Greatest One-Hit Wonders: 1966

In 1966, the Vietnam War continued to escalate, with the number of American deaths more than tripling. NASA completed its Project Gemini, a human spaceflight program. A sniper at The University of Texas at Austin shot and killed 14 people. The first automated teller machine (ATM) was unveiled in London, and a pocket-sized, 2-inch television was introduced.

Bonanza was the top-rated show, and Star Trek premiered on NBC. The highest-grossing films were The Bible, Hawaii, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The top three Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles were “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas & the Papas, “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians, and “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin. The year also saw the release of many seminal rock albums, including the Beatles’ Revolver, the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, and Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde.

About 40 artists notched their one and only hit in 1966 [Note: 360°Sound defines a one-hit wonder as an artist with one career entry in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100]. To quote the Frank Sinatra record that peaked at #8 in January ‘66, “it was a very good year” for one-hitters. So many terrific one-off hits came out in 1966, especially in the R&B and garage-rock genres, that it was difficult narrowing them down to the very best. We hope you enjoy the following eclectic mix of standout one-hit wonders from 1966.

The Statler Brothers – “Flowers on the Wall”

Songwriter: Lew DeWitt
Genre: Country
Billboard Hot 100: #4 on January 8

The Statler Brothers (who were neither Statlers nor brothers) formed in 1955 in Staunton, Virginia, originally performing as a gospel quartet. In the early ‘60s, the group had the opportunity to open for Johnny Cash. The Man in Black was so impressed by their performance that he urged Columbia to sign them.

The Statler Brothers’ sole pop hit, the banjo-inflected “Flowers on the Wall,” from their debut album of the same name, was written by Lew Dewitt, the tenor in the group. It’s an oddly catchy song with memorable lines like “Smokin’ cigarettes and watchin’ Captain Kangaroo.”I love how baritone Harold Reid emphasizes the kangaroo.

“Flowers on the Wall” won the Grammy for Best Contemporary (R&R) Performance by a Group. While “Flowers on the Wall” was their only Hot 100 hit, the group placed dozens of songs on the country charts well into the 1980s.

The Capitols – “Cool Jerk”

Songwriter: Donald Storball
Genre: R&B
Hot 100: #7 on July 2

Formed in Detroit in the early ’60s, R&B trio The Capitols issued their novelty song, “Cool Jerk,” in the spring of ’66 to capitalize on the popularity of the fad dance. The single was a smash, reaching #7 on the Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B charts. My favorite part is when the singer says, “Give me a little bit of bass with those 88s,” and the bassist and piano player oblige with a solo.

The Capitols tried to replicate the success of “Cool Jerk,” recording more dance numbers like “Cool Pearl” and “Afro Twist,” but none of them charted higher than #65. The group disbanded in 1969. [Editor’s note: The Go-Go’s cover of “Cool Jerk” was a highlight of their otherwise tepid release Vacation in 1982.]

Love – “7 and 7 Is”

Songwriter: Arthur Lee
Genre: Garage rock
Hot 100: #33 on September 24

Roaring up out of the mid-’60s L.A. psych-rock scene, Love’s “7 and 7 Is” is essentially punk rock before it had a name. The blistering guitar and thunderous drums move at a breakneck pace as frontman and principal songwriter Arthur Lee shouts about pretending he was a can and sitting his mind in an ice cream cone. The track culminates with the sound of a bomb detonating, followed by slowed-down, bluesy riffs.

“7 and 7 Is” surely blew a lot of minds in ‘66, and it’s notable that such a sonically aggressive single would have commercial success. In ‘67, Love released their magnum opus, Forever Changes, now widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the ‘60s.

Darrell Banks – “Open the Door to Your Heart”

Songwriters: Donnie Elbert and Darrell Banks
Genre: Soul
Hot 100: #27 on October 1

“Open the Door to Your Heart,” the debut single from Darrell Banks, is one of the great non-Motown soul songs to come out of the Motor City. An especially beloved slice of ‘60s soul, it’s so sought after among record collectors that the London American pressing, believed to be the only copy in existence, sold at an auction for an eye-popping $23,000 in 2014.

I highly recommend seeking out the album the single is from, Darrell Banks Is Here!, on CD or vinyl if you can find it for a reasonable price. The LP also contains the hit single’s outstanding B-side, “Our Love (Is In the Pocket),” which Banks co-wrote with a young George Clinton.

Banks would go on to record the album, Here to Stay, on Stax Records in 1969. Tragically, he would not be here to stay. The following year, Banks was shot and killed by an off-duty policeman after a confrontation over a woman.

Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction”

Songwriters: Kenn Ellner, Roy Chaney, Craig “Butch” Atkinson, John “Sean” Byrne, and John “Mouse” Michalski
Genre: Garage rock
Hot 100: #5 on October 10

Count Five were a group of five teens from San Jose, California, who dressed in Dracula capes and played garage rock. They recorded “Psychotic Reaction” at the request of their manager, Sol Ellner, band member Kenn Ellner’s father. After the record was turned down by a handful of labels, including Capitol and Fantasy, the band re-worked it. The new version was picked up by Double Shot Records, and it burned up the charts, peaking at #5.

“Psychotic Reaction” was included on Lenny Kaye’s essential 1972 garage rock compilation Nuggets. In 2014, the song was ranked #7 on Paste’s list of the “50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time.”

J.J. Jackson – “But It’s Alright”

Songwriters: J.J. Jackson and Pierre Tubbs
Genre: Soul
Hot 100: #22 on December 10

An incredible amount of great soul music was produced in the ‘60s, and every one of my one-hit wonder lists from the decade has at least one R&B gem. Beyond the Motown hit factory, plenty of obscure artists like J.J. Jackson recorded excellent sides. Jackson, a New Yorker who possessed a powerful Otis Redding-like voice and weighed nearly 300 pounds, released his classic dance tune, “But It’s Alright,” on Calla Records in 1966.

With its funky guitar licks and horn arrangements, “But It’s Alright” sounds like it’s direct from Stax in Memphis, when in fact, Jackson recorded the self-penned track in the UK with some of the top British jazz musicians. Nearly three decades later, Huey Lewis and the News covered “But It’s Alright.” Their version missed the Top 40 but peaked at #4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1994.