In 1978, Van Halen stole one of their best songs from their heroes who hated it: “Very Middle America”

Van Halen’s 1978 cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” became one of the band’s best-known tracks, driven by Eddie Van Halen’s guitar playing. The article says the success helped turn the song into a showcase for Van Halen’s hard-rock sound, while Ray Davies disliked the way the band’s version represented The Kinks.

Davies recalled that an American fan mistook The Kinks for the song’s cover band, and called Van Halen’s take “very Middle America”, mocking its image and style. Van Halen later covered another Kinks song, “Where Have All the Good Times Gone”; the article argues that their version of “You Really Got Me” helped shape the sound later associated with hair metal.