Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens recently discussed the pressure faced by guitarists in the 1980s to emulate Eddie Van Halen’s shredding style. He shared his perspective in an interview with Guitar World.
Stevens addressed how many guitarists of that era fell into copying Van Halen’s technique rather than developing their own musical identity. When asked about the pressure to shred during the ’80s and why he didn’t fall into that trend, Stevens offered his candid thoughts.
“I wasn’t from LA. I didn’t grow up watching Van Halen thinking, ‘Oh shit, what do we do now?’ A lot of guys did,” Stevens said. “Eddie shook up the world, no doubt. I became friends with him later, but I never wanted to play like him.”
Stevens went on to explain how the music industry responded to Van Halen’s influence. He also discussed which guitarists managed to maintain their originality.
“Record labels were signing anyone who could tap and shred. The good ones, like Warren DeMartini and George Lynch, found their own voices, unlike guys that were just Eddie clones,” he continued.
The guitarist also revealed his personal approach to music. He emphasized collaboration over individual showcase moments.
“But, really, my true love is collaborating on a good song. I’m definitely not looking for my moment of glory three minutes into a song, waiting for the guitar solo,” Stevens explained. “I enjoy being part of the band more than anything and having that dialogue with the guys on stage, playing and locking in with the drummer.”
Stevens’ observations reflect the seismic impact Eddie Van Halen had on the guitar world during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. He fundamentally changed how rock guitarists approached their craft.
Strap Tight reported that Van Halen’s signature tapping technique, showcased famously in tracks like “Eruption,” revolutionized the way guitar solos were approached. The technique allowed guitarists to play sequences of notes at incredible speed. It created sounds that seemed impossible with traditional picking methods.
Q30 Television noted that many listeners initially couldn’t comprehend how Eddie was playing so fast. It turned out he was using a two-hand tapping technique that expanded on one-handed methods previously used by players like Jimmy Page. This innovation became the foundation for countless imitators throughout the decade.
The widespread adoption of Van Halen’s techniques created what many consider a homogenization of guitar playing in the 1980s. Iron Age Guitar Accessories explained that Eddie Van Halen was renowned for his inventive guitar play, most notably his tapping technique which he popularized in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He also used high-gain amplifiers and artificial harmonics for percussive effects.
Stevens’ resistance to this trend positioned him as one of the few guitarists who maintained a distinct voice during an era when technical prowess often overshadowed musical creativity. His emphasis on collaboration and song-focused playing stood in stark contrast to the solo-driven approach that dominated much of 1980s rock guitar.
