The Kinks were easily the equal of the Who and the Rolling Stones, and for a period in the mid to late-sixties, their work rivaled that of the Beatles. But you’re still a long way from home.”, I can’t help but feel that Ray is writing about himself here, wishing he could trade in the trappings of stardom for a long overdue return to the village green. No matter how far his talent takes him, he will always be a long way from home. ... an homage to the Kinks’ Father Christmas – isn’t on Spotify. So instead of my “Nice Day Tour” storytelling show hitting 47 cities in 22 states over 49 days, I found myself alone, in my easy chair with nothing but time on my hands. “Here’s hoping all the days ahead This is not a greatest hits list. Yup, that was me, connecting maybe a little bit too deeply with “20th Century Man”. https://t.co/h3xU3E0Wg2, I think you’d have to go back to @RealKurtAngle or @TheRock to find someone who improved as much, as quickly on the… https://t.co/ok5vsCOXLE, Since I’ve already alienated many of my fans by speaking out about the election, I may as well lose the rest of you… https://t.co/d1JmPqJsUc. The Kinks first charted the same year as their formation or first release. Their music was always there for – helping me celebrate the good times, consoling me during the bad times, and keeping me company on countless road trips, since discovering the band with 1979’s ”Low Budget” album. Now I see change I perused the band’s back catalog, like the fine works of art they were, and spent a good portion of anything I brought in as a dishwasher, lifeguard, broasted chicken delivery man and landscaper procuring as much Kinks vinyl as I could get my hands on. Just give me some security – I’m a paranoid, schizoid product of the 20th century”. All the lies we were told She can’t see my motivation. This Time Tommorow 3. Nirvana: Bleach 31st Anniversary Guitar Medley! The list of top singles for Herman’s Hermits come from the Playback.fm charts. It started with a bouncy MTV classic. “Living on a Thin Line” is featured three different times in a 2001 episode of the Sopranos, and according to Soprano’s producer Terrance Winter, is the most asked about of all the songs featured on the immensely popular series. 358. Feel free to leave feedback on some of your favorite songs; the tunes you agree with, and the ones you think I overlooked. But I wonder if that limited audience appeal was by design. Thank you for the days – those endless days, those sacred days you gave me. Oklahoma USA … Here comes Flash 4. "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash was the first reggae song to hit #1 in America on the Hot 100. Chart appearances include Pop, R&B, Country and Rock. But 4 shows into a 47 show tour, the serious nature of the Coronavirus became apparent quickly, and the rest of the tour was postponed. By 1966, The Kinks had seemingly turned their backs on the conventional wisdom of the day, that stated for a British band to be successful, they had to sound American. Of course I binged on television – first it was classic westerns, then romantic comedies, and now, with it being Christmas in July, spending way too much time on the Hallmark channel. With a catalog of songs as rich and diverse as that of The Kinks, it is highly unlikely that anyone would come up with an identical list of 25 favorite songs. The WORLDWIDE Somehow don’t seem to matter very much anymore As gifted a songwriter as Ray Davies was, coming off the monster success of “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night”, The Kinks probably could have continued to turn out rollicking hits of a similar manner for many years to come. “Thank you for the days As in: “You keep all your smart modern writers I wish I could share the “Sopranos” video here, but there are boobies in it – so here’s a great version from Dave in 1984. In this song alone, he tackles poverty, loneliness, alienation, and with the lyric “don’t want to get myself shot down by some trigger happy policeman” was far ahead of the curve in calling out potential police impropriety. Country star Slim Whitman's version of the 1920s song "Rose Marie" spent 11 consecutive weeks at #1 in the UK in 1955, a record until 1991 when Bryan Adams’ "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" spent 16 weeks at the top. DAYS (1968) Remember that first love I wrote of in reference to “Too Much on My Mind”? I know that better things are on the way.”, Here’s a nice version from Ray Davies album of duets, “See My Friends” with Ray and Bruce Springsteen sharing vocals on “Better Things”, “You’ve come a long way from the runny-nosed and scruffy kid I knew. Of kings and days of old Rachel Platten refused to talk politics when her "Fight Song" became the anthem for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, a decision she came to regret. It has all the Kinks hits I remember as a youth (except "Come Dancing") but know that half the album's 25 tracks consist of songs that I don't know and I don't really care for (hence the 4 stars rating). Dido helped shut down a Neo-Nazi Web site after learning it was using "White Flag" to promote its hateful messages. It picked up the storyline of their "Gimme All Your Lovin'" video about a guy who encounters three beautiful women. Their last appearance in the charts was 1984. It’s ruining my brain Forget what happened yesterday, Owners of the site had misinterpreted the track as racist and thought they represented their white supremacy views. Chart appearances and counts span from 1900-2016 only. 1980’s “One For the Road” live version of the song featured a soaring Dave Davies guitar intro, and eliminated some of the lyrics to make the complex song more easily palatable. The 50 greatest Christmas songs – ranked! Dave said he liked Mickey’s guitar sound, and compared it to an avant garde David Bowie on “The Man Who Sold the World”. “Sunny Afternoon” (Face to Face) A song I loved so much that I basically stole the motto, almost word for word for my own short-lived 1991 fan club – “The Cactus Jack Appreciation Society”. Be an optimist instead, I can remember the little things that always made you smile. In any form, it’s a great song – and one that is still powerful and relevant in today’s mixed up, muddled up, shook up world. Bowie’s guitarist at the time was the great Mick Ronson, one of the most respected axemen in rock history. 15. Among those who saw the video was Dave Davies himself, the founding father of the heavy metal sound. Instead, The Kinks became the quintessentially British band, finding both joy and sadness in the minutiae of British working class life, and regularly returning to subjects that seemingly meant the most to them – family life, progress and stardom as both blessing and curse, and a longing for a return to a more innocent time. My poor demented mind is slowly going”. Nicole Gentleman. I am certain that I will be leaving many songs off my list that Kinks enthusiasts love, and mentioning songs that might not rate as highly with many long-term fans. It may include writing credits and featured credits in the near future. But we’re used to playing the waiting game, so to tide ourselves over until Ray and Dave bury the hatchet, we give you our picks for the 15 Best Kinks Songs. #SuperSockoSale is A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs, Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane"). Like the Beatles, the Kinks thrived on the dynamic tension between two gifted artists with strong personalities. To this day, I am thankful to the band for letting me know that I was not alone in my loneliness and confusion. All the lies of the people running round Nicole Gentleman. I’ll never be the same Like Us on Facebook for More Awesome Nostalgic Music Stuff. Here’s a version by Ray from “Austin City Limits”, “My thoughts just weigh me down