Valerie Bertinelli on Eddie Van Halen: “My Ex Was A Ridiculously Underrated Songwriter” – “Jump” – Video – Listen

Valerie Bertinelli:  “”Jump” (embedded below) came on the radio and I just realized, as great as it is, it’s not really a sing-a-long song.  What makes it so memorable and fun, is the music.  We all know Ed (Van Halen) is a genius guitarist, but what I’m trying to say is, my ex was a ridiculously underrated songwriter. #myopinion”

When Van Halen released “Jump” as a lead single on December 21, 1983, it soon shot up to #1 in the United States on the Billboard 200. The track was taken from their multi-platinum album 1984, which was released on January 9, 1984. Unlike typical Van Halen songs, “Jump” relied heavily on keyboards – played by Eddie Van Halen (on an Oberheim OB-Xa). It is the band’s most successful single to date, selling over one million copies in the U.S. alone.

Valerie Bertinelli married Eddie Van Halen on April 11, 1981. The couple separated in 2001 and officially divorced on December 20, 2007.