Originally written and recorded by The Kinks in 1964, “You Really Got Me” was the song that launched the British band to fame — and, fourteen years later, it did the same for a young California hard rock group named Van Halen.
Released as the band’s first single in 1978 from their self-titled debut album, Van Halen’s version of “You Really Got Me” reimagined the gritty, fuzzed-out power chords of the Kinks’ original through the band’s high-voltage lens. With Eddie Van Halen’s incendiary guitar work and David Lee Roth’s wild, swaggering vocals, the song became an instant radio hit and a defining statement of what would become the Van Halen sound.
Before it was recorded, “You Really Got Me” had been a staple of Van Halen’s live shows for years. The band cut its teeth playing backyard parties and small clubs around Pasadena, often including several Kinks songs in their setlist. “They sounded good and they were great to dance to,” Roth recalled. By the time producer Ted Templeman signed them to Warner Bros., the band had refined their take on the song into a razor-sharp crowd-pleaser.
On the Van Halen album, the track is famously preceded by “Eruption”, Eddie Van Halen’s groundbreaking guitar solo that stunned listeners and introduced his revolutionary tapping technique to the world. Radio DJs quickly began playing the two tracks back-to-back, creating one of rock’s most iconic one-two punches.
Despite the song’s success, Eddie Van Halen later admitted he wasn’t thrilled that their debut single was a cover. “It kind of bummed me out that Ted wanted our first single to be someone else’s tune,” he said. “I would’ve picked ‘Jamie’s Cryin’ — it was ours.” Still, the decision proved pivotal: the song introduced Van Halen to millions and helped ignite a new era of American hard rock.
The Kinks themselves had mixed reactions. Ray Davies, who wrote the original, said he actually preferred Van Halen’s take, comparing the difference to “a prop plane versus a jet fighter.” Eddie graciously returned the compliment, saying, “Ray, that prop stuff is the real sh-t.” Ray’s brother Dave Davies, however, was less impressed, suggesting Eddie’s polished technique missed the raw charm of the original — though he later admitted fans sometimes congratulated him for “covering the Van Halen song.”
VAN HALEN - ERUPTION
Released: February 10, 1978
Album: Van Halen
“Eruption” is a groundbreaking guitar solo performed by Eddie Van Halen and featured as the second track on Van Halen’s self-titled 1978 debut album. Clocking in at just under two minutes, the instrumental redefined what was possible on electric guitar and is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. Beyond its dazzling speed and precision, “Eruption” introduced the world to Eddie Van Halen’s revolutionary two-handed tapping technique, a style that would forever change the landscape of rock guitar.
Originally, “Eruption” wasn’t even meant to appear on the album. It was simply a warm-up piece Eddie often played during live shows at Los Angeles clubs like the Whisky a Go Go, but, while rehearsing it in the studio, producer Ted Templeman overheard the solo and immediately insisted it be recorded for inclusion on the record. Eddie later admitted he thought it was just a practice routine, not something worthy of release — but Templeman’s intuition proved right. The track became a defining moment in Eddie’s career.
“Eruption” showcases a blend of classical phrasing, technical innovation, and raw energy. The opening is loosely based on the intro to Cactus’s “Let Me Swim”, while the midsection quotes Rodolphe Kreutzer’s “Etude No. 2” in E-flat major. The closing sequence, a dazzling series of rapid-fire triads and tapped arpeggios, resolves into a classical-style cadence before fading into sound effects created by a Univox EC-80 echo unit — a piece of equipment Eddie famously modified himself. He often experimented with his gear, taking apart guitars and processors to invent new tones, and the Univox’s distinctive low growl at the end of “Eruption” became one of his early sonic signatures.
While the technique of tapping had existed in jazz and experimental guitar circles for decades, it was Eddie who brought it into mainstream rock. As former Guitar Player editor Jas Obrecht noted, “Eddie Van Halen’s work on ‘Eruption’ upped the game for everyone. The technique of tapping had been around, but it was rarely used — and almost always as a novelty. Eddie brought finger-tapping into the heart of rock ’n’ roll.” Within months of the album’s release, guitarists across the US, Europe, and Japan were attempting to imitate his style, though few could match his touch, timing, or imagination.
Despite its virtuosity, Eddie himself was never fully satisfied with the recording. “There’s a mistake in there, near the beginning,” he once said. “Whenever I hear it, I always think, Man, I could’ve played it better.” Ironically, that small imperfection only adds to the track’s legend.
