The underdog came out on top on more than a few occasions in the 1960s, particularly when it came to topping the mainstream charts. Let’s look at a few times when musicians made it big on Billboard, to the surprise of everyone… including the artists themselves.
“Last Train To Clarksville” by The Monkees
Nobody expected a “manufactured” pop band to make it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. And yet, in 1966, that’s precisely what The Monkees did with their megahit, “Last Train To Clarksville”.
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For those who might be too young to remember, The Monkees were initially put together by a television producer for a musical sitcom titled The Monkees in the 1960s. To the shock of everyone, these kids weren’t just a few actors pretending to play music. They were real musicians with real chemistry, and their music was fantastic. The Monkees ended up becoming bigger than the show. Their releases (which they had to fight for creative control over) became pretty hefty hits in the late 1960s. And it all started with the success of “Last Train To Clarksville”.
“The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
This famous folk duo had been working together for a few years before they scored their first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart. In fact, their previous singles either didn’t chart or didn’t make it to the Top 40 whatsoever. When they hit No. 1 in 1965 with “The Sound Of Silence”, more than a few listeners and detractors were shocked. The duo was probably shocked, too. In fact, they were more or less ready to give up on their music career when the song became a sleeper hit after finding some success on college radio. Without this song, Simon & Garfunkel would have probably never continued their work together.
“96 Tears” by ? And The Mysterians
A one-hit wonder just had to make it to this list of underdog artists that topped the charts in the 1960s. This garage rock band shocked everyone when they hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart in 1966 with the psychedelic delight, “96 Tears”. In fact, few mainstream listeners had ever heard of ? And The Mysterians before. This song was their debut single from their debut album. After hitting No. 1 in the US and Canada, though, they never enjoyed as big a hit again, though they continued to make it to the Hot 100 through 1967.
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