The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of TV series The Monkees, the Monkees were one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s. With international hits, four chart-topping albums and three chart-topping songs, they have certified sales of 21 million singles and albums in the United States alone.
George Michael Dolenz Jr. is an American musician and actor. He was the drummer and one of two primary vocalists for the pop rock band the Monkees, and a co-star of the TV series The Monkees (1966–1968). Dolenz is the last surviving member of the band.
"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by the American band the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the number-five song for 1967. While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC), with administration passed to Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.
The Monkees Present is the eighth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. It was the second Monkees album released after the departure of Peter Tork and the last to feature Michael Nesmith until 1996's Justus.
Changes is the ninth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1970 by Colgems Records. The album was issued after Michael Nesmith's exit from the band, leaving only Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to fulfill the recording contract they had signed in the mid-1960s. Changes was their last new album for Colgems Records and the group's last album of all new material until Pool It!, released in 1987.
"I Wanna Be Free" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart that was first performed by The Monkees and appeared on their debut album The Monkees in 1966. It was released as a single in some countries, reaching the Top 20 in Australia. It was also covered by The Lettermen.
Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show.
"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by American songwriter John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio. It was recorded by the Monkees, with Davy Jones singing the lead. The single reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the Monkees' third and last No. 1 hit in the U.S.
The Monkees Greatest Hits is a 1976 greatest hits compilation album of songs by the Monkees released by Arista Records and a reissue of an earlier Bell Records compilation, Re-Focus.
"Valleri" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for the Monkees. The single peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at #1 on the Cash Box chart in early 1968, and reached #1 in Canada and #12 in the UK.
"Last Train to Clarksville" is a song by American rock band the Monkees. It was released as the band's debut single on August 16, 1966, and was later included on the group's self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966. The song, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was recorded at RCA Victor Studio B in Hollywood on July 25, 1966, and was already on the Boss Radio "Hit Bounds" playlist on August 17, 1966. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending November 5, 1966. Lead vocals were performed by the Monkees' drummer, Micky Dolenz. "Last Train to Clarksville" was featured in seven episodes of the band's television series, the most for any Monkees song.
The Monkees Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records.
"Along Came Jones" is a comedic song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by the Coasters, in 1959 peaking at number 9 in the Billboard Hot 100 but recorded by many other groups and individuals in the years that followed.
"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" is a rock song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. It was first recorded by the English band the Liverpool Five in early 1966 but remained unreleased before summer of that same year. In the meantime, the American band Paul Revere & the Raiders recorded the song which appeared on their album Midnight Ride, released in May 1966.
The Monkees' discography spans over 50 years, from the release of their first single, "Last Train to Clarksville" in August 1966 to their final live album The Mike and Micky Show in April 2020. Their discography is complicated due to the large volume of unique releases in many international markets, the release of many recordings not credited to the Monkees for lack of rights to the trademark, and the existence of many bootleg, promotional, and novelty recordings that are beyond the scope of this article.
Sidney Thomas "Tommy" Boyce and Bobby Hart were an American duo of singer-songwriters. In addition to three top-40 hits as artists, the duo is well known for its songwriting for The Monkees.
The Definitive Monkees is a limited edition Monkees compilation album released in 2001. It contains 29 of the Monkees' greatest hits. The album includes two tracks from the 1980s reunions. The album featured a bonus disc which featured 31 of The Monkees' rarity songs.
Monkeemania is a Monkees compilation released in Australia and New Zealand in 1979 and 1980, respectively. It contains 40 of the Monkees' songs.
Good Times! is the twelfth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 2016 by Rhino Records. Produced primarily by Adam Schlesinger, the album was recorded to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary. It was the first Monkees studio album since Justus (1996), marking the longest gap between releases to date, and the first since the death of band member Davy Jones. The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as a posthumous contribution from Jones.
"Words" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and released by the Monkees. An early version by the Leaves appeared on their 1966 album Hey Joe. The Monkees first recorded the song for their second album, More of The Monkees, in August 1966 under the supervision of Boyce and Hart. While this version went unreleased until the 1990 compilation Missing Links Volume Two, it was featured in the 10 April 1967 episode of The Monkees "Monkees, Manhattan Style". A new version of the song was made to be the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" in 1967, now produced by Chip Douglas.
