https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Van+Halen#search_section
From the Sammy era, I count 18 million copies. A very respectable sum.
From VH 1 to 1984, I count 30 million.
Sadly, the Gary Cherone album went “only” Gold.
As I said elsewhere, I’m not a Sammy hater. He added substance and depth that Dave could never deliver, when they needed it.
But Dave wasn’t about that - he was about gyrations, over-the-top performance, and a scream that was all his. Their Romeo Delight at Us Festival slays. https://youtu.be/7E9n8RXAQbI?si=ZFDHgQArG99a_Mkm.
America no longer wants a policy wonk, or a dottering old fool, or a doormat. America wants a Frontman. In that contest, Diamond Donald wins.
Thanks for the link, but that’s not counting single, radio, or concert sales, which per my understanding were up noticeably after Hagar joined.
Dave was great on the albums, when Ted Templeman could control what actually got distributed on the label. But he was a wreck on the road, where he seemed messed up half the time, couldn’t even remember the lyrics, etc.
America doesn’t need that right now. The left is organized, focused, and winning at every turn. Only that type of response can win for the right. Smarts, not emotion, almost always wins in the end, and this will be no different.
Thanks for the concert link by the way, I’ll probably try to watch the whole thing sometime as Dave does at least appear to be sober and giving it his best effort. But tonight I couldn’t make it past like the third or fourth song Jamie’s Crying, where he’s horribly off tune flat in his singing.
Full disclosure I have friends who are professional musicians who have probably shaped me to notice things like that, and be disappointed when a performer doesn’t deliver their product in tune. From what I understand, the range of vocalists does often go down over time, but they are supposed to modify their delivery and sing one octave lower, so they are at least still in tune and don’t stick pit like a sore thumb.
Ken Tamplin vocal academy often talks about these same things and even has made some videos comparing these two, which I think he sums up well. DLR is an incredible “showman” but his actual musical ability is nowhere near Hagar. Give me proof over pudding every time as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-oLMrg-ew
Few more Tamplin videos critiquing them. The theme is constant, which I agree with. Dave is a great showman, Hagar is a great vocalist. Style or substance, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj5L1hhgZlA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rik3SsSSlRc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9f45vpf_o4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz67OgqnlDo