20 Landmark Songs Of The 60s

19. The Monkees - Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdd5xI9l7Ns In the days before American Idol and The X-Factor, The Monkees were the first 'manufactured' band and when the call went out for members of a group who would have to live in the same house, make a hit TV show based on The Three Stooges and release the odd record, there was no shortage of credible musicians who auditioned. The Monkees were an instant hit but where they really made a mark on the 60's was when they decided to do their own thing. Breaking away from their TV show, they made the amazingly subversively titled film 'Head', and 'Porpoise song' was the lead song from it. On the face it this is a copy and paste of late era Beatles, trippy laid back drums with heavily reverbed vocals, but what made this such a landmark in the sixties was that was complete commercial suicide committed by a successful, manufactured group, think of them as the lead character in The Truman show, realising that they were living their lives on TV for the benefit of the masses. Because that was the reality for The Monkees, they were put together in exactly the same way that One Direction were, a group of good looking individuals designed to have wide reaching appeal and tap into Beatlemania. Well the plan worked well, and provided some great songs in 'I'm a Believer' and 'Last Train to Clarksville', but 'Porpoise Song' embodied the singularity of the 60's, they got tired of being puppets, and decided to do what they were best at, even if that meant saying goodbye to their teenage fans and record sales.