The Kinks, an English rock band, were active for over three decades, from 1963 to 1996, releasing 26 studio albums and five live albums. The first two albums are differently released in the UK and the US, partly due to the difference in popularity of the extended play format (the UK market liked it, the US market did not, so US albums had the EP releases bundled onto them), and partly due to the US albums including the hit singles, and the UK albums not; after The Kink Kontroversy in 1965 the albums were the same. Between 100 and 200 compilation albums have been released worldwide.
Their hit singles included three UK number-one singles, starting in 1964 with "You Really Got Me"; plus 18 top-40 singles in the 1960s alone and further top-40 hits in the 1970s and 1980s. The Kinks had five top-10 singles on the US Billboard chart. Nine of their albums charted in the top 40. In the UK, the group had 17 top-20 singles and five top-10 albums.Rogan, Johnny (2004). passim ("Chart Positions" data) The RIAA has certified four of the Kinks' albums as gold records. The Kinks Greatest Hits!, released in 1966, was certified gold for sales totaling of one million dollars on 28 November 1968—six days after the release of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, which failed to chart worldwide. The group would not receive another gold record award until 1979's Low Budget. The 1980 live album One for the Road was certified gold on 8December 1980. Give the People What They Want, released in 1981, received its certification on 25 January 1982, for sales of 500,000 copies. ASCAP, the performing-rights group, presented the Kinks with an award for "One of the Most-Played Songs of 1983" for the hit single "Come Dancing".
Albums Studio albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUKAUSCANGERType "Kinks" in the suchen fieldNLNORNZSWEUSKinks Released: 2 October 1964 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP3—7—29Kinda Kinks Released: 5 March 1965 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP3—12—60Kinks-Size Released: March 1965 Label: Reprise Formats: LP————13Kinkdom Released: 24 November 1965 Label: Reprise Formats: LP————47The Kink Kontroversy Released: 26 November 1965 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP9—8—95Face to Face Released: 28 October 1966 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP12—129—135Something Else by the Kinks Released: 15 September 1967 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP, 4-track, 8-track35—3112—153The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society Released: 22 November 1968 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP, 4-track, 8-track48—84——— BPI: GoldArthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) Released: 10 October 1969 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP, 4-track, 8-track—5468———105Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One Released: 27 November 1970 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP, MC, 4-track, 8-track—243379———35Muswell Hillbillies Released: 24 November 1971 Label: RCA Formats: LP, 8-track—36—————100Everybody's in Show-Biz Released: 1 September 1972 Label: RCA Formats: 2×LP, 8-track—3863————70Preservation Act 1 Released: 16 November 1973 Label: RCA Formats: LP, MC, 8-track—92—————177Preservation Act 2 Released: 8 May 1974 Label: RCA Formats: 2×LP, MC, 8-track———————114The Kinks Present a Soap Opera Released: 25 April 1975 Label: RCA Formats: LP, MC, 8-track——86————51The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace Released: 17 November 1975 Label: RCA Formats: LP, MC, 8-track————18———45Sleepwalker Released: February 1977 Label: Arista Formats: LP, MC, 8-track——13————2921Misfits Released: 19 May 1978 Label: Arista Formats: LP, MC, 8-track—7948————3440Low Budget Released: 10 July 1979 Label: Arista Formats: LP, MC, 4-track, 8-track—8513————4611 MC: Platinum RIAA: GoldGive the People What They Want Released: 26 August 1981 Label: Arista Formats: LP, MC, 8-track——11——28—2315 