Last updated 5/29/2018
Songs 23-44 are located here.
Songs 45-66 are located here.
Songs 67-100 and extra songs are located here.
The Top 66 Songs of 1966, as charted by Billboard Magazine, will be presented each week during the season, two per week.
The source reference for this list is “Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual 1955-1999.” Joel originated the tracking of Billboard chart data in 1970, so he’s known as the expert in the field.
The structure of the annual charts is simple: records are rated on the highest position reached on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the number of weeks spent at that position. Ties are broken by the number of weeks spent in the Top 10, Top 40, and Top 100.
If a record charted in more than one year, all of its chart history is treated as if it occurred in the year that the record first hit its peak position, so it will not appear at all in the other year’s listing.
743 records appeared on the Hot 100 chart in 1966
Song 1
The second #1 for The Monkees peaked at #1 on 12/31/66, 1/7/67, 1/14/67, 1/21/67, 1/28/67, 2/4/67, and 2/11/67.
Okay, this gets complicated.
Under the rules described above, songs are ranked by the year in which they first achieved their peak position.
Because it reached the top spot on the last day of 1966, all seven of the record’s weeks at #1 count in 1966.
If the ranking system used the year in which the record spent the most weeks in its peak position, this instead would have been the #1 record of 1967.
In the process, another Monkees record would have been pushed from the #2 record of 1967 to #3, and the group would have had four of the Top 40 records of the year.
One of two songs by Neil Diamond that The Monkees took to the Top 2.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#1 – “I’m A Believer” by The Monkees
Song 2
The only Top 20 hit for Barry Sadler peaked at #1 on 3/5/66, 3/12/66, 3/19/66, 3/26/66, and 4/2/66.
Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler was a Green Beret Medic in Vietnam in early 1965. He was discharged from the Army in 1967.
At the time, most lists (including Billboard’s) had this as the #1 record of the year. However, our chart reference uses a different standard.
This is the stereo mix.
#2 – “The Ballad Of The Green Berets” by SSgt Barry Sadler
Song 3
The only Top 40 hit for The New Vaudeville Band peaked at #1 on 12/3/66, 12/17/66, and 12/24/66. Song #23 was #1 on 12/10/66.
Another case where a song was recorded by a studio group, and then a touring group had to be formed when it became a hit.
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording. Huh?
This is the stereo mix.
#3 – “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band
Song 4
The second and final #1 for The Righteous Brothers peaked at #1 on 4/9/66, 4/16/66, and 4/23/66.
The duo had five Top 10 hits within 18 months, ending with this one. They only made the Top 10 once more, and not until 1974.
This is the rare unedited stereo mix, with a longer intro and a longer fadeout.
#4 – “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration” by The Righteous Brothers
Song 5
The only #1 by The Mamas and the Papas peaked at #1 on 5/7/66, 5/14/66, and 5/21/66.
This was the first Hot 100 #1 with a day of the week in the title, and the only one with “Monday.”
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental.
This is the stereo mix.
#5 – “Monday, Monday” by The Mamas and the Papas
Song 6
The second and last Beatles #1 of the year peaked at #1 on 1/8/66, 1/15/66, and 1/29/66. (Song #17 returned to #1 on 1/22/66; dates for that song have been corrected below.)
This was the first double-A-sided record in the UK. “Day Tripper” peaked at #5 in the US and is Song #72.
Curiously, local stores have recently started to play Stevie Wonder’s 1971 cover version (peaked at #13) on their in-store music, mixed in with far more contemporary stuff. It’s the first time that I’ve heard it in a store in years.
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#6 – “We Can Work It Out” by The Beatles
Song 7
The last of three records by The Lovin’ Spoonful peaked at #1 on 8/13/66, 8/20/66, and 8/27/66.
The song originated from a poem written by John Sebastian’s brother Mark.
This is the stereo mix.
#7 – “Summer In The City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful
Song 8
The second hit for The Association peaked at #1 on 9/24/66, 10/1/66, and 10/8/66.
The group had five Top 10 hits in two years, two #1, then never made the Top 40 again.
The full recording is 3:25 long. In an effort to encourage radio play, the single version was sped up and trimmed to 3:13, then listed on the label as 3:00 to appease stations that refused to play songs longer than three minutes.
This is the unedited stereo album mix.
#8 – “Cherish” by The Association
Song 9
The last of three records by The Supremes peaked at #1 on 9/10/66 and 9/17/66.
