Last updated 4/12/2020
Songs 41-70 are located here.
Songs 71-100 are located here.
Songs 101-110 are located here.
Extra songs are located here.
The Top Songs of 1968, as charted by Billboard Magazine, will be presented each week during the season.
The source reference for this list is “Joel Whitburn’s Pop Annual 1955-1999.” Joel originated the tracking of Billboard chart data in 1970, so he’s known as the expert in the field.
The structure of the annual charts is simple: records are rated on the highest position reached on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the number of weeks spent at that position. Ties are broken by the number of weeks spent in the Top 10, Top 40, and Top 100.
If a record charted in more than one year, all of its chart history is treated as if it occurred in the year that the record first hit its peak position, so it will not appear at all in the other year’s listing.
685 records appeared on the Hot 100 chart in 1968.
Unless otherwise indicated, all tracks are stereo 320 kbps mp3 files, converted from CD sources (16 bits/44.1 KHz).
Some tracks were converted to mp3 from high-resolution digital files (24 bits/88.2, 96, 176.4, or 192 KHz; or DSD at 2.8 MHz), and those are marked as “high-res”.
Others are lower-resolution mp3 files that were downloaded from Amazon Music, Google Play, or iTunes.
Song 1
Peaked at #1 for nine weeks on 9/28/68.
#1 record of the Sixties. Debuted at #10, the first record to make the Top 10 in its first week on the chart.
This is the 2015 stereo remix.
#1 – “Hey Jude” by The Beatles
Song 2
Peaked at #1 for seven weeks on 12/14/68.
Another year-end record that should actually be the #1 record of 1969, because four of its seven weeks at #1 were in January 1969.
First recorded by The Miracles in 1966. Gaye’s version was recorded in the spring of 1967, but Berry Gordy vetoed its release. The Gladys Knight and the Pips version was recorded and released six months later. It became Motown’s biggest-selling single to date.
The Gaye version was originally an album track that got a lot of airplay in 1968, forcing Motown to release it as a single. It passed the Knight version as the best-selling Motown single to date (though neither one was on the actual Motown label).
#2 – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
Song 3
Peaked at #1 for five weeks on 2/10/68.
Mauriat’s only Top 50 U.S. hit.
Second-biggest instrumental hit of the Billboard Hot 100 era. The biggest came earlier in the decade. Can you name it?
#3 – “Love Is Blue” by Paul Mauriat
Answer to the above question.
This is the #1 instrumental of the Hot 100 era, the #1 record of 1960, and the #2 record of the entire decade, ranking behind only the #1 record of 1968.
This was Faith’s third and last #1 record and last Top 30 hit.
#1 of 1960 – “The Theme From ‘A Summer Place'” by Percy Faith and His Orchestra
Song 4
Peaked at #1 for five weeks on 4/13/68.
Goldsboro’s second and last Top 10 record.
Written by Bobby Russell, who also wrote “Little Green Apples.” Thankfully, his songwriting career didn’t last long.
In a 2011 poll, Rolling Stone readers ranked “Honey” the second-worst song of the 1960s.
The top 3 were all from 1968: #3, “MacArthur Park,” and #1, “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.”
#4 – “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro
Song 5
Peaked at #1 for five weeks on 8/17/68.
The Rascals’ ninth, and last, Top 20 record.
#5 – “People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals
Song 6
Peaked at #1 for four weeks on 3/16/68.
His only Top 20 pop hit. Redding never heard the final mix, which was done by guitarist and co-writer Steve Cropper two days after Otis died.
Baseball connection: “Blue Moon” Odom, who was from Redding’s hometown, hung out at some of the sessions while this was being recorded.
#6 – “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding
Song 7
Peaked at #1 for four weeks on 6/22/68.
After years of successful songs, this was Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s first #1 pop hit in the U.S.
Eleven years later, Alpert became the first (and only) artist to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with both a vocal performance and an instrumental performance when his instrumental, “Rise”, hit #1.
Transferred from a 24/96 hi-res digital file.
#7 – “This Guy’s In Love With You” by Herb Alpert
Song 8
Peaked at #1 for three weeks on 6/1/68.
