In 1964, The Kinks encountered an opening act they knew would go far. 110,000,000 records later, they were proven right

In 1964, The High Numbers, soon to become The Who, opened for The Kinks. Ray Davies later recalled that he expected them to become outstanding, recognising the promise of a group whose early sound had been influenced by The Kinks’ hit ‘You Really Got Me’. The story matters as an example of the musical influence and mutual respect between two major British rock bands, despite their later differences.

Pete Townshend wrote The Who’s first single, ‘I Can’t Explain’, in an effort to echo the sound of ‘You Really Got Me’, and Kinks producer Shel Talmy worked on several early Who recordings. Davies later described the bands as playing different musical “games”, saying The Who pursued a more American-influenced direction. The article’s headline says The Who have sold 110 million records; it gives no further breakdown of that figure.