thumb|right|upright=1.4|alt=Pop group the Monkees|[[The Monkees had two number ones in 1966.]]
The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart published since August 1958 by Billboard magazine which ranks the best-performing singles in the United States. In 1966, it was compiled based on a combination of sales and airplay data sourced from surveys of retail outlets and playlists submitted by radio stations, respectively, and 27 different singles spent time at number one.
In the issue of Billboard dated January 1, Simon & Garfunkel reached number one with "The Sound of Silence", displacing the final chart-topper of 1965, "Over and Over" by the Dave Clark Five. After it topped the Hot 100, the duo reunited and were extremely successful before breaking up again in 1970. It spent five weeks atop the chart, the year's longest run at number one, but was one of only two Hot 100 entries which Sadler achieved.
Later in the year, the Young Rascals, the Mamas & the Papas, Percy Sledge, Tommy James and the Shondells, the Troggs, the Lovin' Spoonful, Donovan, the Association, ? and the Mysterians, Johnny Rivers, and the New Vaudeville Band all gained their first number ones. Frank Sinatra topped the Hot 100 for the first time in July with "Strangers in the Night"; the veteran crooner, who was experiencing a career resurgence at the age of 50, had previously achieved number ones on the separate sales and airplay charts which Billboard published before the launch of the consolidated listing in 1958. In November, the Monkees gained their first number one with "Last Train to Clarksville". It was the debut single for the band, which had been put together for the NBC TV comedy series The Monkees, which began airing in September 1966. The group achieved its second number one with "I'm a Believer" in December, joining the Beatles and the Supremes as the only acts to have two chart-toppers in 1966. Several of the year's number ones have been ranked among the greatest pop songs of all time. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys at number 6 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and both "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones and "The Sound of Silence" also appeared in the top 200.
Chart history
thumb|right|upright|alt=Pop group the Lovin' Spoonful|[[The Lovin' Spoonful topped the Hot 100 with "Summer in the City".]]
thumb|right|upright|alt=Pop group the Four Tops|"[[Reach Out I'll Be There" was a chart-topper for the Four Tops.]]
thumb|right|upright|alt=Pop singers Nancy and Frank Sinatra|[[Nancy Sinatra gained her first number one in February. Her father, Frank Sinatra, topped the Hot 100 for the first time later in the year.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+
!scope=col|
! scope="col" |Issue date
! scope="col" |Title
! scope="col" |Artist(s)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|151
!scope=row|
|align="center"|""
|align="center"|Simon & Garfunkel
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|152
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"We Can Work It Out"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|151 (re)
!scope=row|
|align="center"|""
|align="center"|Simon & Garfunkel
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|152 (re)
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"We Can Work It Out"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|153
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"My Love"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|154
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Lightnin' Strikes"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|155
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=5|156
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="5"|""
|align="center" rowspan="5"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3|157
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="3"|""
|align="center" rowspan="3"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|158
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Good Lovin'"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3|159
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="3"|"Monday, Monday"
|align="center" rowspan="3"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|160
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"When a Man Loves a Woman"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|161
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"Paint It Black"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|162
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Paperback Writer"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|163
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Strangers in the Night"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|162 (re)
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Paperback Writer"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|164
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"Hanky Panky"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|165
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"Wild Thing"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3|166
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="3"|"Summer in the City"
|align="center" rowspan="3"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|167
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Sunshine Superman"
|align="center"|Donovan
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|168
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"You Can't Hurry Love"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=3|169
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="3"|"Cherish"
|align="center" rowspan="3"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|170
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"Reach Out I'll Be There"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|Four Tops
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|171
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"96 Tears"
|align="center"|? and the Mysterians
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|172
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Last Train to Clarksville"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|173
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Poor Side of Town"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|174
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"You Keep Me Hangin' On"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|175
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Winchester Cathedral"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|176
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"Good Vibrations"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center rowspan=2|175 (re)
!scope=row|
|align="center" rowspan="2"|"Winchester Cathedral"
|align="center" rowspan="2"|
|align="center"|
|-
!scope=row|
|align="center"|
|-
| bgcolor=#EDEAE0 align=center|177
!scope=row|
|align="center"|"I'm a Believer"
|align="center"|
|align="center"|
|-
|}
Notes
Number-one artists
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of number-one artists by total weeks at number one
|-
!scope="col"| Weeks at No. 1
!scope="col"| Artist
|-
! scope="rowgroup" style="text-align:center" rowspan=2| 5
| SSgt Barry Sadler
|-
| The Beatles
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 4
| The Supremes
|-
! scope="rowgroup" style="text-align:center" rowspan=5| 3
| The Righteous Brothers
|-
| The Mamas & Papas
|-
| The Lovin' Spoonful
|-
| The Association
|-
| The New Vaudeville Band
|-
! scope="rowgroup" style="text-align:center" rowspan=8| 2
| Simon & Garfunkel
|-
| Petula Clark
|-
|Percy Sledge
|-
|The Rolling Stones
|-
| Tommy James and the Shondells
|-
| The Troggs
|-
| Four Tops
|-
| The Monkees
|-
! scope="rowgroup" style="text-align:center" rowspan=8| 1
| Lou Christie
|-
| Nancy Sinatra
|-
| The Young Rascals
|-
| Frank Sinatra
|-
| Donovan
|-
| ? and the Mysterians
|-
| Johnny Rivers
|-
| The Beach Boys
|}
See also
- 1966 in music
- Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1966
- List of Billboard number-one singles
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 1966
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from 1958 to 1969