If you’re a baby boomer, you got treated to some seriously amazing music on the radio in 1968. And the following four songs are probably still playing on repeat in your brain years later. Sing along if you’d like!
“Lady Madonna” by The Beatles
Naturally, The Beatles make it to our list of baby boomer-beloved radio hits from 1968. Quite a few songs were all over the airwaves that year from the Fab Four, but I went with the slightly underrated “Lady Madonna”.
Videos by American Songwriter
This non-album single was more of a boogie-woogie venture, which was a sharp departure from the band’s psychedelic phase. “Lady Madonna” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in the UK.
“The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly” by Hugo Montenegro from ‘Music From The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, A Fistful Of Dollars And For A Few Dollars More’
Any Western fan remembers the theme song from the 1966 film The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Just a couple of years after that movie became a smash hit, composer Hugo Montenegro dropped a cover of that theme, and listeners were obsessed with it. This instrumental, despite being lyric-less, was a hit on the radio. “The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart.
“Tighten Up” by Archie Bell & The Drells from ‘Tighten Up’
Remember this funky soul hit from Archie Bell & The Drells? “Tighten Up” was quite a hit on multiple charts back in 1968. It topped both the Hot R&B and Hot 100 charts and did numbers in Canada as well. If the name isn’t super familiar, just let the song get to the chorus. You’ll be transported back in time in an instant.
“Hello, I Love You” by The Doors from ‘Waiting For The Sun’
“Hello, I Love You” by The Doors is one of the most memorable songs on our list of baby boomer-beloved radio tunes from 1968. It was a bit of a controversial one, as many Doors fans believed it didn’t reflect the band’s true sound, what with its pop-leaning approach and commercialized lyrics. But that didn’t stop “Hello, I Love You” from becoming a hit, and it topped the Hot 100 chart that year.
(Photo by: Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
More The List
-
UNITED STATES – JANUARY 18: Photo of Dwight Yoakam (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
British rock group The Kinks pose on horses in the gardens opposite the Flaghouse in Charing Cross, London where they were rehearsing. Left to right: Pete Quaife, Ray Davies, Mick Avery (bottom) and Dave Davies, 7th September 1964. (Photo by Doreen Spooner/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) -
American power pop band Hanson (American singer and keyboard player Taylor Hanson, American drummer Zac Hanson, and American singer and guitarist Isaac Hanson) attend the 1997 MTV Movie Awards, held at Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, 10th June 1997. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images) -
(Original Caption) Country Western singer Conway Twitty sits on his bus outside the Richmond, VA, theatre where he was to perform a Sunday afternoon concert. (Photo by © Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) -
Dolly Parton on 'Dolly' in 1987. (Photo by John Seakwood/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) -
(EXCLUSIVE, Premium Rates Apply) LOS ANGELES – JANUARY 01, 1979: Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles, California. **EXCLUSIVE** (Photos by Brad Elterman/FilmMagic) -
Musicians Reba McEntire and Kenny Rogers attend the NBC Fall TCA Press Tour on July 29, 1991 at Universal Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) -
Shirley Bassey is presented with flowers by the General Manager of the Capitol Theatre, Cardiff following her performance. 22nd December 1963. (Photo by Western Mail Archive/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)