The TRAGIC Side of The MONKEES You Never Knew Existed

The Monkees may have been one of the most beloved bands of the 1960s, but behind their upbeat music and TV success lay a history filled with struggles. From creative battles and bitter splits to personal tragedies, substance issues, and heartbreaking losses, the band's story is far from the happy-go-lucky image they portrayed. Join us as we uncover the tragic details of The Monkees, a band that soared to fame but faced unimaginable hardships along the way.
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[@liuzhou]

How lucky we are to have someone like you to come along and tell us what we don't already know then assail us with ignorant misinformation and long debunked myths.

[@johnlang1933]

Relax a little…(none of this is about you…)

[@arpik903]

CORRECTION: Peter Tork died before Mike Nesmith.

[@dvdvnr]

An absolute jumbled mess of a video. Not worth watching in the least.

[@thomasasiano9195]

I was working as a Field Producer at HBO and Micky Dolenz was available for a short interview at the Hollywood Christmas Parade. He is an interesting guy and has a quick wit. He was a child actor on a TV Series in the 50's called Circus Boy. I later ran into him at our production office and divulged that he was my favorite Monkee...he feigned excitement. It was the perfect reaction.

[@kiasax2]

Mickey Dolenz sang lead on what I subjectively think was their best song; Last Train to Clarksville. While I've never written a hit song or recorded one either, I have been playing the guitar since I was 8 and have been singing along since I was 10. I've fronted a cover band and played rhythm guitar and played keyboards too. I've been playing and singing, just me and my guitars since I was 16, shhh, don't tell anyone because I was a tall kid and they thought I was 18, so don't tell anyone, please. I gave you my musical starting point to lend credence to my choice for the best Monkees song. Don't get me wrong, Davy Jones and Mike Nesmith had fine voices too, and Peter certainly could sing as well, except when he had to do goofy songs. All of the girls my younger sister's age just adored the band and the TV show. Which was great for me because that meant I wasn't going to have my kid sister trying to follow me around all the time. LMBO!

[@dragonqueen4]

It was the Monkees, that got me into music, and I’ve never looked back. I still love them now as much as I did then ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Autshot20]

Sorry, the album title is not "Youtus". It is called "Just Us"

[@markjamesmeli2520]

Their facts here are not "incorrect," but they messed it up badly.

[@SittingBullLives-l8d]

They never outsold the beatles and rolling stones in 1967. Mike made that up in an interview in 1977 and it has stuck around ever since

[@terryjohnson7225]

A lot of sales

[@terryjohnson7225]

4 #1s in a row. It's worth a fact check

[@lucasoheyze4597]

They might have outsold the Stones that year, they weren't at their best.

[@sheripoe-pape2137]

They loved each other as brothers.

[@ofrabjousday1]

So many things not accurate with this report, mainly between the narration and the images. Peter Tork is not Mike Nesmith. Jack Nicholson is not either Bob RAEFELSON, rather than "Raffleson," nor Bert Schneider. (You kept showing Nicholson when discussing the pair.) Nesmith made up the rumor that The Monkees outsold The Beatles, The Stones and Elvis combined for the year 1967. (Sgt. Pepper alone sold 2 million units the first month of release worldwide, not to mention Magical Mystery Tour, also that year.) There was no way that "More of the Monkees," "Pisces" and "Headquarters" sold more than the 8 million copies The Beatles sold. And that's before you get to The Stones' "Satanic Majesty's Request." (And why were you showing Fonzie??) Lots of others...

[@ronchase1673]

I think Micky Dolenz was gonna audition for the Fonzie role, at least that’s what I remember hearing, but yeh the speaker should’ve mentioned that since they flashed Henry Winklers picture?

[@st.charlesstreet9876]

Well Said…..

[@markadamski6175]

this is from Brenda Adamski... considering they were, in a sense, forced to be together, the average fan didn't feel that or know of that until long after they grew up. I will never regret being a huge fan, and am glad I got to see them live and actually meet them in person about 30 years ago. They are a happy memory for me, and I am forever grateful

[@jenniferunderwood951]

@@markadamski6175 from what I’ve seen in the past Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork were writing music before the Monkees and wanted to include their music on the albums but were shutdown. Peter ended up playing Topenga Lawrence’s father on a few episodes of Boy Meets World.

[@patrickkenney2536]

I since love them 😻

[@standardranchstash221]

Save the Texas Prairie chicken.

