It’s the year of the album.
1966 is when the long player becomes the way to listen to music, and massive albums like “Pet Sounds,” “Revolver” and “Blonde on Blonde” demonstrate that. Hall of Songs, though, isn’t so concerned with the album, so what are the top 12 songs from this groundbreaking year of music?
After listening, VOTE for the greatest songs of all time! Songs from 1966, plus tunes from 1965, ’64 and ’63 are up for a shot to make the Hall of Songs! Vote now and come back on September 17 to find out which song or songs get in!
Our 1966 nominees:
- “Eight Miles High” as performed by The Byrds
- Written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn and David Crosby; recorded January 1966; released March 1965
- “When a Man Loves a Woman” as performed by Percy Sledge
- Written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright; recorded February 1966; released March 1966
- “Wild Thing” as performed by The Troggs
- Written by Chip Taylor; recorded early 1966; released April 1966
- “Paint It Black” as performed by The Rolling Stones
- Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards; recorded March 1966; released May 1966
- “River Deep-Mountain High” as performed by Ike & Tina Turner
- Written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich; recorded March 1966; released May 1966
- “God Only Knows” as performed by The Beach Boys
- Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher; recorded March-April 1966; released July 1966
- “Tomorrow Never Knows” as performed by The Beatles
- Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney; recorded April 1966; released August 1966
- “Reach Out I’ll Be There” as performed by The Four Tops
- Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; recorded summer 1966; released September 1966
- “Good Vibrations” as performed by The Beach Boys
- Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love; recorded February-September 1966; released October 1966
- “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” as performed by The Supremes
- Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; recorded June-August 1966; released October 1966
- “I’m a Believer” as performed by The Monkees
- Written by Neil Diamond; recorded October 1966; released November 1966
- “For What It’s Worth” as performed by Buffalo Springfield
- Written by Stephen Stills; recorded December 1966; released December 1966
Listen to the full episode for more, and then vote for the songs that you think are the greatest of all-time. Scroll down or click here to vote. Then, come back on September 17, 2021 to find out the voting results, and September 19, 2021 for our discussion on 1966.
When A Man Loves A Woman by Percey Sledge for #1 because this song, not only was great, but has stood the test of time.
