Why Rock Fans Love Sammy Hagar

We have always been really big Sammy Hagar fans here at classicrockhistory.com, and there are many reasons why. Of course, not everyone is a Sammy Hagar fan—the man replaced one of the most beloved singers in rock and roll history, David Lee Roth, when he joined Van Halen. What Sammy Hagar did with Van Halen was essentially take them in a different direction. We’re not going to argue that the Sammy Hagar years were better than the David Lee Roth years, or vice versa—they were simply different. Nonetheless, that’s not why we only love Sammy Hagar.

Our love for Sammy Hagar began in the 1970s when we first saw him perform live, opening for Boston. The man delivered one of the most ferocious rock and roll shows we had ever seen. Non-stop, minute by minute, he just floored it. I wonder how many people became fans after seeing him open for Boston, having never heard him before. Of course, there were people older than us who knew his work with Montrose, but for us 15 or 16-year-old fans in the mid-1970s, those Boston concerts were our first glimpse of Sammy Hagar. From that moment on, we bought every single Sammy Hagar album we could get our hands on. In the mid-’70s, it was primarily his debut Nine on a Ten Scale and the Sammy Hagar album, which most of us call the “Red Album.”

The Red Album was a fantastic record for rock fans who were 14, 15, 16, or 17. It spoke to us—the songs were about cruising around, having fun on the weekends, and all the typical rock and roll themes that teenagers could relate to. But it wasn’t just the songs, it was the performance. As we saw in concert, Sammy Hagar brought that same energy to his studio sessions. I can’t tell you how many times I listened to that Red Album. Over 50 years later, I’m still listening to it. He followed it up with Musical Chairs, which, while not as strong as the Red Album, still had some great tunes. That was followed by Street Machine in 1979 and Danger Zone in 1980, which marked the end of that particular chapter of Sammy Hagar’s career.

It was in 1982, when he signed with Geffen Records, that our love for Sammy Hagar’s music multiplied by ten upon hearing the Standing Hampton album. Sammy Hagar took things to a whole new level. I never thought he would release an album I enjoyed more than the Red Album, but Standing Hampton was it. At that point, Sammy Hagar infused his rock and roll energy with well-written, melodic songs that brought him the most commercial success he had seen up to that point. Of course, we all know what happened over the next few albums, with Three Lock Box and VOA, when songs like “I Can’t Drive 55” turned him into a worldwide star. It was fun waiting for a new Sammy Hagar album every year, but after VOA, the whole game changed.

I was very excited when I first heard that Hagar was joining Van Halen, but like many Sammy Hagar fans; I was also pretty sad because it essentially meant the end of Sammy Hagar’s solo career. I never fell into the “Sammy Hagar vs. David Lee Roth” camp—I enjoyed both of them. I thought they each brought their own distinct personalities to the music in Van Halen. I loved the recordings Hagar made with Van Halen, though at times, I thought the lyrics could have been stronger. I’m not sure what happened there; maybe Hagar was overwhelmed by the ferocity and brilliance of Eddie Van Halen, or perhaps it was a little intimidating. But based on how I’ve heard Sammy talk, and how secure he always seemed to be, that probably wasn’t the reason. Nonetheless, all those Van Halen albums with Hagar were sensational.

I wish it had worked out with Van Halen. I wish they had never broken up and that Sammy had continued to release new Van Halen records. It would have been amazing to see where they would have gone. But as fans, we don’t really know what happened—we just know it did. Of course, the upside of Sammy Hagar leaving Van Halen was his return to his solo career. Hagar went on to release a series of albums in the ’90s, and 2000s  like Marching to Mars, Red Voodoo, and later Not 4 Sale and Cosmic Universal Fashion,  and many more which were just spectacular. These weren’t merely a return to form; they took his solo career to a whole new level.

Sammy Hagar’s career started as a band member in Montrose. While he would eventually leave Montrose to start a solo career, he wound up being a band member again with Van Halen. Of course, after leaving Van Halen and returning to his solo career, it’s quite possible that he missed being part of a band. In 2009, Sammy Hagar formed a new group called Chickenfoot with Joe Satriani, his former bandmate Michael Anthony from Van Halen, and Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This was definitely a supergroup—another great band, more great music—and, sadly, they only released two albums. I’m sure it was because Chad Smith’s commitment to the Red Hot Chili Peppers far exceeded his commitment to Chickenfoot. Anyone could understand that, and of course, Joe Satriani had his solo career as well. Nonetheless, Joe and Sammy Hagar recently reunited for a tour, playing the best of Hagar and the best of Van Halen. And since Chickenfoot, Michael Anthony has been playing with Hagar, as they’ve become blood brothers in rock ‘n’ roll battle.

Looking back, Sammy Hagar has given us so much music over a 50-year span. None of it has been anything short of spectacular—every solo album, every recording he made with Chickenfoot, Van Halen, and The Circle has rocked hard. The guy doesn’t need the money—he made a fortune selling his tequila. He’s an entrepreneur who knows no limits. Still, rock ‘n’ roll is in his blood, and at his age, to look that good, to sound that good, and to keep delivering such emotionally charged, thunderous performances night after night in 2024—playing the longest concerts of his life—is as inspiring as it gets to old-time rock ‘n’ roll fans like me in our 60s. In the simplest terms, we love Sammy Hagar not just for his music, but for his passion for life and the energy he puts into every single day. That’s as inspiring as it gets.

Read More: Why Sammy Hagar’s Standing Hampton Album Was A Turning Point

Why We Love Sammy Hagar article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024