It’s amazing how much data has been preserved from the past. While listening to music today, I wondered what were the most popular songs during this week in 1966. That year came to my mind because it was such an exciting time in pop music.

Topping the charts in 1966 were memorable songs like Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel, We Can Work It Out and Paperback Writer by the Beatles, Monday Monday by the Mamas and the Papas, Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones, Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra, Summer in the City by Lovin’ Spoonful, Sunshine Superman by Donovan, Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys, Last Train to Clarksville and I’m a Believer by the Monkees.

UK hits, end of May 1966

But what were the most popular songs during this week in 1966? And, lo and behold, I found the Official Singles Chart preserved online. It used to be called the UK Singles Chart and then as now listed the top-selling singles in the United Kingdom. Here’s the Official Singles Chart Top 50 for the week of May 26 to June 1, 1966. I am listing only the top 20.

No:		Song	Artist	Peak position	Total no. of weeks on chart
1		Paint It Black	Rolling Stones	1	10
2		Wild Thing	Troggs	2	12
3		Strangers in the Night	Frank Sinatra	1	20
4		Pretty Flamingo	Manfred Mann	1	12
5		Sorrow	Merseys	5	13
6		Sloop John B	Beach Boys	2	15
7		Shotgun Wedding	Roy C	6	11
8		Monday Morning	Mamas & Papas	3	13
9		RainyDay Women Nos 12 and 35	Bob Dylan	7	8
10		Hey Girl	Small Faces	10	9
11		Daydream	Lovin’ Spoonful	2	13
12		Promises	Ken Dodd	12	14
13		Pied Piper	Crispian St Peters	5	13
14		You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me	Dusty Springfield	1	13
15		When a Man Loves a Woman	Percy Sledge	4	17
16		Bang Bang	Cher	3	12
17		Homeward Bound	Simon & Garfunkel	9	12
18		Hold Tight	Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich	4	17
19		(You’re My) Soul & Inspiration	Righteous Brothers	15	10
20		I Love Her	Paul & Barry Ryan	20	8

Lower down the Official Singles Chart in Britain that week were other iconic hits like California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas at No 23. Eight Miles High by the Byrds at No 31, Substitute by the Who at No 43, and Sweet Talkin’ Guy by the Chiffons at No 48. Elvis Presley was on the chart, too, at no 33. Surprisingly, there was not a single Beatles number on the chart that week.

US hits, end of May 1966

The music on the airwaves was just as good on the other side of the Atlantic. These were the big hits in America that week. Here’s the top 20 from the Billboard Hot 100 for the week from May 28 to June 3, 1966.

No	Song	Artist	Peak position	Total no. of weeks on chart
1	When a Man Loves a Woman	Percy Sledge	1	8
2	A Groovy Kind of Love	Mindbenders	2	7
3	Monday, Monday	Mamas & Papas	1	8
4	Paint It Black	Rolling Stones	4	3
5	Rainy Day Women #12 & 35	Bob Dylan	2	7
6	I Am a Rock	Simon & Garfunkel	6	4
7	Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind	Lovin’ Spoonful	7	4
8	Good Lovin’	Young Rascals	1	`12
9	Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart	Supremes	9	5
10	It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World	James Brown & the Famous Flames	10	5
11	Kicks	Paul Revere & The Raiders	4	11
12	Green Grass	Garry Lewis & the Playboys	12	3
13	The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)	Walker Brothers	13	7
14	Message to Michael	Dionne Warwick	8	9
15	Sloop John B	Beach Boys	3	9
16	How Does That Grab You, Darlin’ ?	Nancy Sinatra	7	6
17	Barefootin’	Robert Parker	17	6
18	Sweet Talkin’Guy	Chiffons	18	4
19	Cool Jerk	Capitals	19	5
20	Gloria	Shadows of Knight	10	11

Lower down the Billboard Hot 100 that week in America were such memorable songs as Eight Miles High by the Byrds at No 21, Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra at No 27 and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield at no 49. There were also hits by Herman’s Hermits (Leaning on a Lamp Post, at no 30), the Yardbirds (Shapes of Things, at no 36). Stevie Wonder (Nothin’s Too Good for My Baby, at no 37), Trini Lopez (I’m Coming Home, Cindy, at no 39), Roy Orbison (Twinkle Toes, at no 40), the Animals (Don’t Bring Me Down, at no 47) and the Hollies (I Can’t Let Go, at no 50.

I haven’t heard all the songs listed here. I didn’t even know there were songs called Barefootin’ or Cool Jerk. But some of the songs have become classics. I love Sloop John B by the Beach Boys, Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra, Monday Monday and California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas, Homeward Bound and I Am a Rock by Simon and Garfunkel. Also considered classics are some of the other songs listed here such as Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones, Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 by Bob Dylan, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield, Sweet Talkin’Guy by the Chiffons, When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge, Wild Thing by the Troggs, and Pretty Flamingo by Manfred Mann. The charts have always had their share of one-hit wonders and short-lived hits that slip into oblivion. But, looking back, I am thrilled by the songs that were being played at this time in 1966.