Feel free to vote for up to 10 – You don’t have to decide on just 1!
You can’t hurry love- Reach Out,I’ll be there- Summer in the city- You Keep Me Hangin’on- Good. Vibrations-In My Life – Paint it black-Stop! Stop! Stop!-Strangers in the night-Uptight🎶
My favorites of 1966:
1 ¦ Hold On I’m A’Comin’ ¦ Sam & Dave
2 ¦ Waitin’ On You ¦ B.B. King
3 ¦ Dust My Broom (Live) ¦ Howlin’ Wolf
4 ¦ Wang Dang Doodle ¦ Koko Taylor
5 ¦ Psychotic Reaction ¦ Count Five
6 ¦ Ain’t Too Proud To Beg ¦ Temptations
7 ¦ Monday Monday ¦ Mamas & Papas
8 ¦ Beauty Is Only Skin Deep ¦ Temptations
9 ¦ 96 Tears ¦ ? & the Mysterians
10 ¦ Kicks ¦ Paul Revere & Raiders
11 ¦ Gimme Some Lovin’ ¦ Spencer Davis Group
12 ¦ Good Lovin ¦ Young Rascals
13 ¦ I Am A Rock ¦ Simon & Garfunkel
14 ¦ Whispers ¦ Jackie Wilson
15 ¦ Ain’t That A Groove ¦ James Brown
16 ¦ Along Comes Mary ¦ Association
17 ¦ Rain ¦ Beatles
18 ¦ Go Where You Wanna Go ¦ Fifth Dimension
19 ¦ Soul And Inspiration ¦ Righteous Brothers
20 ¦ 634-5789 ¦ Wilson Pickett
21 ¦ Just Like A Woman ¦ Bob Dylan
22 ¦ 19th Nervous Breakdown ¦ Rolling Stones
23 ¦ Good Vibrations ¦ Beach Boys
24 ¦ Sunshine Superman ¦ Donovan
25 ¦ I’m A Believer ¦ Monkees
26 ¦ Solitary Man ¦ Neil Diamond
27 ¦ But It’s Alright ¦ J.J. Jackson
28 ¦ Talkin’ Woman ¦ Lowell Fulsom
29 ¦ My Aching Back ¦ Lowell Fulsom
30 ¦ Oh Yeah ¦ Shadows Of Knight
31 ¦ Shake Your Hips ¦ Slim Harpo
32 ¦ Knock On Wood ¦ Eddie Floyd
33 ¦ The More I See You ¦ Chris Montez
34 ¦ Mellow Yellow ¦ Donovan
35 ¦ Who Needs You So Bad ¦ Gary Walker & Boogie Kings
36 ¦ You Know I Love You ¦ Big John Wrencher
37 ¦ For What It’s Worth ¦ Buffalo Springfield
38 ¦ Eyesight To The Blind ¦ B.B. King
39 ¦ Homeward Bound ¦ Simon & Garfunkel
40 ¦ A Place In The Sun (LP Version) ¦ Stevie Wonder
41 ¦ Paint It Black ¦ Rolling Stones
42 ¦ Black Is Black ¦ Los Bravos
43 ¦ Where Were You When I Needed You ¦ Grass Roots
44 ¦ I Can’t Let Go ¦ Hollies
45 ¦ Under My Thumb ¦ Rolling Stones
46 ¦ Gloria ¦ Shadows Of Knight
47 ¦ Summer Wind ¦ Frank Sinatra
48 ¦ Can I ¦ Manhattans
49 ¦ Pushin’ Too Hard ¦ Seeds
50 ¦ How Sweet It Is ¦ Jr. Walker & All-Stars
51 ¦ We Ain’t Got Nothing Yet ¦ Blues Magoos
52 ¦ You’re Gonna Miss Me ¦ 13th Floor Elevators
53 ¦ He’ll Be Back ¦ Players
54 ¦ Wouldn’t It Be Nice ¦ Beach Boys
55 ¦ Sunny Afternoon ¦ Kinks
56 ¦ Bring It Up ¦ James Brown
57 ¦ B-A-B-Y ¦ Carla Thomas
58 ¦ Love’s Made A Fool Of You ¦ Bobby Fuller Four
59 ¦ Can’t Satisfy ¦ Impressions
60 ¦ I Want You ¦ Bob Dylan
61 ¦ Sweet Pea ¦ Tommy Roe
62 ¦ When A Man Loves A Woman ¦ Percy Sledge
63 ¦ What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted ¦ Jimmy Ruffin
64 ¦ That’s Life ¦ Frank Sinatra
65 ¦ Time Won’t Let Me ¦ Outsiders
66 ¦ You Baby ¦ Turtles
67 ¦ I Saw Her Again ¦ Mamas & Papas
68 ¦ Daydream ¦ Lovin’ Spoonful
69 ¦ Reach Out, I’ll Be There ¦ Four Tops
