Every Van Halen Instrumental, Ranked

Published Oct 14, 2026, 5:10 AM EDT

Jeff Cornell is a veteran music and entertainment writer, who has contributed to Variety, Billboard, Loudwire, The Hollywood Reporter, and MTV. 

Van Halen erupted out of Pasadena, California, in the late 70s with a loud, attitude-driven brand of rock and roll. The quartet revolutionized music with iconic songs featuring Eddie Van Halen's groundbreaking guitar work, a high-powered rhythm section and charismatic frontmen. Their best known songs include "Runnin' with the Devil," "Ain't Talking 'bout Love," "Dance the Night Away," "Jump," "Panama," "Why Can't This Be Love," "Hot For Teacher," and "Finish What Ya Started."

Beyond its arena-ready anthems, Van Halen's adventurous spirit found an outlet with experimental instrumentals. The band created some unique and downright bizarre pieces over the years, with 14 instrumentals spread across its 12 studio albums. They range from short acoustic guitar pieces to synth-driven intros to Eddie's iconic guitar solo "Eruption." Here is every Van Halen studio instrumental song, ranked.

14 "Strung Out"

'Balance' (1995)

"Strung Out" is one of Van Halen's most bizarre instrumentals and sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie. The unsettling 89-second piano experiment is one of three instrumental tracks from 1995's Balance. Eddie Van Halen experimented directly with piano strings, creating harmonics and using everyday objects like batteries, knives and ping-pong balls to create stringed instrument sounds and a lot of dissonance. The strange and eerie piece reveals EVH's restless musical versatility and reckless abandon.

13 "Primary"

'Van Halen III' (1998)

"Primary" is a short, psychedelic instrumental from the band's 1998 album Van Halen III. The nearly-90-second piece features Eddie playing an electric sitar, with its main strings tuned to A and its low E string replaced with a bass string to create a deep, droning character. Initially conceived as an introduction to "Ballot of the Bullet," the track was recorded in one take. Its appeal lies in the strange textures, buzzing resonance and exotic atmosphere, revealing another facet of EVH's endless adventurous spirit.

12 "Doin' Time"

'Balance' (1995)

"Doin' Time" is a brief Alex Van Halen percussion driven instrumental from the band's 1995 album Balance. His rolling tom patterns, sharp accents and shifting rhythms propel the piece, showcasing the creativity of a drummer often overshadowed by his younger brother's guitar work. At under two minutes, the percussive song builds to a peak song that leads right into another instrumental, "Baluchitherium." "Doin' Time" is Alex Van Halen's only standalone drum solo from the group's studio albums.

11 "1984"

'1984' (1984)

"1984" is the atmospheric synthesizer instrumental that opens Van Halen's blockbuster album of the same name. Eddie plays an Oberheim OB-Xa, creating expansive chords and shimmering electronic textures that announce the prominent role keyboards would play on the record. The piece emerged from roughly 45 minutes of Eddie experimenting on the instrument, while engineer Don Landee recorded him without his knowledge. It's brief, futuristic and cinematic sweep builds anticipation before giving way to the unmistakable opening chords of "Jump." "1984" is a memorable introduction, showcasing Eddie's enthusiasm for exploring sounds beyond the guitar.

10 "Intruder"

'Diver Down' (1982)

It's nearly impossible to separate "Intruder" from Van Halen's energetic cover of Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman" from 1982's Diver Down. It features David Lee Roth on synthesizer alongside Alex's ferocious drums, Michael Anthony's heavy bass and Eddie's abrasive guitar work. EVH rubbed a beer can along his low E string, while manipulating his vibrato bar, and scraped the tremolo springs to produce eerie sounds. The ominous synth-heavy instrumental builds tension with dissonant guitar textures that become almost unbearable before giving way to the relief of that familiar opening riff. "(Oh) Pretty Woman" topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock charts and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the group's highest-charting single at the time.

9 "Neworld"

'Van Halen III' (1998)

"Neworld" shows off the softer side of Van Halen with an intimate acoustic piece that opens the band's 1998 album Van Halen III. Eddie's guitar melodies intertwine with piano accompaniment from the album's co-producer Mike Post, creating a beautiful, yet reflective atmosphere. The pair recorded it in a single take, capturing the natural interplay between the two musicians. Eddie plays the melody differently each time, including a pass using only guitar harmonics. The restrained performance highlights Eddie's melodic touch, offering a different side of his musicality.

8 "Tora! Tora!"

'Women and Children First' (1980)

"Tora! Tora!" is a short piece that opens with reversed guitar sounds, created by Eddie manipulating slackened strings, tremolo springs and the strings above the nut to create unsettling textures. The powerful track features incredibly heavy guitars, more reminiscent of Black Sabbath than Van Halen, alongside David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony's piercing screams. Its strength lies in its role as an ominous intro to "Loss of Control" on Women and Children First. The potent riff and bombastic drums build tension, setting the stage for the frantic song that follows.

7 "316"

'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' (1991)

"316" is the beautiful guitar instrumental from 1991's For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Named after Wolfgang Van Halen's March 16 birthday, the piece reveals an intimate side of Eddie's playing through gentle melodies and warm ringing chords. Its major-key brightness is offset by a brief dip into minor blues territory, making each return to the A chord feel triumphant. The song's musical roots predate Wolfgang's birth, with its main theme appearing in Eddie's concert solos during the 5150 tour. Eddie also used to play the tune for his son before he was born, directing his acoustic guitar toward Valerie Bertinelli's pregnant belly. The brief instrumental captures a father's affection for his newborn son, conveying a lot of emotion through its simple melody.

6 "Cathedral"

'Diver Down' (1982)

"Cathedral" is a short guitar piece off 1982's Diver Down. Eddie transforms his guitar into something resembling a church organ through volume swells and a sparking clean tone dripping with chorus and delay. The angelic, uplifting instrumental highlights his fluid left-hand hammer-ons, distinctive phrasing and inventive approach to the instrument. Eddie developed "Cathedral" during his live guitar solos on tour before capturing its ethereal beauty in the studio.

5 "Sunday Afternoon in the Park"

'Fair Warning' (1981)

"Sunday Afternoon in the Park" is a dark, synth-driven instrumental from 1981's Fair Warning. Eddie plays an Electro-Harmonix Mini-Synthesizer, creating distorted, ominous textures over Alex's heavy-handed, hypnotic drumming. As the main synth melody emerges, the piece shifts into 7/8 time, adding an off-kilter rhythmic tension to its creeping phrases. Despite its peaceful title, the music evokes a horror soundtrack more than a leisurely afternoon outdoors. It flows directly into "One Foot Out the Door," establishing an uneasy atmosphere for the album's frantic closing track.