In Defense of The Monkees, Part 2

Note: This is the second part of a two-part post. The first part can be found here.

To those who cling to the narrative that The Monkees were a fake group and they were only successful because they had some of the best musicians in the business creating the music for them, the first album where they sang and played their own instruments, Headquarters, probably should have flopped. It didn’t. It hit number 1 in the US and number 2 in the UK, blocked by an album some of you might have heard of called Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The single off of Headquarters peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A rebuttal to this could consist of a claim that the album only did so well because The Monkees were riding the momentum of their previous albums. Firstly, of course momentum played a role. Any band that has released more than one album, EP, or even song has some kind of momentum on their side. The Beatles had tons of momentum on their side when they released Sgt. Pepper’s. And while this momentum might not have come from the benefits of being in show business like The Monkees, I think it takes a bit more than “momentum” to get a number one album. It certainly takes more to get that album certified double platinum.

But sure, let’s give momentum more credit than it’s due. Let’s say Headquarters, the first Monkees album that was truly “The Monkees,” doesn’t count. What about the next album? People had gotten a taste of what The Monkees could offer when placed in the driver’s seat and could now come to their own conclusions after listening to that product. If they didn’t like what they heard, the charts would show it.

Well, the charts certainly showed something. They showed Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. at number 1 in the US. They showed the two singles charting at number 3 and number 11. The certification showed double platinum. The next album? Number 3 with singles at number 1, number 3, and number 34. Certified platinum. Even their strange sixth album (Head), which served as the soundtrack to their very strange movie (also called Head), managed to hit number 45. Around that time, things started to break down. Tork soon left the group and the trio released two more albums (charting at 32 and 100, with the singles also cracking the top 100). After Nesmith’s departure, one more album was released due to contractual requirements, which only managed to hit 152 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums. This would be the end of their joint musical ventures until the late 80s, after which they still managed to find some chart success.

My point here is this: The Monkees were not the only band/artist to receive massive support for their musical careers. As an example, Rockwell, the son of the founder of Motown Records, got Michael Jackson to sing the chorus of his first single. “Somebody’s Watching Me” did very well, but history looks back on Rockwell as a one-hit wonder. Plenty of established celebrities have tried their hands at music with the best personnel available and did not find a fraction of the success The Monkees had. Songs like “Mary Mary,” “You May Just Be The One,” “For Pete’s Sake,” and “Randy Scouse Git” are all examples of better-known songs in The Monkees’ discography that were written by the members themselves.

And at the end of the day...who cares if they had studio musicians or people writing for them? Who cares if they were originally just meant to be actors? Who cares if they were manufactured? They weren’t Milli Vanilli. They were very vocal and upset about their lack of control in the early years and they put in the work to change it.

The Monkees got big during a time when there was a prevalence of snobbery and gatekeeping in the music world. This, unfortunately, has continued on to a large extent into the present day. Like all flimsy arguments, however, there are plenty of exceptions made when the contrived “guidelines” set by the snobs and gatekeepers aren’t followed by those they like. Just scroll through the inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are plenty of acts that did not write their own music or play their own instruments. There are established celebrities-turned-musicians, manufactured images, and acts whose music isn’t even considered “rock and roll.” Even if the Hall is seen as a bit of a joke, many of the acts in it are not. Yet The Monkees are the ones who are discredited, while the others are praised.

In the end, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, and Micky Dolenz were four musicians/actors who were given a platform thanks to aggressive advertising and a contractual obligation to use a backing band for two albums. Dissatisfied, they honed their craft, gained musical independence, released great work, then split up to pursue their own goals, all in the span of four years. Beyond that, their TV show has been beloved by multiple generations and their music has inspired countless other artists.

I understand if people don’t like their music and I have no issue with them expressing why that is. But if that criticism is based on made-up “rules” about what is or isn’t “real music,” what thresholds of participation have to be crossed in terms of the music-making process, and how established someone can be prior to releasing their work, then maybe, just maybe, it’s not about the music for these people. Maybe it’s about a sense of superiority or a confirmation of personal biases.

I want to end on a bit of a more positive note, so that’s what I’ll do.

Yes, The Monkees were a real band. Yes, The Monkees made most of their own music. For my money, it was good music. Really, really good music. To me, at least, that’s what matters.