6 of the 60s: 9/16/14 (1966)

I'm ready to serve up another half-dozen nuggets from the 60s, and this week I'm back to 1966, the year that German-American inventor Ralph Baer began work on developing a system to play games on television that would end up becoming the Magnavox Odyssey, the first video game console.

The Mama's and the Papa's - "Monday Monday"
from the album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriter: John Phillips

Years before the Bangles had a "Manic Monday", the classic folk-rock group laid the case against the start of the work-week, but this time for more heartbreaking reasons.

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The Lovin' Spoonful - "Daydream"
from the album Daydream (1966)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2
Songwriter: John Sebastian

During the whole "vaudevillian" period in pop at the time, the New Yorkers expanded your mind with this floating piece of musical sugar.

Nancy Sinatra - "Sugar Town"
from the album Sugar (1966)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5
Songwriter: Lee Hazelwood

Nancy's hit, written by frequent collaborator Lee Hazelwood, combined the melodic bounce of the Vaudeville movement with country pacing on this record that topped the easy-listening chart...

Sandy Posey - "Single Girl"
from the album A Single Girl (1967)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #12
Songwriter: Martha Sharp

This countrypolitan gem, written by a woman (Martha Sharpe), is the perfect vehicle for the Alabama singer who had her second of three singles that peaked at #12 with it.

Sonny & Cher - "What Now My Love"
from the album The Wondrous World Of Sonny and Cher (1966)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14
Songwriters: Gilbert Becaud, Carl Sigman

The couple's cover of the French pop song titled "Et Maintenant" graced their third album; Herb Alpert also had a hugely successful album built around the song.

Tommy James & The Shondells - "It's Only Love"
from the album It's Only Love (1967)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #31
Songwriters: Richie Cordell, Morris Levy, Sal Trimachi

This song teaching you how to slow down in the romance department was written primarily by Ritchie Cordell, but record exec Levy snuck his byline on there as well.