100 Greatest Songs From 1966

record cover art for Good Vibrations by Beach Boys and When A Man Loves A Woman by Percy Sledge
Criteria: These songs were chosen and ranked based on their initial and lasting popularity, and on their impact on the overall scope of musical history.

Good Vibrations single cover When A Man Loves A Woman single cover Reach Out, I'll Be There single cover Gimme Some Lovin' single cover Ain't Too Proud To Beg - 45 record lable Eight Miles High single cover For What It's Worth single cover Paint It Black single cover
Note: Yearly song lists go by earliest 'release date' (Single, Album, or Country of first release).
Not necessarily the year a song peaked in the U.S. charts.
No.
Song
Artist
1 Good Vibrations Beach Boys
2 When A Man Loves A Woman Percy Sledge
3 Reach Out, I'll Be There Four Tops
4 Gimme Some Lovin' Spencer Davis Group
5 Ain't Too Proud To Beg Temptations
6 Eight Miles High Byrds
7 For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield
8 Paint It Black Rolling Stones
9 You Keep Me Hangin' On Supremes
10 Wild Thing Troggs
11 Psychotic Reaction Count Five
12 I'm A Believer Monkees
13 God Only Knows Beach Boys
14 96 Tears ? & the Mysterians
15 Hold On, I'm A'Comin' Sam & Dave
16 Kicks Paul Revere & the Raiders
17 Good Lovin' Young Rascals
18 River Deep, Mountain High Ike & Tina Turner
19 Mustang Sally Wilson Pickett
20 You Can't Hurry Love Supremes
21 Devil With A Blue Dress On (medley) Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
22 Wouldn't It Be Nice Beach Boys
23 Knock On Wood Eddie Floyd
24 Summer In The City Lovin' Spoonful
25 Eleanor Rigby Beatles
26 Sunshine Superman Donovan
27 Try A Little Tenderness Otis Redding
28 (You're My) Soul And Inspiration Righteous Brothers
29 The Dark End Of The Street James Carr
30 Sunny Afternoon Kinks
31 Along Comes Mary Association
32 Under My Thumb Rolling Stones
33 I Am A Rock Simon & Garfunkel
34 Just Like A Woman Bob Dylan
35 Here, There And Everywhere Beatles
36 Got To Get You Into My Life Beatles
37 Friday On My Mind Easybeats
38 Shapes Of Things Yardbirds
39 Pushin' Too Hard Seeds
40 You're Gonna Miss Me 13th Floor Elevators
41 Black Is Black Los Bravos
42 Tell It Like It Is Aaron Neville
43 Homeward Bound Simon & Garfunkel
44 What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted Jimmy Ruffin
45 (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet Blues Magoos
46 Bus Stop Hollies
47 This Old Heart Of Mine Isley Brothers
48 Beauty Is Only Skin Deep Temptations
49 Solitary Man Neil Diamond
50 Monday, Monday The Mamas & The Papas
51 Walk Away Renée Left Banke
52 Paperback Writer Beatles
53 Land Of 1,000 Dances Wilson Pickett
54 Gloria Shadows Of Knight
55 I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) Electric Prunes
56 19th Nervous Breakdown Rolling Stones
57 Daydream Lovin' Spoonful
58 Summertime Billy Stewart
59 Secret Agent Man Johnny Rivers
60 Substitute The Who
61 Mellow Yellow Donovan
62 Hungry Paul Revere & the Raiders
63 Hey Joe Jimi Hendrix / Leaves
64 Rain Beatles
65 Tomorrow Never Knows Beatles
66 634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.) Wilson Pickett
67 Talk Talk Music Machine
68 But It's Alright J.J. Jackson
69 Sloop John B Beach Boys
70 A Hazy Shade Of Winter Simon & Garfunkel
71 Society's Child Janis Ian
72 Working In A Coal Mine Lee Dorsey
73 Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me) Four Seasons
74 Last Train To Clarksville Monkees
75 Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 Bob Dylan
76 Working My Way Back To You Four Seasons
77 You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Dusty Springfield
78 (I Know) I'm Losing You Temptations
79 Wang Dang Doodle Koko Taylor
80 Standing In The Shadows Of Love Four Tops
81 I Saw Her Again The Mamas & The Papas
82 (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone Monkees
83 Over Under Sideways Down Yardbirds
84 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby... Rolling Stones
85 Kind Of A Drag Buckinghams
86 I'm Your Puppet James & Bobby Purify
87 It's A Man's Man's Man's World James Brown
88 The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) Walker Brothers
89 Little Girl Syndicate Of Sound
90 Cherry Cherry Neil Diamond
91 Cherish Association
92 Go Where You Wanna Go 5th Dimension / The Mamas & The Papas
93 Happy Jack The Who
94 Get Ready Temptations
95 Good Day Sunshine Beatles
96 Red Rubber Ball Cyrkle
97 Good Thing Paul Revere & the Raiders
98 Mother's Little Helper Rolling Stones
99 Don't Bring Me Down Animals
100 Visions Of Johanna Bob Dylan
20 more worth mentioning.
101 Out Of Time Rolling Stones / Chris Farlowe
102 Whispers (Getting Louder) Jackie Wilson
103 The Beat Goes On Sonny & Cher
104 Time Won't Let Me Outsiders
105 Poor Side Of Town Johnny Rivers
106 I Want You Bob Dylan
107 My Little Red Book Love
108 Cool Jerk Capitols
109 Pretty Flamingo Manfred Mann
110 For No One Beatles
111 Sweet Talkin' Guy Chiffons
112 Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart Supremes
113 Yellow Submarine Beatles
114 I Feel Free Cream
115 A Place In The Sun Stevie Wonder
116 That's Life Frank Sinatra
117 B-A-B-Y Carla Thomas
118 Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) Cher
119 Barefootin' Robert Parker
120 Bring It Up James Brown
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1966
Bruce's Choice: An unheralded great record from 1966
* Harmonica Man (From London Town) Torquays
Lew's Choice:
* 5D (Fifth Dimension) Byrds
Adam's Choice:
* I Found You Gene Clark
Brett's Choice:
* Painter Man Creation