by Music Gal

Created on: November 05, 2008   Last Updated: May 23, 2012

One could analyze the 60's band, the Monkees, from a variety of perspectives. I would submit that there are two important aspects that would be best able to view their success: the singer-songwriter, and that of a fan. I fit both categories.

Music is key to a performer's success. Lyrics have changed over the years, so it's hard to compare theirs to today's music. Rhyme and rhythm patterns may be different now, but songs written by Boyce and Hart, Diamond, King and the like propelled The Monkees on their journey. Later, the Boys themselves became wonderful writers for their genre. Their songs were completely appropriate and well-constructed for the times and the band. Surely, I could go on to give a detailed musical analysis, but I believe an even greater factor for their success was the fan-base.

Being of a certain' age (which, if you try, is easy to determine), I cut my musical baby teeth on The Coasters, Elvis, Dionne Warwick, and even Big Band greatsour household was decidedly musically eclectic. Then quite suddenlyseemingly overnightthere was what is now lovingly called The British Invasion'. In a matter of months, my preferences settled on The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, Petula Clark, Herman's Hermits, The Stones and, most definitely, The Beatles.

British music was a move away from Motown. Its lyric and melodic themes borrowed from the American music scene in several genres, but turned the industry upside down with nuances never before experienced. But the biggest contribution was one that had begun with our beloved Elvis-then taken up several notches: the screaming pubescent teenybopper.

For those unable to attend these rites of passage in person, we watched from the comfort of our living rooms as hundreds of young girls threw themselves into hysteric frenzies that would have made women of an earlier generation hide for fear of being placed in an asylum. And in each girl's demented rage, her one thought was that her idol would glance down, pick her out of the crowd, and profess his love for her.

Not to be outdone by those invading Redcoats of modern times, America responded. One of our most memorable (and by some accounts, unexplainable) responses was what we saw in the phenomenon of The Monkees. These four young men would become icons in their own time. Even while Beatlemania reigned, The Monkees managed to hold court on the Homefront in their own, unique way. Peter, Mike, Mickey, and Davy became "The Chosen Ones" who would bring some of the insanity

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