On this day in 1988, Van Halen released the first single from their second album with Sammy Hagar, “Black and Blue”. Not only did the song hit #34 on the Billboard Hot 100, but led to three other hit singles, and more than 4 million copies of the album OU812.

This album went to number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, just like 5150 before it, and both albums after it, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and Balance!

The album title, OU812, came from Sammy seeing it on the side of a delivery truck on the freeway, and he thought it was funny. It’s also seen in “Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie” on the license plate of the car Cheech is given at the “Comedy House”. It’s also on the cinderblock column where the payphone was mounted in the TV show Taxi!

On top of all that, it’s a cool freaking song.

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