My 100 favorite songs of 1968

[NightTrain]

Listed alphabetically by title:

2+2=? – The Bob Seger System
AIN’T NO WAY – Aretha Franklin
AIN’T NOTHIN’ BUT A HOUSE PARTY – The Show Stoppers
AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER – Jimi Hendrix
ALL MY HARD TIMES – Joe South
ALMOST PERSUADED – Etta James
ALWAYS TOGETHER – The Dells
BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. – The Beatles
BEHIND A PAINTED SMILE – The Isley Brothers
BIG BIRD – Eddie Floyd
BIRTHDAY – The Beatles
BORN TO BE WILD - Steppenwolf
BOTTLE OF WINE – The Fireballs
CHAIN OF FOOLS – Aretha Franklin
CLOUD NINE – The Temptations
COVER ME – Percy Sledge
COWBOYS TO GIRLS – The Intruders
CRY LIKE A BABY – The Box Tops
DANCE TO THE MUSIC – Sly & The Family Stone
DO IT AGAIN – The Beach Boys
DOCK OF THE BAY – Otis Redding
DOWN ON ME – Big Brother & The Holding Company
END OF OUR ROAD – Gladys Knight & The Pips
FIRE – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

FOOL FOR YOU – The Impressions
FOREVER CAME TODAY – The Supremes
FREEDOM TRAIN – James Carr
FUNKY MISSISSIPPI – Rufus Thomas
GRAZING IN THE GRASS – Hugh Masekela
GUITAR MAN – Elvis Presley
HARD TO HANDLE – Otis Redding
HELLO, I LOVE YOU – The Doors
HEY WESTERN UNION MAN – Jerry Butler
HIP CITY – PART 2 – Junior Walker & The All-Stars
HOLD ON – The Radiants
THE HORSE – Cliff Nobles & Co.
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT – Aretha Franklin
HUSH – Deep Purple
I CAN’T STOP DANCING – Archie Bell & The Drells
I GOT THE FEELIN’ – James Brown
I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE – Marvin Gaye
I THANK YOU – Sam & Dave
I WISH IT WOULD RAIN – The Temptations
I’M A MIDNIGHT MOVER – Wilson Pickett
I’VE GOT DREAMS TO REMEMBER – Otis Redding
I’VE NEVER FOUND A GIRL (TO LOVE ME LIKE YOU) – Eddie Floyd
IF I COULD BUILD MY WHOLE WORLD AROUND YOU – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE MIND – The Amboy Dukes
JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH – The Rolling Stones

LA-LA MEANS I LOVE YOU – The Delfonics
LADY MADONNA – The Beatles
LOST – Jerry Butler
LOVE CHILD – The Supremes
LOVE MAKES A WOMAN – Barbara Acklin
LOVER’S HOLIDAY – Peggy Scott & Jo-Jo Benson
MAGIC BUS – The Who
MAGIC CARPET RIDE – Steppenwolf
A MAN AND A HALF – Wilson Pickett
THE MIGHTY QUINN – Manfred Mann
MIRROR OF YOUR MIND – Joe South
MONY MONY – Tommy James & The Shondells
MR. STARLIGHT – Johnny Barfield
NEVER GIVE YOU UP – Jerry Butler
OPEN MY EYES – Nazz
PAYING THE COST TO BE THE BOSS – B.B. King
PEOPLE GOT TO BE FREE – The Rascals
PICTURES OF MATCHSTICK MEN – The Status Quo
A QUESTION OF TEMPERATURE – The Balloon Farm
RAMBLIN’ GAMBLIN’ MAN – The Bob Seger System
REVOLUTION – The Beatles
SAY IT LOUD—I’M BLACK AND I’M PROUD – James Brown
SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME – Max Frost & The Troopers
SHE’S A HEARTBREAKER – Gene Pitney
SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE (SWEET SWEET BABY) – Aretha Franklin

