Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar today announced the release of a personal new single, Encore, Thank You, Goodnight., out April 25th through Big Machine Rock. The song, a melodic rock anthem written by Hagar and guitar legend Joe Satriani, was inspired by a dream and brought to reality by introspective lyrics, powerful chords and rhythmic guitar and drums. The single will debut globally across all platforms on April 25th, accompanied by an official lyric video on YouTube.
Inspired by a vivid dream Hagar had about the late Eddie Van Halen, the song marks a full-circle moment in his storied career. Encore, Thank You, Goodnight. features Hagar on vocals, Michael Anthony on bass, Joe Satriani on guitar and Kenny Aronoff on drums. The production—helmed by Hagar, Satriani, and Eric Caudieux—delivers a sound that is at once nostalgic and forward-looking. According to Hagar, the dream that sparked the song came about a year after Eddie’s passing and left a lasting impact. Rather than being a somber farewell, the song is a celebration and expression of appreciation—for the fans, and for the unforgettable chapter they shared in Van Halen.
“This song is my final bow to that part of my life,” says Hagar. “It’s not meant to be anything more than a thank-you — with love, with respect, and with one hell of a guitar solo.” Hagar also shared that Satriani’s contribution to the track brought a unique emotional energy. “Joe was the perfect partner to help me shape the sound — he brought in that big, emotional, guitar-driven energy that feels like Eddie’s spirit but is entirely of Joe’s creation. With Michael Anthony’s thundering bass and stellar Van Halen-esque background vocals and Kenny Aronoff’s relentlessly powerful driving rhythms, the song really came together on all levels.”
Pre-save/Pre-order Encore, Thank You, Goodnight, here.
The release week will be a monumental one for Hagar and the band, with:
- Rolling Stone, April 24th: Sammy’s first in-depth interview and a special video preview, going live at 11:30 p.m. ET.
- April 25th: The song will debut globally across all platforms, accompanied by an official lyric video premiering the same day on YouTube.
- April 27th: The official music video, directed and edited by ZZ Satriani, will premiere live during Sammy Hagar’s headline set at the Stagecoach Festival’s Palomino Stage and globally during a YouTube video premiere.
- April 29th: Fans at the launch of Hagar and the band’s Las Vegas residency will experience the song’s first live performance at the kick-off show at Dolby Live at Park MGM.
Encore, Thank You, Goodnight. will be serviced to classic, active and mainstream rock radio on 4/25. A full digital campaign will launch across social platforms, showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, TikTok and Instagram reels, fan-generated content and more. A 7-inch collector’s edition vinyl will be available for pre-order, along with bundles and exclusive merchandise drops.
Tickets for The Best of All Worlds Tour – The Residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM are available at: ticketmaster.com or RedRocker.com.
3 Responses
Why do I sense this is an attempt by Sammy Hagar to get back into the good graces of Alex Van Halen?
Really looking forward to hearing this song!
Good on Sammy. It’s about time. “Encore, Thank you, goodnight”…Is this also about Bon Jovi? Led Zeppelin? The Beatles? Punctuation? Surely, Sammy didn’t go round and round with titles to choose this juan.