VAN HALEN - ERUPTION

Released: February 10, 1978

Album: Van Halen

“Eruption” is a groundbreaking guitar solo performed by Eddie Van Halen and featured as the second track on Van Halen’s self-titled 1978 debut album. Clocking in at just under two minutes, the instrumental redefined what was possible on electric guitar and is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. Beyond its dazzling speed and precision, “Eruption” introduced the world to Eddie Van Halen’s revolutionary two-handed tapping technique, a style that would forever change the landscape of rock guitar.

Originally, “Eruption” wasn’t even meant to appear on the album. It was simply a warm-up piece Eddie often played during live shows at Los Angeles clubs like the Whisky a Go Go, but, while rehearsing it in the studio, producer Ted Templeman overheard the solo and immediately insisted it be recorded for inclusion on the record. Eddie later admitted he thought it was just a practice routine, not something worthy of release — but Templeman’s intuition proved right. The track became a defining moment in Eddie’s career.

“Eruption” showcases a blend of classical phrasing, technical innovation, and raw energy. The opening is loosely based on the intro to Cactus’s “Let Me Swim”, while the midsection quotes Rodolphe Kreutzer’s “Etude No. 2” in E-flat major. The closing sequence, a dazzling series of rapid-fire triads and tapped arpeggios, resolves into a classical-style cadence before fading into sound effects created by a Univox EC-80 echo unit — a piece of equipment Eddie famously modified himself. He often experimented with his gear, taking apart guitars and processors to invent new tones, and the Univox’s distinctive low growl at the end of “Eruption” became one of his early sonic signatures.

While the technique of tapping had existed in jazz and experimental guitar circles for decades, it was Eddie who brought it into mainstream rock. As former Guitar Player editor Jas Obrecht noted, “Eddie Van Halen’s work on ‘Eruption’ upped the game for everyone. The technique of tapping had been around, but it was rarely used — and almost always as a novelty. Eddie brought finger-tapping into the heart of rock ’n’ roll.” Within months of the album’s release, guitarists across the US, Europe, and Japan were attempting to imitate his style, though few could match his touch, timing, or imagination.

Despite its virtuosity, Eddie himself was never fully satisfied with the recording. “There’s a mistake in there, near the beginning,” he once said. “Whenever I hear it, I always think, Man, I could’ve played it better.” Ironically, that small imperfection only adds to the track’s legend.

“Eruption” segues directly into Van Halen’s cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”. The two songs are still played together on radio and in concert, symbolizing the explosive arrival of a band that would soon dominate the next decade of hard rock.