Who replaced Sammy Hagar as Van Halen's lead vocalist in 1996?

After a decade of platinum albums and worldwide tours, the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen came to an abrupt end in 1996. The split left one of rock's most influential bands searching for their next lead singer. So, who would dare grab the mic for rock's most combustible band?

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The answer is: David Lee Roth

When Sammy Hagar exited Van Halen in June 1996, the band faced a choice that would define their legacy. Rather than search for new blood, they turned to their past. David Lee Roth, the flamboyant frontman whose split with the band in 1985 had seemed irreparable, returned to the Van Halen fold.

The reunion began with two new tracks for their Greatest Hits album: "Me Wise Magic" and "Can't Get This Stuff No More." Both songs topped Billboard's Rock chart, suggesting that lightning could indeed strike twice. The band's appearance at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards seemed to seal the deal - Roth and Eddie Van Halen sharing the stage again, their legendary chemistry intact.

It would've been rock's most dramatic comeback stories, but old wounds rarely heal completely. The reunion proved short-lived, dissolving almost as quickly as it had materialized. By 1997, Gary Cherone of Extreme would step in as the band's third lead singer. The brief Roth reunion of '96, however, remains a testament to the magnetic pull between Van Halen and their original voice.

The '96 reunion served as a preview of what would eventually come. Years later, in 2006, Van Halen and Roth would reunite permanently for a successful final chapter, but that brief window in 1996 gave fans their first glimpse of what seemed impossible: Diamond Dave and Van Halen, together again.