“Eruption” segues directly into Van Halen’s cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”. The two songs are still played together on radio and in concert, symbolizing the explosive arrival of a band that would soon dominate the next decade of hard rock.
R.E.M. - WHAT’S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH?
Released: September 5, 1994
Charts: US: #21 UK: #9
By 1994, R.E.M. were no longer the quiet heroes of college rock—they were one of the biggest bands in the world. After the introspective acoustic calm of “Automatic for the People”, the group plugged back in, cranked up the distortion, and came roaring into the mid-’90s with “Monster”. Its lead single, “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”, was both a reinvention and a riddle: a snarling rock anthem inspired by one of America’s strangest unsolved mysteries.
The title comes from a bizarre 1986 incident in New York City, when CBS news anchor Dan Rather was attacked by an assailant who repeatedly shouted, “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” The attacker, later identified as William Tager, claimed he believed television networks were beaming signals into his head. When R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe first wrote the song, Tager’s identity was still unknown — which only deepened the surrealism. Stipe called the episode “the premier unsolved American surrealist act of the 20th century,” and his lyrics reflect that fascination with media confusion, paranoia, and generational disconnect.
But “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?” is more than just a headline turned into rock poetry. Stipe channels the voice of an aging cultural critic baffled by Generation X, a man who filters reality through pop culture but can’t quite understand the world he’s observing. Lines like “Richard said, ‘Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy’” jab at the gap between cynicism and activism in the MTV era — a self-aware critique that’s both biting and bemused.
The song was a shock to fans expecting another “Everybody Hurts.” Producer Scott Litt captures the band at their loudest and loosest: Peter Buck’s guitar snarls through distortion, Mike Mills’s bass booms beneath, and Bill Berry’s drumming hits like a sledgehammer. Buck plays the solo on Kurt Cobain’s Jag-Stang, gifted to him by Courtney Love after Cobain’s death — a haunting detail that links Monster’s glam-grunge swagger to the grief and noise of the decade it defined.
The accompanying video, directed by Peter Care, amplifies the chaos. Bathed in flashing neon blues, reds, and greens, Michael Stipe — newly bald and visibly electrified — sways, jerks, and snarls through the performance. His transformation from shadowy poet to rock frontman is complete. The rest of the band leans into their own reinventions: Mills in a Nudie suit once owned by Gram Parsons, Buck wielding Cobain’s guitar upside down.
Released on September 5, 1994, the song hit No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and reached the Top 10 in the UK, New Zealand, and Germany. Yet its cultural impact went far beyond the charts. “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?” became a national catchphrase — a shorthand for confusion and media absurdity, even parodied on The David Letterman Show, where Rather himself later joined R.E.M. on stage to sing it.
DES’REE - YOU GOTTA BE
Publicació: 28 de març de 1994
Llistes: Regne Unit: núm. 14 · Estats Units: núm. 5
En un moment en què el R&B bategava amb bases de hip-hop i balades dramàtiques, Des’ree es va obrir el seu propi espai amb alguna cosa més suau però igualment poderosa—un mantra convertit en música. Coescrita amb Ashley Ingram del grup britànic Imagination, “You Gotta Be” reflecteix la creença de Des’ree en el poder transformador de l’autoafirmació. Inspirada pel llibre Creative Visualization de Shakti Gawain i escrita després d’una ruptura sentimental, la cançó exhorta a la resiliència a través de la contradicció: ser “tranquil” però “valent”, “calmat” però “fort”. En paraules de la mateixa artista, es tractava de “aturar-me i pensar cada dia que has de ser alguna cosa”—un pensament universal que va permetre que la cançó transcendís les modes i esdevingués atemporal.
Amb el seu groove suau de mig tempo i la càlida veu de contralt de Des’ree, la cançó sona menys com una lliçó i més com una conversa amb una amiga sàvia. Es va convertir en la seva peça emblemàtica, passant 30 setmanes dins del Top 40 nord-americà, entrant al Top 10 tant als EUA com a Austràlia i gaudint de tres etapes diferents a les llistes britàniques al llarg dels anys noranta.
“You Gotta Be” es va incrustar ràpidament en la cultura popular. Va aparèixer a The Next Karate Kid (1994), donant un impuls d’empoderament al personatge de Hilary Swank, i més tard a The Object of My Affection (1998) i Captain Marvel (2019). VH1 la va convertir en un clàssic de la seva programació, fins i tot fent-la servir a les promocions de Good Morning America. La seva positivitat encaixava perfectament en una dècada que tot just començava a adoptar el concepte de benestar com a ideal generalitzat.
