This is how we closed out 1966 on the national level. (It's actually the perfect break … these records are ranked in order of sales and popularity for the week ending December 31, 1966 … the last day of the year.)
Yesterday we showed you the twenty biggest records in Chicago during 1966.
Billboard's National Year-End "Best of 1966" Chart tells an entirely different story …
Here S/Sgt Barry Sadler's had the biggest record of the year with his five week chart-topper "The Ballad Of The Green Beret".
The #2 Record of the Year was "Cherish" by The Association. Coming in at #3 was "Soul And Inspiration" by The Righteous Brothers, followed by "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops (#4), "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians (#5), "Last Train To Clarksville" by The Monkees (#6), "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas and the Papas (#7), "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes (#8), "Poor Side Of Town" by Johnny Rivers (#9) and "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas (#10). (This gives the brand new … and fire hot … Mamas and Papas TWO of the year's ten biggest records … and The Monkees … who would rule the charts in 1967 … one of the year's biggest singles in just the few months remaining after its first release.)
Rounding out The Top 20:
#11 - Summer in The City - Lovin' Spoonful
#12 - Born Free - Roger Williams (wow!)
#13 - These Boots Are Made For Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra
#14 - What Becomes of the Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin
#15 - Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra
#16 - We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
#17 - Good Lovin' - The Young Rascals
#18 - Winchester Cathedral - The New Vaudeville Band
#19 - Hanky Panky - Tommy James and the Shondells
#20 - When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
Tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ...
1967 begins!
