The Hits 0f 1966

What a year to have a wireless!

1966 was a golden moment in British music history a perfect mix of smooth crooners, Motown magic, and British invasion brilliance.

Whether you were dancing in the living room or smuggling a transistor under your pillow, these songs were everywhere.

#1 “Distant Drums” (Jim Reeves)
#2 “Strangers In The Night” (Frank Sinatra)
#3 “Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby” (The Beatles)
#4 “Reach Out I'll Be There” (The Four Tops)
#5 “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” (Nancy Sinatra)
#6 “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” (The Walker Brothers)
#7 “Green Green Grass Of Home” (Tom Jones)
#8 “Sunny Afternoon” (The Kinks)
#9 “With A Girl Like You” (The Troggs)
#10 “Pretty Flamingo” (Manfred Mann).

At No.1, the velvet voice of Jim Reeves sang “Distant Drums” released posthumously, it became an unlikely chart-topper that moved the nation. Who knew a song about marching off to war could be so tender?

Frank Sinatra returned to form with “Strangers in the Night” at No.2. That unmistakable “doo-be-doo-be-doo” still echoes through time. The man had style.

And then came The Beatles not once, but twice in one record. “Yellow Submarine” gave us singalong silliness, while “Eleanor Rigby” brought loneliness and strings that gave everyone goosebumps. Only the Fab Four could pull that off at No.3.

Motown thundered in at No.4 with The Four Tops and their anthem “Reach Out I’ll Be There” soul, urgency, and that thrilling voice of Levi Stubbs.

At No.5, Nancy Sinatra stomped onto the scene with “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’”. Feisty, fashionable, unforgettable. Girls copied the boots. Boys... well, boys just watched.

The Walker Brothers floated in with aching drama at No.6 “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” still tugs at the heart.

Tom Jones gave us a homegrown anthem at No.7 with “Green Green Grass of Home”. Powerful, emotional and a regular on the pub jukebox.

And there was wit in the mix too. The Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon” (No.8) told the tale of a spoiled playboy who’d lost it all but to a great tune. Ray Davies’ voice practically winked through the speaker.

The Troggs were raw, romantic and a bit cheeky with “With a Girl Like You” at No.9. That beat was impossible to ignore.

And rounding out the Top 10, Manfred Mann’s “Pretty Flamingo” painted a picture of summer love in just under three minutes.