# Kinks a sgood as the beatles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613 "2016-04-19T00:59:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![escaped](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@escaped](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escaped)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/1 "2016-04-19T00:59:16Z")
i thnk they are.what about you? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/2 "2016-04-19T01:16:18Z")
Why do you think so? Start the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/3 "2016-04-19T01:18:25Z")
Yes, start the discussion. Let’s be serious now. No fiddlin’ around. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/4 "2016-04-19T01:20:23Z")
The Beatles were better than the Kinks by at least an order of magnitude. The Beatles’ songwriting was more clever and engaging and appealing, plus the Kinks didn’t have anyone who could sing. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/5 "2016-04-19T01:25:08Z")
Much as I love the Kinks and think they’re often underrated, I’m going to have to say no. It’s Ray’s songwriting that raises the Kinks to the level of greatness. On every other dimension I can think of, as good as the Kinks may have been, the Beatles were better. The Kinks do get points for longevity, but if you give the Beatles credit for what they did individually after their breakup, that evens out. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/6 "2016-04-19T01:25:29Z")
When Klaatu came around, lots of people thought they were the Beatles, recording under a different name. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/7 "2016-04-19T01:30:52Z")
I like the Kinks a lot, but the Beatles are better. All day and all of the night. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/8 "2016-04-19T01:46:48Z")
The Kinks are great, but I think even Ray Davies would admit the Beatles are better. The main difference is the far more varied musical styles the Beatles explored - often before anyone else. Davies is a great songwriter and singer, but no one matches the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/9 "2016-04-19T01:49:30Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I like the Kinks a lot, but the Beatles are better. > > All day and all of the night. > > mmm I think your username says it all, no? I wasn’t around when all this was happening, so all I have is the records to go by. I love the Kinks and find them underrated. There’s still so much I pick up each time I listen to them. I like John Lennon and the Revolver/Rubber Soul era, but my vote goes to the Davieseses. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/10 "2016-04-19T01:55:06Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > When Klaatu came around, lots of people thought they were the Beatles, recording under a different name. Is this in any way relevant to the topic? At all? I love The Kinks, but The Beatles completely blow them out of the water. Personal tastes are personal tastes though. You have every right to your opinion. At least you’re not saying… Justin Bieber is better than The Beatles or something else ridiculous. The Kinks are at least in the same ballpark, and yes, they were and are underrated. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/11 "2016-04-19T01:57:11Z")
Love the Kinks, but let’s be honest. Not nearly as enough hits as the Beatles had. Not to mention the Beatles had some major influence in how music was advanced, no comparison. Would like to know why the OP thinks differently. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/12 "2016-04-19T01:57:42Z")
The Beatles are better but, honestly, I listen to the Kinks more, probably because of overexposure to the Bestles. Village Green is a top ten all time record for me. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/13 "2016-04-19T02:07:56Z")
The Kinks were somehow “persona non grata” in North America for a time. Why was that? I’ll have to google it… By the way, I saw them live at the Pine Knob Amphitheatre near Detroit in about … 1980? They were fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/14 "2016-04-19T02:17:51Z")
There are very few bands for which you can even say “\_\_\_\_\_ was better than the Beatles” with a straight face, and even in those cases, you’re still probably wrong. The Kinks were not one of those bands. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/15 "2016-04-19T02:21:33Z")
The Kinks were a damn good band that put a out a **lot** of classic music. Davies is acknowledged as one of the finest songwriters from the British Invasion by his peers. But in terms of popular culture, there will probably never be a band “as good as” The Beatles in our lifetimes. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/16 "2016-04-19T02:25:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Is this in any way relevant to the topic? At all? . . . Hey, hey, hey, calm down, feel the love, it’s all right, get high with a little help from your friends. Listen to some good music before you get all uptight. I mentioned it to note that there are other bands that people have thought were as good as the Beatles, and, in fact, thought were the Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![escaped](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@escaped](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escaped)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/17 "2016-04-19T02:26:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The Beatles are better but, honestly, I listen to the Kinks more, probably because of overexposure to the Bestles. Village Green is a top ten all time record for me. For this very reason i say there as go as the beatles. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/18 "2016-04-19T02:29:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > There are very few bands for which you can even say “\_\_\_\_\_ was better than the Beatles” with a straight face, and even in those cases, you’re still probably wrong. The Kinks were not one of those bands. I disagree. I’d say the Kinks are one of those bands where I can see an argument for it, though I would probably disagree in the end. I mean, they are certainly not out of the realm of discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/19 "2016-04-19T02:30:41Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Hey, hey, hey, calm down, feel the love, it’s all right, get high with a little help from your friends. Listen to some good music before you get all uptight. > > I mentioned it to note that there are other bands that people have thought were as good as the Beatles, and, in fact, thought were the Beatles. I’m calm. Have a look [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19270597#post19270597) to see who else might be in the same ballpark as The Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613/20 "2016-04-19T02:36:06Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Kinks were somehow “persona non grata” in North America for a time. Why was that?. It looks complicated, but evidently the group made a very bad impression with the promoters and especially the American Federation of Musicians, who refused to allow them in for unspecified reasons. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinks-a-sgood-as-the-beatles/752613.md?page=2)