El videoclip, dirigit per Paul Boyd de Propaganda Films, va visualitzar el missatge de Des’ree amb una simplicitat eficient. Sobre fons canviants en blanc i negre, Des’ree apareix en múltiples imatges simultànies, encarnant diferents estats d’ànim i personalitats dins d’un mateix marc. La paleta austera i l’estil compositiu van elevar les qualitats d’afirmació de la cançó a quelcom alhora íntim i universal.
Tot i que tècnicament complex—va requerir coordenades acuradament planificades i dies de postproducció—el resultat transmet una naturalitat sorprenent. El vídeo va obtenir una nominació a Millor Vídeo Femení als MTV Video Music Awards de 1995 (on va perdre davant el “Take a Bow” de Madonna).
Tot i que Des’ree va aconseguir altres èxits al Regne Unit (“Feel So High”, “Life”, “What’s Your Sign”), “You Gotta Be” continua sent el seu himne més definitiu a escala mundial. Va ser l’únic gran èxit als Estats Units, però el seu abast ha estat profund—encara sona a la ràdio, i continua apareixent en pel·lícules i anuncis. En un món pop sovint obsessionat amb l’espectacle, Des’ree ens va regalar alguna cosa més callada i perdurable: una cançó que xiuxiueja coratge cada vegada que sona.
DES’REE - YOU GOTTA BE
Released: March 28, 1994
Charts: UK: #14 US: #5
At a time when R&B was pulsing with hip-hop beats and high-drama balladry, Des’ree carved out her own space with something gentler but no less powerful—a mantra set to music. Co-written with Ashley Ingram of British band Imagination, “You Gotta Be” reflects Des’ree’s belief in the transformative power of self-affirmation. Inspired by Shakti Gawain’s book Creative Visualization and written in the wake of a breakup, the track urges resilience through contradiction: be “cool” yet “bold,” “calm” yet “strong. In Des’ree’s own words, it was about “stopping myself and thinking every day how you gotta be something”—a universal thought that helped the song transcend trends and become timeless.
With its smooth mid-tempo groove, glowing keyboards, and Des’ree’s warm alto, the song feels less like a lecture and more like a conversation with a wise friend. It became her signature, spending 30 weeks in the US Top 40, climbing into the Top 10 in both America and Australia, and enjoying three separate chart runs in the UK throughout the ’90s.
“You Gotta Be” quickly embedded itself in pop culture. It appeared in “The Next Karate Kid” (1994), giving Hilary Swank’s character a dose of empowerment, and later resurfaced in “The Object of My Affection” (1998) and “Captain Marvel” (2019). VH1 made it a staple of their rotation, even using it in promotions for Good Morning America. The song’s positivity fit seamlessly into a decade that was just beginning to adopt “wellness” as a mainstream ideal.
Directed by Paul Boyd of Propaganda Films, the music video visualized Des’ree’s message with striking simplicity. Set against shifting black-and-white backdrops, Des’ree appears in multiple simultaneous images, embodying different moods and personalities within a single frame. The stark palette and compositional style elevated the song’s affirmational qualities into something both intimate and universal.
Though technically complex—requiring carefully plotted coordinates and days of post-production—the result feels effortless. The video earn a nomination for Best Female Video at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards (losing to Madonna’s “Take a Bow”).
While Des’ree charted other hits in the UK (“Feel So High,” “Life,” “What’s Your Sign”), “You Gotta Be” remains her defining anthem worldwide. It was her only major US hit, but its reach was profound—still played on radio, still referenced in films and commercials, still offering comfort three decades later. In a pop world often obsessed with spectacle, Des’ree gave us something quieter and more lasting: a song that whispers encouragement every time it plays.
AZTEC CAMERA – OBLIVIOUS
Publicada: febrer de 1983
Llistes: Regne Unit: #18
Quan Aztec Camera van publicar “Oblivious” el 1983, va arribar com un raig de sol travessant el gris de la Gran Bretanya de la primera època Thatcher. A la superfície, el senzill brilla: guitarres acústiques brillants, ritmes lleugers i la veu inconfusible d’un Roddy Frame de 18 anys, que ja escrivia amb una confiança i una finor que feien que els crítics tornessin a comprovar la seva edat. Però sota aquest optimisme repicat s’hi troba una de les crítiques pop més subtils de l’època.
Extreta de l’àlbum de debut del grup, “High Land, Hard Rain”, “Oblivious” combina floritures de guitarra alegres, gairebé tropicals, amb una lletra que mira amb ironia el privilegi, la negació política i la manera com la gent s’aïlla de veritats incòmodes. Frame embolcalla el comentari social en melodies brillants, creant una peça que sembla ingràvida fins que l’escoltes amb atenció.
