The Kinks rode nearly the same wave of success as the iconic Beatles and the Rolling Stones. They helped to define the entirety of the British Invasion with their wry and witty song style and came to be one of the most influential bands of the era. The Kinks initially started out covering the R&B genre and later blended in the elements of country, folk as well as blues to further complete their sound. During their entire career on stage The Kinks retained Ray and Dave Davies as the core of the group. The brothers began playing rock and roll when they were just in their teens and formed an outfit called the Ravens. The name, however did not last long and before the release of their first single they renamed themselves The Kinks. The band was off to a good start with their third single called "You Really Got Me." It reached number one within a month of its release and prompted more popular songs to follow.

The Kinks were fast becoming one of the most popular groups of the day and were accelerating at high speeds to the top of the charts with their nostalgic and free-wheeling song style and mentality. Ray Davies was becoming well known for his songwriting style, which became categorized as highly introspective. They released the single "Sunny Afternoon" to high acclaim and it proved to be an introduction of sorts to their follow-up record Face to Face. The album showcased The Kinks various musical styles and kicked off several years of success for the band as they released more hot songs in the latter part of the 1960's. "Waterloo Sunset" and "Autumn Almanac" helped to further the group's popularity not only in the U.K. but also in the U.S.

The Kinks continued recording well into the 1980's and although the group went through periods of ups and downs they managed to retain their popularity throughout several decades. They certainly weren't as sought after in later decades as they had been in the 1960's but they still enjoyed a dedicated fan base internationally. The Kinks have been hailed as one of the big contributors to the British Invasion and their music will always reflect their impassioned originality.