The highlight of 1984 has to be "Hot for Teacher." I defy anyone to listen to it and not be at least mildly amused by Roth's frontman antics. He took the "heavy metal lead singer" role to another level and helped push Van Halen in directions no other metal band dreamed venture.

Despite being about twenty years old (!), this record still sounds as catchy and brilliant as it was when I first heard it on the radio. Although there are only nine songs in the set, the fact that they're all amazing compels me rate 1984 five stars.

VAN HALEN JUMPS ON TOP OF THE WORLD! Their best album!
Edward, Alex, Michael and Dave hit superstardom with this excellent album! The first time I heard Jump, in 1983 - at the age of 12, I was completely stunned at how well Van Halen sounded with Edward's featured synthesizer playing! It began showing in Women And Children First, in '80, but really drove full throttle, in '83, when the band recorded 1984! The album's intro piece, 1984, is a synth-instrumental by Edward, played in a slow tempo and revealed notes of the album's next track....the monster hit, Jump! The charts shattered when the single Jump was released....it propelled the band to superstar status, unlike anything they had ever seen before! The music world had now witnessed Van Halen reaching for worldwide acclaim! Panama, one of my favorites, followed and kept the VH bus in overdrive....they continued on with Hot For Teacher(made themselves look silly in the music video) and the totally awesome synth driven rocker - I'll Wait! The whole album is great and is without "filler"! It was Dave's last record with the band, but the energy throughout the 1984 album left no one with impressions that he was jumping ship....ironically, his lackluster solo career drove him into mediocrity - almost becoming a lounge act. I would definitely recommend 1984 to rock music lovers....I cherish having this remarkable album in my CD collection!

Needless to say, this album is one of the best out there.
While it may not have as good guitar work as VH1 from 1978, this album has the same quality of song writing which is proven when one considers the fact that they can hear practically every song from VH1 and this album on any good classic rock station. Songs like "Panama", "Hot For Teacher", "I'll Wait", and the classic "Jump" all became classics on the radio and made Van Halen even larger than they were after their 78 debut that launched their careers. The only down side to this album is the fact that it was Diamond Dave's last with the band before Sammy Hagar took over. Don't get me wrong, I like Hagar for his solo and Van Halen songs, but the band just wasn't the same without their original frontman. Never the less, this album is a must have for any fan of good classic rock or fun metal.

Fun Rock And Roll
I'm not a big Van Halen fan. I liked about 4 songs on their debut, and some of their videos were entertaining. This though is a kicking rock album! Jump and Panama are classics, I Will and Hot For Teacher cement the deal. Footstompin rock, a good listen.

4.5 stars - The end of an era
1984 (1983.) Van Halen's sixth album.

In 1983, Van Halen recorded their sixth studio album, which they would release at the dawn of the next year, and accordingly, entitle 1984. The band probably didn't know it at the time, but this would end up being the band's final album with David Lee Roth on lead vocals - he'd leave the band and pursue a solo career following this album. How does Roth's swansong with Van Halen measure up? Read on for my review.

This is probably Van Halen's most popular album (well, this and the debut), and with good reason. Some of the band's finest material and biggest hits can be found here. Jump, Van Halen's only number one hit EVER, comes from this album. The band's newfound love for synthesizers really shows in this track. I admit, I was a bit skeptical about synthesizers working in this band, but this opening track shattered those doubts. In fact, the opening title track is an instrumental that heavy emphasizes their usage - and it should be proof enough that the band can use them well. Other big hits include the classic hard rockers Panama and Hot For Teacher (you've gotta love Diamond Dave's lyrics in the latter song), as well as the Genesis-esque I'll Wait. I'll Wait is one of the band's most synth-heavy songs, but it would become another one of the band's many big hits. The chorus is particularly memorable. Through and through, this album rocks. Although it is very different from earlier Van Halen releases, it's still nothing short of excellent. I don't agree with the fans who call this the band's strongest release (my personal favorite will always be the self-titled 1978 debut), but I remain confident that this is a solid, hard-rocking album through and through, and it is one of their finest.

The Warner Remasters rerelease of this album improves the sound quality, but I really thing that Warner could have done more with these reissues. Expanded liner notes/interviews/etc. would have made for a good extra, as would bonus tracks. The Madonna reissues in the Warner Remasters series had bonus tracks, so why can't the Van Halen reissues? Or better yet, they could have combined multiple albums onto single discs (one disc could have been Van Halen/Van Halen II, one could be Women And Children First/Fair Warning, and one could have been Diver Down/1984.) That would have been more convenient to fans, but I guess record companies care more about profits than convenience. Oh, well. This doesn't change the way I feel about the album itself.

1984 marked the end of an era. Well, TWO eras actually. Diamond Dave became a solo artist, and his solo work would never compare to the stuff he did in the good old Van Halen days. Likewise, Sammy Hagar replaced him, and this causes the band to kiss their roots goodbye - and NOT in a good way. 1984 is the last album of one of the greatest eras in rock and roll. Pick it up if you're a fan of the band - I can almost guarantee that the album will satisfy you.
1984 was a successful record not only because it contained solid, catchy hard rock, but also because it incorporated synthesizers into the mix, the first metal album to do so to any serious extent. Although the advances in electronic music make this material sound dated now, it's still a highlight of Van Halen's career. Songs like "Jump" contain a pop element that gave 1984 mainstream appeal, and David Lee Roth turned the frontman role into an art form on songs such as "Panama," "Hot for Teacher," "Drop Dead Legs," and "I'll Wait." To a large extent, it was 1984 that set the standard for '80s pop metal, and David Lee Roth who set the standard (or takes the blame, depending on your point of view) for the aggressively good-time attitude most pop-metal bands took for their own. --Genevieve Williams