It’s early June of 1966, 2 and a half years into the British Music Invasion, and, what?  NO BEATLES on the ten??

The Fab Four are still a couple of weeks away from cracking the top ten again with “Paperback Writer.”

It would debut at NUMBER ONE in the ten most wanted list on June 25th; but here’s what was selling THIS WEEK in 1966.

(last week’s numbers in brackets)

1. When A Man Loves A Woman/Percy Sledge (1)–His first hit.  He wrote it.  Percy would be voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

2. A Groovy Kind Of Love/The Mindbenders (2)–A hit WITHOUT Wayne Fontana, who left the group in October of ’65.

3. Paint It, Black/The Rolling Stones (4)–This would reach #1 NEXT week and stay on top for 2 weeks.

4. Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind/Lovin’ Spoonful (7)–Their 4th top ten hit in a row; their NEXT one would be their biggest:  ”Summer In The City,” #1 later this summer!

5. I Am A Rock/Simon & Garfunkel (6)–Their third top ten hit in a row, but they wouldn’t reach the top ten again for almost TWO years with the #1 hit “Mrs. Robinson.”

photo thanks to singerpictures.com

6. Monday, Monday/The Mamas and the Papas (3)–The group’s biggest hit.  It was number one for three weeks before Percy Sledge dislodged it.

7. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35/Bob Dylan (5)–He won’t hit the top ten again until late August of 1969 with “Lay Lady Lay,” which was a song written by his wife at the time, Sarah Lowndes.

8. It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World/James Brown (10)–This was James’ 3rd top ten hit and 30th song to make the Top 100!  He’d place a total of 99 songs on the top 100 list in his career.

photo thanks to singerpictures.com

9. Green Grass/Gary Lewis & the Playboys (12)–Incredibly, this was the group’s SEVENTH Top 10 hit in a row, spanning back to early 1965 with their first hit, “This Diamond Ring,” which was their first and only #1 tune.  Gary Lewis and his group would never make the top 10 again.

10. Strangers In The Night/Frank Sinatra (27)–The Chairman of the Board’s first #1 hit in 11 years.  ”Learnin’ the Blues” last hit number one for Frank in mid 1955!  ”Strangers In The Night” would hit #1 on July 2nd.