4 Rock Songs From 1968 That Give Me Instant Goosebumps Every Time

One of the best parts about listening to music is our bodies’ physical reactions to it: heartbeats quicken, stomachs flutter, eyes get dewy, and, if you’re anything like me, you get goosebumps up and down your arms and legs. These reactions only strengthen in intensity when it’s music I’m especially fond of, like these four rock songs from 1968 that leave me with instant goosebumps every time I listen.

“Hey Jude” by The Beatles

The first song on this list of goosebump-inducing rock songs from 1968 is a no-brainer: “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. This song is a masterclass in building dynamically. What begins as a tender ballad from Paul McCartney behind the piano soon evolves into a rousing, anthemic climax. The melody alone would probably be enough to induce goosebumps. But the entire package—melody, message, and the building intensity of the two—makes it that much better.

“The Unknown Soldier” by The Doors

While this isn’t necessarily the catchiest and certainly wasn’t the most commercially successful track by The Doors, there is something about “The Unknown Soldier” that always leaves me with goosebumps. I think part of it has to be contextual. Jim Morrison wrote these lyrics in the wake of the Vietnam War, which was a particularly dramatic and tumultuous time in global history. At the time this track came out, men were still being drafted, many against their will, to fight overseas.

“Let There Be More Light” by Pink Floyd

Part of what makes Pink Floyd’s “Let There Be More Light” so goosebump-inducing is the knowledge of what that downbeat really meant. The track opens the band’s sophomore album, A Saucerful Of Secrets, which was recorded largely without their former frontman and founding member, Syd Barrett. Pink Floyd as the world came to know them in the 1970s was forming in front of the audience’s very eyes. The idea of this musical alchemy always gives me chills. 

“Sunday Morning” by Margo Guryan

Margo Guryan’s strong aversion to fame meant that she never got as famous as some of her 1968 counterparts, but a renewed interest in her songs starting around the 1990s granted her cult status, which is an arguably cooler accolade, depending on who you ask. Songs like “Sunday Morning” highlight how timeless and evocative Guryan’s vocal delivery was—and how deserving of fame she would have been, had she been able to get over her unwillingness to let other people dictate her actions. (Although that’s one of my favorite things about her.)

Photo by Jack Rosen/Getty Images