Tom Jones (pictured in 2018) had the best-selling single of 1966 with "Green, Green Grass of Home ". The song spent seven weeks at number-one and thirteen weeks in the top 10 in total. It also went on to be ranked as the10th biggest-selling song of the 1960s .In September of this year, two years after he was killed in a plane crash,Jim Reeves posthumously achieved his only UK number-one single with "Distant Drums ", which spent five weeks at the top spot. 1966 proved to be a very successful year forThe Beach Boys , who achieved four consecutive UK top 10 entries, all making the top three. The most successful of these was "Good Vibrations ", which reached number-one for two weeks in November. TheUK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by theOfficial Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] UK Singles Chart during1966 , as well as singles which peaked in1965 and1967 but were in the top 10 in 1966. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
One-hundred and seventeen singles were in the top ten in 1966. Ten singles from 1965 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year. "Let's Hang On! " byThe Four Seasons featuringFrankie Valli , and "My Ship Is Comin' In " byThe Walker Brothers were the singles from 1965 to reach their peak in 1966. Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1966.Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich ,Four Tops ,Ike & Tina Turner ,Nancy Sinatra ,Small Faces andThe Spencer Davis Group were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1966.
The 1965Christmas number-one , "Day Tripper "/"We Can Work It Out " byThe Beatles , remained at number one for the first two weeks of 1966. The first new number-one single of the year was "Keep On Running " byThe Spencer Davis Group . Overall, twenty different singles peaked at number-one in 1966, withThe Spencer Davis Group andThe Beatles (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.
One-hundred and nineteen singles charted in the top 10 in 1966, with one-hundred and eight singles reaching their peak this year. "Elusive Butterfly " was recorded byBob Lind andVal Doonican and both versions reached the top 10.
Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1966.The Beach Boys ,Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich ,The Kinks andSmall Faces shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1966 with four hit singles each.
The Walker Brothers were one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore ".Crispian St. Peters ,Herman's Hermits ,Petula Clark ,The Supremes andVal Doonican were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1966.
Thirty artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1966, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, three went on to record another hit single that year:Crispian St. Peters ,Lee Dorsey andThe Lovin' Spoonful .The Spencer Davis Group andThe Troggs both had two more top 10 singles in 1966.Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich andSmall Faces each had three other entries in their breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entries The Spencer Davis Group 3 "Keep on Running " 1 "Somebody Help Me " (1), "Gimme Some Lovin' " (2) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 1 "Spanish Flea " 3 — The Overlanders 1 "Michelle " 1 — Crispian St. Peters 2 "You Were on My Mind " 2 "The Pied Piper " (5) Nancy Sinatra 1 "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " 1 — Pinkerton's Assorted Colours 1 "Mirror, Mirror" 9 — Small Faces 4 "Sha-La-La-La-Lee " 3 "Hey Girl " (10), "All or Nothing " (1), "My Mind's Eye " (4) Eddy Arnold 1 "Make the World Go Away " 8 — Bob Lind 1 "Elusive Butterfly " 5 — Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 4 "Hold Tight! " 4 "Hideaway " (10), "Bend It! " (2), "Save Me " (3)[A] The Alan Price Set 1 "I Put a Spell on You " 9 — The Lovin' Spoonful 2 "Daydream " 2 "Summer in the City " (8) Simon & Garfunkel 1 "Homeward Bound " 9 — Roy C 1 "Shotgun Wedding" 6 — The Troggs 3 "Wild Thing " 2 "With a Girl Like You " (1), "I Can't Control Myself " (2) The Merseys 1 "Sorrow " 4 — The Mamas & the Papas 1 "Monday, Monday " 3 — Percy Sledge 1 "When a Man Loves a Woman " 4 "— Ike & Tina Turner 1 "River Deep – Mountain High " 3 — Chris Farlowe 1 "Out of Time " 1 — Los Bravos 1 "Black Is Black " 2 — Napoleon XIV 1 "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! " 4 — David and Jonathan 1 "Lovers of the World Unite" 7 — Lee Dorsey 2 "Working in the Coal Mine " 8 "Holy Cow " (6) The New Vaudeville Band 1 "Winchester Cathedral " 4 — The Sandpipers 1 "Guantanamera " 7 — Four Tops 1 "Reach Out I'll Be There " 1 — Paul Jones 1 "High Times" 4 — The Easybeats 1 "Friday on My Mind " 6 — Jimmy Ruffin 1 "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted "[B] 1 —
Notes Alan Price was the original keyboardist forThe Animals , leaving in 1965 after the group had broken through with two top 10 hits, including number-one single "House of the Rising Sun ". He went on to have a solo career and charted with his own band The Alan Price Set in 1966.
