Nikki Sixx’s Favorite Van Halen Song

It is not uncommon in the music world to see rockers appreciate other artists’ works or look down on each other. Though the music industry is unquestionably a highly competitive field, they also tend to support good music produced by their counterparts. Many songs have been inspired and shaped by others’ music that they admire. The musicians usually convert their appreciation into inspiration to guide their creativity.

They can also learn from others’ works by discovering new techniques and strategies. Besides the inspiration they get to create their work, the artists also like covering the songs they adore from others. Thanks to his admiration for Eddie Van Halen and his band, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx covered one of their songs with his dear friend John 5. The bassist once named his favorite Van Halen track, apart from their performance together.

Which Van Halen Song Did Nikki Sixx Love The Most?

Many musicians have revealed their taste in music, including their favorite songs in various lists, and gave us a chance to look at their influences closely. Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx also appeared as a guest on Better Noise Music on Apple Music and listed some of his favorite tracks from Mötley Crüe and other artists.

In his list, he gave a place to many prominent bands and artists such as Aerosmith, David Bowie, Queen, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and Bob Dylan. There was also a Van Halen song, ‘Runnin’ With the Devil,’ among his favorite tracks. The band released the song as the second single from Van Halen’s self-titled debut album in 1978.

The bassist expressed how much he loved the song and its massive impact on him at every opportunity. His bandmate from L.A. Rats and close friend, John 5, covered Van Halen’s ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’ during a performance in 2019 with Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, and Cinderella drummer Fred Coury. Then, he shared a video of it on social media.

Upon seeing that, Nikki Sixx reshared his post on his official Instagram account to pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen on his birthday. However, this wasn’t the only time the bassist paid homage to his peers; he also performed a Van Halen song himself with John 5, again in Whiskey A Go Go in 2018. The duo played ‘Shout at the Devil’ on stage, which must be another piece from the band Sixx favored.

You can listen to Van Halen’s ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’ and the cover version of ‘Shout at the Devil’ below.