1966 WEEK! A special 60th ANNIVERSARY celebration by the comics great and Monkees album designer…
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Welcome to 1966 WEEK — a 60th anniversary celebration of an extraordinary, landmark year in popular culture. For seven days, we’ve brought you a whole host of features on everything from Star Trek, to Batman, to the Beatles, to the Monkees, and much, much more. (Just check out Walt Grogan’s latest fab banner, above!) Click here for more of the far out fun! — Dan
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By MIKE ALLRED
CRAZY how much pop culture passion still reverberates with me today, having erupted when I was a wee one in 1966. The big three for me being Batman, Star Trek, and The Monkees. All mostly ever-present my entire life thanks to syndication and then VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray box sets.
To the great joy of the little kid that still thrives and survives in me, I’ve been able to do comic book covers (for every Batman ’66 issue and crossover), stories, and a couple of music videos for these iconic entities.
I’m still bruised from pinching myself.
But now, I wanna specifically zero in on the Monkees, whose TV show debuted 60 years ago, on Sept. 12, 1966: Why anyone ever has to argue the significance, influence and magic of the Monkees is absurd. Chemistry is chemistry. A hit is a hit. Charm is charm. And this band, this show, this music, has it all over me. I DIG ‘EM INFINITELY!
My favorite album by far is their self-titled debut, for the simple reason that my older cousin Robin came to live with us and brought her record collection (also planting my love for the British invasion when I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to it at such a young age). Among her most played LPs was this beauty, which I’ve never tired of, and which only ever fills me with the happiest of memories. Apologies to all my other cousins, but Robin will always be my favorite, being much more a sister than a cousin.
Now, beyond that distinction, let’s to stick to the “List of 13.” I’m gonna jump around from songwriting, TV episodes, songs, and THE MOVIE:
Let the countdown begin!
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13. The Songwriters. The Monkees utilized great songwriters, many of whom went on to stellar careers as recording artists themselves: Harry Nilsson, Carole King, Neil Diamond… but they also wrote some great tunes themselves with Mike Nesmith the clear standout and ridiculously underrated. And a great song needs a great singer. Mike and Peter could hold their own, but Davey and Micky had instantly, uniquely recognizable voices. I personally think Micky Dolenz is one of the greatest vocalists ever, and any songwriter would be blessed to have him sing their songs. And they were.
Tommy Boyce, Davy Jones, Bobby Hart, Micky Dolenz, when they were a band in the ’70s
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12. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone (Song). This song rocks!
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11. Daydream Believer (Song). If you ever wanna get folks to sing along to sumpin’, this tune should come with a guarantee.
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10. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (Album). Super groovy grab bag of an album that runs the gamut of the Harry Nilsson-penned “Cuddly Toy” and Mike Nesmith writing a song opening the door to Micky psychedelia and a very early synthesizer breakthrough.
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9. Art For Monkees’ Sake (TV Episode). Big fun with the fellas in black turtlenecks performing a museum heist!
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8. Monkees on Tour (TV Episode). Nifty li’l documentary showing lotsa candid Monkeemania capturing a taste of the era and the phenomenon. And it WAS in fact a phenomenon!
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7. Monkees Get Out More Dirt (TV Episode). Julie Newmar! ‘Nuff said.
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6. I Was A Teenage Monster (TV episode). I dig monsters! Famous Monsters Of Filmland was my favorite childhood magazine. And watching the Monkees in a scary castle with mad science, and future Bond villain Richard “Jaws” Kiel, is a crazy treat!
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5. Christmas Party (Album). Yes, this album ranks near the top because I was asked to draw the cover, but it’s also a FANTASTIC Christmas album!
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4. Good Times! (Album). I was blown away how GREAT this album is when I first heard it. Proof that anyone can come back with a masterpiece any time. And I celebrate everyone who sculpted this beauty.
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3. Headquarters (Album). How cool is it that they were able to pull this together like a “real” band?! And this killer LP includes my favorite Mickey Dolenz song, “Randy Scouse Git”!
It’s exhausting to watch the Rock and Roll Hall of “Shame” make one “too late” induction after another (or never induct), when artists who have long been eligible have passed on. Too many other inductees have cut the line on so many true rockers that broke barriers, records, and elevated the medium, only to be denied because of a handful of “deciding ignorant tastemakers.” I’ve never cared how a band came together. Auditions for a TEE VEE show? Auditioning in a garage after school? I DON’T CARE. But when any artists make magic under any circumstances, celebrate it!
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2. Take a Giant Step (Song). Today this is my favorite Monkees song. Tomorrow it might be “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day.” My favorite Monkees tune can change in a blink. Right here, right now, this be it.
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1. Head (Movie). I can, and have, watched this flick on a loop. It’s a trip I’m always happy to take. And being a fan of independent film, I honor the roots that grew from it.
VIVA THE MONKEES!
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MORE
— The Complete 1966 WEEK INDEX of Features. Click here.
