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Van Halen's Eruption. Or, more accurately, Eddie Van Halen's Eruption. Barring a short blast of an intro from Alex Van Halen on drums and Michael Anthony on bass, this appropriately named, razzle-dazzle guitar showcase was Eddie's baby all the way.

As let-me-entertain-you star-turns go, Eruption had it all: inventiveness, passion, joy and a whole lot of daring-do. Oh, and that tapping thing, too. Though Eddie has always owned up to the fact that he didn't invent the technique per se, he brought it to the attention of rock's mainstream in a way that was seen as revolutionary. A sonic Shot Heard Round The World.

Thirty-three years after it first appeared on Van Halen's 1978 debut album, it's still turning heads, dropping jaws and causing carpel tunnel syndrome in millions of guitarists who routinely attempt to divine the mystery of its alluring power. Admit it: you've probably tried it yourself.

Yes, you have. We have proof. We've picked a truckload of videos - some are great, others are...well, you'll see - in which amateur guitarists (a fair amount of kids at school talent shows...what's up with that?) go Eruption-crazy. We've got 33 of them, in fact, one for every year Eruption has been driving music store employees the world over insane.

First, here's Eddie himself in a blazing live version, 1994.

Guitarwannabee goes for it, although he does say it's "take two."

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