| "You Can't Stop the Music" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Kinks | ||||
| from the album Soap Opera | ||||
| B-side | "Have Another Drink" | |||
| Released | 23 May 1975 | |||
| Recorded | August – October 1974 at Konk Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Glam rock | |||
| Length | 3:12 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Ray Davies | |||
| The Kinks singles chronology | ||||
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"You Can't Stop the Music" is a song by the British rock band The Kinks. The song, appearing on the band's 1975 album Soap Opera , was written by the band's principal songwriter, Ray Davies.
One of the themes of "You Can't Stop the Music" is similar to that of two songs from the Kinks' previous Preservation Act 1 album, "Where Are They Now" and "One of the Survivors" – that rock music can be authentic. [1] The lyrics pay tribute to the inspiration provided by older rock stars, some of whom may not have been big stars, noted that even though the big stars may have faded the power of their music hasn't. [1] [2] At live concerts around the time of the song's release, the band would show pictures and films of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and the Beatles on the screen as the song was being played. [3] Another theme is that everyone can be a star. [2]
On the album, this message was placed before the lyrics of the song: "And so Norman decides to stop living out his fantasy of being a rock star and accept reality. This is the end for Norman but not for us because there will always be someone ready to take his place -- after all, everybody's a star!" [4]
In the song, the singer (Norman) says that "stars fade away. They vanish in the haze and they're never seen again, but they can't stop the music playing on."
Hartford Courant critic Henry McNulty felt that the following lines from the song summed up Ray Davies' career well:
I've been a star down and out / I've been put on, sat on, punched and spat on / They've called me a faggot, a spiv and a fake / They can knock me down and tread on my face / But they can't stop the music playing on [5]
Montreal Gazette critic Bill Mann similar stated that "the lyrics will give you no small insight into Davies and Co.'s remarkable staying power." [6]
The music of the song rocks out more than some of the other songs on Soap Opera and the band, including Dave Davies' guitar, plays a prominent role, in addition to the brass instruments used on much of the album. [2]
When the Kinks performed the song as part of the Starmaker teleplay on which the album was based, Ray Davies dances in an audience of Kinks' fans watching a Kinks' concert, while his brother Dave Davies leads the band. [7] Kinks' biographer Nick Hasted interpreted this as Ray Davies finally being "able to enjoy the Kinks from the outside," admitting he is nothing special. [7]
"You Can't Stop the Music" was first released in May 1975 on the album Soap Opera , where it was the twelfth and final track on said LP. During that same month, the song was released as the album's third and final UK single, backed with "Have Another Drink" (also from Soap Opera). However, the song did not chart in Britain. The single was also released in June 1975 in Australia and in the Netherlands, but it still did not chart in either country.
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine cited "You Can't Stop the Music" as a highlight from Soap Opera. [8] Mann called it "a rocker that is a solid joy." [6] Melody Maker thought it was better than the Kinks' previous single "Ducks on the Wall" but (correctly) predicted that the single would not perform well. [9] Hasted described it as "a rock version of 'Celluloid Heroes' commemorating its strivers and stars, which the music itself will outshine and outlast". [7] Rolling Stone critic John Mendelsohn praised Dave Davies' guitar playing although he said that it amounts to "less than you think you're in for when, at one point, Dave appears to be on the verge, thanks to the miracle of overdubbing, of having it out with an earlier-recorded version of himself." [10]
Sir Raymond Douglas Davies is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing vocals. He has also acted in, directed and produced shows for theatre and television. Known for focusing his lyrics on rock bands, English culture, nostalgia and social satire, he is often referred to as the "Godfather of Britpop", though he disputes this title. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Kinks in 1990. After the dissolution of the Kinks in 1996, he embarked on a solo career.
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Soap Opera or The Kinks Present a Soap Opera is a 1975 concept album by the Kinks. It is the fourteenth studio album by the Kinks.
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.
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Schoolboys in Disgrace, or The Kinks Present Schoolboys in Disgrace, is a 1975 concept album by the Kinks. Their 15th studio album, it was considered by critics to be the last album in what they dubbed the group's "theatrical" period, and their final release for RCA Records. The album is rooted in 1950s rock and roll, and also includes elements of hard rock, ‘50s pop and doo-wop, and arena rock.
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"Come Dancing" is a 1982 song written by Ray Davies and performed by British rock group the Kinks on their 1983 album State of Confusion. The song was inspired by Davies' memories of his older sister, Rene, who died of a heart attack while dancing at a dance hall. The lyrics, sung from the perspective of an "East End barrow boy," are about the boy's sister going on dates at a local Palais dance hall.
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" is a song written by Ray Davies that was first released on the Kinks' 1979 album, Low Budget. The song, inspired by Superman: The Movie, employs a disco beat and lyrics that describe the singer's wish to be like the fictional character Superman. The song's disco style was created as a response to Arista Records founder Clive Davis's request for "a club-friendly record," despite Ray Davies' hatred of disco.
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Do It Again is a song by British rock band the Kinks. Written by lead singer Ray Davies, the song was released as the first track on The Kinks's album, Word of Mouth. Written as an observation on stressful working schedules, the song features an opening guitar chord and echoed vocals.
"A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" is the lead single and fourth track from The Kinks' 1978 album Misfits. Written by Ray Davies, the song was inspired by the band's then-tumultuous state at the time, with two members leaving the band during the recording of Misfits. Released as the first single from the album, the track was the band's most successful single in years, reaching number 30.
"Everybody's a Star (Starmaker)" is the opening track on The Kinks' poorly received 1975 concept album, Soap Opera. It was written by The Kinks' primary songwriter, Ray Davies.
"Misfits" is the title track for The Kinks' 1978 album, Misfits. It was written by Ray Davies.
"She's Got Everything" is a song written by Ray Davies and released by English rock band the Kinks. It first appeared as the B-side of the Kinks' 1968 single, "Days".
"Two Sisters" is the third track from the Kinks' 1967 album, Something Else by the Kinks. The song was written by Ray Davies.
"Ducks on the Wall" is a song by the British rock band the Kinks. The song, appearing on the band's 1975 album Soap Opera, was written by the band's principal songwriter, Ray Davies.
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