SING A SIMPLE SONG – Sly & The Family Stone
SLIP AWAY – Clarence Carter
THE SNAKE – Al Wilson
SON OF A PREACHER MAN – Dusty Springfield
STAND BY YOUR MAN – Tammy Wynette
STAY IN MY CORNER (Radio Edit) – The Dells
STOP – Howard Tate
STREET FIGHTING MAN – The Rolling Stones
SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE - Cream
SWEET INSPIRATION – The Sweet Inspirations
THERE IS - The Dells
THERE WAS A TIME – James Brown
THINK – Aretha Franklin
TIGHTEN UP (PART 1) – Archie Bell & The Drells
TIME HAS COME TODAY – The Chambers Brothers
U.S. MALE – Elvis Presley
VALLERI – The Monkees
WE’RE A WINNER – The Impressions
WEAR IT ON OUR FACE – The Dells
WHAT IS THIS? – Bobby Womack
WHATEVER HURTS YOU – The Mad Lads
WHITE ROOM – Cream
WHO’S MAKING LOVE – Johnnie Taylor
WRAP IT UP – Sam & Dave
YOU LEFT THE WATER RUNNING – Maurice & Mac

[izzie]

1. Some great stuff in the year we saw the writing on the wall.

n/t

[Gman]

2. Was there ever a better year?

I don't think so.

It was a year of chaos and turmoil. We need a 1968 in 2004.

[NightTrain]

12. Depends on what you mean by "better," I guess.

:shrug:

[Deb]

3. Oh, wouldn't it be great to have all

those on one cd set?

[NightTrain]

4. Funny you should mention that!

The main reason I make these lists is to subsequently burn CD sets based on them. As such, I do indeed have my yearly Top 100s for 1952-1969 on 18 sets of four CDs each. And if I do say so, they make for kick-ass listening! :bounce:

[DBoon]

5. You remember "The Shape of Things"

Wow. I thought that one vanished into obscurity.

What about "What's Wrong" by Sweetwater?

[NightTrain]

7. Sorry. Sweetwater doesn't ring a bell.

:shrug:

[DBoon]

9. Then it has really vanished into obscurity

too obscure even for a DU poll

[loftycity]

6. Hi, it's 2TDUS at loftycity, but the No. 1 song in 1968 . . .

on December 31 (at least on AFVN in the Republic of Vietnam) was "Those Were the Days" by Mary Hopkins. . .

"Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance
Forever and a day
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose........"

[DemoTex]

8. Thanks NightTrain

Another AFVN playlist.

[Faygo Kid]

10. Maybe the best. Glad to see Seger. Not enough Beatles here.

I turned 17 that year; Tigers won the series; we all know about Kennedy, King, Vietnam, Chicago . . . one of the most important years ever. Seems to me you missed a few, though. Got to look at them more closely, but where's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps?" Still, a great list - and what a year for music. Give me a little bass, on those 88s. And do the Tighten Up.

[Gildor Inglorion]

11. Fabulous List for a Wonderful, Awful Year

but I miss "Judy in Disguise" by John Fred and His Playboy Band and "She's A Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones. I was still in the Army for the first five months of 1968. I was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland, when Dr. King was assassinated and nearby DC went up in flames. Later that year, after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, my grandfather, the world's strongest Democrat (God bless him!) lost interest in living and died quietly at the age of not-quite 91. I still miss him, but at least he didn't have to witness the riots at the Chicago Democratic convention and the defeat of Hubert Humphrey by *shudder* Richard M. Nixon.

[elperromagico]

13. Bob Seger had a system?

I had no idea.

Glad to see you included "Do It Again" by los Chicos de la Playa (:P) - that song has a nice groove to it.

[doc03]

14. Great stuff but (Cry Like a Baby ) reminds me of Army basic. Another

one is (Ruby Don't take You Love to Town) I think they were the only
songs on the juke box at the PX in early 1968.

[skypilot]

15. Grazin' in the Grass

I wish that I could make that my personal theme song. It would start playing whenever I bounded out of my apartment on a nice sunny spring or summer day.