My Monkees Top 20

The Monkees are hands down in my top 5 favorite acts of the 60s! I don't care how uncool that makes me. I listen to and enjoy their music almost as much as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys and more than many other acts from the 60s who have much stronger reputations. Of course, the reason The Monkees don't get respect is because they started off as a manufactured boy band, but over the course of their career they became so much more than that.

Like many 60s acts The Monkees time in the spotlight was brief, but extremely productive. Between 1966 and 1968 they released 6 studio albums, a slew of singles, starred in 2 season of a TV show that ended up being 58 episodes total, toured and starred in one of the most bizarre movies of all time. They also were able to evolve as a musical unit with the band members contributing more and more to each album between songwriting, singing and instrumental playing. These 6 albums also have very little padding or filler (except for Head but that's part of its charm,) which means putting together a top 20 list was tough since I am leaving off a whole lot of great material. The Monkees, like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, are one of the few bands of the 60s that I would recommend going through their albums and not just a greatest hits compilation. Part of the reason for that was how the group attracted the best songwriters of the day. As rock took over pop music, professional songwriters found themselves with less and less opportunities to write songs for artists. So, when The Monkees appeared it was a life line for many of these songwriters who would give their best work to group. Of the many writers who contributed to the Monkees output the most important were Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson and the Monkees themselves especially Mike Nesmith who usually wrote all his own songs that he sang on. Peter Tork also wrote quite a few songs, but didn't always sing them.

The Monkees peak was definitely the first 6 albums so that's what I am going to focus on for this list. They had 3 more albums after Head, 2 as a Trio and 1 as a duo before breaking up for good in 1970. After that though there have a been a few reunions and albums and their last album was particularly strong.

As always, this list is not definitive as it's just my favorites, but I think it's a good primer of not just their hits, but essential deep cuts too. Hopefully this list helps makes a strong case for how much more depth there is to The Monkees' catalogue outside their #1 hits. The Monkees may not be The Beatles, but they are honestly the next best thing, which makes them better than most other acts at the end of the day.

20. Mary, Mary

One of many great songs populating the group's 1967 sophomore album More of the Monkees. Mary Mary also became a minor hit when it reached the top 20. It's stripped down rock and roll with a great beat and an easy to remember chorus. I'm convinced this song inspired Scott Weiland to write another song also called Mary Mary for Velvet Revolver, since not only does it share the same title but it also seems to be inspired by mid 60s pop rock.

19. I'm Not Your Stepping Stone

This is the Monkees most punk song and I say that because over the years it has surprisingly become a punk cover/standard for the genre. Just about every punk act cuts their teeth on I'm Not Your Stepping Stone at some point, including most famously The Sex Pistols. It's still poppy and danceable of course but Mickey Dolenze definitely delivers his vocals with a lot of spitfire as he is very unimpressed with a self-absorbed girl who is only using him for her own selfish needs. It's a song that proves the Monkees could have a lot of bite when they wanted to while still making it appealing to the average radio listener.

18. Forget That Girl

The Monkees' 1967 Headquarters lacks the obvious highlights the albums surrounding it have since there were no big smash hits in the U.S. from Headquarters but it's probably the most consistent album the group ever made and one that demands to be heard fully. This is the album where the group took artistic control over their music, playing all their own instruments for the first time and contributing more songs themselves. Forget that Girl sounds like another typical pop song for Davy Jones but it has a bit more sophistication to it compared to the earlier songs he sung on. The rhythm to this song feels very jazzy to my ears and it has a certain coolness to it that's very appealing. The keyboards are great too.

17. You Told Me

You Told Me is the opening song off Headquarters and it's written and sung by Mike Nesmith. It feels like a statement of purpose as a result. Here Mike indulges in his love of folk and country, but with a pop twist. The song proves he was just as adept a songwriter as most of his 60s peers. If Mickey Dolenze is one of the most underrated singers of the 60s, then Mike Nesmith is definitely one of the most underrated songwriters of the 60s.

16. For Pete's Sake

Maybe the best song Peter Tork ever wrote for the group though he gave it to Mickey to sing, which was probably for the best since Mickey is a stronger vocalist than Pete. The song definitely captures the times with its message about love, the new generation and how these times they are a changing. The song would eventually be used as the closing credits to season 2 of The Monkees meaning it's probably more familiar than many people think it is.