A different version of the song was performed in the film “The Graduate.” This version was recorded six weeks after the movie was released.
Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Best Contemporary-Pop Performance – Vocal Duo or Group.
Transferred from a 24/192 hi-res digital file.
#8 – “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon and Garfunkel
Song 9
Peaked at #1 for two weeks on 11/30/68.
As was usually the case on the final few singles, Diana Ross is the only Supreme to perform on the record.
#9 – “Love Child” by Diana Ross and the Supremes
Song 10
Peaked at #1 for two weeks on 5/18/68.
First of three Top 40 hits for the group.
Bell had been drafted into the Army right before the song was recorded and was serving when it became a hit.
Most listeners think that Archie is saying “we dance just as good as we walk,” but it’s actually “we dance just as good as we want.”
#10 – “Tighten Up” by Archie Bell and the Drells
Song 11
Peaked at #1 for two weeks on 8/3/68.
Promoted as the first rock 45 rpm record in stereo.
The music is similar to The Kinks’ song “All Day And All Of The Night.” So similar, that The Doors paid royalties from the British single to The Kinks after the threat of legal action.
Transferred from a 24/192 hi-res digital file.
#11 – “Hello, I Love You” by The Doors
Song 12
Peaked at #1 for two weeks on 1/20/68.
John Fred’s only Top 40 hit.
First formed as John Fred and the Playboys in 1956, the name was changed in 1967 to avoid conflict with Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
#12 – “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)” by John Fred and His Playboy Band
Song 13
Peaked at #1 for two weeks on 7/20/68.
Masekela’s only Top 40 hit.
The song was recorded as a fill-in at the last minute, because Masekela’s album was three minutes short of the 30-minute requirement in his record contract.
#13 – “Grazing In The Grass” by Hugh Masekela
Song 14
Peaked at #1 for one week on 9/21/68.
Riley’s only Pop Top 40 hit. She had eight Country Top 20 hits.
First record by a female vocalist to reach #1 on both the Pop and Country charts.
#14 – “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley
Song 15
Peaked at #1 for one week on 2/3/68.
The group’s only Top 40 hit.
#15 – “Green Tambourine” by The Lemon Pipers
Song 16
Peaked at #2 for four weeks on 2/24/68.
Dionne Warwick’s biggest solo hit, and one of the few not written by Bacharach and David.
The flip side, “I Say A Little Prayer,” charted earlier and was Song 48 in 1967.
#16 – “(Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls” by Dionne Warwick
Song 17
Peaked at #2 for three weeks on 4/6/68.
The most successful Union Gap record.
Jerry Fuller both wrote and produced this record, Song 25, and Song 70, and produced Song 26. Earlier in his career, he wrote 23 songs for Rick Nelson.
#17 – “Young Girl” by The Union Gap Featuring Gary Puckett
Song 18
Peaked at #2 for three weeks on 11/2/68.
First Apple single not by The Beatles. Produced by Paul McCartney, but not written by him.
It’s a 1924 Russian song. Folksinger Gene Raskin (who was also a professor of architecture at Columbia) wrote English words in 1962 and took full credit for the song.
Hopkin’s only U.S. Top 10 record, though she had five Adult Contemporary hits.
#18 – “Those Were The Days” by Mary Hopkin
Song 19
Peaked at #2 for three weeks on 6/29/68.
A lot going on here. First, this was the B-side of the record. The A-side was a vocal version of the same song, titled “Love Is All Right,” sung by Cliff Nobles. The song is credited to producer Jesse James, even though neither he nor Nobles were present when the track was recorded.
The studio musicians who created the track got neither credit nor additional payment for the song, so they vowed never to work for James again, going instead to work for the legendary Philadelphia producers Gamble and Huff, where they eventually became the group MFSB.
#19 – “The Horse” by Cliff Nobles and Co.
Song 20
Peaked at #2 for three weeks on 8/24/68.
First and biggest of the group’s three Top 20 hits, it was the third single off their first album.
The song’s writer, stage name Mars Bonfire, is actually Dennis Edmonton, brother of group drummer Jerry Edmonton.