MC: Gold RIAA: GoldState of Confusion Released: 24 May 1983 Label: Arista Formats: LP, MC, 8-track—961455—10442312 MC: GoldWord of Mouth Released: 15 November 1984 Label: Arista Formats: LP, MC, 8-track——60————5057Think Visual Released: 17 November 1986 Label: London, MCA Formats: CD, LP, MC—9778—————81UK Jive Released: 2 October 1989 Label: London, MCA Formats: CD, LP, MC————————122Phobia Released: 29 March 1993 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, LP, MC, MD———92————166"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Soundtrack albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsUSPercy Released: 26 March 1971 Label: Pye Formats: LP, MC—
Live albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsAUSCANGERNLNZUSLive at Kelvin Hall Released: 16 August 1967 Label: Pye, Reprise Formats: LP, 4-track, 8-track——162One for the Road Released: 4 June 1980 Label: Arista Formats: 2×LP, MC, 8-track712449313114 MC: Gold RIAA: GoldThe Road Released: 9 December 1987 Label: MCA, London Formats: CD, LP, MC—————110To the Bone Released: 3 October 1994 Label: Konk Formats: CD, LP, MC——————Kinks in Koncert 1965 Released: 16 April 2016 Label: Rhythm & Blues Formats: LP——————"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Compilation albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertificationsUKAUSGERNLNORNZSWIUSThe Kinks in Germany Released: November 1965 Label: Vogue Formats: LP—22—The Kinks Greatest Hits! Released: 10 August 1966 Label: Reprise Formats: LP, 8-track——9 RIAA: GoldWell Respected Kinks Released: 2 September 1966 Label: Marble Arch Formats: LP, 8-track5—2—Sunny Afternoon Released: 17 November 1967 Label: Marble Arch Formats: LP, 8-track9———The Kinks Released: 27 February 1970 Label: Pye Formats: 2×LP——————Golden Hour of the Kinks Released: 8 October 1971 Label: Golden Hour Formats: LP, MC, 8-track21—————The Kink Kronikles Released: March 1972 Label: Reprise Formats: 2×LP, MC, 4-track, 8-track—————94The Great Lost Kinks Album Released: 25 January 1973 Label: Reprise Formats: LP, MC, 4-track, 8-track—————145The Kinks' Greatest: Celluloid Heroes Released: 25 June 1976 Label: RCA Formats: LP, MC, 8-track——————14420 Golden Greats Released: October 1978 Label: Ronco Formats: LP, MC19——————Ihre 20 größten Hits Released: February 1979 Label: Arcade Formats: LP, MC——4————Second Time Around Released: 22 August 1980 Label: RCA Formats: LP, MC, 8-track——————177The Best Of Released: February 1981 Label: Trent Formats: LP, MC———24———Dead End Street – Greatest Hits Released: 14 October 1983 Label: PRT Formats: LP96———————Come Dancing with the Kinks: The Best of 1977–1986 Released: 2 June 1986 Label: Arista Formats: CD, 2×LP, MC———————159The Kinks Are Well Respected Men Released: 28 September 1987 Label: PRT Formats: 2×CD, 2×LP, MC————————Greatest Hits Released: 28 March 1989 Label: Rhino Formats: CD, LP, MC————————The Ultimate Collection Released: 4 September 1989 Label: RCA Formats: CD, 2×LP, MC3537—————— BPI: Gold ARIA: GoldLost & Found 1986–89 Released: 27 August 1991 Label: MCA Formats: CD, MC————————Greatest Hits Released: November 1991 Label: SPH Formats: 2×CD, MC———33————The Definitive Collection Released: 6 September 1993 Label: PolyGram TV Formats: CD18——————— BPI: GoldThe Best of the Kinks – 20 Classic Tracks Released: July 1994 Label: Kaz Formats: CD, MC———————— BPI: GoldGreatest Hits Released: 1996 Label: Arcade Formats: CD, MC————31———The Very Best Of Released: 31 March 1997 Label: PolyGram TV Formats: CD42———————The Singles Collection Released: 29 September 1997 Label: Essential! Formats: 2×LP, 2×MC39——————— BPI: GoldYou Really Got Me – The Best of the Kinks Released: 26 July 1999 Label: Castle Select Formats: CD, MC———————— BPI: PlatinumBBC Sessions 1964–1977 Released: 12 March 2001 Label: Sanctuary Formats: 2×CD, 3×LP————————The Ultimate Collection Released: 27 May 2002 Label: Sanctuary Formats: 2×CD32———54671— BPI: 2×PlatinumKinks Kollekted – Complete History 1964–1994 Released: 12 August 2011 Label: Universal Formats: 