John Scanlan

John Scanlan

John Scanlan is the author of several books, including Easy Riders, Rolling Stones (2015), a study of the idea of the road in 20th century popular music, Van Halen: Exuberant California, Zen Rock’n’roll (2012), Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine (2016) and Rock ’n ‘ Roll Plays Itself: A Screen History. He is the series editor of Reaktion Books’ ‘Reverb’ series, which publishes studies of the relationship between music and places.

Articles by: John Scanlan

Van Halen posing backstage and the cover of 1984

Van Halen: how the wheels came off and the bad feeling that fuelled 1984

By John Scanlan published

Fighting with the Clash, recording with Jacko, swapping guitars for synths – how Van Halen made their bestselling album

Van Halen

Van Halen's Jump: how the band's biggest song was inspired by suicide, sick jokes and EVH vs DLR in-fighting

By Tom Poak published

This week in 1984, Van Halen's Jump was no.1 in the US, a massive hit that symbolised the peak – and the end – of VH MK1