5150

5150 is the seventh album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1986. This was the first album recorded with new lead singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth.

It was named after Eddie Van Halen’s home studio, 5150, which is a California police term for a mentally disturbed person (a reference to Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code). The 5150 name has been used several times by Van Halen. It is the name of Eddie Van Halen’s private studio, the name of a custom Frankenstein striped Kramer Pacer Special used by Eddie Van Halen throughout the 80s, and it is the model name of a signature guitar amplifier endorsed by Eddie for Peavey Electronics.

Before the album was released, Van Halen was having considerable difficulty finding a replacement for the popular Roth. The trio even considered a series of temporary singers to replace him. However, Edward met former Montrose singer Sammy Hagar while getting a mechanic to work on his Lamborghini. The pair hit it off and the new singer and band immediately began work on new songs. The album was notable for a number of love songs and ballads, which was not a feature of the straight-forward rock stylings of the Roth fronted era of the band. Many who had heard the previous incarnation of Van Halen called the new iteration “Van Hagar” either derisively or affectionately.