Former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone replaced Hagar and recorded the commercially unsuccessful album Van Halen III with the band in 1998, before parting ways in 1999.

They continued to play Pasadena, San Bernardino, and Venice at clubs, festivals, backyard parties and city parks like Hamilton, drawing up to 2,000 people.

[22] Van Halen subsequently played clubs in Los Angeles and West Hollywood to growing audiences, increasing their popularity entirely through self-promotion, passing out flyers at local high schools.

[24] All the club gig success led naturally to the need for a demo tape, which was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Northridge where Steely Dan had recently completed an LP.

According to a January 4, 1977, L.A. Times article by Robert Hilburn,[25] entitled "HOMEGROWN PUNK", Rodney Bingenheimer saw Van Halen at Gazzarri's in the summer of 1976, and enticed Gene Simmons of Kiss to see them.

So on a horrendously rainy night in mid-1977", Warner Bros. executive Mo Ostin and producer Ted Templeman saw Van Halen perform at the Starwood in Hollywood.

[28] Although the audience was negligible – Messenger claims only a barmaid and himself were there until Ostin and Templeman arrived – the Warner Bros. reps were so impressed that they wrote a letter of intent on a napkin, and within a week met at a local diner with the band, their future manager Marshall Berle (nephew of comedian Milton Berle) and Warner touring manager Noel Monk, who had just guided the Sex Pistols across the United States.

During this time, they continued to play various venues in Southern California, including some notable concerts at the Pasadena Convention Center produced by their promoter and impresario, Steve Tortomasi, himself a fixture in the local rock and roll scene.

[32] The album included songs now regarded as Van Halen classics, like "Runnin' with the Devil" and the guitar solo "Eruption", which showcased Eddie's use of a technique known as "finger-tapping", leading into what became the band's first single, a cover of "You Really Got Me".

In 1981, during the recording of Fair Warning, Eddie's desire for darker, more complex songs in minor keys was at odds with Roth's pop tastes and style.

[33] Planning to release a cover single, then take a hiatus, Roth and Ed agreed upon a remake of the 1960s Roy Orbison song "Oh, Pretty Woman", which peaked at 12 on BB Top 100.

Group members have given different reasons for the split, but all were firmly rooted in control of the band's sound, artistic direction, singles released and pace.

[53] With Hagar back in Hawaii and against the idea of doing the project,[52] but having another song left to contribute, the Van Halen brothers alone recorded the instrumental "Respect the Wind".

[52] David Lee Roth called Eddie to discuss what tracks would be included on a planned Van Halen compilation (work on which had actually begun before Hagar's departure).

Roth released a statement that Van Halen misled him into thinking they were seriously considering bringing him back into the band and that he had made clear to them beforehand that he did not want to do the awards show unless they were actually reuniting.

[57] The next day, the Van Halen brothers and Anthony released their own statement, denying they had in any way led Roth to believe they were planning to bring him back into the band.

[59] Van Halen's next lead singer was Gary Cherone, former frontman of the Boston-based band Extreme, a group which had enjoyed some popular success in the early 1990s.

[62][63] Working titles of songs included "Left for Dead", "River Wide", "Say Uncle", "You Wear it Well", "More Than Yesterday", "I Don't Miss You ... Much", "Love Divine", and "From Here, Where Do We Go?

[citation needed] Unlike with the previous two singers, there was reportedly no bad blood behind the breakup, and Cherone remained in contact and on good terms with Van Halen.

One of the songs that Cherone had written for the scrapped second album with Van Halen, titled "Left For Dead", would see its lyrics set to a new musical arrangement with Tribe of Judah.

Hagar released a live album (Hallelujah), featuring vocals by Anthony and Cherone, and a documentary DVD, Long Road to Cabo, about touring with Roth.

With Van Halen inactive, Anthony set up a website and worked on merchandising projects such as his signature Yamaha bass and range of hot sauces.

[77] In November, Eddie's spokesperson, Janie Liszewski, claimed the Van Halen family was writing/rehearsing for a summer 2007 tour, which Billboard magazine's website shortly confirmed.

[106] There was an overwhelmingly positive critical and fan response to A Different Kind of Truth, which helped to fuel the album's long run in the upper reaches of the U.S.

[107][108] Despite an average ticket price of approximately $150, Van Halen's "A Different Kind of Truth Tour" proved to be a commercial success as well, with nearly all U.S. arena shows "either sold-out, or close to it.

[121] On September 30, 2019, while promoting an upcoming 2020 solo concert, Roth expressed uncertainty towards the band's future, stating "I think Van Halen is finished.

[126] In October and November 2024,[69] Alex Van Halen announced that he has been going through the band's various backlog of unreleased songs and his intentions to release the material as a tribute to his deceased brother.

[127] Alex detailed that in addition to the need for collaboration with other musicians to complete these variety of songs, he has looked into the potential use of AI to duplicate the style of guitar work by his brother, Eddie Van Halen.

[128] According to both manager Noel Monk and Roth, this was listed in the technical portion of the contract not because the band wanted to make capricious demands of the venue location, but rather as a test to see if the electrical, structural, security, and safety requirements in the rider had been thoroughly observed.

[128][130] In one notable incident, officials at what is now Colorado State University Pueblo refused to honor the request, leading the band to go on a rampage that involved throwing food all over a dining area as well as "unmentionable" acts in a nearby restroom.