La producció és nítida i econòmica, deixant que el treball extraordinari de guitarra de Frame ocupi el centre de l’escenari. Cada floritura sembla feta a mà, com si fos manllevada d’un clima més lluminós que aquell on ell va créixer. En una època en què el post-punk es fracturava en sons més foscos i abrasius, Aztec Camera van triar la claredat, la calidesa i l’artesania — i van destacar encara més per això.
Inicialment, “Oblivious” es va encallar al número quaranta-set de la llista de singles del Regne Unit. Reeditada uns mesos més tard, va arribar al Top 20.
AZTEC CAMERA - OBLIVIOUS
Released: February 1983
Charts: UK: #18
When Aztec Camera released “Oblivious” in 1983, it arrived like a sunbeam cutting through the grey of early-Thatcher Britain. On the surface, the single sparkles: bright acoustic guitars, breezy rhythms, and the unmistakable voice of an 18-year-old Roddy Frame, already writing with a confidence and finesse that made critics double-check his age. But beneath the chiming optimism sits one of the era’s slyest pop critiques.
Taken from the band’s debut album “High Land, Hard Rain”, “Oblivious” pairs joyous, almost tropical guitar flourishes with lyrics that cast a wry eye on privilege, political denial, and the way people insulate themselves from uncomfortable truths. Frame wraps social commentary in gleaming melodic hooks, creating a track that feels weightless until you listen closely.
The production is crisp and economical, letting Frame’s extraordinary guitar work take center stage. Each flourish feels hand-crafted, as though borrowed from a brighter climate than the one he grew up in. At a time when post-punk was fracturing into darker and more abrasive sounds, Aztec Camera chose clarity, warmth, and craft — and stood out all the more for it.
Initially, “Oblivious” stalled at number forty-seven on the UK Singles Chart. Re-released a few months later, it reached the Top 20.
22.11.25
HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED – FAVOURITE SHIRTS (BOY MEETS GIRL)
Publicada: octubre de 1981
Llistes: Regne Unit: #4 | EUA: #101
A la tardor de 1981, quan les arestes angulars del post-punk s’estovaven en un gloss pop i l’ona New Romantic estava en plena volada, Haircut One Hundred van irrompre a l’escena com una brisa fresca de la costa anglesa. El seu single de debut, “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)”, publicat l’octubre de 1981 per Arista Records, va ser una declaració instantània — una combinació joiosa de funk amb inflexions de jazz, exuberància juvenil i estil universitari que va cristal·litzar el moment en què la New Wave es va tornar descarada, politament impecable i irresistiblement ballable.
Enregistrada als Roundhouse Studios de Chalk Farm, Londres, “Favourite Shirts” va ser el primer i únic single de Haircut One Hundred que va incloure el bateria Pat Hunt abans que Blair Cunningham s’unís al grup. Al centre de tot hi havia Nick Heyward, el compositor i vocalista de 20 anys, la visió del qual va donar forma a l’estètica polida i lluminosa de la banda. L’escriptura de Heyward a “Favourite Shirts” era instintiva més que no pas guiada per una narrativa — llampecs de sensacions i ritme cosits en un collage líric. Tal com va dir més tard a Trouser Press: “Les lletres són espasmòdiques… flaixos ràpids de joventut que no tenen cap relació, però de sobte apareix ‘boy meets girl’ i això explica tota la cançó.”
Aquesta energia desarticulada va esdevenir part de l’encant de la cançó. Amb les seves guitarres repicants, la secció de vents ajustada i les línies de baix potents, era un món allunyat de l’austeritat ombrívola de Joy Division o The Cure. En lloc d’això, Haircut One Hundred oferien optimisme, moda i groove — el so d’un jove suburbà descobrint el ritme, el romanticisme i el ritme un altre cop.
El títol mateix, “Favourite Shirts”, no apareix enlloc a la lletra — un sense sentit capritxós que feia joc amb la imatge preppy i peculiar del grup: barrets de pescador, pantalons arromangats i jerseis de coll en v. La secció de vents, juntament amb el treball de guitarra rítmica, donava a la cançó un aire animat que recordava el funk americà filtrat a través de les sensibilitats del pop anglès.
Era una època en què bandes com Spandau Ballet i ABC experimentaven amb sofisticació i estil, però Haircut One Hundred ho feien sonar sense esforç — menys cava de nightclub, més gelat de platja. El seu so era juvenil, ajustat i infinitament enganxós.
