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Remembering Eddie Van Halen: watch the rock guitarist’s 20 greatest licks, from Jump to Beat It and Right Now
- Eddie Van Halen, who died from cancer this week, is famous for his virtuoso guitar playing
- His guitar solos inspired countless bedroom guitar heroes and were a signature sound of his band
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A technical virtuoso with a rock star’s natural flair, Eddie Van Halen played instantly identifiable electric guitar, so identifiable, in fact, that his namesake band spent decades cycling through styles and lead singers without ever sounding any less like itself.
Van Halen, who died on Tuesday at 65, arguably made his instrument the most important voice in Van Halen, which he formed in Pasadena with his older brother, drummer Alex, bassist Michael Anthony and frontman David Lee Roth. (Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone later sang with the band.)
For all their instrumental dexterity, Van Halen behaved – and sold records – like a fun-loving pop group.
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Here, in chronological order, are 20 of Eddie’s most memorable moments:
You Really Got Me (1978)
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Van Halen’s first chart hit wasn’t a densely composed original but a cover of the Kinks’ power chord classic. Yet Eddie’s squealing lead lines undeniably announced the arrival of a new kind of guitar hero.
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