Counting down the Kinks 15 greatest songs

3. “Father Christmas” (1977)

“Father Christmas” is the greatest rock and roll Christmas song ever recorded. I say that because it fulfills both requirements of the designation. It is a sharp, poignant portrait of the holiday itself, and it is an out-and-out banger of a rock song. Dave Davies's guitar never rocked as hard. It opens with sleigh bells but quickly morphs into a pop punk riff, long before we had a name for that. Ray tells the story of a gang of poor kids robbing a department store Santa.

“Father Christmas, give us the money – Don’t mess around with those silly toys – We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over – We want your bread so don’t make us annoyed – Give all the toys – To the little rich boys.” It is one more marvel of balance. Ray snarls and then gets serious. Then he snarls some more. It’s witty. It’s incisive. And musically, it rocks while never quite losing those bells that remind us it is still a song about Christmas.

2. “Lola,” (1970)

If “You Really Got Me” isn’t the Kinks' best-known song, then “Lola” is. It begins with a simple acoustic chord riff and gradually grows more and more aggressive and electric, eventually turning into a tidal wave of sound. The melody is insanely catchy – an arch little earworm that gets stuck in your head. And then you start paying attention to the lyrics. The hints are there early – “I’m not the world’s most physical guy – But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine – Oh, my Lola.”

The story is fairly standard – a waif experiencing his first glimpse of sexual awakening. But after all the push and pull of the seduction, his conclusion – “Girls will be boys and boys will be girls – It’s a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world – Except for Lola” was really rock and roll doing what rock & roll does best. It was using its status as a popular, unsophisticated art form to put a revolutionary concept into the public consciousness. And everyone just thought it was another pop song.

1. "Waterloo Sunset” (1967)

I don’t always agree with the good folks at Rolling Stone. But when Paul Evans opined that “Waterloo Sunset” “may be the loveliest ballad in the history of rock,” I am in full support. It’s a simple love story that suggests that no matter how ugly the world may get, the simplicity of a sunset and the right two people make it all disappear. It is a lovely melody. It features lovely harmonies. In a word – lovely.

It is hard to believe that the same artist who created the brilliant mockery of “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” could also produce this gem, but that is the genius of Ray Davies – and that is the glory of the Kinks.

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