1966: The year of my birth and a great one for music!

[NightTrain]

These are my 100 favorite songs that were either recorded, released, or peaked on the charts in 1966:

1. HOLD ON! I'M COMIN' - Sam & Dave
2. UPTIGHT (EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT) – Stevie Wonder
3. I CAN’T TURN YOU LOOSE – Otis Redding
4. LAND OF 1000 DANCES - Wilson Pickett
5. REACH OUT, I'LL BE THERE – The Four Tops
6. I FOUGHT THE LAW – The Bobby Fuller Four
7. (I KNOW) I'M LOSING YOU – The Temptations
8. GOOD LOVIN’ – The Young Rascals
9. 96 TEARS – Question & The Mysterians
10. AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG - The Temptations

11. GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE – The Beatles
12. AIN'T THAT A GROOVE? - James Brown & The Famous Flames
13. 19th NERVOUS BREAKDOWN – The Rolling Stones
14. DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS ON & GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
15. ONE MORE HEARTACHE – Marvin Gaye
16. WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN - Percy Sledge
17. MY GENERATION – The Who
18. DOUBLE SHOT (OF MY BABY’S LOVE) – The Swingin’ Medallions
19. FA-FA-FA-FA-FA (SAD SONGS) – Otis Redding
20. GET READY – The Temptations

21. RIVER DEEP—MOUNTAIN HIGH - Ike & Tina Turner
22. PAPERBACK WRITER – The Beatles
23. GOD ONLY KNOWS – The Beach Boys
24. HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR MOTHER, BABY, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS? – Rolling Stones
25. BUT IT'S ALRIGHT - J.J. Jackson
26. NIGHT TIME – The Strangeloves
27. YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE – The Supremes
28. NINETY-NINE AND A HALF (WON'T DO) - Wilson Pickett
29. PSYCHOTIC REACTION – Count Five
30. DIRTY WATER – The Standells

31. STOP HER ON SIGHT (S.O.S.) - Edwin Starr
32. 7 AND 7 IS – Love
33. HEY JOE – The Leaves
34. (I’M A) ROAD RUNNER - Jr. Walker & All Stars
35. EIGHT MILES HIGH – The Byrds
36. WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED? - Jimmy Ruffin
37. SECRET AGENT MAN – Johnny Rivers
38. BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP - The Temptations
39. LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART – The Supremes
40. THE CHEATER – Bob Kuban & The In-Men

41. HUNGRY – Paul Revere & The Raiders
42. PRETTY FLAMINGO – Manfred Mann
43. (YOU’RE MY) SOUL AND INSPIRATION - The Righteous Brothers
44. PUSHIN’ TOO HARD – The Seeds
45. WE CAN WORK IT OUT – The Beatles
46. SUMMERTIME - Billy Stewart
47. I DON'T NEED NO DOCTOR - Ray Charles
48. I WANT YOU – Bob Dylan
49. IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S MAN'S WORLD - James Brown & The Famous Flames
50. LOVER’S PRAYER – Otis Redding

51. FIGHT FIRE – The Golliwogs
52. KNOCK ON WOOD - Eddie Floyd
53. SUBSTITUTE – The Who
54. POURING WATER ON A DROWNING MAN - James Carr
55. WANG DANG DOODLE - Ko Ko Taylor
56. TILL THE END OF THE DAY – The Kinks
57. MUSTANG SALLY - Wilson Pickett
58. THIS OLD HEART OF MINE – The Isley Brothers
59. WOULDN’T IT BE NICE? – The Beach Boys
60. GOIN’ TO A GO-GO – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

61. AIN’T NOBODY HOME – Howard Tate
62. PAINT IT BLACK – The Rolling Stones
63. SLOOP JOHN B. – The Beach Boys
64. STAY WITH ME - Lorraine Ellison
65. STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE – The Four Tops
66. YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON – The Supremes
67. I’M A BOY – The Who
68. TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS – Otis Redding
69. WHISPERS (GETTING’ LOUDER) – Jackie Wilson
70. TAXMAN – The Beatles

71. LOVE’S GONE BAD – Chris Clark
72. YOU DON’T KNOW LIKE I KNOW – Sam & Dave
73. YOU’RE GONNA MISS ME – 13th Floor Elevators
74. I’M READY FOR LOVE – Martha & The Vandellas
75. INVESTIGATE – Major Lance
76. HE'LL BE BACK - The Players
77. SHA-LA-LA-LA-LEE – The Small Faces
78. LOVE ATTACK - James Carr
79. IF SUGAR WAS AS SWEET AS YOU – Joe Tex
80. MAY I – Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs

