In 1968, The Kinks believed they wrote “the first indie record”. It took 50 years to sell 100,000 copies

Ray Davies said The Kinks’ 1968 album *The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society* was “probably one of the first indie records”, reflecting his decision to stop chasing hit singles and make music on his own terms. The shift mattered because it gave the band room to pursue a distinctly English vision, despite the album’s poor chart performance.

After early hits including three UK number ones by 1966, the band struggled to gain traction in the US and had been barred from touring there following an altercation involving Davies and a union official. Davies later said he was angry and deliberately avoided making another song like “You Really Got Me”. The album’s themes drew on British country life and a sense of traditions facing change; it took 50 years to sell 100,000 copies.