The Monkees – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

The Monkees – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts
The Monkees 1966. Image source: NBC Television, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Monkees Biography

The American actors and musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as the English actor and vocalist Davy Jones, made up the rock and pop group The Monkees, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1966. The ensemble was created in 1965 for the situation comedy series of the same name by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider. The show, which ran from 1966 to 1968, featured music credited to the band, which was also published on LP.

The original concept for The Monkees was created by aspiring filmmaker Bob Rafelson in 1962. He attempted to sell it to Revue, the television arm of Universal Pictures, but was unsuccessful. Rafelson and Bert Schneider, whose father Abraham Schneider oversaw Columbia Pictures’ Colpix Records and Screen Gems Television divisions, teamed up in May 1964 while Rafelson was employed by Screen Gems. Raybert Productions was eventually founded by Rafelson and Schneider. Rafelson and Schneider revived Rafelson’s concept for The Monkees after seeing the Beatles movies A Hard Day’s Night and Help! On April 16, 1965, they sold the programme to Screen Gems Television under the name “The Raybert Producers.”

The Lovin’ Spoonful, an established New York folk rock band at the time, was the initial plan of Rafelson and Schneider. Screen Gems would not have been permitted to sell the band’s songs because John Sebastian had already signed the group to a record deal.

While the sitcom was largely uncomplicated, the music production caused tension and controversy nearly right once. The recording process was dominated by professional songwriters and studio musicians since music supervisor Don Kirshner was unsatisfied with the actor/musicians’ musical skills. This led to a number of popular albums and singles. The band members quickly obtained complete control over the recording process after becoming dissatisfied with this arrangement and receiving criticism from the public for not playing on the recordings. The Monkees generally performed as a group for two albums, but after that, each member started using the moniker to pursue his personal projects. By the end of 1968, they had reverted to being a group in name only, the programme had been cancelled, and their film, Head, had been a critical and commercial failure. Nesmith joined Tork in leaving the group shortly after, and the Monkees disbanded formally in 1970.

Following a resurgence of interest in the television series in 1986, there were several formal reunion tours, a television special, and four new full-length LPs that were all released over the course of the following 35 years, however rarely did all four members appear together. Jones passed away in 2012, and Tork passed away in 2019, leaving Dolenz and Nesmith to go on a farewell tour in 2021 that would terminate just before Nesmith passed away at the end of the year.

The Monkees were one of the most popular bands of the 1960s, propelled by the popularity of the program. With international hits like “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer,” “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and “Daydream Believer,” the band became one of the best-selling musical groups of all time with sales of more than 75 million records worldwide. They also had four albums that reached the top of the charts. According to a fabrication made by Nesmith in a 1977 interview, the Monkees sold more records in 1967 than the Beatles and Rolling Stones combined.

The Monkees Discography

Christmas PartySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
JustusSpotifyAppleYouTube
Pool It!SpotifyAppleYouTube
ChangesSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
HeadSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The Birds, The Bees & The MonkeesAppleYouTubeAmazon
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
HeadquartersSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
More of the MonkeesSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The MonkeesSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who Wrote The Monkees First Hit?

The Monkees first hit, “Last Train to Clarksville,” was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. The song was released in 1966 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Monkees were a popular American television show that aired from 1966 to 1968. The show featured a group of four young men who played characters in a fictional band. The Monkees became a real band and released several successful albums and singles. “Last Train to Clarksville” was the first of many hits for the group.

What Is Monkees Most Famous Song?

Monkees most famous song is “I’m a Believer.” It was released in 1966 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written by Neil Diamond and became one of the band’s signature tunes.

Who Was The Most Popular Monkee?

The most popular Monkee was definitely Mike Nesmith. He was the funny one and had the best hair. Peter Tork was a close second, but he didn’t have the same screen presence as Mike. Davy Jones was the cute one, but he didn’t really stand out as much as the other two. Micky Dolenz was the drummer and didn’t really have as much personality as the other three, so he wasn’t as popular.

Who Wrote The Monkees Biggest Hits?

Most of the Monkees’ biggest hits were written by outside songwriters, including Neil Diamond (“I’m a Believer”), Gerry Goffin and Carole King (“Pleasant Valley Sunday”), and Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart (“Last Train to Clarksville”). The Monkees also had some success with songs written by members of the band, including Michael Nesmith (“Listen to the Band”) and Davy Jones (“Daydream Believer”).

Most Searched For Monkees Songs

I’m a BelieverSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Daydream BelieverSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Pleasant Valley SundaySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Me & MagdalenaSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Last Train to ClarksvilleSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
As We Go AlongSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Tapioca TundraSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Goin’ DownSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Porpoise SongSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon