When I was a kid, VH was the biggest band in the world. They were just a cut above the Motley Crues, Cinderellas, and all the other hair bands of the day. Heck, even the first couple records with Sammy Hagar were pretty good.
But for whatever reason, history has not been kind to them. You don't hear them on classic rock stations as much as a lot of their contemporaries. Even Eddie, who in his prime was regarded in some quarters as the greatest guitarist ever, is almost an afterthought today.
Compare them to a band like Journey. They got plenty of airplay in their day, but nobody I knew actually bought Journey records. Nobody loved them, but nobody hated them either. They were just sort of...there. But now, 30 years later, you'd think they were the biggest act of the 80s based on all the play they get on TV and terrestrial radio.
That's a very keen observation. I was pretty much the same way - not really into Journey BITD, but love to listen to them now. I think Journey stole away with the "sound of the late 70s/early 80s" and nobody really noticed it until very recently. I'd have to say this video from 2001 turned me on to Journey....
https://youtu.be/mGYevPjfxrM