On This Day, August 4, 1964 …
The Kinks released their third single, “You Really Got Me,” in the U.K., where it became their first number one hit and stayed on top for two weeks.
The tune was released in America that September and became a breakthrough hit for the band, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
Guitarist Dave Davies created the distorted guitar sound in the tune by slicing up the speaker on his amp with a razor blade. The highly influential track has been described as proto-punk and early heavy metal.
The track hit the charts once again in 1978 after Van Halen covered it for their self-titled debut album and released it as their debut single. The Van Halen version peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100.
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