Hard rock Styx helped further cement heavy rock in the Midwest as a form of stadium rock. In 1978, Van Halen emerged from the Los Angeles music scene with a sound based around the skills of lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen. He popularised a guitar-playing technique of two-handed hammer-ons and pull-offs called tapping, showcased on the song "Eruption" from the album "Van Halen", which was highly influential in re-establishing hard rock as a popular genre after the punk and disco explosion, while also redefining and elevating the role of electric guitar. The opening years of the 1980s saw a number of changes
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City of casino workers on strike. The Hard Rock Cafe remains open. On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced its purchase of the Trump Taj Mahal property, and officially reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City, on June 27, 2018. In November 2018, the Hard Rock announced a plan to launch both online and retail sportsbooks in 2019. Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy on September 10, 2014, and announced plans to close the Taj Mahal on November 13 if the casino did not get concessions from its unions. A sister property, the Trump Plaza, did close