— My 13 Favorite MONKEES Songs, by MIKE ALLRED. Click here.
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Multiple Eisner Award-winner MIKE ALLRED is one of the most respected artists and writers in comics. Probably best known for Madman and iZombie, he’s also drawn, written or contributed to a litany of series and projects such as Batman ’66; X-Statix; The Archies (guest starring the Monkees); Wednesday Comics; FF; Silver Surfer; Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns, and Moonage Daydreams, and many, many more.
September 12, 2026
The scene in HEAD where Bob Rafelson is talking to Jack Nicholson is always so surreal to me.
I remember reading an interview with one or more members of The Monkees, lamenting how the two were both so very invested in the film, but at a point had started to turn all their attention to the upcoming Easy Rider.
Still, HEAD was a fantastic movie, with an even better soundtrack! I can think of 13 things to love about that film just by itself. The first being The Porpoise Song and its accompanying video. Look it up! You’ll thank me later. Circle Sky and Can You Dig It are both great songs as well. Daddy’s Song… I can go on and on.
September 12, 2026
I don’t remember exactly what episode this came from? (I believe it might have been the one that guest stars Lon Cheney Jr?)
Someone is holding The Monkees at gunpoint, And Davy says “You’re pretty tough with a gun in your hand!”
So the thug puts the gun down and whallops Davy in the face, sending him and the other Monkees flying backwards.
Then Davy replies-
“You’re pretty tough with a FIST in your hand!”
lol
September 12, 2026
Just watched it today. Great episode. “Monkees à la Carte”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0650687/
September 12, 2026
Sorry for the barrage of comments!
Anyone who hasn’t seen the movie HEAD and would like to, I found the full movie on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/23GgqMWH-Ho
September 12, 2026
Mike Nesmith is possibly the most underrated pop musician in history.
He wrote “Different Drum” which gave the world Linda Rondstadt. He pushed the rest of the Monkees to write their own material and demand more creative control. He palled around with Frank Zappa. He practically invented county rock. His production of “Seven Bridges Road” (with and Ian Matthews) is the arrangement that the Eagles copied. He created what became MTV.
So much of what he did is infused in the DNA of pop music and pop culture it is difficult to measure and for most people he’s “the Monkee in the hat.”
September 12, 2026
>> for most people he’s “the Monkee in the hat.”
>>
He was my favorite Monkee.
September 12, 2026
Mickey Dolenz’ vocal work also includes one season (I believe) providing the voice for Arthur in the hilarious Fox Kids’ The Tick, which first aired 32 years ago this week.
September 12, 2026
Correct – first season only. I spoke to Micky about it on Comic Book Central:
https://youtu.be/VFiQm2Es02E
September 12, 2026
YES! Have been saying for years, the Monkees should be in the Hall of Fame!
September 12, 2026
Great article, Mike! You have made so many memories come back to me. It’s Saturday and the perfect day to celebrate their 60th.
September 12, 2026
There are two episodes of the TV show that really stand out for me: First is the acapella rendering of “Riu Chiu” that they performed live on their Christmas episode. It’s a beautiful, haunting four-part arrangement that really shows off their vocal skills without instruments, production, or anything else. Part of what makes this segment so great is the obvious joy Davy displays when listening to Micky singing a beautiful solo passage. I really wish they had been able to do more like this.
The second is sort of silly, but it still grabs me whenever it comes on. It’s Burgess Meredith’s cameo as the Penguin in the next to last episode, especially notable when you realize that Batman and the Monkees were on different networks, but competing in the same time slot. I think that only thing they had in common was that they both filmed on the same lot. It was an acknowledgement that nothing was off limit for the show. A close runner up up is in the Circus episode in which Micky repeatedly bursts into song with the theme from “Circus Boy,” a TV show he starred in (as Micky Braddock) for two seasons ten years or so earlier. The meaning of the song, which no one around him recognizes, is never mentioned, but IYKYK.
As for HEAD, this is one of my favorite movies. I actually teach it in my Intro to Film classes, and it’s always interesting to see the reactions of students who have never heard of the Monkees before. They initially find the movie incredibly confusing, but really come to appreciate it after learning more about the times and the group. A lot of them really like the music even if they don’t initially understand the film. It really is an underappreciated classic.
September 12, 2026
It should also be noted Nesmith was on the cutting edge of MTV-style videos. “Elephant Parts” came out a month before MTV premiered in August 1981.
September 12, 2026
Terrific list! Yes, The Monkees in the HoF is way overdue. But needs to happen while Micky is still with us.
September 12, 2026
Love your work on the Christmas Party cover and the What Would Santa Do drawings. Did you have anything to do with She Makes Me Laugh where they used Gold Key comic panels and substituted song lyrics in the word balloons?
I’m a first generation fan and was (and am) always a Nez fan. In fact I even quoted a portion of Harmony Constant in my wedding vows.
My favorite episodes are Fairy Tale and Monkee Chow Mein. Oh and I love the movie Head. Not to crazy about 33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee.