It’s easy to deride Van Halen in the light of the dozens of mediocre spawns they birthed, and they hold a large responsibility for ushering in the worst era of rock: glam metal—but make no mistake. Van Halen aren’t your usual KISS or Mötley Crüe. They’re actually a great fuckin’ band (Lee Roth era only) and their debut is one of the best rock debuts and albums ever made. Hands down. Let’s give ’em their dues.

This monster deserves all the accolades it gets from your dad, or maybe your dad’s dad, or maybe even more as the band have become popular bait for young nerd hate now (and you don’t want to be a nerd, do you?) Pay close attention and have the truth revealed to you that you don’t want to hear: Van Halen are the high-voltage, thunderous upgrade to your favorite ’60s pop rock bands. With a cover of The Kinks’s “You Really Got Me,” you think it’d be more obvious, but there are still rock fans denying these guys don’t have serious pop chops. And let’s not forget the cover of “Pretty Woman” on Diver Down for additional evidence, though that album doesn’t come much recommended.

It’s all in Michael Anthony’s backing vocals, really. Take “Little Dreamer” with its “ooh, oohs.” Let Van Halen’s powerful electric guitar go through a little atrophy and you’ve practically got an early-era Beatles song. “Feel Your Love Tonight?” Listen to how those backing vocals are delivered right before the chorus: “Beggin’ you baby, beggin’ on my bended knees.” You know what that is? That’s the classic rhythm & blues sound of the hundreds of beloved late ’60s garage rock bands that always desperately tried (though few succeeded) to make a single that damn catchy ‘n good.

Van Halen is a behemoth of pop rock both in strong songwriting and powerful delivery on all instrumental fronts. It’s even got a ferocious punk energy to it, as well as being punk in execution (we can’t forget nothing sounded like this when it was released).

My personal favorite? Maybe the doo-wopping R&B gospel of “I’m the One.” Then again, I also quite like the sci-fi kitsch of “Atomic Punk.” Ugh, and what about the subway-side lite-blues of “Runnin’ With the Devil?” I’m not really sure man, but I’m well sure by now that that’s the mark of a fantastic album. Don’t judge these guys by their hairdos. Their love for rock in all its incarnations is real and evident through their honest fun.