Michael Anthony

Our favorite rock stars tend to make the rock 'n' roll lifestyle look like one big party, but the best musicians never lose sight of their art. Take Van Halen, for example: in spite of what it might have seemed like from the outside, former bassist Michael Anthony says the band's glory years were never as wild and crazy as they appeared.

It's been great having Van Halen back in action with David Lee Roth in recent years, but the dark cloud hanging over their reunion has been the absence of original bassist Michael Anthony, who was exiled in favor of Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang. Don't expect to hear any sour grapes from Anthony, though.

This list of the Top 10 Van Halen Michael Anthony songs shine a much-deserved light on the contributions his bass playing and singing have made to one of rock's biggest bands.

Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony says he was flattered by comments his former bandmate David Lee Roth made about wanting him back in the famous group recently. As he jokingly noted, "He never used to talk like that when we were all playing together."

There's once again drama in the world of Van Halen, with singer David Lee Roth complaining about a recent lack of activity and communication within the band, and openly calling for a reunion with original bassist Michael Anthony.

The last time Michael Anthony was on 'That Metal Show,' his former Van Halen (and current Chickenfoot) bandmate Sammy Hagar didn't feel his friend went into quite enough detail about his departure from one of rock's most famous and successful bands.

Sammy Hagar took fans on a trip through his 40-year career last night (Sept. 1) during a special '4 Decades of Rock' concert in Lake Tahoe, Nev. The show featured appearances from members of all three of his famous bands -- Montrose, Van Halen and Chickenfoot -- as well as David Coverdale of Whitesnake.

As the '70s turned to the '80s, the mullet started to evolve with a new generation of rockers. Van Halen were hotter than any band at the beginning of the decade, and their original bassist, Michael Anthony, just might own the mullet longevity record.

Like you, Van Halen's former bassist Michael Anthony heard David Lee Roth's explanation for why the band pulled 30 dates from their current tour schedule. Roth said the group "simply bit off more than we could chew," but Anthony isn't quite so sure.

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