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| Roth | 71% | 37 votes | Total: 52 votes | |
| Hagar | 29% | 15 votes |
Roth
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Add to FavoritesThe question of who is the better Van Halen singer comes down to this: Does one prefer the charisma and showmanship of David Lee Roth, or the more competent, workmanlike Sammy Hagar? While Hagar is undoubtedly the better singer, songwriter and musician, and is probably easier to tolerate, Van Halen was at its best with Roth, whole flash and charisma mated perfectly with Eddie Van Halen's crazy guitar work.
Roth was easily half the reason Van Halen blew up in the first place. The guys like Eddie's guitar work on "Eruption" and other songs, but the girls liked Dave, and the guys secretly wished they could be Dave. His bluesy vocals, outlandish attire and larger-than-life persona, Dave was the ultimate rock star. Van Halen was the leader of a new generation of hard rock bands, replacing the aging or declining bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. In place of the quasi-mysticism of those bands, Dave and Van Halen replaced that with a big party atmosphere, and guess who was the poster boy.
The party continued on for about six years, with Roth as the ringleader. There were sold out tours all over the world, mult-platinum albums, and lots of stories about Roth's onstage and offstage antics. However the seething resentment in the band, especially Eddie, led to him leaving the band acrimoniously. Too much of Roth was not a good thing for this band, or so they thought.
For those sick of Roth's antics, Sammy Hagar was perfect. Already a successful solo act, he was a strong frontman who didn't chew up too much of the scenery. He was a fine singer and a more than decent guitarist, and had a mellower attitude than Roth, acting much more like one of the boys than the center of the show. It was not a bad choice. Hagar lasted almost twice as long as Roth did, and the string of sold out tours and multi-platinum records continued.
Despite all that, Dave was missed. Hagar was well-liked, and he sold records, but the fans ultimately missed the flash and swagger of Roth. While the band's music with Hagar was more middle-of-the -road, the hardcore fans missed Dave's antics and Eddie's more flamboyant Dave-era guitar antics. When Hagar last oured with the band in 2005, it was quite successful, but the band's tour with Dave in 2008 was phenomanal.
Music needs to be well-written, well played, and well-produced to be successful. Hagar and Roth both succeeded in that. To make it truly special, though, it needs charisma and energy, and that is what Roth brought to the show. He also forced Eddie to work harder on his guitar work, and that was a victory for all.
Learn more about this author, Steven Booth.
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Hagar
As a former rock musician who played avidly from the mid-1970's until the early 1990's, there is no question that in the case of Van Halen's band lineups, Sammy Hagar was the better lead singer over David Lee Roth. This poses a paradox, however. Hagar's vocal range was (and still is) far more polished, but as a collective unit, the music itself was much better when David Lee Roth was the frontman. Incidentally, Van Halen made one album with former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherrone, but that is best forgotten.
Nevertheless, the Hagar/Roth debate becomes a matter of personal taste. Van Halen enjoyed greater commercial success with Sammy Hagar, which suggests the majority of those who are given the opportunity to voice their side of this argument would indeed choose the Red Rocker over Diamond Dave. Yet when Hagar assumed the role of lead vocalist, the band's overall musical format devolved from hard, straight-ahead rock and roll into rather sappy, middle-of-the-road ballads that were furthermore overproduced with keyboards. Eddie Van Halen was and still remains one of the best rock guitarists out there, and during the "Van Hagar" era of 1985-1995, his musical genius was overshadowed by too many keyboards. To put it another way, the power trio of one guitar, bass, and drums with a frontman serves as the perfect avenue for a hard rock lineup.
I'm probably showing my age here, but when Van Halen dumped David Lee Roth and hence became more commercialized, it reminded me of when Grand Funk Railroad added a keyboardist and followed the same path. Similarly, GFR's music dropped in quality.
With that said; however, Sammy Hagar remains as one of the best vocalists in rock today. At 62, he still sounds as he did way back in his years with Ronnie Montrose. (I told you I was old!) And this frankly cannot be said for some of his counterparts, such as Roger Daltrey or Paul McCartney, two other well-known sixtysomethings who can no longer hit the high notes. Well, okay, to be a bit fair here, Daltrey and McCartney have a few years on Hagar, but not many.
Sammy's latest project is a supergroup known as Chickenfoot. He fronts Joe Satriani, ex-Van Halen bassist Micheal Anthony, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. The band is phenomenal and executes hard-driving rock flawlessly. The band's debut effort, simply titled Chickenfoot, will kick you where the sun doesn't shine.
Let's hope that any forthcoming CDs remain free of keyboards and/or synthesizers.
Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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