It’s been 60 years since the Monkees recorded their first single—and began their run as No. 1 music stars.
Bandmates Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones recorded their debut song, “Last Train to Clarksville,” on July 25, 1966, per On This Day.com. The record was released as a single the following month, just ahead of the premiere of The Monkees TV show, and climbed the charts through the late summer and fall, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of that year.
Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, “Last Train to Clarksville” featured a catchy, pop melody with unexpected lyrics.
“It was our debut single, and I was lucky enough to sing lead,” Dolenz, 81, wrote in an Instagram caption in 2025. “We didn’t know what to expect, but by November it had climbed all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Not a bad way to kick things off. Looking back, it’s amazing how that little song helped launch everything that followed.”
The last surviving Monkees star added that the song was “a subtle commentary on the Vietnam War,” disguised as a pop tune “as a way to get a protest song on the radio without it being banned.”
Dolenz once admitted that amid the chaos of filming The Monkeessitcom, he didn’t remember the recording session for “Last Train to Clarksville.” But he did remember the first time hearing it on the radio.
“I don’t recall recording it because there was just so much going on at that time,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016. “I was recording two or three songs a night after filming the TV show all day.”
“I have a very fond memory of hearing it on the radio for the first time on KHJ, a big station out here at the time,” the singer added. ‘Davy and I were renting a house up in the Hollywood Hills. We were pulling up to this big, beautiful rented house in Beverly Hills when they went, ‘Here they are, the Monkees’ ‘Last Train to Clarksville.’ We pulled over and just had the biggest grins on our faces.”
RELATED: The Monkees ‘Best Song of All Time’ Became a No. 1 Hit Twice
It wasn’t long before The Monkees were superstars. In a February 2026 piece for Uncut, Dolenz recalled that the show, fueled by the smash single, was an immediate hit.
“The show debuted in September 1966 and became a hit pretty fast,” he shared. “We knew that the show was a success when the first single, ‘Last Train To Clarksville,’ began climbing up the charts to No 1.”
By the time Christmas rolled around, the band members were getting chased by fans.
While two more No. 1 hits followed (“I’m a Believer” and “Daydream Believer”), 60 years after its release, “Last Train to Clarksville” is remembered fondly as the song that skyrocketed The Monkees to superstardom.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.