The Merseys were an offshoot of the groupThe Merseybeats , created by former members Tony Crane andBilly Kinsley . "Sorrow" was their only hit single as a duo before they folded in 1968.
Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Alfie " (fromAlfie Strangers in the Night " (A Man Could Get Killed Yellow Submarine " (Yellow Submarine
Additionally, the original version of "Love Letters " was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Original Song after being used in thefilm of the same name (losing out to "It Might As Well Be Spring " fromState Fair The More I See You " was first sung byDick Haymes in the 1945 filmDiamond Horseshoe
Best-selling singles [ edit ] Until 1970 there was no universally recognised year-end best-sellers list. However, in 2011 the Official Charts Company released a list of the best-selling single of each year in chart history from 1952 to date. According to the list, "Green, Green Grass of Home " byTom Jones is officially recorded as thebiggest-selling single of 1966. "Green, Green Grass of Home" (10) ranked in the top 10best-selling singles of the decade .
Key Symbol Meaning ‡ Single peaked in 1965 but still in chart in 1966. (#) Year-end best-selling singles. Entered The date that the single first appeared in the chart. Peak Highest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered Weeks Single Artist Peak Peak reached Weeks Singles in 1965 16 September 1965 17 "Tears " ‡ Ken Dodd 1 30 September 1965 5 11 November 1965 11 "The Carnival Is Over " ‡ The Seekers 1 25 November 1965 3 25 November 1965 9 "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go) " ‡ Cliff Richard 2 16 December 1965 3 2 December 1965 5 "A Lover's Concerto " ‡ The Toys 5 2 December 1965 2 9 December 1965 9 "Day Tripper "/"We Can Work It Out " ‡ The Beatles 1 16 December 1965 5 8 "The River" ‡ Ken Dodd 3 23 December 1965 2 16 December 1965 8 "My Ship Is Comin' In " The Walker Brothers 3 20 January 1966 1 23 December 1965 7 "Let's Hang On! " The Four Seasons 4 20 January 1966 1 Singles in 1966 6 January 1966 7 "Keep On Running " The Spencer Davis Group 1 20 January 1966 1 2 "Merry Gentle Pops " The Barron Knights 9 6 January 1966 1 5 "Till the End of the Day " The Kinks 8 13 January 1966 2 13 January 1966 5 "A Must to Avoid " Herman's Hermits 6 27 January 1966 2 20 January 1966 8 "Spanish Flea " Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass 3 27 January 1966 3 27 January 1966 4 "Michelle " The Overlanders 1 27 January 1966 3 6 "You Were on My Mind " Crispian St. Peters 2 10 February 1966 1 3 February 1966 4 "Love's Just a Broken Heart" Cilla Black 5 3 February 1966 2 10 February 1966 6 "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' " Nancy Sinatra 1 17 February 1966 4 7 "A Groovy Kind of Love " The Mindbenders 2 10 March 1966 1 2 "Mirror, Mirror" Pinkerton's Assorted Colours 9 10 February 1966 1 1 "Like a Baby" Len Barry 10 10 February 1966 1 17 February 1966 4 "19th Nervous Breakdown " The Rolling Stones 2 17 February 1966 3 2 "Tomorrow" Sandie Shaw 9 17 February 1966 2 24 February 1966 3 "My Love " Petula Clark 4 3 March 1966 1 6 "Sha-La-La-La-Lee " Small Faces 3 17 March 1966 1 6 "Barbara Ann " The Beach Boys 3 10 March 1966 1 3 March 1966 4 "Backstage" Gene Pitney 4 10 March 1966 1 6 "Make the World Go Away "[C] Eddy Arnold 8 31 March 1966 2 10 March 1966 5 "I Can't Let Go " The Hollies 2 17 March 1966 3 7 "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore " The Walker Brothers 1 17 March 1966 4 17 March 1966 4 "Shapes of Things " The Yardbirds 3 24 March 1966 2 5 "Dedicated Follower of Fashion " The Kinks 4 31 March 1966 2 24 March 1966 4 "Elusive Butterfly " Bob Lind 5 31 March 1966 2 31 March 1966 4 "Elusive Butterfly " Val Doonican 5 21 April 1966 1 5 "Somebody Help Me " The Spencer Davis Group 1 14 April 1966 2 7 April 1966 6 "Hold Tight! " Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 4 14 April 1966 2 6 "The Sound of Silence " The Bachelors 3 14 April 1966 2 14 April 1966 2 "Substitute " The Who 5 14 April 1966 1 6 "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me " Dusty Springfield 1 28 April 1966 1 21 April 1966 4 "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) " Cher 3 