81. BEG, BORROW AND STEAL – The Rare Breed
82. LITTLE GIRL – Syndicate of Sound
83. I’M NOBODY’S BABY NOW – Reparata & The Delrons
84. SHAKE YOUR HIPS - Slim Harpo
85. ANOTHER NIGHT WITHOUT MY MAN – Carla Thomas
86. (SOONER OR LATER) ONE OF US MUST KNOW – Bob Dylan
87. THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT – The Who
88. I FOOLED YOU THIS TIME – Gene Chandler
89. S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (THE LETTER SONG) – Joe Tex
90. JUST WALK IN MY SHOES - Gladys Knight & Pips

91. LOVE IS A HURTIN’ THING – Lou Rawls
92. TALK TALK – The Music Machine
93. IN THE BASEMENT - Etta James & Sugar Pie De Santo
94. OPEN THE DOOR TO YOUR HEART - Darrell Banks
95. KICKS – Paul Revere & The Raiders
96. I MISS YOU BABY (HOW I MISS YOU) – Marv Johnson
97. FUNCTION AT THE JUNCTION – Shorty Long
98. JUST A LITTLE MISUNDERSTANDING - The Contours
99. HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU – The Elgins
100. DEVRI – The Platters

[slor]

1. Me Too!

2. There's one I really like missing! but it might be from 65

Summer in the City -- Lovin' Spoonful.

How could you leave that off?????
You're redeemed because you've got 13th Floor Elevators on your list though.

Summer in the City was the no 2 song on KFRC radio in San Francisco for 1966 as I recall from when I was a kid.

Can you guess what number 1 was?

[nikatnyte]

4. 1966 was the pinnacle!

For us boomers, 1966 was the year in which all the great musical trends of the Sixties came together --

- The peak of the British Invasion, with the Kinks, "Rubber Soul," Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, et. al.
- The maturation of "soul" music with classic cuts from Motown ("Love's Gone Bad" -- fantastic!!), Stax, Chess, etc.
- "Pet Sounds" -- the most perfect pop album ever!
- "Summer in the City" -- an undeniably great record
- Unfortunately, the #1 record of the year, incredibly, was "Ballad of the Green Berets" by S/Sgt. Barry Sadler -- proof that even repugs were buying records in those days

[NightTrain]

6. I'm just not a Lovin' Spoonful fan. Sorry 'bout that.

:shrug:

7. # 1 on KFRC

was Satisfaction by the Stones.
It was San Francisco radio though. I think nationally it was Ballad of Green Beret.

Yeah, I can see not being a Spoonful fan, but that particular song sounded pretty edgy at the time.
You probably had to be there listening to radio at that point to really appreciate it.
Some stuff tends to date and sound different years later.


edit -- I just noticed the Sonics are missing. Did they have anything in 66 or was it all 65 also?

[Old and In the Way]

3. 66-67-68

There was some seriously great music made in those years. Very interesting.....Motown sound was at the peak of it's influence then.

[argyl]

5. Lots of vintage garage band stuff here.Great list.Thanks.

[Kat45]

8. Good stuff! And lots of good one-hit wonders!

I Fought the Law; 96 Tears; Double Shot (of My Baby's Love); Psychotic Reaction; Dirty Water; Pushin' Too Hard; Talk Talk.

Again, like the 1965 list, this takes me back to a much simpler time of life, when I was 11. Also reminds me that when I was growing up and when I first started getting into music, there was a lot of good music out there, much of it on the Top 40 and getting lots of airplay--in those days, on AM stations!

[Tikki]

9. "Wild Thing".....The Troggs.

n/t

[flamingyouth]

10. flamingyouth's alternative-reality additions

I'M YOUR WITCHDOCTOR - The Chants R & B
I DIG YOUR MIND - The Nervous Breakdowns
IT'S MY TIME - The Weeds
OUT OF OUR TREE - The Wailers
SOCIAL END PRODUCT - Bluestars

I could go on and on but won't. ;)

Major props for your inclusion of "You're Gonna Miss Me" - that would have easily made my Top Ten!:hi:

[NightTrain]

11. "Out of Our Tree" came close to making my list.

But I'm unfamiliar with the others. :shrug: