They invented rock guitar, y’know. And distortion. And Damon Albarn. And loads of other stuff.
The Kinks are one of Britain’s finest musical exports. Hugely influential, brave and at times self-destructive, they formed the third prong on the trident of the British Invasion of America next to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
They lasted much longer than the Fab Four, too, and barely a year goes by without an inevitable Kinks reunion rumoured to be in the pipeline.
Tom Robinson, who signed to Kinks frontman Ray Davies’ label (and then fell out with him) in the 1970s, wants your music suggestions for this special Kinks playlist. Fresh from Tom’s brand new interview with Ray, in which the two make friends, we at Now Playing need two hours of music to preserve village greens fit for a Waterloo Sunset (sorry).
Artists influenced by The Kinks include punk rock groups such as the Ramones, The Clash and The Jam, new wave and heavy metal acts like Van Halen and Britpop groups such as Oasis, Blur and Pulp. The Kinks were an influence on late-1960s American psychedelic groups like The Doors, Love and Jefferson Airplane.
Get your Kinks-inspired suggestions to Tom via the hashtag #Kinks6Music to help create a playlist. Comment on the Now Playing Facebook page, here on the blog, email nowplaying@bbc.co.uk or drag tracks onto our Spotify and Rdio playlists.
