The Kinks Discography Tube Map Art Print

A gift for Kinks fans who have never looked closely at who else is on the first album, because this runs all 24 records with every credited musician as their own line. They own the records already. Jimmy Page and Jon Lord are both on the debut.

Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper, textured matte, archival and acid-free. Available in A2 or A1, with US sizing at 24x18in and 36x24in, unframed or framed. Deeply researched and designed by me in East Sussex.

I plot these in CAD software. Every credited musician becomes a transit line, every album becomes a station, and anyone who appears only once gets a branch line of their own.

The stations run chronologically from the 1964 debut, through Village Green and Arthur, to Phobia in 1993. Guest musicians branch off as short spurs.

Why this Kinks discography tube map art makes a gift fans keep

Two brothers run the whole length of this map, and almost nothing else does. Around them, the personnel churn through session players, brass sections, theatrical voice actors and, at the very start, two men who went on to define other bands entirely.

Not an algorithm - every connection on this map was made by hand, by an obsessive fan. The debut alone pays for the frame.

Contributing musicians on the map

Ray and Dave Davies are the only two credited on all 24 albums. Mick Avory drums on 23 of them, missing only Phobia, and Pete Quaife's bass runs the first seven.

The 1964 debut is the surprise. Jimmy Page plays twelve-string acoustic guitar, and Jon Lord, later of Deep Purple, plays organ, while session man Bobby Graham drums on most of the record rather than Avory.

Rasa Davies, Ray's wife, sings backing vocals across the first six albums, and Nicky Hopkins plays keyboards through the mid-1960s run, including Sunny Afternoon.

The theatrical albums are the densest stations on the map. Preservation Act 2 carries 14 credited musicians and Preservation Act 1 thirteen, complete with a brass section of Mike Cotton, John Beecham and Alan Holmes.

Soap Opera brings in voice actors as well as musicians, including Christopher Timothy as the announcer, cast specifically to mimic his own television adverts.

The later line-up settles again around John Gosling on keyboards, then Jim Rodford on bass and Bob Henrit on drums. Chrissie Hynde sings, uncredited, on four tracks of State of Confusion.

How do I make each print?

Each one is a Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper with a textured matte finish, archival and acid-free, so the colours hold for years. Choose A2 or A1, unframed or framed, ready to hang in a hallway, living room or studio.

FAQ

Did Jimmy Page really play on a Kinks album?
Yes, a twelve-string acoustic guitar on the 1964 debut, years before Led Zeppelin. Jon Lord, later of Deep Purple, plays organ on the same record.

Who drums on the first album?
Mostly Bobby Graham, a session drummer, rather than Mick Avory, whose line properly begins alongside him.

How many albums are on the map?
24, from the 1964 debut to Phobia in 1993.

Which album has the most musicians?
Preservation Act 2, with 14 credited players, is just ahead of Preservation Act 1 and Misfits on thirteen.

Is Chrissie Hynde on the map?
Yes, singing uncredited on four tracks of State of Confusion in 1983.

What are the framing options?
Unframed, or supplied framed and ready to hang.

Related Music Maps

Browse the full range of gifts for music fans at the Gifts for Music Fans collection and the 1960s Music Tube Maps collection at mikebellmaps.com.

Because Jon Lord appears on the debut, the Deep Purple Discography Map Art Print is a natural companion piece, alongside the Who Discography Map Art Print.