Van Halen’s ‘5150’ Marks 40 Years Since Release with Sammy Hagar

Van Halen released 5150 on March 24, 1986. This was the band's seventh studio record and their first with Sammy Hagar after David Lee Roth left.

The record shot straight to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, beating out the peak position of their last effort, 1984, which Michael Jackson's Thriller had kept from the top. Three hits came from this release: "Dreams," "Why Can't This Be Love," and "Love Walks In." The RIAA gave it six Platinum certifications.

Eddie Van Halen's home studio in California inspired the title 5150. It's also a legal code referring to people with mental health issues. Sessions started in November 1985 and wrapped up by February 1986. However, the real story began in July 1985 when a mechanic fixing Eddie's Lamborghini brought up Hagar's name, Noise11 reveals.

Donn Landee, who'd engineered the group's earlier records, moved up to producer. Mick Jones from Foreigner also pitched in on production. The sound shifted, as ballads and love songs mixed with the hard-hitting riffs fans knew.

The album has nine tracks: "Good Enough," "Why Can't This Be Love," "Get Up," "Dreams," "Summer Nights," "Best of Both Worlds," "Love Walks In," "5150," and "Inside." Eddie Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Alex Van Halen wrote every song together.

A 40th anniversary expanded edition arrives this Friday. Fans get a remastered version with bonus 7-inch single edits and extended 12-inch tracks, plus a CD packed with unreleased live recordings from the Aug. 27, 1986, concert at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Connecticut. The Blu-ray carries Live Without a Net from that same show, now upgraded to HD for the first time. 

Fans can pre-order the anniversary edition from the band's official website.