"You Really Got Me" is a song written by Ray Davies and performed by the Kinks. The song, originally performed in a more blues-orientated style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. "You Really Got Me" was an early hit song built around power chords (perfect fifths and octaves), and heavily influenced later rock musicians, particularly in the genres of heavy metal and punk rock. Built around a guitar riff played by Dave Davies, the song's lyrics were described by Dave as "a love song for street kids." "You Really Got Me" was released on 4 August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached number one on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks. The song became the group's breakthrough hit; it established them as one of the top British Invasion acts in the United States, reaching number seven there later in the year. (More from Wikipedia)
Link Wray's influence is front and center on a good 50% of the records that I play, because he is credited with introducing the "power chord" on electric guitar to rock and roll, a technique whose effect is often enhanced by distortion.
Writing for Allmusic, Cub Koda calls the power chord "the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists". I will spare you the technical details – not least because I don't really understand them myself – but Ray Davies of the Kinks (in their classic "You Really Got Me") and Pete Townshend of the Who (in "My Generation") helped popularize the power chord in the early years of the British Invasion. When Townshend is performing his famous windmill guitar technique, he is typically playing power chords.
(February 2013)
