The Kinks' Dave Davies claims “George Harrison was the only one” of The Beatles he actually liked

16 September 2026, 22:22

The rivalry rumbles on....

The Kinks' guitarist Dave Davies has never been one to turn his nose up at the opportunity to make a headline.

Even still, the music legends are mentioned in the same breath as another landscape altering four-piece who around at the same time as them.

Of course, we all know that said band is The Beatles, given the two groups' massive cultural impact during the British Invasion era during the 1960s.

• How The Kinks got revenge on The Beatles after John Lennon’s put-down
• Why were The Kinks banned from touring the US at the height of their fame?
• The Kinks' Dave Davies answers the reunion question everyone is asking
• The Kinks' 20 greatest songs, ranked

Talk of a rivalry is forever on the tips of the tongues of fans and the media alike – and Dave Davies is seemingly eager to stoke the proverbial fires when given the chance.

Even as recently as last week, Davies reignited his feud with the late, great John Lennon, reiterating that the 'Imagine' icon never liked his band.

He jabbed even further by following up saying that "George Harrison was the only one I really liked."

There was a time when The Kinks were riding the coattails of The Beatles, especially after Beatlemania reached its zenith in 1964.

The Fab Four opened the door for British bands such as The Kinks to break America, with Ray and Dave Davies' group even supporting the Liverpudlians on one occasion.

But it was that very show which was the catalyst for the two band's disliking for each other.

Supposedly, John Lennon jokingly jibed Ray Davies before The Kinks went on stage, telling him: "Look lads, if you forget your songs you can use one of ours."

Naturally, Davies didn't take too kindly to the remark, and his brother still harbours some resentment it seems.

Speaking as a guest at the launch of a new art exhibition by British portrait artist Christian Furr at London's Gibson Garage, Davies didn't shy away from mentioning The Beatles' love loss.

According to The Daily Mirror, Davies claimed: "John Lennon didn’t like The Kinks, he really didn’t" before adding that "John Lennon didn't really like anybody!"

He went on to say: "George Harrison was the only one I really liked. He was the nicest guy. Paul McCartney wrote a few decent songs, yeah."

Of course, his comments made waves in the music press, so he clarified what he meant in a later interview with i News just days after.

“You’d be a fool if you didn’t like The Beatles, but I liked George so much because I could see something simmering underneath – very thoughtful,” he said in the interview.

He went on to say: “Paul said wonderful things about The Kinks… but Ray and John had a rivalry… John was difficult.”

Despite his complicated feelings towards the visionary artist, Davies did express his dismay over Lennon's murder in 1980.

“I still get angry because it’s such a fucking waste… but yeah… The Beatles couldn’t write Ray’s songs, and Ray couldn’t write Beatles songs."

Whilst the Davies brothers seem to be patching things up, there's still no news on whether we'll see The Kinks reunite in the coming years.

Let's hope they focus on getting back into a rehearsal room together instead of spending time bemoaning The Beatles.