by Steven Booth

Created on: August 10, 2009

The 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.

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