# "Best" DLR Van Halen Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 7, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204 "2015-08-07T02:18:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/1 "2015-08-07T02:18:37Z")
I know, I know. Van Halen isn’t the most cerebral band in the world, but EVH’s playing and Michael Anthony’s harmonies made their stuff unique back in the day. I was trying to think of the best examples that encapsulate their very best qualities in a song and the song I kept coming back to was “I’m The One”. It’s predictably cheesy but features so many Van Halen-isms from that era (especially DLR’s screams, screeches, grunts, moans, etc) along with EVH’s nice runs, divebombs, etc that I felt it was a worthy example. I also think “On Fire” from their first album is a winner, and there are tidbits from other songs like “Cradle Will Rock” (that intro!), “Mean Streets”, “Unchained” etc that are worthy of mention. But I cannot think of another song that ties up all the VH goodies into one neat package like “I’m the One”. See what you think: [Van Halen - Van Halen - I'm The One - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzkXGIRaxcI) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/2 "2015-08-07T02:26:20Z")
I only know the radio hits. Just off the top of my head, and I’m sure I’ll change my mind once other people start mentioning things, I really like Hot For Teacher. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/3 "2015-08-07T02:35:22Z")
Music for speeding tickets! The band maintained a uniform level of excellence through '1984', but it's the train whistle that makes this one special. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/4 "2015-08-07T02:59:09Z")
Dance the Night Away, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/5 "2015-08-07T03:51:52Z")
I used to think I liked Van Halen a lot, but it turns out that my love of Running With the Devil is so profound that it tricked me into thinking I like the rest of their stuff. I don’t. Their music hasn’t really aged too well either, but Running With the Devil still fucking rocks. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/i5txwFv-zYM/maxresdefault.jpg "Van Halen - Runnin' With The Devil (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5txwFv-zYM) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/6 "2015-08-07T04:04:21Z")
I Can’t Wait to Feel Your Love Tonight. Just sums up Van Halen to me. When he finally just plays simpled-down barre chords for the chorus, after all of his amazing EVH-ness, it is just so damn good. And the lyrics are just perfect DLR idiocy. 'cuz that’s what he excels at, right? ETA: and when you play it, getting the riff correct? So fun to play… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/7 "2015-08-07T04:26:56Z")
Hard to pick and on any given day I might go with a different answer, but most days I’ll go with [And The Cradle Will Rock…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoDBWOJ9g1A). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/8 "2015-08-07T06:03:16Z")
I was never a big Van Halen fan but several of those old songs really are fun. I was in high school when _1984_ came out but by that time I had gotten into R.E.M., U2, The Police, INXS, Psychedelic Furs, etc. “Everybody Wants Some” is a good one. Memorably used in the fantasy sequence in _Better Off Dead._ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kz6Kcz62onA/maxresdefault.jpg "Better Off Dead - (Everybody Wants Some)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz6Kcz62onA) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/9 "2015-08-07T06:14:12Z")
Yep, it’s “Everybody Wants Some”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/10 "2015-08-07T06:24:26Z")
Too many, including everything already mentioned. I love DLR VH. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/11 "2015-08-07T07:53:45Z")
Van Halen 2 is bare bones brilliance. Lighting ip the Sky, Someone Get Me a Docter, etc are.awesome Y ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/12 "2015-08-07T08:23:11Z")
[Ain’t Talkin’ 'Bout Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuyvT8nFMLY)- Just kicks so much ass. Dance the Night Away is another fav of mine, and I have loved, “Everybody Wants Some” ever since, “Better Off Dead” came out. EDIT: In considering what the OP actually asked, I’ll go with, “Everybody Wants Some”, for Dave’s vocals, the lyrics, and Eddie’s guitar. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/13 "2015-08-07T13:47:38Z")
Somebody Get Me A Doctor! ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/14 "2015-08-07T13:53:52Z")
[“Unchained.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx86CxKYtg0) EVH has written so many classic songs it’s ridiculous. It’s arguable he’s a better composer than guitarist, which is saying a lot for one of the three or four most important and influential guitar players in rock history. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/15 "2015-08-07T13:55:42Z")
**Unchained** That’s the song I turn up to 11 when the family’s away and I want to hear some serious VH. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/16 "2015-08-07T15:08:53Z")
My favorite DLR era songs: “On Fire” “I’m the One” “Bottoms Up” “Beautiful Girls” “Unchained” “Panama” ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/17 "2015-08-07T15:39:23Z")
Best song? Maybe Beautiful Girls. Best video/song combo? Hot For Teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/18 "2015-08-07T16:15:19Z")
**Romeo Delight** , hands down. _Must 'a lied ‘cause I ain’t leavin’_ ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/19 "2015-08-07T16:17:27Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Yep, it’s “Everybody Wants Some”. That’s a fun song, no doubt. Maybe you can help me- what does “A dada beebee bobba wooky for a moopee?” mean? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204/20 "2015-08-07T16:40:17Z")
I’ve been a huge VH fan since the first album broke. ( I even own a EVH Wolfgang and a replica Frankenstrat!) “Everybody Wants Some” was the first song that popped to mind because it incapsulates their live sound so well. “Somebody Get Me a Doctor” and the trademark Michael Anthony harmony. The _Diver Down_ album had some hidden gems behind all the smaltzy stuff, particularly “Little Guitars” I know it’s been tremendously overplayed but “Eruption/You Really Got Me” comes in like a 747, rocks the old Kinks tune VH style… and still blows any uninitiated listener away. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-dlr-van-halen-song/727204.md?page=2)