The musical landscape of 1966
Popular music changed rapidly as British groups, Motown, soul, folk-rock and psychedelic experimentation widened the sound of the charts. The single remained central, but records became increasingly ambitious.
The Beatles appears 2 times in the Top 20, making the artist one of the clearest recurring presences in this year’s list.
What to listen for
Compare direct dance-floor records with songs that use denser arrangements, unusual instrumentation or more expansive themes.
This list contains 18 different credited artists. The number gives a quick indication of whether the year was concentrated among repeat hitmakers or spread across a wider field.
Billboard Year-End Top 20 songs of 1966
| Rank | Song | Artist | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ballad of the Green Berets | SSgt Barry Sadler | Spotify ↗ |
| 2 | Cherish | The Association | Spotify ↗ |
| 3 | Soul and Inspiration | The Righteous Brothers | Spotify ↗ |
| 4 | Reach Out Ill Be There | Four Tops | Spotify ↗ |
| 5 | 96 Tears | Question Mark and the Mysterians | Spotify ↗ |
| 6 | Last Train to Clarksville | The Monkees | Spotify ↗ |
| 7 | Monday Monday | The Mamas and the Papas | Spotify ↗ |
| 8 | You Cant Hurry Love | The Supremes | Spotify ↗ |
| 9 | We Can Work It Out | The Beatles | Spotify ↗ |
| 10 | Good Vibrations | The Beach Boys | Spotify ↗ |
| 11 | Poor Side of Town | Johnny Rivers | Spotify ↗ |
| 12 | California Dreamin | The Mamas and the Papas | Spotify ↗ |
| 13 | Summer in the City | The Lovin Spoonful | Spotify ↗ |
| 14 | Born Free | Roger Williams | Spotify ↗ |
| 15 | See You in September | The Happenings | Spotify ↗ |
| 16 | Sunshine Superman | Donovan | Spotify ↗ |
| 17 | When a Man Loves a Woman | Percy Sledge | Spotify ↗ |
| 18 | Strangers in the Night | Frank Sinatra | Spotify ↗ |
| 19 | Paperback Writer | The Beatles | Spotify ↗ |
| 20 | Winchester Cathedral | The New Vaudeville Band | Spotify ↗ |
Build a 1966 playlist
Start with “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by SSgt Barry Sadler, then alternate familiar high-ranking records with contrasting selections from the lower half of the list.
How this page should be used
Year-End charts summarize performance across an extended chart year. They are not simply a list of songs that reached number one, and historical methodology has changed. Treat this page as a guided listening resource and compact chart-history reference rather than a mathematical comparison with other eras.