Van Halen's 5150: Sammy Hagar's Rock History

0:00It's March 23rd. This is Music News Today, powered by AI Your Daily Sound Check. I'm Corey with The Story. Fans of Classic Rock are marking the 40th anniversary of Van Halen's 1986 album 5150. The syndicated radio show, in the studio with Red Beard, is dedicating a special episode to the stories behind this blockbuster record, which came out in March of that year. Sammy Hoggar stepped in as the new frontman after David Lee Roth left the band. At the time, Van Halen was the biggest hard rock act in America, and Hoggar's arrival kicked off a huge new chapter for them. Hagar had just hit his stride as a solo artist with his multi-platinum album VOA and a sold-out tour. He was content where he was, and not looking to join another group. But right after Roth's exit, Hagar predicted to his wife that Van Halen would come calling. Sure enough, within two weeks, they reached out, and he signed on for 5150.

1:00You can stream this deep dive episode now to hear more from Red Beard on how it all unfolded and shaped rock history.