The

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

is one of many music charts compiled by the

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the

during

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

, as well as singles which peaked in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

and

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

but were in the top 10 in 1966. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced). One-hundred and nineteen singles were in the top ten in 1966. Ten singles from 1965 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while " Save Me" by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, " Sunshine Superman" by

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

and " What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin were all released in 1966 but did not reach their peak until 1967. " Let's Hang On!" by The Four Seasons featuring

Frankie Valli Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer, known as the frontman of the Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice. ...

, and "

My Ship Is Comin' In "My Ship Is Comin' In" is a song written by Joey Brooks which was first a song for the American soul singer Jimmy Radcliffe in 1965 and was later recorded and released by the American pop group The Walker Brothers as their fourth single that sa ...

" by The Walker Brothers were the singles from 1965 to reach their peak in 1966. Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1966. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich,

Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Founded as the ...

, Ike & Tina Turner, Nancy Sinatra, Small Faces and The Spencer Davis Group were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1966. The 1965

Christmas number-one In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...

, " Day Tripper"/" We Can Work It Out" by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, remained at number one for the first three weeks of 1966. The first new number-one single of the year was " Keep On Running" by The Spencer Davis Group. Overall, twenty different singles peaked at number-one in 1966, with The Spencer Davis Group and

(2) having the joint most singles hit that position.

Background

Multiple entries

One-hundred and nineteen singles charted in the top 10 in 1966, with one-hundred and eight singles reaching their peak this year. " Elusive Butterfly" was recorded by Bob Lind and Val Doonican and both versions reached the top 10. Twenty-eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1966.

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, The Kinks and Small Faces shared the record for most top 10 hits in 1966 with four hit singles each. The Walker Brothers were one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was originally released as a single credited to Frankie Valli as a solo artist in 1965 on the Smash label, but was more successful when recorded by the Wa ...

Crispian St. Peters Crispian St. Peters (born Robin Peter Smith; 5 April 1939 – 8 June 2010) was an English pop singer-songwriter, best known for his work in the 1960s, particularly hit record, hit songs written by duo The Changin' Times, including "The Pied Piper ...

Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English beat, rock and pop group formed in 1964 in Manchester, originally called Herman and His Hermits and featuring lead singer Peter Noone. Produced by Mickie Most, the Hermits charted with number ones in the UK a ...

, Petula Clark,

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

and Val Doonican were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1966.

Chart debuts

Thirty artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1966, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, three went on to record another hit single that year:

, Lee Dorsey and The Lovin' Spoonful. The Spencer Davis Group and The Troggs both had two more top 10 singles in 1966. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich and Small Faces each had three other entries in their breakthrough year. The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single. ;Notes

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a m ...

was the original keyboardist for The Animals, leaving in 1965 after the group had broken through with two top 10 hits, including number-one single " House of the Rising Sun". He went on to have a solo career and charted with his own band The Alan Price Set in 1966. The Merseys were an offshoot of the group

The Merseybeats The Merseybeats (also related vocal duo The Merseys) are an English beat band that emerged from the Liverpool Merseybeat scene in the early 1960s, performing at the Cavern Club along with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and other simila ...

, created by former members Tony Crane and

Billy Kinsley William Ellis Kinsley (born 28 November 1946) is an English musician, who was lead vocalist and bassist with The Merseybeats until 1966 (although he temporarily left the band both to form the Kinsleys) The group disbanded in January 1966 to resurf ...

. "Sorrow" was their only hit single as a duo before they folded in 1968.

Songs from films

Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

" (from ''

''), " Strangers in the Night" (''

A Man Could Get Killed ''A Man Could Get Killed'' is a 1966 American adventure comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and Cliff Owen, shot on various locations in Portugal and starring James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa, and Robert Coote. Filme ...

'') and " Yellow Submarine" ('' Yellow Submarine'' in 1968). Additionally, the original version of " Love Letters" was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

after being used in the film of the same name (losing out to " It Might As Well Be Spring" from '' State Fair''). " The More I See You" was first sung by

Dick Haymes Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentinian singer and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host ...

in the 1945 film ''

Diamond Horseshoe ''Diamond Horseshoe'' (also billed as ''Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe'') is a 1945 Technicolor musical film starring Betty Grable and Dick Haymes, directed by George Seaton, and released by 20th Century Fox. It was filmed in Billy Rose's Diam ...

''.

Best-selling singles

Until 1970 there was no universally recognised year-end best-sellers list. However in 2011 the Official Charts Company released a list of the best-selling single of each year in chart history from 1952 to date. According to the list, " Green, Green Grass of Home" by Tom Jones is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1966. "Green, Green Grass of Home" (10) ranked in the top 10 best-selling singles of the decade.

Top-ten singles

;Key

Entries by artist

The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1966, including singles that reached their peak in 1965 or 1967. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1966 is also shown.

Notes

* "Save Me" reached its peak of number three on 4 January 1967 (week ending). * "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" reached its peak of number eight on 4 January 1967 (week ending). * "Make the World Go Away" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 23 March 1966 (week ending) for 5 weeks. * "Summer in the City" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 7 September 1966 (week ending). * "Distant Drums" was Jim Reeves' only number-one, topping the chart two years after his death. * "My Mind's Eye" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 11 January 1967 (week ending). * "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 4 January 1967 (week ending). * Figure includes single that peaked in 1967. * Figure includes single that peaked in 1965. * Figure includes appearance on "Little Man" by Sonny & Cher. * Figure includes single that first charted in 1965 but peaked in 1966.

References

General * Specific

External links

1966 singles chart archive
at the

(click on relevant week) {{UK Music Charts Top 10 singles

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...