In the spring of 1985, Van Halen appeared to be on top of the world. 1984 had become a massive success, the band had risen from backyard parties and clubs to become one of America’s biggest rock acts, and from the outside, the future looked almost unlimited.

But nobody reading this magazine at the time knew what was about to happen.

In this episode, Robert and Gary go back to a 1985 Hit Parader article published just before the original Van Halen lineup came apart. Looking at the story with more than 40 years of hindsight reveals some fascinating clues about where the band had been—and where it was unknowingly headed.

Along the way, we dig into Van Halen’s early club days, Gene Simmons’ attempt to help the band get signed, Ted Templeman’s immediate reaction to Eddie Van Halen, their rapid rise after the debut album, and the legendary tour where they found themselves opening for their heroes in Black Sabbath.

We also get into the things that made Van Halen different: their remarkably fast recording process, Eddie’s changing musical ambitions, David Lee Roth’s personality and underrated contribution as a lyricist, the controversy surrounding Diver Down, and the evolution that ultimately produced 1984.

And there’s an incredible bit of irony running through the story: before Van Halen was even signed, Ted Templeman briefly considered replacing David Lee Roth with Sammy Hagar—the very man who would eventually take Roth’s place years later.

Most fascinating of all is what David Lee Roth says near the end of the article: “Van Halen will always be full of surprises.”

He had no idea how quickly the biggest surprise of all was coming. Within months, Roth would be gone and the first era of Van Halen would be over.

It’s a remarkable snapshot of one of rock’s greatest bands standing at the absolute peak—just before everything changed.