List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1966.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Release date unknown

Billboard Top popular records of 1966

from Billboard December 24, 1966 pg 34 Billboard's year-end list for 1966 included Hot 100 data from January to December 10, 1966, and used an early formula of awarding 100 points to the number one record, then ninety-nine points for number two, ninety-eight points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. Billboard soon realized the increase to 100 positions per week greatly diluted the accuracy of its chart, as opposed to twenty years ago, when charts had 10-30 positions. The impact of a no. 1 song scoring 20 points for no. 1 and 10 points for no. 10 (20 position chart) is huge compared to 100 points for no. 1 and 90 points for no. 10. A record with 8 weeks at no. 1 could have its advantage wiped out by the no. 10 record if it spent one additional week on the Hot 100, which is exactly what happened to the hottest artists, like the Beatles, Elvis, and others, whose records debuted at very high positions, quickly shot to the top, sold hundreds of thousands of records each week at no. 1, and then quiuckly dropped off the chart. An example is "We Can Work it Out", no. 49 on the 1966 year-end chart, despite three weeks at no. 1. However, it lost 155 points because its debut at no. 36 and second week at no. 11 fell on the last two weeks of December 1965, and Billboard did not count them. Three weeks at no.1 and seven weeks in the top 5 were of little ad vantage. However, by 1970, huge bonuses were being awarded to the no. 1 record each week, as Billboard searched for a better formula. With 20-20 hindsight, the Billboard year-end chart for 1966 can be completed with archived issues of Billboard for November-December 1965 and November 1966-March 1967, and Joel Whitburn's Records Research books other Hot 100 Year-End formulas were used to complete the 1966 year-end chart. The completed chart is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 between November 1965 and December 1966. Records with chart runs that started in 1965 and ended in 1966, or started in 1966 and ended in 1967, made this chart if the majority of their chart weeks were in 1966. If not, they were ranked in the year-end charts for 1965 or 1967. If their weeks were equal, they were listed in the year they first entered. Appearing in multiple years is not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on down to number twenty. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented, with number of points accrued. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks in top ten, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks on Hot 100 chart. The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Cashbox rankings were derived by same process as the Billboard rankings. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs, but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia. Billboard Top Soul Singles 1966 Billboard Top Country Singles 1966 Top Rock Tracks 1966** (unofficial)**

