The American rock and pop band, The Monkees, was unique because they were formed for the sole purpose of creating a comedy television show for young adults; the show was also called: "The Monkees." No one envisioned that their music would become such a huge hit with fans or that it would happen so quickly. The band and actors included Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and the heartthrob singer from England, Davy Jones. Over night these young actor-musicians were treated like the Beatles so they could hardly go anywhere without being mobbed.
The television show was cancelled in 1968 after only two seasons but it was more a matter of the bands success and desire to focus on their music careers which primarily stayed strong until 1971. They were also offered a movie deal which was released around the time the show ended. The title of the film was: "Head." Although the movie wasn't a success, the soundtrack from the film reached 45 on the Billboard's Top 100.
A cult following of their television show renewed interests for their music in 1986 so the band got back together and started touring again. The group has reunited and toured off and on again for years with a different line-up of musicians. Davy Jones died in February 2012 at the age of 66 from a heart attack and Peter Tork died in February 2019 at the age 77 from cancer. Dolenz and Nesmith remain active members of the group. The band put out a Christmas album in 2018.
It's pretty amazing that a television show led to a group of actor-musicians becoming one of the most successful bands of the 1960s. Their manager and public relations representative pulled off some miracles. The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide making them one of the best selling groups of all time with international hits like "Last Train to Clarksville" and "Daydream Believer." What's funny is that newspapers and magazines reported that the Monkees outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967, but it was a lie that Nesmith told a journalist and the media jumped on it before looking into the facts.
The television show was cancelled in 1968 after only two seasons but it was more a matter of the bands success and desire to focus on their music careers which primarily stayed strong until 1971. They were also offered a movie deal which was released around the time the show ended. The title of the film was: "Head." Although the movie wasn't a success, the soundtrack from the film reached 45 on the Billboard's Top 100.
A cult following of their television show renewed interests for their music in 1986 so the band got back together and started touring again. The group has reunited and toured off and on again for years with a different line-up of musicians. Davy Jones died in February 2012 at the age of 66 from a heart attack and Peter Tork died in February 2019 at the age 77 from cancer. Dolenz and Nesmith remain active members of the group. The band put out a Christmas album in 2018.
It's pretty amazing that a television show led to a group of actor-musicians becoming one of the most successful bands of the 1960s. Their manager and public relations representative pulled off some miracles. The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide making them one of the best selling groups of all time with international hits like "Last Train to Clarksville" and "Daydream Believer." What's funny is that newspapers and magazines reported that the Monkees outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967, but it was a lie that Nesmith told a journalist and the media jumped on it before looking into the facts.
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