En el seu llançament, “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” va entrar al Top 40 britànic al número 40 a finals d’octubre de 1981. En tres setmanes, havia pujat fins al número 4, on es va mantenir una segona setmana, frenat només pels pesos pesants del moment: Queen i David Bowie, The Police i Earth, Wind & Fire.
El debut del grup a Top of the Pops (29 d’octubre de 1981) va coincidir perfectament amb el seu ascens a les llistes. Les seves cares fresques, la roba en tons pastel i l’encant sense esforç van causar una impressió immediata. En la seva segona aparició, el 12 de novembre, ja cavalcaven a la part alta del Top 10.
La crítica va adorar el single. La notòriament dura premsa musical britànica el va elogiar com “refrescant, intel·ligent i impossible de no ballar”. Era, en molts sentits, l’antídot a l’angoixa del punk — pop per a una dècada nova i polida.
“Favourite Shirts” va establir el to per a “Pelican West” (1982), un àlbum que va produir dos altres èxits del Top 10 — “Love Plus One” i “Fantastic Day”. Però malgrat tot el seu prometedor inici, l’èxit de la banda seria breu. Heyward, temorós de repetir-se, va marxar després del debut, sentint que el grup havia portat la seva fórmula de funk-pop lluminós tan lluny com podia anar.
HAIRCUT ONE HUNDRED - FAVOURITE SHIRTS (BOY MEETS GIRL)
Released: October 1981
Charts: UK: #4 US: #101
In the bright autumn of 1981, as post-punk’s angular edges softened into pop gloss and the New Romantic wave was in full flight, Haircut One Hundred burst onto the scene like a fresh breeze from the English coast. Their debut single, “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl),” released in October 1981 on Arista Records, was an instant statement — a joyous blend of jazz-inflected funk, youthful exuberance, and collegiate style that crystallized the moment when New Wave got cheeky, clean-cut, and irresistibly danceable.
Recorded at Roundhouse Studios in Chalk Farm, London, “Favourite Shirts” marked the first and only Haircut One Hundred single to feature drummer Pat Hunt before Blair Cunningham joined the lineup. At the center of it all was Nick Heyward, the 20-year-old songwriter and frontman whose vision shaped the band’s polished, sunny aesthetic. Heyward’s songwriting on “Favourite Shirts” was instinctive rather than narrative-driven — flashes of feeling and rhythm stitched together into lyrical collage. As he later told Trouser Press, “The lyrics are spasmodic… quick flashes of youth that don’t bear any relation, but suddenly you get ‘boy meets girl’ and that explains the whole song.”
That disjointed energy became part of the song’s charm. With its jangling guitars, tight horn section, and bubbling basslines, it was a world away from the moody austerity of Joy Division or The Cure. Instead, Haircut One Hundred offered optimism, fashion, and groove — the sound of a suburban youth discovering rhythm, romance, and rhythm again.
The title itself, “Favourite Shirts,” doesn’t appear anywhere in the lyrics — a whimsical non sequitur that matched the group’s quirky preppy image: fisherman’s hats, pulled-up trousers, and v-neck sweaters. The brass section, along with the rhythm guitar work, gave the song an upbeat feel reminiscent of American funk filtered through English pop sensibilities.
It was an era when bands like Spandau Ballet and ABC were experimenting with sophistication and style, but Haircut One Hundred made it sound effortless — less nightclub champagne, more seaside ice cream. Their sound was youthful, tight, and endlessly catchy.
Upon release, “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)” entered the UK Top 40 at number 40 in late October 1981. Within three weeks, it had climbed to No. 4, where it remained for a second week, held back only by the heavyweights of the time: Queen and David Bowie, The Police, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
The band’s debut on Top of the Pops (October 29, 1981) coincided perfectly with their chart ascent. Their fresh faces, pastel clothes, and effortless charm made an instant impression. By their second appearance on November 12, they were riding high in the Top 10.
Critics loved the single. The notoriously tough British music press praised it as “refreshing, clever, and impossible not to dance to.” It was, in many ways, the antidote to the angst of punk — pop for a new, polished decade.
“Favourite Shirts” set the tone for “Pelican West” (1982), an album that produced two more Top 10 hits — “Love Plus One” and “Fantastic Day”. But for all their early promise, the band’s success was short-lived. Heyward, wary of repeating himself, left after the debut, feeling the group had taken their breezy funk-pop formula as far as it could go.
