"Destroyer" by The Kinks

Song#:  0797
Date:  10/31/1981
Debut:  92
Peak:  85
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Although The Kinks were never really a pop singles band (up to this point they only had four Top 10 songs since 1964), their songs did well on rock radio, which would push their albums up the chart. Their previous studio album, "Low Budget," reached #11 and their live double-LP "One for the Road" got to #14. Their first studio album of the 80s, "Give the People What They Want," followed suit and reached #15 thanks in part to this single that hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It didn't do so well at pop just hanging around at the bottom of the chart for a month.

ReduxReview:  You know the misheard lyrics thing - where what you are singing is not the actual lyrics? One famous example is Jimi Hendrix singing "'scuse me while I kiss the sky," yet some people though it was "'scuse me while I kiss this guy." Here is another one, just not as humorous. We always thought it was "paranoia will destroy ya." But the lyrics really are "paranoia the destroyer." I like our version better. This mash-up of their hits (see below) was pretty big on rock radio but I haven't heard it in mega years. It's quite a rock-out for the group and it works well, although it may have been a little rough for pop radio

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This song references two previous Kinks hits. The guitar riff and some of the melody from their 1964 hit "All Day and All of the Night" (#7) was used and the lyrics refer back to the title character of 1970's "Lola" (#9).

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