1960s Music – 1968

by Michael RichComment — Updated August 3, 2023

1960s Music – 1968  saw several milestones in music. “Classical Gas” written and performed by Mason Williams would become the bar to which composers and guitarists would aspire. On the other end of the spectrum The Doors front man Jim Morrison became the first person to actually be arrested on stage during a performance. It happened at a concert in New Haven, CT and would be repeated at a 1969 concert in Miami, Fl.   Morrison’s continued public intoxication and lewd on stage antics made him a fan favorite but not so much with authorities.Jim Morrison - The Doors

Also in prison but for very different reasons Johnny Cash recorded a live version of his 1956 tune “Folsom Prison Blues” from Folsom Prison. The song was a crossover hit for Cash, charting on both the Pop and C&W charts and became his signature selection. Another group which seemed to cross charts and boundaries was Creedence Clearwater Revival. Known as CCR the group combined an R&B background with Southern and bayou elements and blended them into a rock format which would be the forerunner of the Southern Rock genre. Their main popularity would be primarily on the rock charts.

“Judy in Disguise with Glasses” was a #1 hit for John Fred And The Playboys. The song was a spoof of the Beatles popular song “Lucy in the Skies With Diamonds” and unfortunately branded the otherwise serious band as a novelty act. “Lucy” was their last entree in the charts.
Another group who’s chart success would change the bands public perception was The Lemon Pipers. A serious psychedelic rock group their #1 hit “Green Tambourine” was such a bubblegum pop song that it was interrupted as being anti-establishment and therefore popular with the hippie culture. It was in fact just what it seemed a bubblegum / pop song which managed to force the band to record other bubblegum genre songs to satisfy their recording label.Bobby Goldsboro

Staying with the crossing genres theme, Bobby Goldsboro started as a pop singer but his hit “Honey” charted at #1 on the pop and C&W charts and established him as a country star. The remainder of his career he managed to place top 40 hits on both charts.

Number of Charted Songs Top 40:

Beatles – 3
Aretha Franklin – 3
Cream – 2
Jerry Butler – 2
Marvin Gaye – 2
Rascals – 2

And The Grammy Goes To:

Record of the Year – “Mrs. Robinson” – Simon & Garfunkel
Album of the Year – “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” – Glen Campbell
Song of the Year – “Little Green Apples” – Bobby Russell
Best New Artist – Josè Feliciano – “

60s Music - Easy RiderDo musical scores sell movies or do movies sell their scores, anyway the movie “The Graduate” catapulted Simon & Garfunkel back into a #1 position on the chart for three weeks with “Mrs Robinson”.
Another movie tie in was Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” which because of the 1969 movie “Easy Rider” became an anthem for freedom and rebellion. The movie featured the stars riding through America on their motorcycles and the song became associated with the nickname for big chopper motorcycles which was “heavy metal”. Although, not at all related to what would later become the “heavy metal sound”, it was called a heavy metal song.

1960s Music - 1968
SONG ARTIST(click to purchase) # OF WEEKS DATE
Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) John Fred & His Playboy Band
1960s Music - 1968 Photo
2 1/20
Green Tambourine Lemon Pipers1960s Music - 1968 Photo 1 2/03
Love Is Blue Paul Mauriat1960s Music - 1968 Photo 5 2/10
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding1960s Music - 1968 Photo 4 3/16
Honey Bobby Goldsboro1960s Music - 1968 Photo 5 4/13
Tighten Up Archie Bell & The Drells1960s Music - 1968 Photo 2 5/18
Mrs. Robinson Simon & Garfunkel1960s Music - 1968 Photo 3 6/01
This Guy’s In Love With You Herb Alpert1960s Music - 1968 Photo 4 6/22
Grazing In The Grass Hugh Masekela1960s Music - 1968 Photo 2 7/20
Hello, I Love You The Doors1960s Music - 1968 Photo 2 8/03
People Got To Be Free Rascals1960s Music - 1968 Photo 5 8/17
Harper Valley P.T.A. Jeannie C. Riley1960s Music - 1968 Photo 1 9/21
Hey Jude Beatles1960s Music - 1968 Photo 9 9/28
Love Child Supremes1960s Music - 1968 Photo 2 11/30
I Heard It Through The Grapevine Marvin Gaye1960s Music - 1968 Photo 7 12/14

Click Below For Year by Year Song Charts and Information

1960 Hits
1961 Hits
1962 Hits
1963 Hits
1964 Hits
 1965 Hits
1966 Hits
1967 Hits
1968 Hits
1969 Hits

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