POLL: Favorite Monkees singles

Let's go over our favorite singles by the Monkees, focusing mainly on their US releases. Of course, there is one exception to this rule... I have to include one UK #2 hit ('Randy Scouse Git') or I'll never hear the end of it.

I am including singles from 1966 to 1970, and then from 1986 to the present, as these were released (at least initially, in the case of 'That Was Then, This Is Now') as 'Monkees' records. Anything that was issued under a name other than 'The Monkees' from 1971 to 1985 is not included.

Please select your five favorite singles and leave a comment, if you like. Thanks!

Sheddie

 

Last Train to Clarksville/Take a Giant Step
I'm a Believer/(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
Daydream Believer/Goin' Down
Listen to the Band/Someday Man
Good Clean Fun/Mommy and Daddy

 

Porpoise
Tapioca
Train
Stone
Girl I Knew Somewhere

I could only vote in good conscience for a single that I liked both sides -- even though 3 of these I greatly prefer the B-side.

 

Pleasant
Porpoise
Daydream
Band
Git

 

Porpoise Song/As We Go Along
Last Train to Clarksville/Take a Giant Step
I'm a Believer/(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
Randy Scouse Git/Forget That Girl
Valleri/Tapioca Tundra

 

I picked these. Even the B-sides are great!

Last Train to Clarksville/Take a Giant Step
I'm a Believer/(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You/The Girl I Knew Somewhere
Pleasant Valley Sunday/Words
Daydream Believer/Goin' Down

I also LOVE the Daydream Believer remix!!

 

Nice poll. Although I stopped following them by 1970 they were an important part of my growing up in the '60's.

Last Train To Clarksville/Take a Giant Step
I'm a Believer/(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
Pleasant Valley Sunday/Words
Daydream Believer/Goin' Down
Valleri/Tapioca Tundra

 

~"Listen To The Band"/"Someday Man"
~"Pleasant Valley Sunday"/"Words"
~"A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"/"The Girl I Knew Somewhere"
~"I'm A Believer"/"I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone"
~"Last Train To Clarksville"/"Take A Giant Step"

Most Honorable Mention:
"Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)"/"As We Go Along"

Honorable Mention:
"Randy Scouse Git/"Forget That Girl"
"Daydream Believer"/"Goin' Down"
"Valleri"/"Tapioca Tundra"
"That Was Then This Is Now"/"(Theme From) The Monkees"
"Me & Magdelena"

 

I don't need no five choices! "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is the greatest single by the Monkees in my opinion. Yes, I like "Daydream Believer" and "Porpoise Song", but this band really did this King/Goffin nugget the most supreme justice with this rendition. It's easily as good as AnYtHiNG that the Mop Tops ever did. It's sublime pop at its best.

 

A Little bit me, a Little bit You /The Girl I Knew Somewhere

Pleasant Valley Sunday /Words

Porpoise Song (Theme from Head) /As we go Along

Tear Drop City /A Man Without a Dream

Me and Magdalena

 

"Me and Magdalena" was one of those surprise songs that came out of nowhere so many years later. That last Monkees cd was a very good one.

 

Like most voted for five of the first six - Randy Scouse Git would be #6

Pleasant Valley Sunday is indeed their best single

 

I'm a Believer
Porpoise Song
Last Train to Clarksville
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Daydream Believer

 

Totally surprised ' Pleasant...' is outpacing ' I'm A Believer ' \ ' Stepping Stone '.
Not only is the latter The Monkees shining hour , it's one of the greatest singles ever.

 

1. Last Train to Clarksville/Take a Giant Step
2. I'm a Believer/(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
3. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You/The Girl I Knew Somewhere
5. Pleasant Valley Sunday/Words
6. Daydream Believer/Goin' Down
7. Valleri/Tapioca Tundra
9. 
   
10. Good Clean Fun/Mommy and Daddy

best I can do...

 

after those first couple/three albums things get a little tough.

but those first few are pure 60's rock and roll bliss.

 

A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You/The Girl I Knew Somewhere
Randy Scouse Git (Alternate Title)/Forget That Girl
Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)/As We Go Along
Listen to the Band/Someday Man
That Was Then, This Is Now/(Theme from) The Monkees

Darryl

 

Nice poll, Sheddie. Of the 3 number ones, the one I always liked most was I'm A Believer, so if I had to pick one of those, it now would be Last Train. Odd how my opinion changes over time.

The ones in bolded are my favorites for A or B sides.

Pleasant Valley Sunday/Words
Valleri/Tapioca Tundra
Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)/As We Go Along
Listen to the Band/Someday Man
Me and Magdalena

 

Tough calls, but with only five choices I went with:

I’m a Believer/Stepping Stone
Pleasant Valley Sunday/Words
Daydream Believer/Goin’ Down
Porpoise Song/As We Go Along
Listen to the Band/Someday Man

For me, a true “single” is a record with an A and a B side. As great as all three of the “singles” from Good Times! are those are really just three (Terrific) songs on the album.

The singles I chose, are all excellent A sides, but equally great B sides too. In a couple of cases those B sides were not album tracks, making those songs even more special.

Some of these songs had the actual Monkees writing and/or playing on them, others not. Some of them massive hits and others not. But they’re all classics, IMO. In fact, I would honestly compare all of them favorably with The Beatles or Stones best singles.

 

As Guy Smiley points out, a single has two sides, or I guess it used. So two good or great songs would be better than one. I have PVS/Words slightly ahead of Believer/Steppin Stone. I know the later was massive and Micky sings the crap out of those two songs but the involvement of the group on the other two boosts it up a notch for me. I then have Daydream Believer/Goin Down in third edging out Porpoise Song/AWGA for the exact same reasons as the order for one and two. Fifth is The Girl I Knew Somewhere/Little Bit Me. The B side is my single favorite song of all time and using a different method, I guess it would be number 1. The two sides of the other releases are so strong that it is relegated to this spot. I also believe these singles are as great as others from the time period and beyond.

 

PVS by a country mile

 

Actually hard to choose, but today, my choices are "Clarksville", "Alternate Title", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Daydream Believer", and "Listen to the Band".

Those choices can change from day to day, there's so many good ones...

 

Purely for the A Sides

I'm A Believer
Daydream Believer
Alternative Title
Last Train To Clarksville
Pleasant Valley Sunday

Leave a comment? Okay. I know about as much of The Monkees that most people know of em in the UK. They weren't that big in Great Britain a handful of hits and a cheesy tv show. The Monkees was supposed to be the US answer to The Beatles. It never happened. Some UK music lovers might have a Monkees Greatest Hits that's about it. I once read they couldn't play their instruments.

 

In order of preference (at this moment in time):

Listen To The Band / Someday Man
Pleasant Valley Sunday / Words
Porpoise Song / As We Go Along
Daydream Believer / Goin' Down
I'm a Believer / Steppin' Stone

I picked these based on the strength of both the A and B sides. All five of these singles are killer, front and back are all pretty much equally great.