When it comes to guitar greatness, few names shine brighter than Eddie Van Halen. His revolutionary tapping technique, dazzling tone, and unrestrained creativity redefined rock guitar forever. But according to Justin Hawkins, frontman and lead guitarist of The Darkness, there’s one modern player who could have gone toe-to-toe with Eddie, if only timing had been on his side.
In a recent episode of “Justin Hawkins Rides Again,” his popular YouTube channel, the British rocker revealed that he believes Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine could have been Eddie Van Halen’s ultimate rival, had he emerged a decade earlier.
“If Tom Morello had come out in the mid-’70s,” Hawkins explained, “I think he would’ve been seen as Eddie Van Halen’s direct competition. The stuff he does with a guitar, the sounds, the creativity, the way he approaches riffs, it’s just otherworldly. But by the time he showed up, the whole landscape had changed.”
Innovation That Redefined The Guitar
Hawkins, himself a guitar virtuoso known for his flashy solos and tongue-in-cheek stage persona, praised both men for pushing the instrument into new territory.
“Eddie changed how people played the guitar,” Hawkins said. “Tom changed how people thought about the guitar.”
Eddie Van Halen exploded onto the scene in 1978 with Van Halen’s self-titled debut, unleashing “Eruption”, a 100-second solo that turned the rock world upside down. His finger-tapping, harmonics, and tone wizardry made him the benchmark for an entire generation.
Meanwhile, Tom Morello, who rose to fame with Rage Against the Machine’s debut in 1992, brought a completely new vocabulary to the instrument, using toggle switches, feedback loops, and effects pedals to make his guitar sound like turntables, synths, and even sirens.
“They both treated the guitar like a laboratory experiment,” Hawkins continued. “But Eddie’s timing was perfect, he arrived when the world wanted a new guitar hero. Tom came when guitar solos were out of fashion.”
The Decade That Made The Difference
Hawkins’ “10 years earlier” theory touches on a crucial shift in rock history. Had Morello debuted in the mid-to-late 1970s — during the peak of guitar hero culture dominated by players like Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jeff Beck — his experimental sound might have been celebrated as part of the same vanguard that embraced Eddie.
Instead, Morello’s rise coincided with the grunge and alt-rock movements of the early ’90s, when technical playing was often dismissed as pretentious. Despite that, his innovative approach still earned him global acclaim, proving that originality could outshine flash.
“Morello’s playing wasn’t about showing off,” Hawkins noted. “It was about expression, using the guitar to make a political statement as much as a musical one. That’s powerful. That’s genius.”
Eddie’s Enduring Shadow
Even as Hawkins celebrates Morello’s brilliance, he acknowledges that Eddie Van Halen’s influence remains unmatched.
“Everyone after Eddie, even if they weren’t trying to copy him — was reacting to him,” he said. “He set the standard for what a guitarist could be: a showman, a scientist, and a star.”
Still, Hawkins believes that if the stars had aligned differently, the world might have spent the ’80s debating Van Halen vs. Morello the way fans once argued Clapton vs. Hendrix.
“It’s all timing,” Hawkins concluded. “Eddie came along when the guitar ruled the world. If Tom had been born 10 years earlier, it might’ve been a fair fight.”
Two Innovators, One Legacy
While separated by a decade and a movement, both Eddie Van Halen and Tom Morello represent the rare breed of guitarist who change the instrument forever. For Hawkins, and countless fans, their shared spirit of innovation proves that true greatness isn’t about when you’re born, but what you dare to do with six strings and an idea.
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