Van Halen's meteoric rise to fame during their first world tour in 1978 included 10 particularly important performances that helped transform the band from hometown heroes to platinum-selling superstars in just under a year.

One month after the release of their now-landmark debut album, Van Halen hit the road as the opening act for the much-more established Journey. As the year wore on, they'd cross the globe and share the stage with legends such as AC/DC, Black Sabbath, the Rolling Stones and Ted Nugent.

In every case, Van Halen made powerful and lasting impressions on both their peers and the fans in attendance. In fact, their nightly performances were so impressive that Ozzy Osbourne was ready to hand over his group's headlining spot, Journey's crew allegedly messed with Van Halen's sound equipment, and Nugent vowed never to let the group open for him again. Oh, and they also met their future second frontman, got screwed over a bit by Mick Jagger and pulled off an absolutely audacious stunt involving parachutes.

Read on to find out more on these fascinating Van Halen 1978 tour stories.

How Van Halen Conquered the World in Just 10 Shows

Van Halen's meteoric rise to fame during their first world tour in 1978 included 10 particularly important performances. Here's a look.

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