Another Supremes song that was covered years later, though Phil Collins only got to US #10 in 1983. It reached #1 in the UK.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#9 – “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes
Song 10
The first hit for The Troggs peaked at #1 on 7/30/66 and 8/6/66.
Lots of strange stuff here: first, there’s that ocarina solo.
The songwriter, Chip Taylor (born James Wesley Voight), who also wrote “Angel Of The Morning,” is the brother of actor Jon Voight and the uncle of actress Angelina Jolie.
Due to a distribution dispute, the record was available on two competing labels: Atco Records and Fontana Records. Because both pressings were taken from the identical master recording, Billboard combined the sales for both releases, making it the only single to simultaneously reach number one for two companies.
This is a mono recording.
#10 – “Wild Thing” by The Troggs
Song 11
The second and last #1 for Four Tops peaked at #1 on 10/15/66 and 10/22/66.
The Tops had 17 Top 20 hits from 1964 to 1981.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#11 – “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by Four Tops
Song 12
The second of two records by the Stones peaked at #1 on 6/11/66 and 6/18/66.
This is the first #1 record to include a sitar. Despite that, the opening is actually played by Keith Richards on guitar.
The single was released with the comma in the title. The comma was later removed, but it has reappeared on many reissues.
This is the stereo mix.
#12 – “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones
Song 13
The only Top 10 hit for Percy Sledge peaked at #1 on 5/28/66 and 6/4/66.
Michael Bolton covered the song, peaking at #1 again in November 1991, making it the seventh song to reach Billboard #1 for two different artists.
This is a mono recording.
#13 – “When A Man Loves A Woman” by Percy Sledge
Song 14
The second of three records by The Supremes peaked at #1 on 11/19/66 and 11/26/66.
Eighth #1 record, and the second of four in a row.
British pop singer Kim Wilde covered the song, peaking at #1 again in June 1987, making it the sixth song to reach Billboard #1 for two different artists.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#14 – “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by The Supremes
Song 15
The first hit for Tommy James peaked at #1 on 7/16/66 and 7/23/66.
Tommy Jackson was still in high school in Michigan when he and his group, The Shondells, recorded the song at a local radio station.
Two years later, the record became popular in Pittsburgh. Jackson went to Pittsburgh, hired a local group to become the new Shondells, and changed his name.
This is a mono recording.
#15 – “Hanky Panky” by Tommy James and the Shondells
Song 16
Pet Clark’s second U.S. #1 record peaked at #1 on 2/5/66 and 2/12/66.
Yet another song that the singer didn’t like and didn’t want released as as single. Warner Brothers released it anyway.
This is the stereo mix.
#16 – “My Love” by Petula Clark
Song 17
The first hit for Paul and Art peaked at #1 on 1/1/66 and 1/22/66. Song #6 was #1 in between.
Originally known as “The Sounds Of Silence” when it appeared in an acoustic version on the duo’s first album.
Producer Tom Wilson took the mono mix of the acoustic version and overdubbed electric guitars and drums to create the single version.
This is the stereo mix of the overdubbed single version, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#17 – “The Sound Of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel
Song 18
The third of four records by The Beatles peaked at #1 on 6/25/66 and 7/9/66.
(“Strangers In The Night” replaced it on 7/2, but this record returned to #1 on 7/9.)
This was The Beatles’ twelfth #1 record in just 2 1/2 years.
For some reason, in their backing vocals for the third and fourth verses, John and George are singing “Frère Jacques.”
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#18 – “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles
Song 19
The only song on the list to be performed by punctuation peaked at #1 on 10/29/66.
? was Rudy Martinez, the band’s singer and the writer of the song.
This is a mono recording. This version runs about 20 seconds longer than the 45.
#19 – “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians
Song 20
The first single by The Monkees peaked at #1 on 11/5/66.
Micky Dolenz is the only Monkee performing on the record.
The song was featured in seven episodes of the Monkees TV show, the most for any Monkees song.
This is the stereo mix, transferred from a high-resolution digital download.
#20 – “Last Train To Clarksville” by The Monkees
Song 21
The biggest hit for Johnny Rivers peaked at #1 on 11/12/66.
This was the fifth of his nine Top 10 records from 1964-1977.
This is the stereo mix.
#21 – “Poor Side Of Town” by Johnny Rivers
Song 22
The final Sinatra record peaked at #1 on 2/26/66.
Nancy recorded for Reprise, her father’s record label, but they were ready to drop her right before this record became a hit.
This is the stereo mix.
#22 – “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” by Nancy Sinatra