The Kinks Popular Songs
On The Acoustic

Apeman was a single release from the 1970 album "Lola Verses Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One". The song peaked at #5 in the UK and #45 in the US.

A video was produced for the song with new member of the group John Gosling, dressed up as an ape.

I play this one with a capo 2nd fret in standard but with no lead work, just a few riffs in the rhythm with the chords C, D and G. Use a down down up down up down up rhythm pattern.

Better Things hails from the groups 1981 album "Give The People What They Want" that had two singles released, and this song was one of them, reaching #46 in the UK and a #10 in the US.

Another one in standard tuning with capo 2nd fret with the rhythm pattern mainly down strokes and a down up stop up down up stop up pattern. For chords you'll need a C, C7, F, G, Em, Am, Am/Ab, Am/G and Gb/D with no lead.

Celluloid Hero's is a song from 1972 the band released from their "Everybody's In Show-Biz" album and two singles came from the album. This one did not chart at all while Supersonic Rocketship managed a #16 in the UK.

They re-released the song again in 1980 from their "One For The Road" album and did manage a #1 in New Zealand, #69 in Australia and a #80 in the US.

The chords for this lesson are D, A, G, Gbm, Dm, Bm, D/Gb, A7 and C with a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. Played in standard tuning and no lead work.

Come Dancing hails from the 1982 album "State Of Confusion" and only had this song as a single.

The song reached #12 in the UK and a #6 in the US and a top 10 in a few other countries.

There is no lead in this one played in standard tuning but a few riffs in the rhythm using a down up stop up down up stop up rhythm pattern and the chords G, D, C and Em.

Father Christmas was not part of any album as far as I can tell and was just a singe release in 1977, but the song never charted. 

I used a capo 2nd fret here with a down down up down up down up rhythm pattern in standard tuning and a few riffs blended into the chords. For chords play C, F, G, G6, Am, F and E7.

Lola was a huge hit as the band started off the decade of the 1970's with this single release from the 1970 album "Lola Verses Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One".

These is no lead work in this song using a down up down up down down up and repeat rhythm pattern with a few quick shuffles in standard tuning. For chords play C, D, E, A, B7, Gb, Dbm and a B.

Skin And Bone is from the 1971 record "Muswell Hillbillies" but this song was never a single from the album.

The album name came from a part of London where the Davies brothers grew up.

The chords you'll need here are G, D7, G7, C and Edim with a few riffs needed in the rhythm with a down up down up pattern with some walking bass. For rhythm use a down up down up rhythm pattern.

Sunny Afternoon is a famous song by the British rock band The Kinks. It came out in 1966 and quickly became one of their biggest hits.

The song tells the story of a rich person who's lost all their money but still tries to enjoy life. It has a catchy tune that makes you think of lazy summer days.

Ray Davies, the lead singer of The Kinks, wrote the song. He used a style that was different from most pop songs at the time, mixing elements of music hall (a type of British entertainment) with rock. The song was so popular that it reached number one in the UK charts and did well in many other countries too.

You can play all down strokes for rhythm here but vocally it's a high sing for me, so I have a capo 5th fret and on the low end vocally. The chords here are Dm, Dm/C, Dm/B, Dm/A#, Dm/A, A7, A7/G, A7/F, A7/E, C, F and an Am but original key is without a capo and no lead here.

Waterloo Sunset was a single release in 1967 from their "Something Else By The Kinks" and peaked #2 in the UK and #4 and was a top 10 in several countries but it did not chart in the US.

The chords here are A, G, Gb, E, A, D, A/Db, D/Gb, Em and an Em/Eb in standard tuning with a bit of lead work required. For rhythm play a root down up root up down up and repeat with some down strokes in places.

You Really Got Me was released as a single back in 1964 and hails from the album "Kinks".

The song reached #1 in the UK, #4 in Canada and #7 in the US.

Some lead work here with the chords G, F, A, D and C while playing mainly down strokes in standard tuning.