THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

770-Kinks-Waterloo Sunset.

1967-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.08. Be warned before listening, this is the ultimate ‘EARWORM’ song, and now that I have told you, it will only make things even worse.

The Kinks (see also best songs 1014) were formed in Muswell Hill, London, England, in 1963, and would remain active through until 1996. In total there were 12 different members come and go, with the brothers Ray, and Dave Davies, being the groups only two constants. The four who are considered to be the classic line up were, Ray Davies, (lead vocals, guitar and keyboards) Dave Davies, (lead guitar) Mick Avory, (drums) and Pete Quaife (1943-2010) (bass.)

Sir Raymond Douglas Davies CBE was born on June 21st, 1944, in London, England, he is often referred to as the ‘Godfather of Britpop,’ which is a genre of music which reached it’s commercial peak in the mid 1990’s in the UK, through groups such as Oasis, Blur, Suede, and Pulp, whom had all been influenced to some extent by the songs of Ray Davies from the mid 1960’s. All of those four above mentioned artists have two songs each in this ‘best 1000 songs’ list. Away from the Kinks, Ray Davies has released seven solo Albums between 1985-2018, and one collaborative Album called ‘ The Kinks Choral Collection,’ in 2009, with the Crouch End Festival Chorus.

Ray Davies was the main songwriter with the Kinks, who released 24 studio Albums between 1964-1993, there have also been 78 singles, including re-issues, released between 1964-2020, and also 10 extended plays, 32 compilation Albums, and six official live Albums being available. The Kinks have sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide, with 22 of their singles reaching the UK top 40, with three of those tracks ‘You Really Got Me,’ (1964) ‘Tired of Waiting for You,’ (1965) and ‘Sunny Afternoon,’ (1966) all reaching Number 1. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, they made the top 40 on 11 occasions, with both ‘Tired of Waiting for You,’ (1965) and ‘Come Dancing,’ (1982) peaking the highest at Number 6, while ‘Waterloo Sunset’ failed to reach the ‘Hot 100’ singles chart.

‘Waterloo Sunset’ was the first of two singles released from the Kinks fifth studio Album ‘Something Else by the Kinks,’ from September 1967, the song was written and produced by Ray Davies. The songs lyrics describe someone who is on their own, watching (or imagining) two lovers passing over a bridge near the River Thames, and Waterloo Train Station, in London, the place of Ray Davies’ birth. In 2010 Ray Davies stated that the song was originally titled ‘Liverpool Sunset,’ as his favourite city to perform in is Liverpool, and that he was also inspired by ‘Merseybeat.’ He said that he didn’t want to clash with the Beatles who had just released ‘Penny Lane,’ so he called it ‘Waterloo Sunset’ instead, because Waterloo was a very significant place for him when he was a child.

Speaking about ‘Waterloo Sunset’ Ray Davies has said,’It came to me first as a statement about the death of ‘Merseybeat.’ But I realised that Waterloo was a very significant place in my life. I was in St. Thomas’ Hospital when I was really ill as a child, and I looked out on the river. I went to Waterloo every day to go to college as well. The song was also about being taken to the ‘Festival of Britain’ (1951) with my mum and dad. I remember them taking me by the hand, looking at the big Skylon tower, and saying it symbolised the future. That, and then walking by the Thames with my first wife Rasa, (who left Ray, taking his two daughters, in 1973) and all the other dreams that we had. Her in her brown suede coat that she wore, that was stolen. And also about my sisters, and about the world I wanted them to have. The two characters in the song, Terry and Julie, are to do with the aspirations of my sisters’ generation, who grew up during the Second world War, and missed out on the ’60’s.

‘Waterloo Sunset’ is critically acclaimed, and is considered by many music critics to be the best work of Ray Davies and the Kinks. Paul Weller has stated that it is his favourite song of all time, while Pete Townsend has called it ‘divine,’ and ‘a masterpiece.’ Damon Alburn was equally as gushing, naming ‘Waterloo Sunset’ the one song he wished he had written, and commenting, ‘It’s the most perfect song I could ever hope to write, with my sort of voice.’

There are two significant cover versions of ‘Waterloo Sunset.’ In 2003 David Bowie (1947-2016) was joined on stage by Ray Davies, and they performed a duet of the song at ‘Carnegie Hall,’ in New York City, for the ‘Tibet House’ benefit. Bowie has also recorded a solo studio version of the song, which can be found as a bonus track on his 2003 Album ‘Reality.’ In 1997 the British singer/songwriter Cathy Dennis (see also best songs 928) covered ‘Waterloo Sunset’ for her third studio Album ‘ Am I the Kinda Girl?’ The song was released as a single and reached Number 11 in the UK. The promotional video for the song showed Dennis singing while travelling in a taxi. The scenes visible outside the taxi windows vary between the London of the 1990’s, and film of various locations (e.g. driving up Piccadilly, with Green Park tube station on the left, Knightsbridge tube station and the small dome north of Finsbury Square) as they were in the 1960’s. Ray Davies appears in the music video in a cameo role as the taxi driver.

‘Dirty old river, must you keep rolling, flowing into the night? People so busy, make me feel dizzy, taxi light shines so bright. But I don’t need no friends, as long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset I am in paradise.’