Last updated 3/13/2018
Song 23
The last of three Beach Boys records peaked at #1 on 12/10/66.
Ranked as #6 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
This was the group’s third #1 record, and their last until “Kokomo” in 1988. They only had two Top 10 records after this one.
This is the 2012 stereo mix, which was created digitally. There are no multi-track masters containing all of the original parts in the mono version.
#23 – “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys
Song 24
The first Top 40 hit for The Young Rascals peaked at #1 on 4/30/66.
They shortened the group name to The Rascals in 1968.
The song had been recorded a year earlier by The Olympics.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#24 – “Good Lovin'” by The Young Rascals
Song 25
The third record by a Sinatra peaked at #1 on 7/2/66.
Even though it was his first #1 record in 11 years, Frank hated the song and avoided singing it in concert for many years.
Four Grammy Awards: Record Of The Year; Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male; Best Arrangement Accompanying A Vocalist Or Instrumentalist; and Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical.
This is the stereo mix.
#25 – “Strangers In The Night” by Frank Sinatra
Song 26
The second Donovan record peaked at #1 on 9/3/66.
Two future members of Led Zeppelin, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones, play on this record.
This is the stereo mix.
#26 – “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan
Song 27
The biggest hit for Lugee Sacco peaked at #1 on 2/19/66.
Lou Christie reached the Top 10 three times from 1963 to 1969.
This is the stereo mix.
#27 – “Lightnin’ Strikes” by Lou Christie
Song 28
The only Top 10 pop hit for The Royal Guardsmen peaked at #2 on 12/31/66, 1/7/67, 1/14/67, and 1/21/67.
Charles Schulz sued the group for copyright infringement and was awarded the publishing revenues for the song. He later permitted the group to record other Snoopy-related songs, and even drew some of their album and single cover art.
This is the second of three records on the list that reached their peak in 1966, but spent more weeks in that spot in 1967.
If the chart had been based on the year in which it spent the most weeks at its peak, it would have been the #19 record of 1967. (There’s an even better example coming along.)
This is the stereo mix.
#28 – “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron” by The Royal Guardsmen
Song 29
The first of two records by Donovan Leitch peaked at #2 on 12/10/66, 12/17/66, and 12/24/66.
Donovan had recently given Paul McCartney a line to use in “Yellow Submarine,” and Paul appears somewhere in the background on this track (though he apparently did not do the harmony vocal, as some have claimed).
This is the mono mix. Producer Mickie Most was still avoiding stereo in 1966.
#29 – “Mellow Yellow” by Donovan
Song 30
The first of two Rolling Stones records peaked at #2 on 3/19/66, 3/26/66, and 4/2/66.
The song was written during the 1965 U.S. tour and, like several other Stones records, was recorded at RCA in Hollywood.
This is a mono recording. There is no official stereo mix.
#30 – “19th Nervous Breakdown” by The Rolling Stones
Song 31
Sam The Sham’s second and last Top 20 hit peaked at #2 on 8/6/66 and 8/13/66.
The Pharaohs on this record are a completely different group from the ones that played on “Wooly Bully” the year before.
This is the stereo mix.
#31 – “Lil’ Red Riding Hood” by Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs
Song 32
Another Lovin’ Spoonful record peaked at #2 on 4/9/66 and 4/16/66.
Supposedly, when John Sebastian began writing this song, he was trying to rewrite “Baby Love” by The Supremes, but it ended up as something quite different.
This is the stereo mix.
#32 – “Daydream” by The Lovin’ Spoonful
Song 33
Bobby Hebb’s only Top 20 hit peaked at #2 on 8/20/66 and 8/27/66.
Many versions of this song have been recorded. BMI rated it as the #25 song of the 20th Century, based on radio and TV airplay.
This is the stereo mix.
#33 – “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb
Song 34
The first of three records by The Lovin’ Spoonful peaked at #2 on 6/11/66 and 6/18/66.
This was the fourth of seven straight Top 10 hits for the group.
This is the stereo mix.
#34 – “Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?” by The Lovin’ Spoonful
Song 35
The last Top 40 hit for The Mindbenders peaked at #2 on 5/28/66 and 6/4/66.
Wayne Fontana left the group six months after “Game Of Love” in 1965. This was their only other hit.
This is the rare stereo mix.
#35 – “A Groovy Kind Of Love” by The Mindbenders
Song 36
The tenth Top 10 hit for The Beach Boys peaked at #2 on 1/29/66 and 2/5/66.
Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean is the lead singer.
The original version by The Regents reached #13 in 1961.
This is the 2012 first-time stereo mix – both the single and longer album versions.
#36 – “Barbara Ann” by The Beach Boys
“Barbara Ann” by The Beach Boys – long album version
Song 37
The only Top 10 hit by The Cyrcle peaked at #2 on 7/9/66.
Despite being an American group, they were managed by Beatles manager Brian Epstein and toured the USA with The Beatles in 1966.
The song was written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley of The Seekers.
This is the stereo mix.
#37 – “Red Rubber Ball” by The Cyrkle
Song 38
Cher’s first Top 10 hit peaked at #2 on 4/23/66.
She’s had 16 Top 20 solo records and four #1 records, plus eight #1 hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs charts.
This is the stereo mix.
#38 – “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Cher
Song 39
The second of four Beatles records peaked at #2 on 9/17/66.
This is the highest charting Beatles record with lead vocal by Ringo.
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#39 – “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles
Song 40
Bob Dylan’s second-biggest hit peaked at #2 on 5/21/66.
He had four Top 10 hits in the Sixties, but none since. His last Hot 100 record was in 1984.
He’s had 19 Top 10 albums over 55 years.
This is the stereo mix.
#40 – “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” by Bob Dylan
Song 41
The fifth straight Top 4 hit for Gary Lewis peaked at #3 on 1/8/66, 1/15/66, 1/22/66, and 1/29/66.
The group had two more Top 10 hits in 1966, then never reached it again.
This is the (rather narrow) stereo mix.
#41 – “She’s Just My Style” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys
Song 42
The second Simon and Garfunkel record peaked at #3 on 6/11/66 and 6/18/66.
My first copy of this album was an 8-track tape. In order to make the four programs come out evenly, they cut out the second verse of this song.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#42 – “I Am A Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel
Song 43
The first hit for The Happenings peaked at #3 on 8/27/66 and 9/3/66.
The song was originally recorded by The Tempos in 1959, reaching #23.
This is the stereo mix.
#43 – “See You In September” by The Happenings
Song 44
Stevie Wonder’s second Top 20 record peaked at #3 on 2/12/66 and 2/19/66.
He had gone almost three years since his first hit went to #1 in 1963. He’s had 26 Top 10 records and 8 #1 records.
This is the stereo mix.
#44 – “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” by Stevie Wonder