"Jump" was the first single from Van Halen's 1984 album, released on January 9, 1984. The song became a massive hit, marking a shift in the band’s sound and solidifying their place as one of the biggest rock acts of the 1980s. The MTV "World Premiere" of the music video aired at 12:00 midnight on January 1, 1984, capturing the excitement of the New Year and the band’s rise to stardom.
The track is second on the album, following the instrumental intro "1984." What makes "Jump" stand out from other Van Halen songs is its keyboard-driven riff, played by Eddie Van Halen on an Oberheim OBX-A synthesizer. While the song includes the iconic guitar solo, what sets this apart is that it was the first time Eddie used a spliced-together solo, a technique he hadn’t used before, though it was common in rock music at the time.
The song was a defining hit, but if you compare the album version and the music video version, you’ll notice slight differences between the two, showcasing Van Halen’s attention to detail in their production. "Jump" helped the band break into the mainstream, bringing a fresh sound to rock and capturing the energy of the era.
For this geocache, you’ll need to decode the Stereogram below to make the find.
