Every Friday, I’m publishing my top ten songs from a single year and this week it’s the turn of 1966.

For previous top ten tunes, please click on the year: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

In 1966, the Action Man toy figure is first introduced to the UK, John Lennon declares that the Beatles are more popular than Jesus, after it goes missing from an exhibition- Pickles the dog finds the FIFA World Cup Trophy wrapped in a newspaper in a garden in south London, the General Election takes place and Labour led by Harold Willson win, the UK opens the first drive-through safari park outside of Africa at Longleat Park, regular Hovercraft service starts across the English Channel, Time magazine uses the phrase “Swinging London“ for the first time, the Moors Murders Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of three children, Guyana gains independence from the UK, it’s rarely been mentioned by the English, but England beat West Germany 4-2 and win the World Cup and it is watched by an all-time record UK television audience of 32,000,000 (to put that in perspective the UK population was 54,000,000 at the time), the Beatles play their very last concert in San Francisco, a coal soil tip collapses in Aberfan, Wales killing 144 (116 of which were children), Barbados achieves independence from the UK, anti-Vietnam war protests take place across the world, the TV series Batman  and Star Trek debut, ex-marine Charles Whitman kills 14 and injures 31 during a killing spree at the University of Texas, Chairman Mao launches China’s Cultural Revolution and begins purging intellectuals, and the films Blow-Up, Alfie, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? and Born Free are released.

Yep, I’m still sitting here crying over how great the 60s were. It’s relentless. Tune after tune after tune. After a mini-breakdown, I still managed to whittle the tunes down to 10 and here they are for y’all. Spotify list at the end as per.

1. I’m a Believer by the Monkees

2. You Can’t Hurry Love by the Supremes

3. Sunny Afternoon by the Kinks

4. All or Nothing by the Small Faces

5. Reach Out, I’l Be There by Four Tops

6. Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra

7. Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles

8. River Deep Mountain High by Ike & Tina Turner

9. When A Man Loves A Woman by Percy Sledge

10. God Only Knows by the Beach Boys

Ooooh it’s close between the Four Tops, Frank, the Supremes and the Beach Boys, but it’s the lads with God Only Knows that’s my absolute favourite from 1966. Which one is yours, gang?

See you next week for 1967!