Formed as a rhythm-and-blues band in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, the Kinks originated in Muswell Hill in northern London. Built on power chords, their third single, “You Really Got Me,” provided their big break. It stands, along with the work of the early Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones, the), as a landmark of creative exploration of rhythm and blues by white musicians. As such, it had a huge influence on the early Who (Who, the), mid-1960s American garage punk, and early 1970s heavy metal. Moreover, the Kinks exaggerated the androgynous image cultivated by the Rolling Stones with foppish clothes, extremely long hair, and Ray Davies's often camp demeanour. After two more international hits, “All Day and All of the Night” and “Tired of Waiting for You,” the Kinks quickly diversified their approach with the remarkable “See My Friends” (1965), an ambiguous story of male bonding, which represents the first satisfying fusion of Western pop with Indian musical forms. As their impact on the American market lessened after a disastrous tour in 1965, the Kinks became more idiosyncratically English, with social comment songs like “A Well-Respected Man,” “Dedicated Follower of Fashion,” and “Sunny Afternoon,” the last of which reached number one on the U.K. charts in 1966 and on which Ray Davies imitated 1930s British crooner Al Bowlly.

At once a satirist and romantic, Ray Davies combined a knack for writing sweet melodies with witty, empathetic lyrics and an instantly distinctive vocal delivery. With his wife, Rasa, and brother Dave providing the high backing vocals, Ray delivered a trio of classics in 1966–67: “Dead End Street,” which addressed poverty during the final days of the 1960s economic boom; “Big Black Smoke,” a cautionary tale about a teenage runaway; and “Waterloo Sunset,” a hymn to London that became the Kinks' signature song. In 1967 Dave scored a solo success with “Death of a Clown,” a memorable drinking song.

After 12 consecutive Top 20 singles in the United Kingdom, the Kinks started to slip in 1968 and spent the next two years attempting to rebuild their career in the United States by adapting to the new rock market with heavier instrumentation and elongated songs. They returned to the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic in 1970 with “Lola,” the story of an encounter with a transvestite that capitalized on Ray's theatrical persona. Several years as a top concert attraction in the United States followed, but Ray's struggle to reverse bad business deals made in the early 1960s took its creative toll. After Everybody's in Show-biz, Everybody's a Star (1972), Ray Davies's isolation—once so charming—had become curmudgeonly.

Energized by the punk rock they had influenced, the Kinks returned to rock with album successes in the United States such as Low Budget (1979). “Come Dancing” (1983), inspired by Davies family history, was a hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Thereafter, despite the departure of all the original members except the Davies brothers, the Kinks continued to record and perform, with Ray finding success with a one-man show based on his autobiography, X-Ray (1994).