70 ¦ Shapes Of Things ¦ Yardbirds
71 ¦ Stand In For Love ¦ O’Jays
72 ¦ The Beat Goes On ¦ Sonny & Cher
73 ¦ Baby I Love You ¦ Jimmy Holiday
74 ¦ Sloop John B ¦ Beach Boys
75 ¦ Last Train To Clarksville ¦ Monkees
76 ¦ This Old Heart Of Mine ¦ Isley Brothers
77 ¦ No Time For You ¦ Commands
78 ¦ I Don’t Wanna Lose You ¦ Jackie Wilson
79 ¦ Baby I Need You ¦ Manhattans
80 ¦ La Ta Ta ¦ Gil Blanding
81 ¦ Peace Of Mind ¦ Magnificent Men
82 ¦ I’m Your Puppet ¦ James & Bobby Purify
83 ¦ My Lover’s Prayer ¦ Otis Redding
84 ¦ 5 Long Years ¦ B.B. King
85 ¦ Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart ¦ Supremes
86 ¦ You Keep Me Hangin’ On ¦ Supremes
87 ¦ Bus Stop ¦ Hollies
88 ¦ Hungry ¦ Paul Revere & Raiders
89 ¦ You’re Not An Ordinary Girl ¦ Temptations
90 ¦ Early One Morning ¦ Elmore James
91 ¦ Cherry Cherry ¦ Neil Diamond
92 ¦ The Clock ¦ Contenders
93 ¦ Here, There And Everywhere ¦ Beatles
94 ¦ Tell It Like It Is ¦ Aaron Neville
95 ¦ I Got A Feeling ¦ Four Tops
96 ¦ Oh How Happy ¦ Shades Of Blue
97 ¦ Get Ready ¦ Temptations
98 ¦ Over Under Sideways Down ¦ Yardbirds
99 ¦ Paperback Writer ¦ Beatles
100 ¦ One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (live) ¦ John Lee Hooker
101 ¦ Mother’s Little Helper ¦ Rolling Stone
102 ¦ (I Know) I’m Losing You ¦ Temptations
103 ¦ And Your Bird Can Sing ¦ Beatles
104 ¦ Good Thing ¦ Paul Revere & Raiders
105 ¦ I Feel Free ¦ Cream
106 ¦ Watching The Late Late Show ¦ Don Covay
107 ¦ Georgy Girl ¦ Seekers
108 ¦ Three Time Loser ¦ Wilson Pickett
109 ¦ Mercy Mercy Mercy ¦ Cannonball Adderley
110 ¦ Land Of 1,000 Dances ¦ Wilson Pickett
111 ¦ Working In A Coal Mine ¦ Lee Dorsey
112 ¦ Corine, Corina ¦ Muddy Waters
113 ¦ Stop Stop Stop ¦ Hollies
114 ¦ Barefootin’ ¦ Robert Parker
115 ¦ The Champion ¦ Willie Mitchell
116 ¦ Kitty O ¦ Johnny Little John
117 ¦ Somebody Help Me ¦ Sonny Boy Williamson
118 ¦ Friday On My Mind ¦ Easybeats
119 ¦ Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 ¦ Bob Dylan
120 ¦ I Guess I’ll Always Love You ¦ Isley Brothers
121 ¦ Gonna Be Strong ¦ Intruders
122 ¦ Hello Stranger ¦ Capitols
123 ¦ She’s My Baby ¦ Screamin’ Joe Neal
124 ¦ Poverty ¦ Bobby “Blue” Bland
125 ¦ Seven Doors ¦ Vi Campbell
126 ¦ I’m Talking Not Walking The Blues ¦ Wibby Lee & Paul Allan
127 ¦ My Baby Likes To Boogaloo ¦ Don Gardner
128 ¦ Got No Where To Go ¦ Jimmy Reed
129 ¦ Dirty Work Goin’ On ¦ Little Joe Blue
130 ¦ I Think I’m Down ¦ Harbinger Complex
131 ¦ With A Girl Like You ¦ Troggs
132 ¦ Monkees Theme ¦ Monkees
133 ¦ Cool Jerk ¦ Capitols
134 ¦ S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight) ¦ Edwin Starr
135 ¦ Funky Broadway ¦ Dyke and the Blazers
136 ¦ The Answer Is Love ¦ Billy Eckstine
137 ¦ Look Before You Leap ¦ Dave Clark 5
138 ¦ Neighbor, Neighbor ¦ Jimmy Hughes
139 ¦ Loving By The Pound ¦ Otis Redding
