Sammy and his Dead Horse

napalmdeath said:
Just goes to show how he's embellished his accomplishments and out of touch with reality.
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Not really. This data shows cumulative album sales. Not when the sales occured. I could be wrong in my assumption here, but I'm guessing they sold more of the early catalog after Sammy joined than they had sold before he joined...
 
jabps said:
Of course it is but the sales figures don't lie, Roth's version outsold the Hagar version over 2 to 1. So I've never understand where Sam was coming from there other than ego. I'm wasn't arguing which was better, that is completely subjective. I just asked a simple question. Not trying to start anything about why legend thought the band rose to new heights, just wondering. It's fine, not trying to piss anyone off.
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In total sales over time, yes. But those sales were not obtained only in the time dlr was in band. Im guessing Sammy helped sell more dlr van Halen records than dlr did... Sammy isn't lying when he says van Halen sold 50 million records, he just left out the fact that's all their records combined not just the ones he's on... His era in my mind sold the most records, it's just it sold "all" the vh records...
 
Both good points ^^^^ im sure they sold a lot of original records after Sammy joined. I know the guy has a huge cult like following in certain areas, that is for sure.
 
Corey Feldman could have been their singer and VH would have sold out stadiums.
 
GOHOINC said:
In total sales over time, yes. But those sales were not obtained only in the time dlr was in band. Im guessing Sammy helped sell more dlr van Halen records than dlr did... Sammy isn't lying when he says van Halen sold 50 million records, he just left out the fact that's all their records combined not just the ones he's on... His era in my mind sold the most records, it's just it sold "all" the vh records...
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True.

However VH1 and 1984 both sold over 10 mill within the release time frame. Hagars "total" sales with VH is about 24 mill. People forget 1984 is number one without the largest selling album ever, keeping it from the top spot. Album stayed at number two for weeks. Goes to show just how big Thriller was considering that it was released in late '82. 1984 album sold huge at the time along with VH's only number one single. The 1984 era Van Halen was never bigger. They dominated the radio and MTV and in alot of ways contributed to Van Halen fatigue with Roth.

VH II also sold big out of the gate as did WACF. They dipped with Fair Warning but oddly Diver Down sold big at the time.

What I have always found odd is the FU album with Hagar didn't sell more. That album had tons of radio play and videos and in the long run barely outsold Balance which I think is junk.

Here's the numbers again for anyone interested.
 

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jabps said:
True.

However VH1 and 1984 both sold over 10 mill within the release time frame. Hagars "total" sales with VH is about 24 mill. People forget 1984 is number one without the largest selling album ever, keeping it from the top spot. Album stayed at number two for weeks. Goes to show just how big Thriller was considering that it was released in late '82. 1984 album sold huge at the time along with VH's only number one single. The 1984 era Van Halen was never bigger. They dominated the radio and MTV and in alot of ways contributed to Van Halen fatigue with Roth.

VH II also sold big out of the gate as did WACF. They dipped with Fair Warning but oddly Diver Down sold big at the time.

What I have always found odd is the FU album with Hagar didn't sell more. That album had tons of radio play and videos and in the long run barely outsold Balance which I think is junk.

Here's the numbers again for anyone interested.
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As I understand it, those records did not pass 10mil sales (Diamond status) until 1996 (vh) and 1999 (1984).... released in 1978 and 1984.

Contrast that with Appetite for destruction, released in 1987 and achieved diamond in 1993. Its easy to say which version of guns drove those sales.in the case of 1984, according to the riaa website, half of the album sale for 1984 were generated after sammy Joined, coincidentally its the same for VH, half of record sales occurred after Sammy joined. Not saying they bought them for Sammy but the RIAA data makes it pretty clear they sold way mre records with Sammy in the band than with DLR...

Perhaps its blasphemy, but without Sammy Hagar, I think Van Halen is only relevant to people who play guitar, or those who still aqua net their bangs... Sammy helped keep them in the limelight and drove the volume of total catalog record sales to the larger mainstream audience.
 
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GOHOINC said:
As I understand it, those records did not pass 10mil sales (Diamond status) until 1996 (vh) and 1999 (1984).... released in 1978 and 1984.

Contrast that with Appetite for destruction, released in 1987 and achieved diamond in 1993. Its easy to say which version of guns drove those sales.in the case of 1984, according to the riaa website, half of the album sale for 1984 were generated after sammy Joined, coincidentally its the same for VH, half of record sales occurred after Sammy joined. Not saying they bought them for Sammy but the RIAA data makes it pretty clear they sold way mre records with Sammy in the band than with DLR...

Perhaps its blasphemy, but without Sammy Hagar, I think Van Halen is only relevant to people who play guitar, or those who still aqua net their bangs... Sammy helped keep them in the limelight and drove the volume of total catalog record sales to the larger mainstream audience.
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That's only when they were officially awarded the Diamond status. I think and this may have changed but the artists have to request recertification. For example Kiss's Alive is their best selling record and by all accounts close to 10 million in sales but is still listed as only a Gold record. Not to mention alot of sales data changed when they introduced Soundscan in '91. I think Soundscan may be one of the reason Kiss has never pushed to recertify Alive. Note, those are cumulative sales for Van Hagar as well so they didn't do those numbers out of the gate either.

Disagree with VH being relevant to only guitarists as the band was never bigger than it was in the 1984 era, all over MTV with videos and specials, huge album, number one single etc... I think by the time Roth left most were fatigued with that era VH.
 
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I feel like I should have something to contribute to this thread but its already all been said :dunno:

Edit:
but here it goes anyway :lol:

Sammy in Montrose = Great
Sammy in Red Rocker = Good
Sammy in Van Halen = Pick your least worst album
Sammy in Chickenfoot = I can't name one song so...
Sammy in this post VH world = Cringecity to say the least

With all kidding aside, there were songs in some of the Van Hager collection that were good, but only because of Ed's songwriting and playing. He is the only reason I kept listening. But they were the heavier songs like Good Enough, AFU, Poundcake, Amsterdam. Most of the rest were snooze buttons.
 
I enjoy both the Dave and Sammy years with a HUGE preference towards the Dave years. I always viewed Hagar as a likeable guy that would be super fun to hang out or jam with. However, his comments to the press have gone from simply that, to angry vitriol of an artist in the twilight of his career. Some of the crap he says these days is flat out mean spirited/self-serving and firing Jason Bonham from his "travelling jukebox" band was a dicky move.
 
DLR: AaaaoooWWWaaooooaaahhh with random 'junkie-talk-singing'.

SH: YeeaahhhyeeahhahaYYYEEEAAAH while randomly singing over the guitar solo.


Basically VH in a nutshell.
 
johnny q said:
I enjoy both the Dave and Sammy years with a HUGE preference towards the Dave years. I always viewed Hagar as a likeable guy that would be super fun to hang out or jam with. However, his comments to the press have gone from simply that, to angry vitriol of an artist in the twilight of his career. Some of the crap he says these days is flat out mean spirited/self-serving and firing Jason Bonham from his "travelling jukebox" band was a dicky move.
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"Alcoholic."
 
Y'all know Alex Is gonna come out with another book if he makes good money on this one.
 
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