The Monkees were a band built for television that turned into a real one.
Their NBC sitcom premiered on September 12, 1966, and the records sold as fast as the show aired.
Within a year they had three number one singles and had fought for the right to play their own music.
Table of Contents
Casting the Band
Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider created the show.
Rafelson first developed the idea in 1962.
Screen Gems sold it in April 1965, and Davy Jones's involvement was announced that July.
The Open Call
Trade ads in Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter ran in September 1965.
Of 437 applicants, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz joined Jones.
Dolenz had already been a child actor, billed as Mickey Braddock on the series Circus Boy.
NBC ordered 32 episodes on January 17, 1966.
The Monkees on NBC
The series ran on NBC from September 12, 1966, to March 25, 1968.
It lasted two seasons and 58 episodes.
It won two Emmys in 1967, for Outstanding Comedy Series and for directing, which went to James Frawley.
The show copied the look of The Beatles films, and critics sneered at the "Pre-Fab Four" tag.
The Hits, 1966 to 1967
Don Kirshner, Screen Gems' head of music, supplied the songs.
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart produced many of the early sessions.
Colgems Records, a joint venture of Columbia-Screen Gems and RCA Victor, released the music.
Last Train to Clarksville
The first single came out on August 16, 1966.
Boyce and Hart wrote it, and Dolenz sang lead.
It reached number one on the Hot 100 for the week ending November 5, 1966.
I'm a Believer
Neil Diamond wrote the song, and Jeff Barry produced the version that topped the chart.
Colgems issued it in November 1966.
It held number one for seven weeks from the week ending December 31, 1966.
It also topped the UK chart for four weeks in early 1967.
The 1966 year guide covers the rest of that fall.
The Albums
The Monkees, released October 10, 1966, spent 13 weeks at number one.
Its credits suggested the band played, but session musicians did nearly all of the playing.
More of the Monkees followed in 1967 and held number one for 18 weeks.
The Fight for Control
The tension with Kirshner came to a head in January 1967.
He released the second album without the band's knowledge.
Kirshner was fired in early 1967 after he put out "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" against a Colgems agreement.
Headquarters
The band then made Headquarters, produced by Chip Douglas.
The members played most of the instruments themselves.
It reached number one on May 24, 1967, even without a hit single.
Pleasant Valley Sunday and Daydream Believer
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. spent five weeks at number one.
Its single "Pleasant Valley Sunday" peaked at number three.
In July 1967 the Jimi Hendrix Experience opened for them on a US tour.
Hendrix quit the run, frustrated by the reception.
"Daydream Believer" came out on October 25, 1967.
John Stewart wrote it, Chip Douglas produced it, and Jones sang lead.
It spent four weeks at number one in December 1967.
All four of their number one albums peaked in 1967, which no other band had matched in a calendar year as of 2021.
See the 1967 year guide for the wider picture.
| Play | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Last Train to Clarksville" | August 16, 1966 | Hot 100 No. 1 | |
| The Monkees (album) | October 10, 1966 | Billboard 200 No. 1 (13 weeks) | |
| "I'm a Believer" | November 1966 | Hot 100 No. 1 (7 weeks), UK No. 1 | |
| "Daydream Believer" | October 25, 1967 | Hot 100 No. 1 (4 weeks), UK No. 5 | |
| The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees | April 1968 | Billboard 200 No. 3 |
Head, Breakup and Reunions
The sitcom ended in March 1968 after its formula had run its course.
The band's only film, Head, was written by Jack Nicholson and Rafelson.
It premiered in New York on November 6, 1968, and flopped.
The soundtrack reached number 45.
Leaving the Group
Tork left in December 1968 and bought out the rest of his contract.
Nesmith left in 1970 to record with the First National Band.
The last session by the original lineup took place on September 22, 1970.
Later Years
A 1986 reunion tour for the 20th anniversary revived the group.
Good Times!, released in 2016, reached number 14 on the Billboard 200.
Jones died on February 29, 2012, Tork on February 21, 2019, and Nesmith on December 10, 2021.
The farewell tour ended on November 14, 2021, at the Greek Theatre, and Dolenz is the last surviving member.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame inducted them in 2007.
FAQ
When did The Monkees TV show air?
The show ran on NBC from September 12, 1966, to March 25, 1968.
It lasted two seasons and 58 episodes.
The series won two Emmys in 1967, for Outstanding Comedy Series and for directing.
Did The Monkees play their own instruments?
Not at first.
On their 1966 debut album, session musicians supplied almost all the playing and the members mostly sang.
They won control of the recording process in 1967 and played on Headquarters.
What were The Monkees' number one hits?
Three singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100: "Last Train to Clarksville" in 1966, "I'm a Believer" in 1966 and 1967, and "Daydream Believer" in 1967.
Who wrote I'm a Believer?
Neil Diamond wrote it.
The band's version came out in November 1966 and spent seven weeks at number one in the US.
Are The Monkees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
No.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame inducted them in 2007, but critics have long argued that they belong in the Rock Hall too.
The group began as a casting call and ended as one of the decade's best-selling acts.
Their records anchor the Pop and Brill Building story, and the full biography is on Wikipedia.
Find them on the best 60s songs list, or head back to the 1960smusic.net homepage.