Top American hits on record

British number one hits not included above

Winter Spring Summer Autumn

Other hit singles

(Not all of these were necessarily released as singles.) • "7 and 7 Is" – Love • "19th Nervous Breakdown" – The Rolling Stones • "634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.)" – Wilson Pickett • "The 7 O'clock News/Silent Night" – Simon & Garfunkel • "98.6" – Keith • "A Hard Day's Night" – The Ramsey Lewis Trio • "A Hazy Shade of Winter" – Simon & Garfunkel • "A Legal Matter" – The Who • "A Little Bit of Soap" – The Exciters • "A Quick One, While He's Away" – The Who • "A Sign of the Times" – Petula Clark • "A Well Respected Man" – The Kinks • "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" – The Temptations • "Alfie" – Cilla Black • "All I See is You" – Dusty Springfield • "All Tomorrow's Parties" – The Velvet Underground and Nico • "Alley Oop" – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band • "And Your Bird Can Sing" – The Beatles • "Anyway That You Want Me" – The Troggs • "April Come She Will" – Simon & Garfunkel • "At the Scene" – The Dave Clark Five • "B-A-B-Y" – Carla Thomas • "Baby Don't You Do It" – The Poets • "Baby Scratch My Back" – Slim Harpo • "Bang! Bang!" – Joe Cuba Sextet • "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" – Cher • "Batman Theme" – The Marketts • "Beck's Bolero" – Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Nicky Hopkins, John Paul Jones • "Biff Bang Pow" – The Creation • "Blues from an Airplane" – Jefferson Airplane • "Blue Turns to Grey" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "Boa Constrictor" – Johnny Cash • "Boris the Spider" – The Who • "Born Free" – Matt Monro • "Born Free" – Roger Williams • "The Bubble Broke"- Lesley Gore • "Burned" – Buffalo Springfield • "But It's Alright" – J.J. Jackson • "Bye Bye Blues" – Andy Williams • "Call Me" – Chris Montez • "Can't Help Thinking About Me" – David Bowie and The Lower Third • "Caroline No" – Brian Wilson • "Chico's Girl" – The Girls • "Children of the Sun" – The Misunderstood • "Circles" – Les Fleur de Lys • "C'mon Let's Go" – The McCoys • "Codine" – The Charlatans • "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" – The Miracles • "Come Up the Years" – Jefferson Airplane • "Coming on Strong" – Brenda Lee • "Coming Home Soldier" – Bobby Vinton • "Cops of the World" – Phil Ochs • "The Dangling Conversation" – Simon & Garfunkel • "Diddy Wah Diddy" – Captain Beefheart • "Dirty Water" – The Standells • "Do Anything You Say" – David Bowie and The Buzz • "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It?" – The Buffalo Springfield • "Doctor Robert" – The Beatles • "Don't Answer Me" – Cilla Black • "Don't Drop Out"- Dolly Parton • "Don't Ease Me In" – Grateful Dead • "Don't Look Back" – The Remains • "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" – The Swingin' Medallions • "The Duck" – Jackie Lee • "Dum-De-Da" – Bobby Vinton • "The Dreams I Dream" – The Shadows • "East West" – Herman's Hermits • "Eight Miles High" – The Byrds • "Eleanor Rigby" – The Beatles (B-side to Yellow Submarine) • "Eve" – The Balloon Farm • "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" – Otis Redding • "Femme Fatale" – The Velvet Underground and Nico • "Flight 505" – The Rolling Stones • "Flying on the Ground is Wrong" – The Buffalo Springfield • "Free Advice" – The Great Society • "Friday on My Mind" – The Easybeats • "Frying Pan" – Captain Beefheart • "Fuel To The Flame"- Dolly Parton • "Games That Lovers Play" – Eddie Fisher, Wayne Newton, Connie Francis • "Georgy Girl" – The Seekers • "Get Me To The World On Time" – The Electric Prunes • "Get Out of My Life, Woman" – Lee Dorsey • "Get Ready" – The Temptations • "Go and Say Goodbye" – The Buffalo Springfield • "Go Away Little Girl" – The Happenings • "God Only Knows" – The Beach Boys (B-side to Wouldn't It Be Nice) • "Good Day Sunshine" – The Beatles • "Got to Get You Into My Life" – The Beatles • "Gracias a la vida" – Violeta Parra • "The Great Airplane Strike" – Paul Revere & the Raiders • "The Hair of My Chinny Chin Chin" – Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs • "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" – The Yardbirds • "Happy Jack" – The Who • "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" – The Rolling Stones • "He" – The Righteous Brothers • "Help I'm a Rock" – The Mothers of Invention • "Here, There and Everywhere" – The Beatles • "Hey Joe" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience • "Hey Joe" – The Leaves • "Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You" – Jimmy Castor • "Holy Cow" – Lee Dorsey • "How Can I Tell Her It's Over" – Andy Williams • "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" – The Mothers of Invention • "I Am a Rock" – Simon & Garfunkel • "I Can Take You to the Sun" – The Misunderstood • "I Dig Everything" – David Bowie and The Buzz • "I Don't Need No Doctor" – Ray Charles • "I Got The Feelin' (Oh No No)" – Neil Diamond • "I Love Onions" – Susan Christie • "I Met a Girl" – The Shadows • "If Every Day Was Like Christmas" – Elvis Presley • "I'll Be Your Mirror" – The Velvet Underground and Nico • "I'm a Believer" – The Monkees • "I'm a Boy" – The Who • "(I'm a) Road Runner" – Junior Walker & the Allstars • "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" – The Monkees • "I'm Only Sleeping" – The Beatles • "I'm Ready For Love" – Martha and the Vandellas • "I'm Sick Y'all" – Otis Redding • "I'm So Glad" – Cream • "Inside Looking Out" – The Animals • "In the Arms of Love" – Andy Williams • "I Want You/Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues – Bob Dylan • "Pledging My Time – Bob Dylan (B-side to Rainy Day Women #12 & 35) • "I Can't Control Myself" – The Troggs • "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – Otis Redding • "I Can't Let Go" – The Hollies • "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" – The Seeds (re-released from 1965) • "I Feel Free" – Cream • "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" – The Electric Prunes • "I Know There's An Answer" – The Beach Boys • "I Just Wasn't Meant for These Times" – The Beach Boys • "I Put A Spell On You" – The Animals • "I Want To Be With You" – Dee Dee Warwick • "I Want to Go with You" – Eddy Arnold • "Just Like a Woman"/"Obviously 5 Believers" – Bob Dylan • "In the Country" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "It Takes Two" – Marvin Gaye with Kim Weston • "It Tears Me Up" – Percy Sledge • "It's a-Happening" – The Magic Mushrooms • "It's No Secret" – Jefferson Airplane • "It's Not Easy" – The Rolling Stones • "The Joker Went Wild" - Brian Hyland • "Jug Band Music" – The Lovin' Spoonful • "Just Like Me" – Paul Revere & the Raiders • "The Kids Are Alright" – The Who • "Kill For Peace" – The Fugs • "Lady Jane" – The Rolling Stones • "Leaves That Are Green" – Simon & Garfunkel • "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" – Bob Dylan • "Let's Go Get Stoned" – Ray Charles • "Let's Start All Over Again" – Ronnie Dove • "Like A Baby" – Len Barry • "Little By Little" – Dusty Springfield • "Little Latin Lupe Lu" – Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels • "Little Man" – Sonny & Cher • "The London Boys" – David Bowie • "Love Is A Hurting Thing" – Lou Rawls • "Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart" – The Supremes • "Love Letters" – Elvis Presley • "Love Makes The World Go Round" – Deon Jackson • "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" – Phil Ochs • "Love Me With All of Your Heart" – The Bachelors • "Love's Gone Bad"- Chris Clark • "Love's Just a Broken Heart" – Cilla Black • "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" – Four Tops • "Mame" – Bobby Darin • "Mame" – Louis Armstrong • "Maudie" – The Animals • "Maintaining My Cool" – The Sonics • "Makin' Time" – The Creation • "Mama Told Me Not To Come" – Eric Burdon • "(The Marines Have Just Landed on the Shores of) Santo Domingo" – Phil Ochs • "May Each Day" – Andy Williams • "Mission:Impossible" – Jack Jones • "My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies" – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band • "My Heart's Symphony" – Gary Lewis & the Playboys • "Moonchild" – Captain Beefheart • "The More I See You" – Chris Montez • "Mother's Little Helper" – The Rolling Stones • "Moulty" – The Barbarians • "Mr. Dieingly Sad" – The Critters • "Mr. Farmer"—The Seeds • "Mr. Spaceman" – The Byrds • "My Little Red Book" – Love • "My Lover's Prayer" – Otis Redding • "Nashville Cats" – The Lovin' Spoonful • "Needle in a Haystack" – The Twilights • "Night Time" – The Strangeloves • "No Milk Today" – Herman's Hermits • "Nothing's Too Good For My Baby" – Stevie Wonder • "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" – The Buffalo Springfield • "Oh How Happy" – The Shades of Blue • "The One on the Right Is on the Left" – Johnny Cash • "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" – The Animals • "One More Heartache" – Marvin Gaye • "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)/Queen Jane Approximately – Bob Dylan • "Open the Door To Your Heart" – Darrell Banks • "Open Up Your Door" – Richard and the Young Lions • "Opus 