#20 – “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf
Song 21
Peaked at #2 for two weeks on 12/28/68.
Unbelievably, Berry Gordy did not like this record and shelved it for over a year.
#21 – “For Once In My Life” by Stevie Wonder
Song 22
Peaked at #2 for two weeks on 1/20/68.
Written for Otis Redding, but given to Aretha instead.
Transferred from a 24/192 hi-res digital file.
#22 – “Chain Of Fools” by Aretha Franklin
Song 23
Peaked at #2 for two weeks on 4/27/68.
The group’s second and last Top 10 hit.
#23 – “Cry Like A Baby” by The Box Tops
Song 24
Peaked at #2 for two weeks on 8/3/68.
Williams’ only Top 40 hit. The title was supposed to be “Classical Gasoline.”
He was writing for the Smothers Brothers TV show at the time, and performed it several times on the show.
#24 – “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams
Song 25
Peaked at #2 for two weeks on 7/20/68.
The group’s third straight Top 4 record.
#25 – “Lady Willpower” by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
Song 26
Peaked at #2 for one week on 10/26/68.
Smith’s only Top 30 hit.
Written by the same guy who wrote the equally annoying #4.
#26 – “Little Green Apples” by O.C. Smith
Song 27
Peaked at #2 for one week on 6/1/68.
Hugo’s only Top 40 hit.
The first of five instrumentals in the Top 30.
#27 – “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly” by Hugo Montenegro
Song 28
Peaked at #2 for one week on 10/19/68.
This was Brown’s only Hot 100 record.
#28 – “Fire” by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown
Song 29
Peaked at #2 for one week on 6/22/68.
Longest record of the year.
#29 – “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris
Song 30
Peaked at #3 for three weeks on 7/27/68.
The first of five Top 30 hits for the group with Laura Nyro songs.
#30 – “Stoned Soul Picnic” by The 5th Dimension
Song 31
Peaked at #3 for three weeks on 2/10/68.
First of their four Top 20 hits.
#31 – “Spooky” by Classics IV
Song 32
Peaked at #3 for three weeks on 7/6/68.
This was their only Top 20 hit over an 18-month period.
Transferred from a DSD Super Audio CD.
#32 – “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones
Song 33
Peaked at #3 for three weeks on 8/31/68.
One of several 1967 hits to be covered in 1968.
Feliciano’s only Top 20 hit.
#33 – “Light My Fire” by Jose Feliciano
Song 34
Peaked at #3 for two weeks on 5/25/68.
Fifth of the group’s six Top 10 hits.
Transferred from a 24/192 hi-res digital file.
#34 – “A Beautiful Morning” by The Rascals
Song 35
Peaked at #3 for two weeks on 3/30/68.
The last Monkees Top 10 record.
Transferred from a 24/192 hi-res digital file, and edited to fade out at the end like the original single.
#35 – “Valleri” by The Monkees
Song 36
Peaked at #3 for one week on 11/30/68.
The 45 version is not only an edit of the album version (1:30 shorter), it contains a different vocal take on the first verse.
This is the mono single version.
#36 – “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf
Song 37
Peaked at #3 for one week on 6/15/68.
Tommy James got the title from the initials on the red sign at the top of the Mutual of New York building.
The only Shondells record to make the Top 20 in the U.K., it went all the way to #1.
In 1987, cover versions of Tommy James hits were consecutive #1 records on the Hot 100: “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany and “Mony Mony” by Billy Idol.
#37 – “Mony Mony” by Tommy James and the Shondells
Song 38
Peaked at #4 for four weeks on 3/9/68.
The first and most successful of the group’s three Top 20 records (but probably the worst of the three).
#38 – “Simon Says” by 1910 Fruitgum Company
Song 39
Peaked at #4 for three weeks on 1/13/68.
The first of their five Top 10 records.
#39 – “Woman, Woman” by The Union Gap Featuring Gary Puckett
Song 40
Peaked at #4 for three weeks on 2/17/68.
Their last Top 10 hit with David Ruffin as lead singer.
#40 – “I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations