This will be the first time I will be amending the rules for what I’m including in the “Listen to This” portion of the blog post. “Destroyer” (#3 US Mainstream Rock charts).“Supersonic Rocket Ship” (#16 UK, #111 US).“Lola” (#2 UK, #9 US) – Not the first song about trans people, but an important song in trans pop culture history.“Waterloo Sunset” (#2 UK) – I love this one in particular, it’s one of the most beautiful classic rock songs ever in my opinion.“A Well Respected Man” (#13 US) – Surprisingly not released as a single in the UK.“Tired of Waiting For You” (#1 UK, #6 US).“All Day and All of The Night” (#2 UK, #7 US).I’ll gladly blast the following songs because they’re absolute bops! These were songs that got me into classic rock. Not That! Popular Kinks SongsĬlassic rock stations don’t overplay The Kinks like they do with bands like they play the Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Journey, Fleetwood Mac, you know… The Kinks best known songs aren’t ones that I get “Ugh this again? They have better songs!” reactions to like The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” or Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)”. Ray Davies is a songwriting genius and it’s only right to honour his work with a deep dive into the Kinks’ discography. And I think that ban from touring the US in the mid-late 60s definitely made them want to be even more aggressively British. Other bands would become more Americanised in their sound and songwriting themes, but The Kinks, they were proud of their country. What made the Kinks stand out compared to their contemporaries was their unapologetic Britishness. Young people need this kind of representation that tells them it’s okay to be you. These songs are thoughtfully written and aged quite well, showing that just because you’re a boomer doesn’t mean you are ignorant on social justice issues and equality. Both Davies Brothers are bisexual and The Kinks have written multiple songs about LGBT people or with LGBT themes. As someone who is bisexual, I am happy to say there is bisexual representation in the band’s lineup. Still, The Kinks held on and released some great albums: Arthur and Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround. You thought it was only metal bands that were crazy on stage? Without the ability to tour, it’s hard to promote singles. Like a crazy house party, the Kinks would have explosive live shows with fights, earning them a ban from touring the US from 1965-1969, which no doubt a blow to their career because it’s only the biggest music market, period.
It was the kind of song that a teenager would blast to annoy their parents and a song perfect for a house party. It’s clearly inspired by garage rock, but it pushed it heavier into proto-punk and a blueprint for power pop. Imagine it’s 1964 and “You Really Got Me” is playing on the radio and your mind is blown by that guitar riff. The loudness of the guitars especially on that first album.
And we can’t forget Dave’s contribution with his guitar sound that he came up with by taking a razor to a small green Elpico amp ( Paul McCartney also has one just like it, he bought his when he was 14) to create that fuzzy sound – no effects pedals, just creativity and resourcefulness. What makes the Kinks special is Ray Davies’ songwriting obviously – considered the poet laureate of British rock and roll. Later on though they experimented with other genres like British music hall, folk, and country. Like a lot of British Invasion groups, their sound was inspired by American rock and roll and R&B music. They banter and argue all the time and I don’t think they’re ever going to reunite. If you’re an Oasis fan, you’ll know that these guys were like the precursors to Noel and Liam Gallagher. The Kinks were formed in the neighbourhood of Muswell Hill in London by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Who are The Kinks and why talk about them? If you want to learn more about The Kinks, what makes them special, and what you should listen to, this is the post for you! This is the last of the Big Four British Invasion bands I’ll be talking about in a dedicated post, but certainly not the least! I was planning to write a mega Listen to This Not That for The British Invasion and include The Kinks, but I last minute decided to give them their own post because they had a lot of impact and were one of the biggest British Invasion groups and it would be disrespectful of me to just make them one paragraph when they deserve a whole dedicated post.
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