Understanding Eddie Van Halen's Teen-Idol Appeal

Few early MTV videos captured the personality of a band better than Van Halen's "Jump." In the effervescent 1984 clip, David Lee Roth primps his hair and shoots smoldering looks directly at the camera as he lip-syncs, in between roundhouse kicks and various other gravity-defying acrobatics. The rhythm section, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Alex Van Halen, backs up Roth's enthusiasm with their own: Behind a massive kit, a sweaty Alex Van Halen bashes away with no-nonsense precision, while Anthony goofs around with his bandmates and extends the lighthearted vibe.

But throughout the video, the giddiest band member of all is Eddie Van Halen. Every time the camera pans his way, Van Halen can barely contain his glee: He laughs at Roth's antics, unleashes exaggerated guitar moves and flashes beatific grins while miming to the music. And when the video zeroes