10 Best Hard Rock Cover Songs

Van Halen's approach to hard rock was a complete shock to the system when they exploded onto the scene. The band's charismatic singer and blistering guitar work practically reshaped the hard rock landscape overnight. To start off their career of debauchery, Van Halen staked their claim with a cover of a Kinks tune from the 60's.

The Kinks's original version of "You Really Got Me" was a true oddity in its time, with its distorted guitar riff that went on to influence all different forms of heavy music to come later on in rock's evolution. Once Van Halen got their hands on the song, the atmosphere completely changed from a nervy punk assault to one of the greatest arena rock anthems of the modern age.

While starting off strong, the guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen is absolutely brilliant with his fantastic runs through blues scales and his use of volume swells and effects to create an added atmosphere. Aside from the technical innovations, this song's momentum turned the track into one of the premier party songs of the era. With one track, Van Halen announced the birth of glam metal by blowing a hole through one of the anthems of classic rock.