Eddie Van Halen’s All-Time Favorite Album, According to Wolfgang

Wolfgang Van Halen has revealed Eddie Van Halen’s favorite all-time album during a recent chat with Billy Corgan on The Magnificent Others podcast.The revelation came up as Corgan delved into the music that first inspired Wolfgang Van Halen to want to play and evolved into a conversation where Wolfgang shared some of the music that he and his father bonded over when he was young.What Was Eddie Van Halen’s Favorite Album?As stated, the discussion initially was geared toward Wolfgang’s initial interests in music, but the Mammoth WVH frontman took part of the discussion in the direction of music that he and his father Eddie Van Halen bonded over.”A big thing I bonded over with my dad was AC/DC. AC/DC, he really liked Tori Amos and his favorite album of all-time along with one of my favorite albums was So by Peter Gabriel. He had a very eclectic taste,” recalled Wolfgang.So was a pivotal album in Gabriel’s career. The former Genesis musician’s fifth studio album represented more of a commercial breakthrough for the artist. Though Gabriel had radio hits prior, So featured five of the nine songs receiving significant radio airplay, including the chart-topping “Sledgehammer,” “Big Time,” the future Say Anything soundtrack favorite “In Your Eyes,” the heart-wrenching Kate Bush duet “Don’t Give Up” and the album opening “Red Rain.”Wolfgang Van Halen even chose Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” as his wedding song when he married Andraia Allsop. “So is one of my favorite albums of all time, and it was one of my dad’s favorite albums of all time. So, I’ve just had a connection with Peter Gabriel and his music forever, and simultaneously, my fiancée [is a fan], as well. So, we couldn’t think of a better song,” remarked Wolfgang to Consequence back in 2023.Wolfgang’s Musical Bonding With Eddie Van HalenWhile Wolfgang touched on Eddie’s wide ranging tastes, he also served up recollections of his shared musical loves with his father.READ MORE: Wolfgang Van Halen’s 10 Favorite Albums When He Was a Teenager”AC/DC is something that I remember he showed me the song ‘Big Balls,’ and it was when we were on a road trip. I loved it so much. I loved Bon Scott’s voice and I was enamored with Malcolm Young’s rhythm guitar aggression, one of the best,” recalled the younger Van Halen.Where Did Wolfgang Van Halen’s Interest in Music Initially Spark?As the conversation continued, Wolfgang circled back to his own start in music.He had initially started playing drums and he recalled to Corgan, “What really set me out on individually finding what pushed me to be a better musician was Blink-182, Enema of the State, and learning how to play Travis Barker’s drum parts. He’s really, really good, and I think from there I didn’t really find a level up until I started listening to Tool and tried to learn Danny Carey’s parts.”The Master Craftsmen of SongwritingCorgan then took the conversation in another direction, asking Wolfgang the songs and songwriters that first made him think about pursuing music. He rattled off several names that he admired early on as he was getting into music.”Trent Reznor, Dave Grohl, I think Alice in Chains was a big one for me,” Wolfgang responded, before adding, “I think those and another big band for me growing up was Jimmy Eat World. I think they unfairly get pigeonholed into a one-hit wonder thing with ‘The Middle’ when I think they are a very unique band that I really, really love.””But yeah, it’s the respect for the song more than anything, rather than doing a wank off solo here. I have more respect for does this serve the song or not,” said Wolfgang of his own appreciation for songwriting.”I’m recording right now and there are many moments in it where I could do this but I’d rather just focus on the groove. Sometimes simplifying things are what makes it heavier and more impactful,” he added.You can check out more of the chat between Corgan and Van Halen below.Mammoth WVH’s Wolfgang Van Halen Guests on Billy Corgan’s The Magnificent Others Podcast25 Rockers Who’ve Been in Three or More Big BandsThese musicians have been in three or more widely-known rock and metal bands.Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner