"Hey, hey, we're the Monkees,
And people say we monkey around,
But we're too busy singing,
to put anybody down..."

The Monkees - "Theme from The Monkees"

Created for a TV show, few could have imagined the success the pop-rock quartet would find on-screen and on the charts.  The ‘prefab four’ as critics would sometimes call them, were created and based out of Los Angeles, California for The Monkees, a TV series that would run between 1966 and 1968, racking up a string of hits that would solidify their reputation as one of most popular acts of the decade. 

Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz were brought together by producers Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson (who later produced the counter-culture classic Easy Rider), to create a half-hour program featuring musicians that could sing and crack a joke or two, similar to the hugely popular Hard Day’s Night, in which The Beatles displayed a brilliant sense of madcap along with their first-rate music.  This marriage of pop music and comedy found a quick hit with viewers, though ironically, The ‘Fab Four’ had already moved beyond their mop tops and into the more complex world of psychedelia.  Each week, the Monkees would throw themselves into filming while the finest songwriters were crafting catchy tunes for them to sing, leading into a career on the pop charts.

The Monkees scored back-to-back hits with the folksy rocker, “Last Train to Clarksville” and the Neil Diamond-penned “I’m A Believer,” both of which soared to #1.  They immediately followed their success with a #2 hit, the bubblegum-y “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” which caught radio listeners’ attention with its catchy “la, la, la” chorus.  

By 1967, the Monkees were bonafide stars in both arenas.  The ‘prefab four’ critics, on the other hand, were building up their arguments against the group, with the fact that they hadn’t played their own instruments on the recordings, and the majority of the songs weren’t even written by them – the Nesmith-written hit “Mary, Mary” being an exception.  Not unlike other ‘created’ groups, they soon wanted to have a greater contribution to the recording of their albums.  Their next album, Headquarters, featured the quartet playing their own instruments and even contributing to the writing of several tracks, most notably the clever send up to swinging-era London, “Randy Souse Git,” penned by Dolenz.  Though it wouldn’t go down as a work of previously hidden genius, it did give them the chance to earn a reputation for themselves. 

They continued the success they’d found that year by going on a U.S. tour, that featured a then-unknown guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, as their opening act.  They brought in session musicians, including members of The Byrds, The Association and even Neil Young, to fill out their studio sound, and released Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.  Though the band had begun experiencing tension, the album featured the use of synthesizer, then very uncommon, and an early Harry Nilsson tune, “Cuddly Toy.”  The album even managed to give the group greater charting success with the Top 5 hit, “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” 

The Birds, the Bees, and the Monkees, released in 1968, continued the band’s success, and boasts the #1 single, “Daydream Believer.”  The charming, piano-pounding pop song remains a favorite with fans and newcomers alike, thanks to its easy to manage sing-along chorus.  That same year, the television series came to an end while the band remained busy recording and appearing in the film, Head.  Written by Jack Nicholson, this psychedelic comedy created a quick pace kept with music and throughout the years has become a cult favorite.  Toward the end of the year, Peter Tork left the group to pursue a solo career, with Nesmith following just after the release of two albums, Instant Replay and The Monkees Present.  Then as a duo, Dolenz and Jones released Changes, their final album as a group before officially breaking up in 1970. 

While everyone was making their moves for their solo careers, The Monkees went into syndication, becoming a surprise hit with later generations.  Syndication has allowed the show, and therefore the band, to have a fresh face with new audiences, paving the way for periodic Monkees reunions.  At the end of the 80s, the Monkees’ albums we re-released along with MTV picking up the original show.  Once again, The Monkees were hot stuff, which led to Dolenz, Jones and Tork coming back together to record a reunion album, Pool It.  After a successful reunion tour, a new TV show emerged, The New Monkees, which featured four newcomers to pick up where the Monkees left off.  By the mid-90s, all of The Monkees episodes were released on VHS, and Nesmith came back into the fold to record another album, Justus and go on tour once more.

The Monkees are living reminders of where music came from, becoming a vital piece of pop culture as we know it today.  Though derided for being the ‘pre-fab four,’ the constant revival of The Monkees on television and even in random conversations proves that they were more than their critics ever gave them credit for.  With their hits regularly played on ‘oldies’ stations, and their many worldwide performances, it’s clear that The Monkees have transcended their manufactured origins and became icons of an era… respected icons.