The Music of 1968: A weekly look at America’s top singles in the year of ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Love Is Blue’, ‘Honey’ and the peak of Motown

Amidst the political turmoil in America in 1968, the music you heard on the radio was as eclectic a concoction as anyone could imagine. It’s sappy ballads, bubblegum records, psychedelic hits, instrumental hits, country tunes, hard rock, power pop, soul, Motown classics, protest songs, novelty records and, as always, or at least since 1964 in America, the genius of The Beatles. Even among just the #1 songs of the year, the variety is mind-blowing, from ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Honey’, ‘Green Tambourine’, ‘Love Is Blue’, ‘Grazing In The Grass’ and ‘Harper Valley P.T.A.’ to ‘Love Child’, ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’, ‘People Got To Be Free’ and ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’.The most popular single of 1968 is ‘Hey Jude’ which stays at #1 for an incredible 9 weeks. According to Billboard magazine, the Top 10 records of the year are, after ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Love Is Blue (L’amour Est Bleu)’ by Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra, ‘Honey’ by Bobby Goldsboro, ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay’ by Otis Redding, ‘People Got To Be Free’ by The Rascals, ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ by Cream, ‘This Guy’s In Love With You’ by Herb Alpert, ‘The Good, The Bad And The Ugly’ by Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra and Chorus, ‘Mrs. Robinson’ by Simon and Garfunkel and ‘Tighten Up’ by Archie Bell and The Drells. The top artists of the year include The Beatles, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, Cream, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, The 1910 Fruitgum Co., The Bee Gees, Tommy James and The Shondells, The 5th Dimension and Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66. In 1968, we see the first Hot 100 appearances from Creedence Clearwater Revival, Deep Purple, The First Edition, Steppenwolf, The Band, Andy Kim and Sly & The Family Stone and the last hits from Herman’s Hermits, Gary Lewis and The Playboys, Nancy Sinatra, The McCoys and The Mamas and The Papas.The Beatles are the only act to score more than one #1 record in 1968. They start the year at #1 with ‘Hello Goodbye’, a carryover #1 from 1967 and