You Really Got Me (2:37)

Probably the most famous non-Kinks version of “You Really Got Me” was by the US hard rock band Van Halen, who recorded the song for their 1978 debut album, Van Halen. It was a popular radio hit, and jump-started the band’s career. just as it had done for The Kinks 14 years earlier. On the radio, it is usually played together with “Eruption,” the instrumental that precedes it on the album.

This version of the song was put in the 2003 video game Karaoke Revolution and the 2006 video game Guitar Hero II.

This version was the soundtrack of the 1995 award-winning Nissan commercial Toys in which “Nick”, driving a toy Nissan 300ZX, entices “Roxanne” out on a date, much to “Tad“‘s dismay. Mattel sued.