5 May 1966 1 2 "I Put a Spell on You " The Alan Price Set 9 21 April 1966 2 5 "The Pied Piper " Crispian St. Peters 5 12 May 1966 1 28 April 1966 5 "Pretty Flamingo " Manfred Mann 1 5 May 1966 3 4 "Daydream " The Lovin' Spoonful 2 5 May 1966 2 2 "Alfie " Cilla Black 9 5 May 1966 1 5 May 1966 6 "Sloop John B " The Beach Boys 2 19 May 1966 1 2 "Homeward Bound " Simon & Garfunkel 9 12 May 1966 1 12 May 1966 3 "Shotgun Wedding" Roy C 6 19 May 1966 1 19 May 1966 5 "Wild Thing " The Troggs 2 26 May 1966 1 5 "Paint It Black " The Rolling Stones 1 26 May 1966 1 6 "Sorrow " The Merseys 4 2 June 1966 3 4 "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 " Bob Dylan 7 2 June 1966 1 26 May 1966 8 "Strangers in the Night " Frank Sinatra 1 2 June 1966 3 6 "Monday, Monday " The Mamas & the Papas 3 16 June 1966 2 2 "Hey Girl " Small Faces 10 26 May 1966 2 2 June 1966 3 "Promises" Ken Dodd 6 9 June 1966 1 6 "When a Man Loves a Woman " Percy Sledge 4 23 June 1966 1 9 June 1966 3 "Don't Bring Me Down " The Animals 6 23 June 1966 1 16 June 1966 5 "Paperback Writer " The Beatles 1 23 June 1966 2 2 "Over Under Sideways Down " The Yardbirds 10 16 June 1966 2 23 June 1966 7 "Sunny Afternoon " The Kinks 1 7 July 1966 2 3 "Don't Answer Me" Cilla Black 6 30 June 1966 1 6 "River Deep – Mountain High " Ike & Tina Turner 3 7 July 1966 2 30 June 1966 4 "Nobody Needs Your Love" Gene Pitney 2 14 July 1966 1 4 "Bus Stop " The Hollies 5 14 July 1966 1 3 "Hideaway " Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 10 30 June 1966 3 7 July 1966 5 "Get Away " Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames 1 21 July 1966 1 14 July 1966 5 "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love " Petula Clark 6 28 July 1966 1 6 "Out of Time " Chris Farlowe 1 28 July 1966 1 21 July 1966 6 "Black Is Black " Los Bravos 2 28 July 1966 1 4 "Love Letters " Elvis Presley 6 4 August 1966 1 8 "With a Girl Like You " The Troggs 1 4 August 1966 2 28 July 1966 5 "The More I See You " Chris Montez 3 11 August 1966 1 2 "Goin' Back " Dusty Springfield 10 28 July 1966 2 4 August 1966 6 "Mama " Dave Berry 5 18 August 1966 2 11 August 1966 7 "God Only Knows " The Beach Boys 2 25 August 1966 2 8 "Yellow Submarine "/"Eleanor Rigby " The Beatles 1 18 August 1966 4 3 "Summer in the City "[D] The Lovin' Spoonful 8 18 August 1966 1 18 August 1966 3 "Visions " Cliff Richard 7 18 August 1966 3 5 "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! " Napoleon XIV 4 25 August 1966 3 25 August 1966 6 "All or Nothing " Small Faces 1 15 September 1966 1 4 "Lovers of the World Unite" David and Jonathan 7 8 September 1966 1 1 September 1966 6 "Too Soon to Know" Roy Orbison 3 22 September 1966 1 8 September 1966 10 "Distant Drums "[E] Jim Reeves 1 22 September 1966 5 3 "Working in the Coal Mine " Lee Dorsey 8 15 September 1966 1 15 September 1966 2 "Got to Get You into My Life " Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers 6 15 September 1966 1 1 "Just Like a Woman " Manfred Mann 10 15 September 1966 1 22 September 1966 6 "I'm a Boy " The Who 2 29 September 1966 1 4 "Little Man " Sonny & Cher 4 29 September 1966 1 5 "You Can't Hurry Love " The Supremes 3 29 September 1966 1 29 September 1966 6 "Bend It! " Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 2 6 October 1966 2 7 "Winchester Cathedral " The New Vaudeville Band 4 13 October 1966 1 1 "Walk with Me" The Seekers 10 29 September 1966 1 6 October 1966 4 "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? " The Rolling Stones 5 13 October 1966 1 2 "All I See Is You" Dusty Springfield 9 6 October 1966 1 5 "Guantanamera " The Sandpipers 7 13 October 1966 3 13 October 1966 6 "I Can't Control Myself " The Troggs 2 27 October 1966 1 20 October 1966 7 "Reach Out I'll Be There " Four Tops 1 27 October 1966 3 6 "Stop Stop Stop " The Hollies 2 3 November 1966 2 27 October 1966 3 "No Milk Today " Herman's Hermits 7 3 November 1966 1 3 November 1966 5 "High Time" Paul Jones 4 10 November 1966 1 1 "Time Drags By " Cliff Richard &The Shadows 10 3 November 1966 1 10 November 1966 5 "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James " Manfred Mann 2 17 November 1966 1 7 "Good Vibrations " The Beach Boys 1 17 November 1966 2 6 "Gimme Some