Van Halen invent hair metal

May 1976: Number 32 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of rock musicThirty-five years ago, a four-piece American guitar band set about changing rock music for ever. They took their name from a brotherly relationship; they had a goofy, Jewish singer with family connections to New York bohemia; they added pop hooks and smarts to fast, aggressive guitar music; their debut album included a song with the word "punk" in its title; and they weren't the Ramones.Of course, you wouldn't bel...

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