"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4 August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks. It was the group's breakthrough hit; it established them as one of the top British Invasion acts in the United States, reaching Number 7 there later in the year. It was later included on the Kinks' debut album, Kinks.
"You Really Got Me" was an early hit song built around power chords (perfect 5ths and octaves), and heavily influenced later rock musicians, particularly in the sub-genres heavy metal and punk rock. American musicologist Robert Walser wrote that it is, "the first hit song built around power chords" while critic Denise Sullivan of Allmusic writes, "'You Really Got Me' remains a blueprint song in the hard rock and heavy metal arsenal."
Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 82 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and at number 4 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. In early 2005, the song was voted the best British song of the 1955-1965 decade in a BBC radio poll. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 9 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2009 it was named the 57th Greatest Hard Rock Song by VH1.
Read more about You Really Got Me: History, Cover Versions, Van Halen Version, Use in Popular Culture, Charts
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