American Songwriter recommends four Kinks albums as the core of a vinyl collection, presenting them as a way to trace the band’s unusually broad career. The selections highlight the group’s movement from early guitar-driven rock into sophisticated pop, English social observation, concept-led songwriting and later commercial revival.

The list begins with *Something Else*, praised for Ray and Dave Davies’ songwriting and “Waterloo Sunset”, followed by the nostalgic, loosely conceptual *The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society*. *Muswell Hillbillies* is chosen for its more critical portrait of modern Britain, while *State Of Confusion* represents the band’s later period and includes the hit “Come Dancing”. The article acknowledges that the latter may not be among the Kinks’ four greatest albums, but argues it is important context for a rounded collection.