[@agnesgrep1970]

Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork separately auditioned to play fictional characters in a scripted television sitcom about a fictional rock band inspired by the success of The Beatles feature film "A Hard Day's Night." As a high-profile project of a national television network and major film studio, producers had the resources to assemble a team of A-list songwriters and ace LA session musicians to record tracks over which the actors' singing voices were later dubbed. Micky: "I'm as much a drummer as Leonard Nimoy is a Vulcan." The show was cancelled after two seasons, and the actors suffered several lean years before 1960's Baby Boomer kids matured into 1980's Yuppies and the group's career was revived via reissue CD's and nostalgia concert tours.

[@devilsdestiny2813]

This is a load of mostly fictional bullsh*t. End of story.

[@johnsain]

My favorite group in 1966-67 when I was 7.

[@jzenick]

What a horrible shit show of an attempt at a documentary.

[@martinschulz9381]

Monkees had good music and their silly show is still fun to watch. I actually have an idea inspired by the Monkees show for a modern day show comedy about a rock band. Good video.

[@ronchase1673]

I know the Monkees wanted to be a real band like the partridge family also, they all should have just played as per their contract, when it was complete they would still be young and do whatever they wanted, maybe have a back log of original material then hit the ground running, im a singer songwriter and that kind of exposure is priceless, I know I would’ve made the most of it,

[@raymondwoods2410]

Love their music and their show as a teenager ! Sad how Hollywood destroys pure talent for a dollar.😢

[@chriswatts1680]

This is bullshit😊

[@modernista6056]

Not one mention of Neil diamond who wrote majority of the music 👍🤔🤷

[@shamelesshussy13]

4 of The Monkees' songs were written by Neil Diamond. The band also had hits that were written by Carole King and Boyce & Hart.

[@thomashugus5686]

I was 15/16 years of age and I really liked their sound! Daydream believer and their early hits were great!!

[@aussiegusrandom84]

I heard a while back that Day Dream Believer was written by musician John Stewart who wrote Gold with Stevie Nicks singing in the background. Not sure what else he did besides that

[@thomashugus5686]

@ still a very good song! It has held up well

[@georgewilliams4258]

Actually it was Nesmith or Dolenz that claimed that they sold more albums than the Beatles and Stones combined.

[@michaelwakeford2336]

Yes, they did indeed sell far more records than The Beatles ………… on Fantasy Island! They were a fake band who could not play a note of music. At best, they were pretend musicians. This was America’s idea of how to show the World that their,”Musicians,” were bigger and better than all the British bands of the 1960s. They were both pathetic and ridiculous. Perfect for the US market. Nothing to do with reality.

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Because they used to tell lies in interviews to see what they could get away with saying 😆

[@BrianRoberson-k7g]

They did sell a lot of records. Monkees albums were a common sight while that show was on.

[@TonyAyala14]

The Monkees were a made for TV band, only Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith were the only ones who actually knew anything about music and playing instruments. They never even wrote barely any of their own songs.

[@rohnleidigh213]

"Band members." A manufactured group of actors that could play and sing for a TV show idea.

[@kawboy14]

Drug addiction ? Apparently the Monkees had a human on their back.. 🤔

[@tommymorrison6478]

Says Torkelson, shows Nesmith..............

[@kabiam]

Pretty annoying. Need to be re-edited.

[@silvameaferam5441]

OMG Who created this? Were you just totally ignorant of the facts or trying to cause more distortion of the truth? THUMBS DOWN

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

I don’t understand why, if they needed to hire four lads, they could only find one good-looking lad.

[@jenniferunderwood951]

That’s unkind.

[@1sirteddles]

@@jenniferunderwood951 YES, BUT IT'S FUNNY.ONLY JOHN AND PAUL COULD INITIALLY HAVE BEEN SAID TO BE HANDSOME. GEORGE GREW INTO IT. RINGO IS WELL RINGO. AND NONE OF THE STONES WAS HANDSOME. RICKY NELSON WAS MORE HANDSOME THAN ELVIS. AT THE END OF THE DAY, US GUYS CARE ABOUT THE MUSIC.

[@jenniferunderwood951]

@ what you’ve said is pretty true. When it comes to the Monkees most girls have selected which one they’d “marry”, many would choose Davy Jones, but others perhaps Peter Tork. And I think back in the ‘50s geeky looking was “it”, look at Buddy Holly , for example.

[@Thoamsbryant]

But just love theses guys😊

[@clivebaxter6354]

why?

[@Thoamsbryant]

​. Why's what

[@SusanBlakely-pd6mp]

Does this mean it's unlikely they may be coming to my town?

[@jenniferunderwood951]

Considering they’re dead, I’d say it is certain they won’t be touring.