17" – The Four Seasons • "Orange Skies" – Love • "Outcast" – The Animals • "Out of My Mind" – The Buffalo Springfield • "Out of Time" – The Rolling Stones • "Painter Man" – The Creation • "Pandora's Golden Heepie Jeebies" – The Association • "Patsy Girl" – Ross MacManus • "A Place in the Sun" – The Shadows • "Psycho" – The Sonics • "Psycho Daisies" – The Yardbirds (B-side to "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago") • "Pushin' too Hard" – The Seeds (re-released from 1965) • "Rain" – The Beatles (B-side to "Paperback Writer") • "Respectable" – The Outsiders • "Reverberation (Doubt)" – 13th Floor Elevators • "Rhapsody in the Rain" – Lou Christie • "Richard Cory" – Simon & Garfunkel • "Ringing of Revolution" – Phil Ochs • "Riot on Sunset Strip" – The Standells • "Rubber Band" – David Bowie • "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" – Bob Dylan • "Scarborough Fair" – Simon & Garfunkel • "Season of the Witch" – Donovan • "Second Hand Rose" – Barbra Streisand • "Shapes of Things" – The Yardbirds • "She Comes in Colors" – Love • "She Said She Said" – The Beatles • "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" – Buffalo Springfield • "Sitting in the Park" – Georgie Fame • "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" – Janis Ian • "Somebody to Love" – The Great Society • "Solitary Man" – Neil Diamond • "Somewhere" – Len Barry • "Spanish Eyes" – Al Martino • "Spanish Nights and You" - Connie Francis • "Spoonful" – Cream • "Standing in the Shadows of Love" – Four Tops • "Stealin'" – Grateful Dead • "Stone Free" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience • "Stop!" – The Moody Blues • "Stop! Stop! Stop!" – The Hollies • "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" – Bob Dylan • "Stupid Girl" – The Rolling Stones • "Substitute" – The Who • "Suicida" – Os Mutantes • "Sunday Morning" – The Velvet Underground and Nico • "Sweet Dreams" – Tommy McLain • "The Ballad of the Green Berets" – Sgt. Barry Sadler (the Top Song of 1966, according to Billboard) • “Take A Giant Step” - The Monkees • "Talk Talk" – The Music Machine • "Tar and Cement" – Verdelle Smith • "Taxman" – The Beatles • "Tell It To The Rain" – The Four Seasons • "That's Not Me" – The Beach Boys • "There But For Fortune" – Phil Ochs • "There Will Never Be Another You" – Chris Montez • "Think" – The Rolling Stones • "This Door Swings Both Ways" – Herman's Hermits • "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You)" – The Isley Brothers • "Time Drags By" – Cliff Richard and The Shadows • "Tomorrow Never Knows" – The Beatles • "Try a Little Tenderness" – Otis Redding • "Try Too Hard" – The Dave Clark Five • "Turn-Down Day" – The Cyrkle • "Twinkle Toes" – Roy Orbison • "Under My Thumb" – The Rolling Stones • "Up and Down" – The McCoys • "Up In Her Room" – The Seeds (B-side to "Mr Farmer") • "Visions of Johanna" – Bob Dylan • "Visions" – Cliff Richard • "Wade in the Water" – The Ramsey Lewis Trio • "Walking My Cat Named Dog" – Norma Tanega • "War or Hands of Time" – The Masters Apprentices • "Warm and Tender Love" – Percy Sledge • "What Goes On" – The Beatles (B-side to Nowhere Man) • "The Wheel of Hurt" – Margaret Whiting • "Where Were You When I Needed You?" – The Grass Roots • "Who Am I?" – Petula Clark • "Who Do You Think You're Fooling?" – Captain Beefheart • "Who's Flying Your Plane?" – The Rolling Stones • "Whispers (Getting Louder)" – Jackie Wilson • "Why Do I Cry?" – The Remains • "Wouldn't It Be Nice" – The Beach Boys • "Words of Love" – The Mamas & the Papas • "You Baby" – The Turtles • "You Better Run" – The Young Rascals • "(You Don't Have To) Paint Me a Picture" – Gary Lewis & the Playboys • "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" – Dusty Springfield • "You Don't Know Like I Know" – Sam & Dave • "You Got Soul" – The Twilights • "You Got Your Head on Backwards" – The Sonics • "You Still Believe In Me" – The Beach Boys • "You Were On My Mind" – Crispian St. Peters • "You Won't Be Leaving" – Herman's Hermits • "Younger Girl" – The Critters • "You're Gonna Hear from Me" – Andy Williams • "(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself" – Frankie Valli • "You're Gonna Miss Me" – The 13th Floor Elevators • "You're On My Mind" – The Animals

Published popular music

Other notable songs

Classical music

Premieres

Compositions

Opera

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Musical television

Births

Deaths

Awards

Grammy Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Leeds International Piano Competition

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition