The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy.

American rock band Van Halen covered the song in their 1978 eponymous debut album; it was released as their first single and peaked at No.

[4] Created on the piano in the front room of the Davies' home, the song was stylistically very different from the finished product, being much lighter and somewhat jazz-oriented.

"[4] Davies said that he had been inspired to write the song one night during his college days playing with the Dave Hunt Band, when he saw an attractive girl on the dance floor.

"[5] During the spring of 1964, Ray Davies played an early version of "You Really Got Me" on the piano to rock photographer Allan Ballard during a photo shoot.

Ballard later remembered, "It was quite a small, pokey, Victorian Terrace, a bit scruffy, and in the hallway they had an upright piano.

[7] In 1998, Ray said, "I'd written 'You Really Got Me' as tribute to all those great blues people I love: Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy.

[11] The band's demo was in a "bluesy" style, while a full studio version recorded in June was slower and less emphatic than the final single.

[13] Ray Davies' adamant attitude on behalf of the career-making song effectively established him as the leader and chief songwriter of the Kinks.

"[16] According to recent Kinks' releases that give full official performance credits of the track, group members Ray Davies (vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Davies (lead guitar), Pete Quaife (bass) are joined by session men Bobby Graham (drums), and Arthur Greenslade (piano).

The guitar solo on the recording has been the subject of the persistent myth that it was not played by the Kinks' lead guitarist Dave Davies, but by then-session player Jimmy Page, who later joined the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.

"[10] Rock historian and author Doug Hinman makes a case that the rumour was begun and fostered by the established British rhythm and blues community, many of whose members were resentful that an upstart band of teenagers such as the Kinks could produce such a powerful and influential blues-based recording seemingly out of nowhere.

[20] Shel Talmy, the producer on the track, put the controversy to rest in an interview with The Guardian, saying, "contrary to myth, Jimmy didn't play on 'You Really Got Me'.

"[9] In a 7 November 2014 interview with SiriusXM's Town Hall series, Page confirmed again that he did not play on the song, saying "Oh, Crikey!

"[21] Drummer Mick Avory also confirmed that the guitar solo was played by Dave Davies and not Jimmy Page in an interview with AllMusic in 2023.

[27] While Ray Davies had been instructed at the time to write "Beatle-type" material for commercial reasons, "You Really Got Me" was written as a more R&B-based composition.

[29] Due to the high level of success the single achieved in the UK, a rush-release of "You Really Got Me" was put out in the US on 2 September 1964, despite being delayed from its initial release date of 26 August.

Plans for Ray to sing versions of the song in French, German, Spanish, and Japanese for their respective markets were proposed by Shel Talmy but never materialised.

[33] Music writers have called the song "shockingly different" from the Kinks' recorded work up to this point, and a "frenetic lost gem".

Upon release, the single received a positive review from Record Mirror, which said, "Highly promising group with strong guitar sound and a compact sort of vocal performance.

"[37] The Kinks' use of distorted guitar riffs continued with songs like "All Day and All of the Night", "Tired of Waiting for You", and "Set Me Free", among others.

[38] Other artists influenced by "You Really Got Me" include Tom Petty,[39] John Lydon,[40] Joe Jackson,[41] Chris Bell of Big Star,[39] and Jimi Hendrix, who, according to Dave Davies, described the song as "a landmark record".

[47] In a live performance on the Don Lane Show in 1982, "You Really Got Me" was featured in a medley with the band's 1981 song, "Destroyer".

[48] In 1984, Dave Davies claimed that, even after twenty years of performing "You Really Got Me", the track was "still fun to play live.

[53] Ray and Dave Davies still perform the song in solo shows, generally as a closing number.

[citation needed] In December 2015, Ray Davies joined Dave onstage at one of his concerts to perform "You Really Got Me".

[54] The event marked the first time the brothers performed on stage together in nearly 20 years, sparking rumours of a Kinks reunion.

The American hard rock band Van Halen released a cover of "You Really Got Me" on its self-titled 1978 debut album.

"[76] The Kinks' Dave Davies has claimed to dislike Van Halen's rendition of the song, saying "There's the thing: good art isn't always about having the comfiest technique.

He also told of how a concert-goer approached him after a live show and congratulated him on performing a "great cover of the Van Halen song".