plant (more Phil Campbell than 'Fast Eddie') and has had many different drummers. During the course of their career they have been joined onstage by 'Fast' Eddie Clarke and supported Girlschool.

Other Motörhead tribute bands include "We're Not Motörhead" from Portsmouth, "Ace Of Spades" from Varberg, Sweden, "Motorkill" from the Midlands, United Kingdom, "Motorheat" of Belgium, "Bömbers" from Norway, featuring Abbath (Immortal), "Lemmy's Wärt", "Mauro Tolot Kilmister" and the "Reptiles" from Italy, "Motörheads" from Moscow, Russia, "Motörhead Tribute" formed by UCLA and USC students out of the Los Angeles area, "Bastardi" from Italy, "Overhead" from Norway, "Motorizer" from Ottawa, Canada, "Elderhead" from New York City,^[67]"Motörment" from Germany, "Capricorn USA" from Austin, Texas, and Motörheadcase from West Yorkshire. Motorheadache from Toronto ,Canada(also listed on the official motorhead website.www,imotorhead.com)and at myspace.com/motorheadachetoronto

Supporters (WWE)

Motörhead are well-known in the professional wrestling community for performing popular wrestler Triple H's entrance music, "The Game", from Christmas 2000. In addition to the track being heard whenever Triple H appears on WWE Raw or WWE Smackdown and at other pay-per-view wrestling shows, the band have performed the song live at two Wresthttp://heavymetal-history.blogspot.com/leMania events, WrestleMania X-Seven and WrestleMania 21. They also provided the entrance music for Triple H's (now defunct) faction "Evolution" titled "Line in the Sand". "The Game" was released on both the American version of Hammered album and WWF The Music Volume 5, and the Evolution theme song was released on the WWE ThemeAddict album. Since then, Motörhead have performed a new track titled "King of Kings", emphasizing Triple H's new "King of Kings" character, which made its debut at WrestleMania 22. "King of Kings" is also featured on the WWE Wreckless Intent compilation album. "The Game" and "Line in the Sand" are also featured on the RAW 15th Anniversary compilation CD.

Triple H confessed on his 2002 DVD release The Game that he has been a lifelong Motörhead fan, and that it was a huge honour to have Motörhead play him down the ring at WrestleMania X-Seven. Furthermore, on the extras section of the WrestleMania 21 DVD Release, there is a segment that features Triple H hanging out in the lockerroom area with Motörhead who perform an acoustic version of "The Game", without vocals. Also in segments and video shoots that feature Triple H outside of the ring (usually segments in the gym) he is often wearing Motörhead merchandise—most commonly t-shirts. Triple H previously sported a handlebar moustache/beard during 2005, which was often said to be in homage to Lemmy. The song Rock Out was the PPV theme song for WWE'S Unforgiven in 2008.

Supporters (Motörheadbangers)

During the 1979 'Bomber' tour of Great Britain, the band met with writer Alan Burridge who then produced the first 'Motörhead Magazine'. Around the same time, drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor's sister, Helen Taylor, had started the Motörheadbangers fan club.

Burridge and Taylor worked together to print the latest news for Motörhead fans, the first fanzine was published in January 1980. The Motörheadbangers fanzine is printed three times a year, and has 3,000 subscribers. Paul Hadwen, who had worked on the 'cartoon' style of the early Motörheadbangers fanzines with Chris Harris during Helen Taylor's leadership, and also drew the 'comic strip' art included with the 'Another Perfect Day' album, died at his home in Leeds in late July 2007, aged 50. The club now has roughly over 4000 members.

Style

Though the band are typically classified as heavy metal or speed metal, Lemmy has stated that he never considered Motörhead a metal band. When asked if he has a problem with Motörhead being called a metal band, he replied: "I do, because I come from way before Metal. I’m playing Rock n’ Roll and I think Rock n’ Roll should be sacred – it is to me. I don’t see why it should not be for everybody else."

In a biography of the band, senior editor for Allmusic, Stephen Erlewine, wrote: "Motörhead's overwhelmingly loud and fast style of heavy metal was one of the most groundbreaking styles the genre had to offer in the late '70s." and though "Motörhead wasn't punk rock ... they were the first metal band to harness that energy and, in the process, they created speed metal and thrash metal." Whether they created these genres might be subject to debate, but Motörhead were unquestionably influential.

Lemmy has stated that he generally feels more kinship with punk rockers than with metal bands: Motörhead had gigs with fellow Brits The Damned, with whom he played bass on a handful of late 1970s gigs, as well as having penned the song "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." as a tribute to the Ramones. Motörhead, Lemmy states, have more in common aesthetically with The Damned than Black Sabbath, and nothing whatsoever in common with Judas Priest. Lemmy says he feels little kinship with the speed metal bands Motörhead have inspired: They've just got the wrong bit. They think that being fast and loud is the whole thing and it isn't. The guitar solos are not really difficult for a guitar player, it's just playing scales. To feel a solo and bend into it & I mean Hendrix is the best guitarist you've ever seen in your life. And he learned from people like Buddy Guy, Lightnin' Hopkins and people like that inspired Hendrix. To be influenced by something, you're gonna have to play it the same.