140 ¦ Ridin’ For A Fall ¦ Tams
141 ¦ Substitute ¦ The Who
142 ¦ Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye ¦ Casinos
143 ¦ There Will Never Be Another You ¦ Chris Montez
144 ¦ I Love You 1.000 Times ¦ Platters
145 ¦ Ain’t Nobody Home ¦ Howard Tate
146 ¦ I Want Someone ¦ Mad Lads
147 ¦ Under My Thumb ¦ Del Shannon
148 ¦ Snoopy vs. The Red Baron ¦ Royal Guardsmen
149 ¦ You Need Loving ¦ Small Faces
150 ¦ Diddy Wah Diddy ¦ Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
151 ¦ Kind Of A Drag ¦ Buckinghams
152 ¦ Good Day Sunshine ¦ Beatles
153 ¦ The 59th Street Bridge Song ¦ Simon & Garfunkel
154 ¦ God Only Knows ¦ Beach Boys
155 ¦ I Fooled You This Time ¦ Gene Chandler
156 ¦ Secret Agent Man ¦ Johnny Rivers
157 ¦ The Stars ¦ Ocapellos
158 ¦ Let’s Go Baby (Where The Action Is) ¦ Robert Parker
159 ¦ Mustang Sally ¦ Wilson Pickett
160 ¦ Summer In The City ¦ Lovin’ Spoonful
161 ¦ Lil’ Red Riding Hood ¦ Sam the Sham & Pharaohs
162 ¦ A Sad Goodbye ¦ Four Exceptions
163 ¦ I Feel A Sin Coming On ¦ Solomon Burke
164 ¦ Real Humdinger ¦ J.J. Barnes
165 ¦ I’m Ready For Love ¦ Martha & Vandellas
166 ¦ It’s The Beat ¦ Major Lance
167 ¦ Standing On Guard ¦ Falcons
168 ¦ Out On The Floor ¦ Dobie Gray
169 ¦ Little Girl ¦ Syndicate Of Sound
170 ¦ A Hazy Shade Of Winter ¦ Simon & Garfunkel
171 ¦ At The Scene ¦ Dave Clark 5
172 ¦ You Can’t Hurry Love ¦ Supremes
173 ¦ Heaven Must Have Sent You ¦ Elgins
174 ¦ The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore ¦ Walker Brothers
175 ¦ Sookie Sookie ¦ Don Covay
176 ¦ You Got Me Hummin’ ¦ Sam & Dave
177 ¦ You Waited Too Long ¦ Five Stairsteps
178 ¦ Bang Bang ¦ Joe Cuba Sextet
179 ¦ The Love You Save ¦ Joe Tex
180 ¦ Sugar Town ¦ Nancy Sinatra
181 ¦ Poor Side Of Town ¦ Johnny Rivers
182 ¦ 98.6 ¦ Keith
183 ¦ Function At The Junction ¦ Shorty Long
184 ¦ In The Basement ¦ Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto
185 ¦ Fatten Pin ¦ Clyde Hopkins
186 ¦ Red Rubber Ball ¦ Cyrkle
187 ¦ Say I Am ¦ Tommy James & Shondells
188 ¦ Lady Godiva ¦ Peter & Gordon
189 ¦ I’m Glad I Waited ¦ Players
190 ¦ She’s Looking Good ¦ Rodger Collins
191 ¦ See How They Run ¦ Globeliters
192 ¦ Wait A Minute ¦ Tim Tam & Turn-Ons
193 ¦ I Got To Love Somebody’s Baby ¦ Johnnie Taylor
194 ¦ Presents For Christmas ¦ Solomon Burke
195 ¦ Crying Baby Baby Baby ¦ Percy Milem
196 ¦ Out of Time ¦ Rolling Stones
197 ¦ Money ¦ John Lee Hooker
198 ¦ Investigate ¦ Major Lance
199 ¦ I Won’t Hurt You ¦ West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
200 ¦ No Time ¦ Temptations
201 ¦ I Need You ¦ Vontastics
202 ¦ Cry, Cry, Cry ¦ Gary Walker & Boogie Kings
203 ¦ Sweet Sixteen ¦ Little Milton
204 ¦ Because of My Heart ¦ Butlers with Frankie Beverly
205 ¦ They’re Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaa ¦ Napoleon XIV
206 ¦ It’s Cold Outside ¦ Choir