Lovin' " The Spencer Davis Group 2 24 November 1966 1 17 November 1966 4 "Holy Cow " Lee Dorsey 6 17 November 1966 2 2 "If I Were a Carpenter " Bobby Darin 9 17 November 1966 1 24 November 1966 13 "Green, Green Grass of Home "(#1) Tom Jones 1 1 December 1966 7 8 "What Would I Be" Val Doonican 2 15 December 1966 1 1 December 1966 5 "My Mind's Eye "[F] Small Faces 4 8 December 1966 2 2 "Just One Smile " Gene Pitney 8 8 December 1966 1 8 December 1966 9 "Morningtown Ride " The Seekers 2 22 December 1966 3 4 "Friday on My Mind " The Easybeats 6 15 December 1966 1 15 December 1966 5 "Dead End Street " The Kinks 5 22 December 1966 2 4 "You Keep Me Hangin' On " The Supremes 8 22 December 1966 2 2 "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted "[G] Jimmy Ruffin 8 29 December 1966 1 22 December 1966 5 "Sunshine Superman " Donovan 2 29 December 1966 1 5 "Save Me " Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 3 29 December 1966 1 29 December 1966 1 "If Every Day Was Like Christmas " Elvis Presley 9 29 December 1966 1
Motown legendsFour Tops made the UK top 10 for the first time in October of this year with "Reach Out I'll Be There ", which spent three weeks at number-one. The Troggs were one of the UK's most successful music acts of 1966, achieving three top 10 singles, including the number-one hit "With a Girl Like You ".Dusty Springfield had three UK top 10 entries this year, including her only number-one hit, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me ".Chris Farlowe (pictured in 2010) spent one week at number-one in 1966 with his only UK top 10 entry, a cover ofThe Rolling Stones ' "Out of Time ".The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1966, including singles that reached their peak in 1965 or 1967. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1966 is also shown.
Entries Artist Weeks Singles 4 The Beach Boys 26 "Barbara Ann ", "God Only Knows ", "Good Vibrations ", "Sloop John B " Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich [H] 19 "Bend It! ", "Hideaway ", "Hold Tight! ", "Save Me " The Kinks 19 "Dead End Street ", "Dedicated Follower of Fashion ", "Sunny Afternoon ", "Till the End of the Day " Small Faces 18 "All or Nothing ", "Hey Girl ", "My Mind's Eye ", "Sha-La-La-La-Lee " 3 The Beatles [I] 19 "Day Tripper "/"We Can Work It Out ", "Paperback Writer ", "Yellow Submarine "/"Eleanor Rigby " Cilla Black 7 "Alfie ", "Don't Answer Me", "Love's Just a Broken Heart" Cliff Richard [I] 8 "Time Drags By ", "Visions ", "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go) " Dusty Springfield 10 "All I See Is You", "Goin' Back ", "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me " Gene Pitney 10 "Backstage", "Just One Smile ", "Nobody Needs Your Love" The Hollies 15 "Bus Stop ", "I Can't Let Go ", "Stop Stop Stop " Ken Dodd [I] 10 "Promises", "Tears ", "The River" Manfred Mann 11 "Just Like a Woman ", "Pretty Flamingo ", "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James " The Rolling Stones 13 "19th Nervous Breakdown ", "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? ", "Paint It Black " The Seekers [I] 8 "Morningtown Ride ", "The Carnival Is Over ", "Walk with Me" The Spencer Davis Group 18 "Gimme Some Lovin' ", "Keep on Running ", "Somebody Help Me " The Troggs 19 "I Can't Control Myself ", "Wild Thing ", "With a Girl Like You " 2 Cher [J] 8 "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) ", "Little Man " Crispian St. Peters 11 "The Pied Piper ", "You Were on My Mind " Elvis Presley 5 "Love Letters ", "If Every Day Was Like Christmas " Herman's Hermits 8 "A Must to Avoid ", "No Milk Today " Lee Dorsey 7 "Holy Cow ", "Working in the Coal Mine " The Lovin' Spoonful 7 "Daydream ", "Summer in the City " Petula Clark 8 "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love ", "My Love " The Supremes 7 "You Can't Hurry Love ", "You Keep Me Hangin' On " Val Doonican 9 "Elusive Butterfly ", "What Would I Be" The Walker Brothers [K] 13 "My Ship Is Comin' In ", "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore " The Who 8 "I'm a Boy ", "Substitute " The Yardbirds 6 "Over Under Sideways Down ", "Shapes of Things "
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