Every so often, it feels important to pause and remember just how good some of the artists we’ve lost truly were. This week on Rolling with Scissors, we’re diving into the music of Van Halen — mostly their early years, back when Eddie’s guitar sounded like nothing else on the planet. Why not? It’s bittersweet, because as good as these songs are, it’s still hard to believe Eddie Van Halen is gone.

Eddie passed away in October 2020, and the hole he left in the world of rock can’t really be filled. He wasn’t just a great guitar player — he changed the entire vocabulary of the instrument. Songs like Eruption weren’t just tracks on an album, they were statements. A whole new generation of musicians heard them and thought, “Wait, you can do that with a guitar?”

Van Halen’s early records were the definition of energy, flash, and fun. From Runnin’ With the Devil to Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love, they had this way of taking rock and pushing it forward while still making it catchy as hell. It’s easy to forget how revolutionary that was until you go back and listen with fresh ears. That’s what we’re doing this week — reminding ourselves why this band mattered, and why Eddie Van Halen is still one of the greatest to ever do it.

Next week, I’ll be taking a short break to head up north, and that episode will be another retrospective in what I’ve been calling our “Rolling with Scissors adventure.” I don’t quite know what year we’ll land on yet, but that’s part of the fun — it’ll be a surprise for all of us.

So buckle in. This one’s loud, fast, and full of fire. Van Halen never really did subtle — and that’s exactly why we still need to hear them today.

Hour 1

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Van Halen – Runnin’ With The Devil – 03:36 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Eruption – 01:42 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – You Really Got Me – 02:37 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love – 03:49 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – I’m The One – 03:46 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Jamie’s Cryin’ – 03:30 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Atomic Punk – 03:01 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Feel Your Love Tonight – 03:42 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Little Dreamer – 03:22 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – Ice Cream Man – 03:19 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – On Fire – 03:00 – Van Halen – Warner Bros. – 1978

Van Halen – You’re No Good – 03:18 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Dance The Night Away – 03:09 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Somebody Get Me A Doctor – 02:54 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Bottoms Up! – 03:06 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Outta Love Again – 02:53 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Light Up The Sky – 03:13 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Spanish Fly – 01:02 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – D.O.A. – 04:12 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – Women In Love….. – 04:09 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Hour 2

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Van Halen – Beautiful Girls – 03:56 – Van Halen II – Warner Bros. – 1979

Van Halen – And The Cradle Will Rock… – 03:33 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Everybody Wants Some!! – 05:08 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Fools – 05:57 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Fools – 05:57 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Romeo Delight – 04:21 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Tora! Tora! – 00:56 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Loss Of Control – 02:38 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Take Your Whiskey Home – 03:10 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Could This Be Magic – 03:11 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – In A Simple Rhyme – 04:39 – Women And Children First – Warner Bros. – 1980

Van Halen – Mean Street – 05:00 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – “Dirty Movies” – 04:08 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – Sinner’s Swing! – 03:09 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – Hear About It Later – 04:35 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – Unchained – 03:29 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Hour 3

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Van Halen – Push Comes To Shove – 03:49 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – So This Is Love? – 03:06 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – Sunday Afternoon In The Park – 01:59 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – One Foot Out The Door – 01:58 – Fair Warning – Warner Bros. – 1981

Van Halen – 1984 – 01:08 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – Jump – 04:03 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – Panama – 03:32 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – Top Jimmy – 03:02 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – Drop Dead Legs – 04:13 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – Hot For Teacher – 04:44 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – I’ll Wait – 04:44 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – Girl Gone Bad – 04:35 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Van Halen – House Of Pain [fade out] – 03:18 – 1984 – Warner Bros. – 1983

Rolling with Scissors airs live every Tuesday from 2–5 AM on 89.9 FM in Madison and streams at wortfm.org. Missed it? You can catch the episode for two weeks after broadcast at archive.wortfm.org or at rwsradio.com.

While the audio disappears after two weeks, the episode notes and playlists don’t. Every deep dive, rant, and full album breakdown stays right here — so you can revisit the details any time.

Spin the dial — we’re probably on it. Lock onto your frequency. Pick your favorite antenna below and ride the signal back to us.

Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | X (Twitter)