The bestselling, vivid and energetic history of Van Halen’s legendary early years featuring 230 original interviews — including with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and power players like Pete Angelus, Marshall Berle, Donn Landee, Ted Templeman, and Neil Zlozower

“Fascinating (even for non-VH fans) … A book almost anthropological in its level of detail.” — Vulture

“It’s the tale of hardworking kids with nothing in common learning to fuse pop and heavy metal into a new sound that completely changed the music world. It also vividly shows that the personality clashes that would later destroy the band were there from Day One.” — Rolling Stone

“A fascinating read.” — Pasadena Star News

“The book is fantastic.” — Ted Templeman, Grammy-winning music producer for Van Halen and David Lee Roth

“If you’ve got it bad, got it bad, got it bad for Van Halen, get Van Halen Rising.” — Martha Quinn, original MTV VJ, Sirius XM host

After years of playing gigs everywhere from suburban backyards to dive bars, Van Halen — led by frontman extraordinaire David Lee Roth and guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen — had the songs, the swagger, and the talent to turn the rock world on its ear. The quartet’s classic 1978 debut, Van Halen, sold more than a million copies within months of release and rocketed the band to the stratosphere of rock success. On tour, Van Halen’s high-energy show wowed audiences and prompted headlining acts like Black Sabbath to concede that they’d been blown off the stage. By the year’s end, Van Halen had established themselves as superstars and reinvigorated heavy metal in the process.

Combining exhaustive research and original interviews, Van Halen Rising reveals the untold story of how these rock legends made the unlikely journey from Pasadena, California, to the worldwide stage.

Greg Renoff's profile page

Greg Renoff was born in the Bronx, New York, and grew up in New Jersey. Renoff earned his Ph.D. in American history from Brandeis University and is the co-author of Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his wife and two daughters.

“This prehistory is usually glossed over in accounts of the band, but in Van Halen Rising, author Greg Renoff devotes an entire book to it. It’s the tale of hardworking kids with nothing in common learning to fuse pop and heavy metal into a new sound that completely changed the music world. It also vividly shows that the personality clashes that would later destroy the band were there from Day One.” — Rolling Stone

“In an excellent new book called Van Halen Rising, author Greg Renoff argues that, in the era of disco and punk, Van Halen’s arrival saved heavy metal. While that may be hyperbole, there’s little arguing that the backyard party band from Pasadena put Los Angeles back at the center of American rock & roll, where it’s largely stayed ever since.” — LA Weekly

“Renoff explores in depth Van Halen’s reluctant journey from back yard band to superstardom and, in particular, the role of David Lee Roth’s ambition and entrepreneurial skills.” — Forbes

“Renoff’s book is a thoroughly entertaining read that will appeal to every hard rock fan.” — Publishers Weekly

“It’s a rollicking roll through the life and times of a group that mowed through more groupies and drugs than could possibly be good for a young fella … a fascinating read.” — Pasadena Star News