The Top Ten Monkees Songs of All-Time of the World

It's time to count down the top ten Monkees songs as voted by me. "The Monkees" was one of my favorite shows as a kid, but after revisiting it recently I've found that the comedy doesn't age as well as one would hope. There's still something to be said for the madcap zaniness but like many things, it's not the same as it was when I was a kid. Fortunately, the music fairs much better.

It should be noted - and not many people know - that the Monkees released 11 albums. Yes, that's right, 11 full-length albums. And in addition to the 11, each solo member has released several albums of their own. So, obviously, to count down an official top ten, from the full back catalog would be a whole research project of its own. But this post shall focus on the top ten songs amongst those that aired on the television show "The Monkees" which ran for two seasons and almost 60 episodes. This much research has been done: I've personally watched every episode.

Before counting down begins, the myths that the Monkees "weren't a real band" and "didn't play their own instruments" should be discussed. The Monkees were a group that were specifically assembled for the purpose of a television show (yielding the phrase "the pre-fab four"). In that sense, it is very true that they were a set up, "made for tv" band. Still, when a group of musicians get together to write and record songs as well as tour and play concerts, I think that makes them a "real" band regardless of how they first met.

More serious is the charge that they didn't play their instruments. This does have a kernel of truth. Due to the limited technical skill of the Monkees initially, extensive use of studio musicians was made. Their first album especially, is predominantly studio musicians. However, contrary to popular belief, the Monkees could and did play their instruments on many if not most of their songs. Through the run of the show the various band members fought and gradually gained the right from their corporate bosses to actually play on their own records. Furthermore, using studio musicians was very much the norm for the times. Bands never characterized as being "fake" (the Byrds, the Beach Boys) used session musicians in much the same way. Heck, Paul McCartney doesn't play the trumpet on "Penny Lane" - oh my gosh, controversial!

At the time of the formation of the television show, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork were already small-time singer-songwriters (Tork being a member of Buffalo Fish who later became Buffalo Springfield) and Davy Jones had starred in musicals. Micky Dolenz already knew how to play guitar but was forced to take up the drums (and learn the drums) for the purposes of the band. This in itself makes for some pretty bad miming during the musical numbers and added fuel to the "fake band" claim. In fact, if each instrument had gone to the most suited member it would have been Michael Nesmith on bass, Peter Tork on lead guitar, Davy Jones on drums and Micky Dolenz on vocals. But the bottom line is that, while not virtuoso instrumentalists by any stretch of the imagination, nevertheless the Monkees could play their own instruments and did play their own instruments and were a real band.

Partly to dispel the rumors that they couldn't play (and partly to make loads of cash) the Monkees actually toured and sold out stadia (plural of stadium, you see) across the U.S. and around the world. Interestingly, their opening act in the Summer of 1967 was none other than Jimi Hendrix. I kid you not. Dolenz tells the story, with embarrassment, of Jimi Hendrix's performance of "Foxy Lady" being drown out by chants of "We want Davy!".

I should note on the outset that in linking the top ten songs, I've picked the youtube videos with the best sound quality over the ones with video clips from the show. Here we have a group that were forerunners of MTV and the Music Video format and yet in many cases I'm only showcasing the audio of the records. Bit o' irony there. Actually - a bit of trivia - not only did the television show pave the way for music television, but Michael Nesmith is, in fact, actually credited for directly inventing the concept of the 24-hour music video channel.

10.) Randy Scouse Git

Written by Dolenz, the title "Randy Scouse Git" is British slang which translates to "Horny idiot from Liverpool". The lyric "the four kings of EMI sitting stately on the floor" refers to Dolenz's meeting with The Beatles. (Though criticized for ripping off The Beatles, The Beatles themselves weren't offended. John Lennon said he enjoyed "The Monkees" comparing them to the Marx Brothers. They were even invited to Abbey Road to sit in on the Sgt. Pepper recording sessions. Michael Nesmith can be briefly seen in the video for "A Day In the Life" [at 3:33] and Peter Tork would later play the banjo on Harrrison's "Wonderwall Music" album). The thing that strikes me most about this song is that it so clearly exhibits the "loud, quiet, loud" dynamic that would be popularized by punk and grunge 20 and 30 years later.

9.) Valleri

One of the Monkees' bigger hits. Initially the Monkees themselves did only the vocals (the guitar is a giveaway) but later versions were made with the Monkees playing and producing.

8.) Daily Nightly

Written and performed by Micky Dolenz, this is arguably the first pop song to utilize a Moog synthesizer (Dolenz was actually the third person in the world to own one). I love the experimental, psychedelic feel of this song. I know the Monkees were following the 2:30 length pop song format of the time but still I really wish this song was much longer.

7.) (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone

Another of their major hits.

6.) (Theme from) The Monkees

It's the song played in each of the episodes and yet it could easily overlooked. You have to admire a song that's so catchy yet can be listened to over and over and over and not get old. It probably helps that the version you're repeatedly hearing is only 50 seconds in length, of course.

5.) I'm a Believer

YOU BET YOUR BALLS THIS SONG IS WRITTEN BY NEIL DIAMOND. Amazingly this single sold over a million copies in two days and was the biggest hit of the year (1967). One of their major hits and such a good song that even Smashmouth couldn't ruin it (completely).

4.) Goin' Down

Written by all the Monkees collectively, you gotta love the great jazz/R&B feel and the excellent vocals. Reportedly the song is about a drunken man who decides to kill himself by jumping into a river and immediately regrets his decision as he's "going down".

3.) Last Train to Clarksville

Another of the Monkees big hits, its chipper, up-beat melody disguises much darker lyrical content. Though not really a "protest" song, the song is about the sacrifice of soldiers and their families. The singer of the song has been drafted and is about to be deployed. His significant other should "take the last train to Clarksville" and meet him at the train station so that he can see her one last time. And the punchline is the last line: "And I don't know if I'm ever coming home."

2.) Daydream Believer

Another of the major hits. This song was actually written by John Stewart formerly of The Kingston Trio. Though made in the early years where the Monkees did very little instrumentation on their records, Nesmith handles lead guitar while Peter Tork wrote and performed the piano part. This one could be criticized as being too schmaltzy or light weight (and I can see their point) but I can't help but like it and it's my list.

And Finally....

1.) Pleasant Valley Sunday

Well, what can I say? My favorite Monkees track. While perfectly catchy, it's happy if you want it to be happy, it's slightly world-weary if you want it to be melancholic. It perfectly captures and elicits the feeling of a Summer day in suburbia. Co-written by Carole King with a fantastic "psychedelic 60's distortion" ending and a sweet guitar riff.