Of the genre debate itself Lemmy was more forthright when Joel McIver spoke to him for an interview published in the January 2000 edition of Record Collector. He asked him if he thought some people get confused between hard rock and soft metal and all the other categories. Lemmy replied "Cunt metal? Spunk metal? Left-handed metal? Right-handed metal? Upwardly-mobile metal? This term "heavy metal" is only rock'n'roll anyway, because metal bands are the logical successors to Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly". The NME stated that their brief solos were just long enough "...to open another bottle of beer", while a 1977 Stereo Review commented that "they know they're like animals, and they don't want to appear any other way. In view of the many ugly frogs in heavy metal who think they are God's gift to womankind these Quasimodos even seem charming in their own way". Motörhead's approach has not changed drastically over the band's career, though this is a deliberate choice: erstwhile Motörhead drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor said that rock icons like Chuck Berry and Little Richard never drastically altered their style, and, like them, Motörhead preferred to play what they enjoyed and did best. This fondness for the first decade of rock and roll (mid-1950s to mid-1960s) is also reflected in some of Motörhead's occasional cover songs from that era.

Current Band Members

• Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister – vocals, bass (1975–present)
• Phil Campbell – guitar (1984–present)
• Mikkey Dee – drums, percussion (1992–present)

Next Studio Album (2010)

In a November 2009 interview with ABORT Magazine's E.S. Day, Lemmy stated that Motörhead would enter the studio in February 2010 "to rehearse, write and record" its 21st full-length studio album. No release date has been set.

On 25 January 2010 it was confirmed that Motörhead would play at Download Festival in June, and on 24 February 2010 it was also confirmed that they would play at Rock in Rio in May 2010. To coincide with the release of their upcoming album, Motörhead will embark on a UK tour in November 2010.

Motorizer (2008–2009)

From March through to June 2008, the band convened in Los Angeles with producer Cameron Webb to begin work on their 19th album Motörizer. Mikkey Dee's drum tracks were recorded at Dave Grohl's studio. Motörizer was released on 26 August. It does not feature artwork from Joe Petagno, the artist who designed many of their classic album covers.

In June 2008 the band performed at the main stage of the Download festival Between August 6 and August 31, Motörhead joined with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell and Testament on the Metal Masters Tour. On August 20 the band played one date at the Roseland Ballroom, New York, as part of 'The Volcom Tour 2008' which continued with bands The Misfits, Airbourne, Valient Thorr and Year Long Disaster at House of Blues, Anaheim, California on September 2, playing a further thirteen dates. The band concluded the tour without the supporting bands, playing one more show at the Roseland Ballroom on September 20, and the final gig, at the The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, New Jersey on September 21.

On 30 September, Reuters reported that Neverdie Studios had signed a deal with Lemmy and Motörhead to develop and market Lemmy's Castle and Motorhead Stadium inside the virtual world of Entropia Universe, an online virtual universe. The year's touring ended with a 34-date tour of Europe with a variety of support bands including Danko Jones, Saxon, Witchcraft, and Airbourne. On 6 March 2009, the band played in the Middle East for the first time, at the annual Dubai Desert Rock Festival in Dubai. On April 1 Motörhead are reported to have entered into a two year sponsorship deal with UK Roller Derby team the Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Girls.

In November 2009, the band are being supported by NWOBHM veterans Sweet Savage on the Irish leg of the tour (30 years after first sharing the stage together) and punk and goth rock legends The Damned on the UK leg of their world tour. On The Damned's official website, Captain Sensible is quoted as saying: "Ha ha..... we're working with Lemmy again are we? Excellent! He's the real deal, the absolute antithesis to all that the likes of Simon Cowell stand for. And for that we should all be grateful. This tour will be a celebration of all things rock 'n' roll..... pity the poor roadies is all I can say!"

Kiss Of Death (2006–2007)

While that tour was still going, their next album, Kiss of Death, was released on 29 August 2006 via Sanctuary Records, with a video for "Be My Baby". The tour ended with a gig on 25 November at the Brixton Academy, where Phil Campbell was guest guitarist for "Killed By Death" played during Crucified Barbara's support set. A further twelve shows in Europe with Meldrum took them through the end of November to early December, the first two shows also featuring Skew Siskin.
In November, the band agreed to a sponsorship deal with the Greenbank B under-10s football team from North Hykeham, Lincoln, putting the band's name as well as War-Pig on the team's shirts; the under-10s run out to "Ace of Spades". Lemmy is old friends with Gary Weight, the team's manager; Weight "sent an email off to them and they came back and said it was a great idea" and hopes the deal will draw inspired performances from his team. On 25 April 2007, the band played at the Estacionamiento del Poliedro in Caracas, Venezuela, and on 29 April at the Fundiçao Progresso, Rio de Janeiro. In June, Motörhead played a gig at the Royal Festival Hall as part of Jarvis Cocker's Meltdown.

On 26 February 2008, No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith was reissued again as a two disc CD.

Inferno (2004–2005)

On 22 February 2004 Motörhead performed an invitation only concert at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London; at Summer Festivals in South America during May; and also Europe during June, July and August. The band had already spent time in the recording studio, working on their next album, Inferno, which was released on 22 June and was followed by the 'Inferno' tour of Ireland with Class Of Zero for three dates, before being joined by Sepultura and taking it to Great Britain. Some of the London show at the Hammersmith Apollo was filmed for TV as Gene Simmons introduced the extra opening act, The Class – a band made up of school children appearing in his Channel 4 series, Rock School – and Würzel joined as guest musician for "Overkill". The band continued the tour with Sepultura across Europe through the rest of November and December. At the show in Magdeburg, Germany on 4 December Motörhead joined Sepultura on stage during their support slot playing the song "Orgasmatron", in celebration of Sepultura's 20th Anniversary. The show on 7 December at the Philipshalle in Düsseldorf was recorded and later released as the Stage Fright DVD.
Motörhead picked up their first Grammy in the awards of 2005 in the Best Metal Performance category for their cover of Metallica's "Whiplash" on Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute. From March until early May, the band toured the USA, and in June and August were on the '30th Anniversary' tour in Europe. On 22 August, the band were the subject of an hour-long documentary, Live Fast, Die Old, which was aired on Channel 4 as part of The Other Side series of documentaries, filmed by new and established directors. On 20 September, a compilation album containing the band's appearances on BBC Radio 1 and a concert recording from Paris Theatre, London, was released as BBC Live & In-Session. In October, the band toured Europe with Mondo Generator before returning to Great Britain to tour with In Flames and Girlschool in October and November. During the show at the Brixton Academy on 19 November, Lemmy joined Girlschool on stage to play "Please Don't Touch". Motörhead finished the year's tours in December, with two gigs in New Zealand and five in Australia with Mötley Crüe.

In 2006, the band performed a four-date House Of Blues tour in the States in March with Meldrum and from June until early August played at European open-air festivals with some indoor headlining shows. On 28 October, the band performed at The Rock Freakers Ball in Kansas City before heading off to tour Great Britain with Clutch and Crucified Barbara.

Hammered (2002–2003)

After taking a month off, the band began working on a new album at Chuck Reid's house in the Hollywood Hills. This album, Hammered, was released the following year. On 1 April 2001 the band gave a one song performance for Triple H's entrance at WrestleMania X-Seven at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston. The second leg of the 'We Are Motörhead' tour began in May in Ireland, moving across to the United Kingdom. In Manchester, the band were supported by Goldblade, and by Pure Rubbish at the two London shows. The second London show also included Backyard Babies and Paul Inder, who was guest musician for "Killed By Death". Between June and August, Motörhead played at a number of rock festivals in Europe: including as the Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, the Quart Festival in Norway, and the Wacken Open Air on August 4, where four songs were recorded for the 25 & Alive Boneshaker DVD. The band returned to the States for a seven show tour between late September and early October.

In April 2002 a DVD of some of Motörhead's performances from the '70s and '80s along with some stock footage of the band was released as The Best of Motörhead. Two weeks earlier, the Hammered album was released and supported by the 'Hammered' tour, which kicked off in the States at around the same time. The USA dates continued until late May, and a European leg followed between June and August. In October, the band played five dates in Great Britain with Anthrax, Skew Siskin and Psycho Squad. The final venue was the Wembley Arena in London, where instead of Psycho Squad, the band were supported by Hawkwind, with Lemmy performing "Silver Machine" on stage with them. Throughout the rest of October and better part of November, the band were on a European tour with Anthrax.

In April and May 2003, the band continued to promote the Hammered album in the States, and on the three dates Phil Campbell had to miss, his mother having died, Todd Youth stood in for him. Between late May and mid-July the band played seven dates at Summer Festivals in Europe and from late-July until the end of August, they were touring the USA with Iron Maiden and Dio. On 7 October a comprehensive five-disc collection of the band's recordings covering 1975–2002 was released as Stone Deaf Forever!. On 1 September 2003, the band returned to Hollywood's Whisky A Go-Go club for the Hollywood Rock Walk Of Fame Induction. During October, the band performed a tour of Great Britain with The Wildhearts and Young Heart Attack. The band performed seven shows across Belgium, Holland and Spain between 21 October and 28 October and from late-November until early-December they were in Germany and Switzerland, touring with Skew Siskin and Mustasch. On 9 December, the previously recorded Live at Brixton Academy album was released.