The Monkees passed on the opportunity to record “Sugar, Sugar,” which became a huge hit for The Archies. Subsequently, The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz recorded a solo version of the song. Dolenz’s rendition ...

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – There’s going to be a big homecoming next week for a native Staten Islander who sang one of the most popular songs of all time. Ron Dante will perform with the Turtles as part of ...

The song’s co-writers, Andy Kim (who later had solo hits produced by Dante) and Jeff Barry, had an inkling “Sugar, Sugar” would be a hit. “Most of the Archies’ songs we did in 20 minutes,” Dante said.

In the late 1960s, the bubblegum pop music genre was in full force, with bands like The Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Lemon Pipers, and The Cufflinks frequently appearing on the Billboard Top 10 charts.

In the late 1960s, The Monkees were one of the biggest bands in the country. Fueled by their hit, self-titled NBC TV show, the band, which featured Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy ...