The Disturbing Meaning Behind Van Halen’s ‘5150’ Album
There have been many iconic rock bands over the course of the past few decades but few are more beloved than Van Halen. The music group first formed in the ’70s, and quickly gained notoriety for their energetic stage performances and unabashed devotion to the genre of hard rock.
Over the years, Van Halen released many hit albums, and went through several incarnations, including changing up the lineup of the band. After the sudden death of Eddie Van Halen in late 2020, many fans are revisiting the legacy of Van Halen—and learning what they can about one of the group’s most iconic albums.
When did Van Halen release their ‘5150’ album?
Van Halen was formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Gradually, helmed by guitarist Eddie Van Halen and vocalist David Lee Roth, Van Halen rose to prominence—until, by the late ’70s, they were one of the biggest bands in rock and roll. From 1974 through 1985, the band released numerous successful albums, including Van Halen, Van Halen II, Fair Warning, and Diver Down.
In 1985, Van Halen underwent a major change when David Lee Roth left the group. He was replaced by singer/guitarist Sammy Hagar. With the new lineup, Van Halen went on to experience even greater success, entering a period of extreme prosperity. In 1986, the band released their first album with Hagar, 5150. According to All Music, the album was a huge hit, spawning popular singles like “Dreams” and “Love Walks In.”
What is the album ‘5150’ named for?
5150 helped to convince critics that Sammy Hagar was a stellar addition to Van Halen’s lineup. According to Louder Sound, Van Halen went into the process of recording the album with the plan to blow everyone out of the water. They named the album after Eddie Van Halen’s home recording studio, which was located in a small garage adjacent to his house.
5150 Studios, located at 3371 Coldwater Canyon, was designed by Van Halen so that the guitarist could have more control over the creative process, according to Alchetron. He originally named the studio 5150 after Section 5150 of the California Welfare & Institutions Code, which allows a qualified person to place someone under an involuntary psychiatric hold. As reported by Alchetron, Van Halen heard the code used on a police scanner one night and liked the way it sounded.
The band buckled down when it came time to record 5150, writing and recording songs at a breakneck pace – and in the end, their resilience paid off, with Hagar recalling “The album went platinum in one week. It was the fastest million-selling record in Warners’ history.”
What happened to 5150 Studios after Eddie Van Halen’s death?
After the remarkable success of 5150, Van Halen recorded every one of their albums at the modest studio owned by Eddie Van Halen. It served as a good luck charm for the rock band, helping to spawn popular albums like For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in 1991 and Balance in 1995. The band continued to experience incredible international success – and toured sporadically until Eddie Van Halen’s death from cancer in 2020.
After the iconic guitarist’s death, many fans wondered what would happen to 5150 Studios. Fortunately, it seems as though the studio will remain in the family, with Wolf Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen’s only son, confirming in May 2021 that he will continue to use it to record music for “the rest of his life.” According to Rock Celebrities, Wolf Van Halen noted on Twitter that he would not be selling the studio, which was presumably left to him by his father, and didn’t plan to rent it out to other bands to record in.