15. I'm a Believer

The second of three #1 hits the group achieved within a year and probably their biggest and most well-known song too. I'm a Believer was an across the board smash that people still know and love to this day. I'll admit I'm just a wee bit tired of it (The Smash Mouth cover is partly to blame as unfair as that is,) which is why it's only 15. Still there's no denying it's a great pop song that hits all the right notes. When it played at my wedding it got everybody on to the dance floor. I remember yelling out in the middle of it, "THE BEST BOY BAND EVER!"

14. She

The opening track off More of the Monkees shows a slightly tougher Monkees than the debut. There's also a bit of psychedelia seeping in too, which showed that despite being manufactured, The Monkees (or at least their writers and producers) were very cognizant of the changing times and were able to keep up with the frantic pace of change during the late 60s. I love that keyboard solo too, which reminds me of Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock.

13. Sometime In the Morning

This is a love song about aging! It's about an older women who despite her age still has that twinkle in her eye and who's love and grace feels youthful despite her outward appearances. It's a very beautiful song with another great vocal from Mickey, who makes it feel even more emotional and nostalgic.

12. The Door Into Summer

Something I love about the Monkees is despite being a boy band they didn't just sings about girls and relationships all the time. The Monkees would also sing songs that were character studies and go deep into storytelling mode like The Kinks or The Beatles were capable of. This song is about a man who was so consumed with wealth and status that his entire life passed him by and now he finds himself alone with only his childhood memories of summer to keep him warm at night. Again I'm pretty sure I never heard a song with lyrics like this by New Kids on the Block or 98 Degrees. I like the production and instrumental layering on this one a lot too.

11. Sunny Girlfriend

Another winner off the Headquarters album and another one written and sung by Mike Nesmith. This is pop at it's most feel good. Nothing of depth is going on here lyrically and that's OK. Like many Nesmith songs it also has some subtle country/folk influence, but this one has much a stronger pop hook than You Told Me. Mickey Dolenze provides some good harmonizing too.

10. Words

A #11 hit for the group off my favorite album by The Monkees, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. On this album the group really delves into psychedelic pop with both feet and Words definitely has strong psychedelic undertones between the production and the way Pete and Mickey trade vocals. Mickey is a better singer, but here Peter's vocals gives the song more of a psychedelic edge during the verses as it feels more distant and mysterious. Still this is the Monkees so those psychedelic trappings are still in complete service of a pop song that reaches its peak during the chorus thanks to Mickey's vocals. The keyboard solo in the middle is so 1967 and I love that!

09. Early Morning Blues & Greens

My favorite song off Headquarters is about waking up to the morning but it has a slight darkness to it anyway. I adore the swirling keyboards on this track which gives the song a very hypnotic and alluring quality. I also like the way the symbols and keyboard crash at different points for dramatic effect, especially during the solo, which gives the song a little more edge and unpredictability.

08. Valleri

Valleri initially was just a snippet of the chorus used in the TV show. Audiences liked that snippet so much that a few DJs spliced together a 2 minute version of the song for radio which forced the group to record a song proper. Even then the song is just 2 minutes and 15 seconds and there isn't much to the verses, but it's OK because we are all here for that chorus! The horn solos are a nice touch too. I played this at my wedding, which also got people on the dance floor, including my friend Emily. She told me this is her favorite Monkees song and that growing up she had no idea who Valleri was, but based on this song alone she must be amazing! Oh after this song I had the DJ play Vallerie by Steve Winwood because obviously.

07. Daydream Believer

The group's third and final # 1 hit is maybe their most beloved song. There's something innocently beautiful about this song. It has a comforting melancholy to it as well that I find very appealing too. Daydream Believer feels like the end of childhood or looking back at your final days of childhood before you left innocence behind and became a jaded adult. This song was initially not going to be a single but it's good thing it did, because this is the Monkees song that really speaks to people. You can't really explain it, you just feel it with Daydream Believer. The term "Catching Feels" was created to describe songs like Daydream Believer.

06. P.O. Box 9847

This is a deep cut off their 5th album The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees and I liked it the first time I heard it. As mentioned earlier the lyrics to many Monkees songs can get surprisingly deep at times. This song is about a person putting out a want AD and each verse he re-writes the description of himself and who he is looking for in a mate so that he appears more humble and less vain. When I heard this I didn't think of want ADs anymore, but profile descriptions on social media and dating apps and how we are always re-writing our image & personality in order to impress others. That's why this lyrics to this song feel so timeless to me despite want ADs not being a thing anymore. At the end of the day we all want to share our lives with someone, but until we do we are constantly questioning ourselves, our actions and our wants & needs all while trying to present our most idealized version of ourselves to potential future mates. I also love how the song has an eerie & psychedelic quality to it thanks to the strings, but then gets kind of jaunty during the chorus thanks to the piano, which sounds very rag time influenced to my ears. I like the way many Monkees songs could feel like one foot in the past and one foot in the future.

05. Love Is Only Sleeping

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd is the group's most psychedelic album (along with Head) and Love Is Only Sleeping is the most psychedelic song on it. In fact it feels like it could have been included on Revolver. The La La harmonies in the background sound very Beatles too. This was going to be the single in the fall of 1967, but Daydream Believer was picked instead which was probably for the best, but more people should hear this song. I love the descending guitar riff at the start and all the little psychedelic touches and moments littered throughout this song. I love music that can be very dense and layered in terms of production and can therefore feel transportive while listening to it and Love Is Only Sleeping fits that description perfectly.

04. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You

The follow up single to I'm a Believer was also written by Neil Diamond and it reminds me of my favorite song by him Cherry, Cherry especially the acoustic guitar riff used throughout. Maybe because this one is not as overplayed is why I like it more than I'm a Believer but it sure is catchy either way. This was the song that got me thinking there may be more to the Monkees than just their three #1 hits.

03. As We Go Along

Head is one of the biggest artistic gambles ever in pop music history. It really is quite shocking that the album and film even got made in the first place. Many of the songs off the album saw the group going deeper into psychedelia than ever before, but the highlight of the album for me has always been the Gerry Goffin & Carole King ballad As We Go Along. There's something beautifully sad, but comforting about this song. In a lot of ways it feels like The Monkees true goodbye song as Peter Tork would leave shortly after and the group was never the same again despite more albums and reunions to come. Yet, beyond that this one just gets to me even more than Daydream Believer as its main message is about grabbing life while you can and cherishing the time you have with loved ones right now because some day they won't be there. Mickey gives another wonderful performance and really drives home the emotions of this song beautifully. The flute solo at the end is also perfect in every way. As we Go Along, while not as well-known as Daydream Believer, continues to resonate as it was used in the trailer for the Oscar nominated film Ladybird.

02. Pleasant Valley Sunday

Another winner by Goffin & King, Pleasant Valley Sunday was a top 5 hit in the summer of 1967 that showcases the genius of the Monkees. It's a song that is slamming the middle class and it's obsession with materialism, despite the fact that the Monkees were created and designed to appeal to that exact same middle class audience and sell product to them. The song is filled with so many great biting lyrics, my favorite being "Mr. Green he's so serene he's got a TV in every room." The song is a scathing commentary on how consumerism is not enriching our lives as much as it's numbing it. Yet, the group was able to get away with all this because Pleasant Valley Sunday is PACKED with hooks! Seriously this song is bursting at the seams with so many different melodies and hooks that every moment feels catchier than the last until it collapses into a psychedelic haze at the end. This is probably why the song gets away with so much lyrically because the song itself is so catchy and pleasing that it's easy to miss the message of Pleasant Valley Sunday while you are listening to it. One of the best pop songs of the 60s period.

01. Last Train to Clarksville

That opening riff is one of the most iconic moments of the 60s. Just as iconic in my mind as the opening guitars to Turn Turn Turn or Satisfaction. The Monkees debut single was perfect in every way. It took influences from The Beatles, The Byrds, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Beach Boys and more and created one of the most endearing songs of the decade. This is one of those moments where the Student surpassed the Teachers (if only for a brief moment.) When I first heard this in the summer of 2000 it stuck with me and it's had me in its grip ever since. I've said it before and I'll say it again Mickey Dolenz is an amazing singer and he sells the heck of Last Train to Clarksville. His vocals are a huge reason Last Train to Clarksville is an endearing as it is. One of my favorite songs period!