3×CD———10————Waterloo Sunset: The Very Best of the Kinks & Ray Davies Released: 12 August 2011 Label: Universal Formats: 3×CD14——————— BPI: SilverThe Essential Kinks Released: 14 October 2014 Label: RCA/Arista Formats: 2×CD————————Sunny Afternoon: The Very Best of the Kinks Released: 16 October 2015 Label: Sanctuary Formats: 2×CD, digital download21———————The Journey, Pt. 1 Released: 24 March 2023 Label: BMG Formats: 2×CD, 2×LP, digital download41—37—————The Journey, Pt. 2 Released: 17 November 2023 Label: BMG Formats: 2×CD, 2×LP, digital download93—63———71—The Journey, Pt. 3 Released: 11 July 2025 Label: BMG Formats: 2×CD, 2×LP, digital download——68———80—"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Box sets TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsUKGERNLNORUS Indie20th Anniversary Box Set Released: November 1984 Label: PRT Formats: 3×LP—————The EP Collection Released: 9 November 1998 Label: Essential! Formats: 10×CDS—————The EP Collection 2 Released: August 2000 Label: Essential! Formats: 10×CDS—————The Marble Arch Years Released: 21 September 2001 Label: Castle Music Formats: 3×CD—————The Pye Album Collection Released: 25 April 2005 Label: Castle Music Formats: 10×CD—————Arista Years Released: 17 October 2006 Label: Konk/Koch Formats: 7×SACD—————RCA Years Released: 17 October 2006 Label: Konk/Koch Formats: 6×SACD—————Picture Book Released: 8 December 2008 Label: Universal Formats: 6×CD—————The Kinks in Mono Released: 21 November 2011 Label: Sanctuary/Universal Formats: 10×CD—————The Kinks at the BBC Released: 21 August 2012 Label: Sanctuary/Universal Formats: 5×CD+DVD110576040—The Anthology 1964–1971 Released: 17 November 2014 Label: Sanctuary/Legacy Formats: 5×CD+7"————39The Mono Collection Released: 18 November 2016 Label: Sanctuary/Legacy, BMG Formats: 10×LP—————"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
EPs TitleThis is a list of EPs released in the UK and those that have been released or re-released in the US. The UK EP chart was discontinued in December 1967 and later EPs were included in the singles chart.EP detailsPeak chart positionsUKPeak positions for the Kinks' EPs on the UK EP Chart: Kinksize Session: Kinksize Hits: Kwyet Kinks: Dedicated Kinks: UK Gallup peaks: State of Confusion EP: "Good Day": "Do It Again": "Lost and Found": "Down All the Days (Till 1992)": "How Do I Get Close": "Only a Dream": US IndieUS AlbumKinksize Session Released: 27 November 1964 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Released in the US on 18 April 20151——All Day and All of the Night Released: December 1964 Label: Vogue Formats: 7" Originally only released in France; released in the US and Europe on 22 April 2017———Got Love If You Want It Released: January 1965 Label: Vogue Formats: 7" Originally only released in France; released in the US and Europe on 22 April 2017—48—Kinksize Hits Released: 15 January 1965 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Released in the US on 18 April 20153——Kwyet Kinks Released: 17 September 1965 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Released in the US on 27 November 20151——Dedicated Kinks Released: 15 July 1966 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Released in the US on 27 November 20157——Mister Pleasant Released: May 1967 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Originally only released in France; released in the US and Europe on 16 April 2016———Waterloo Sunset Released: July 1967 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Originally only released in France; released in the UK in 1998 and worldwide in 2022——70The Kinks Released: 19 April 1968 Label: Pye Formats: 7" Released in the US on 25 November 2016———You Really Got Me Released: 27 August 1971 Label: Pye Formats: 7"———The Kinks Live EP Released: 11 July 1980 Label: Arista Formats: 7"———State of Confusion Released: 23 March 1984 Label: Arista Formats: 7", 12"121——Did Ya Released: October 1991 Label: Columbia Formats: CDS, CS———Waterloo Sunset '94 EP Released: 17 October 1994 Label: Konk