December 1983: Van Halen Release JUMP

1984 marked a tremendous year for Van Halen. Even with a series of hit albums under their belt, the band's relatively radical fourth LP, 1984, just hit different. For one, it arrived with the group's first and only #1 single on the Hot 100, "Jump."

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen had been determined to open the Van Halen sound to synthesizers, an idea he'd contemplated as far back as 1981. He never had the opportunity to really bring those ideas to fruition until building his legendary home studio, 5150. The space allowed him to record music without the prying eyes--and ears--of producer Ted Templeman and engineer Don Landee. 

Meanwhile, the rest of his bandmates weren't exactly jumping at the idea. "I remember Dave [Lee Roth] hearing 'Jump' and he did not want to do it," former bassist Michael Anthony recalled in 2014. "He told Eddie [Van Halen], 'You're a guitar hero. You're not a keyboard player. You need to play guitar.'"

Despite the rising creative tension in the band, Van Halen ran with his desire to build "Jump" around a catchy keyboard hook. His efforts resulted in a massive rock anthem so big that it still stands among the most popular tracks played in American sports arenas. 

Over four minutes of pure pop-rock energy, "Jump"--released in December 1983--catapulted Van Halen to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of February 25, 1984, locking down the top spot for five straight weeks. 

Van Halen took a huge risk infusing synthesizers into the realm of hard rock. The song's chart-topping success and influence played a major part in birthing a new musical era. "Jump" was the flashpoint that inspired a whole generation of bands throughout the 1980s to blend pop hooks with hard rock energy.