Chart Beat Podcast: The Monkees' Micky Dolenz on 50 Years of Chart Success

The Monkees were formed in 1965 by entertainment execs Bob Rafelson (fun fact: his son Peter Rafelson would co-write Madonna's 1987 No. 1 "Open Your Heart") and Bert Schneider for the fun-loving, vaudeville-and-music-mixing TV series of the same name, which ran for two seasons on NBC (1966-68).

"So much happened so fast, it was like being in the eye of a hurricane," Dolenz says. "We were filming the show eight to 10 hours a day and, at night, recording vocals. And, on weekends we were rehearsing [to go on] tour." Still, he says, "I remember liking it all. How can you not? [We were] selling all those records and getting that incredible reaction. We caught lightning in a bottle."

The Monkees would notch two more No. 1 albums and a third No. 1 single ("Daydream Believer"), while also famously recruiting then-newcomer Jimi Hendrix as an opening act on tour, before he left after only "six to eight" shows; "The little 12-year-old kids were there to see The Monkees," says Dolenz, who remembers Hendrix as "a lovely guy. Very quiet, very sweet. [And] a consummate genius artist."

Following the cancellation of The Monkees, the band would assume greater creative control of its music before parting and reuniting numerous times. After Jones died suddenly in 2012, Nesmith, Tork and Dolenz celebrated the act's legacy in 2016 with a 50th anniversary tour and Its 12th studio album, Good Times! The LP reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200, becoming The Monkees' highest-charting set in 48 years.

As for the future of the group? "There are no immediate plans," Dolenz says. "[But] I've learned never to say never [to] any more Monkee business."

Enjoy the entire latest Chart Beat Podcast and check back for more upcoming episodes with artists, label executives, radio programmers and personalities, songwriters, producers and more. And, to receive every episode automatically in your inbox, subscribe to (and rate) the Billboard Chart Beat Podcast on iTunes!