[@cameraman655]

Pure rubbish…Also, why do these channels feel the need to add all of this totally useless, pointless and irrelevant stock footage? A HUGE 👎👎👎👎👎

[@SusanBlakely-pd6mp]

4.31 CORRECTION: The Monkees were never known as the Prefab Four-it's a 1978 Eric Idle joke from The Rutles.

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

I thought the Rutles were better than the Beatles. I still play the Rutles music today.

[@marty7239]

I WAS ABOUT 8-9 YEARS WHEN I FIRST HEARD THE MONKEYS.. SOME OF THERE MUSIC WAS ALRIGHT.. BUT EVEN AT THAT YOUNG AGE.. I KNEW THEY WERE,. NO WHERE NEAR THE BEATLES,.. IT WAS ALWAYS BEATLES FIRST AND AFTER THAT EVER ONE ELSE CAME IN.. THE ROLLING STONES, THE KINK'S, ZOMBIES, AND ALL THAT GOOD BRITISH INVASION STUFF.. IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO BE ALIVE.. MUSIC WAS BEAUTIFUL AT THAT TIME.. YOU HAD TO BE THERE..

[@TerryFlynn-sd1ho]

The Monkees Were Fun to Watch But They Were Not Close To The Beatles in Talent! I'm 67 and a Musician and Growing up I Bought Beatles, Stones,Yardbirds Etc.but Never Even Considered Buying a Monkees Record.No Offense. 🤷‍♂️

[@markadamski6175]

100% agree ( i am 68) but now knowing their backstory, it amazes me that to this day, the average viewer perceives them as close friends. I am sure they genuinely cared for each other, but like any group of people will experience, they must have had many conflicts. They were very young, they are human, and had different musical tastes. I am forever grateful I lived through the Monkees era.

[@elijahjames8837]

The truth is the Beatles were no better than the Monkees and just as fake. The Beatles couldn't play the music they didn't write. Check out Sage of Quay

[@GregoryHawkins-d2p]

Stop calling people by their last names. Call them by their first names.

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

Why? Traditionally, men were always called by their surnames. You don’t refer to Churchill as Winston.

[@mikemiller659]

Like many shows these people were brought together as a business..

[@lindaharvey9285]

Mickey dolenz is now the only one left . 2025

[@rayknister1472]

I was gonna slam this mess, but I see everyone else did it for me.

[@scronx]

"If you enjoyed this video' -- oh yes! Beautiful job!!

[@davidlsmith3864]

Instead of being straightforward, the dates are all over the place (Michael Nesmith, jumps to Micky Dolenz and mentions 1976, and immediately stated Nesmith formed the First National Band (which happened in 1970), Davy Jone dies (2012), which jumps to their 20TH Anniversary and "That Was Then, This Is Now"(1986)); Thumbs Down !!! Also, many videos that have nothing to do with The Monkees (Happy Days, Bonanza, etc.)

[@majorsabira3359]

🎉🎉

[@TooLooze]

Carole King's music was also essential to their success.

[@johnsain]

.....Neil Diamond....

[@modernista6056]

Yeah it was Neil diamond who was the main songwriter.

[@AnthonyHolinko]

You're social media always uses TRAGIC! Your social media is NOT only badly done,it is a SEWER!

[@nicholasgreenwalt7983]

Not trusting a story that can’t SPELL the name of the band. Monkees not Monkeys.

[@unstrung65]

The fallacy is that bands have to get along to be creative . ( I make an exception for "The Monkee's - who were never a REAL band -- they were a facsimile of the movie "Hard Days Night" by The Beatles .) --- But young girls just ate them up and they had decent writers and studio musicians . Getting along was secondary to that process .

[@bearscatbarrett8795]

So many wrong points in this...why bother putting it out?

[@kevinburnell-y2h]

It is Nesmith not Nesmith.

[@Richard-g4u1r]

Pretty sure it's Nesmith.

[@brentgartside6039]

Angie Gartside Collurafici

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

😘

[@patrickalcatraz8146]

WHO CARES!!!!!!

[@fredparker1734]

Alternative facts???

[@christopherburleigh9171]

Imagine the song writing team of Neil Diamond and John Lennon.

[@ExploriumSpace-y4v]

Best one❤

[@Andy-wl6xy]

2nd rate Beatles rip-offs.

[@clivebaxter6354]

third rate at best

[@albertchehade9916]

waloc

[@clivebaxter6354]

They still have fans? they were a dreadful fake band “Then came a point where he asked me about the sales of the Monkees records, and I saw the chance. It isn’t too well known, I said flatly, that we sold over thirty-five million records in 1967. More than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined … he diligently wrote all this down, and I wondered for a moment if I had chosen too outrageous a lie to tell, but it turned out it had been just right. “The next day in the paper, there it was, printed as fact.”