1968 in music

By location
United Kingdom Norway
By genre
country heavy metal jazz
By topic
List of albums released

List of years in music ( table)
… 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 …
In radio 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 In television 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 In film 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  "1968 in music" –  news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1968.

Specific locations

• 1968 in British music
• 1968 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

• 1968 in country music
• 1968 in jazz

Events

• January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.
• January 13 – Johnny Cash records At Folsom Prison live at Folsom State Prison, California.
• January 20 – The Who and the Small Faces start with a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
• January 24 – Inaugural concert of the London Sinfonietta under David Atherton at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, including the premiere of John Tavener's dramatic cantata The Whale.
• February 1 – Universal Studios offers The Doors $500,000 to star in a feature film, which is never made.
• February 4 – The Bee Gees make their American television debut on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
• February 12 – Jimi Hendrix is given an honorary high school diploma from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. Hendrix is also given the key to the city.
• February 16 – The Beatles, Mike Love, Mia Farrow, Donovan and others travel to India to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh.
• February 18 – David Gilmour joins Pink Floyd, replacing founder Syd Barrett, who has checked himself into a psychiatric hospital.
• February 21 – McGraw-Hill, Inc., outbids eight other publishers and pays $150,000 for the U.S. rights to Hunter Davies' authorized biography of The Beatles.
• February 22 – Florence Ballard of The Supremes is released from her contract with Motown.
• February 27 – Doo-wop Singer Frankie Lymon is found dead at his grandmother's house in Harlem, New York, of a heroin overdose.
• February 29 – The 10th Annual Grammy Awards are held in Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York, hosted by Stan Freberg. The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band wins Album of the Year (the first rock LP to receive the award), while The 5th Dimension's " Up, Up and Away" wins both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Bobbie Gentry wins Best New Artist.
• March 1 – Johnny Cash and June Carter are married in Franklin, Kentucky, with Merle Kilgore as best man.
• March 8 – Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East in an abandoned movie theater in New York City.
• March 25 – The 58th and final new episode of The Monkees airs on NBC.
• March 30 – The Yardbirds record their live album Live Yardbirds at the Anderson Theater.
• April 5 – James Brown appears on national television in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
• April 6
  • Pink Floyd announces that Syd Barrett, who was replaced two months earlier amid deteriorating mental health, has officially left the group.
  • The 13th Eurovision Song Contest is held in the Royal Albert Hall, London. The winning song, Spain's " La, la, la" is sung by Massiel, after Spanish authorities refused to allow Joan Manuel Serrat to perform it in Catalan. The UK finish in second place, just one point behind, with the song " Congratulations" sung by Cliff Richard, which goes on to outsell the winning Spanish entry throughout Europe.
  • The Open Pibroch Competition of the Scottish Piping Society of London is held at the London Scottish headquarters at Buckingham Gate. First place is won by Robert Brown, for the ninth time in ten years, with a performance of The King's Taxes. Second prize goes to Seamus McNeill of the College of Piping, Glasgow, with The Bells of Perth, third prize to Pipe Major Angus MacDonald of the First Battalion, Scots Guards, with Macfarlane's Gathering, and fourth prize to John MacFadyen with The Battle of Auldern. MacFadyen, however, wins narrowly over Brown in the second big competition, that for the Bratach Gorm, the blue banner of the MacCrimmons. ^[1]
• April 7 – Singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone's performance at Westbury Music Fair is dedicated to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The song "Why? (the king of love is dead)" by Gene Taylor is performed for the first time. The show is partially released on the Emmy nominated album 'Nuff Said! (1968).
• April 29 – The rock musical Hair opens on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre.
• May 4 – Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkin catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Paul McCartney who will soon sign Hopkin to Apple Records.
• May 5 – Buffalo Springfield performs together for the last time in Long Beach, California.
• May 7
  • Aretha Franklin records her live LP Aretha in Paris at the Olympia Theater.
  • Karlheinz Stockhausen begins composing his fifteen intuitive music works, Aus den sieben Tagen.
• May 14 – At a press conference, John Lennon and Paul McCartney introduce the Beatles' new business concept, Apple Corps, Ltd., an entertainment company that included a recording studio, a record label, and clothing store.
• May 26 – Blues artist Little Willie John dies in prison after being convicted of manslaughter.
• May 30 – The Beatles begin recording The White Album (officially titled, simply, The Beatles). Sessions would span over 4 months, ending on October 14.
• June 20
  • David Ruffin is fired from The Temptations due to his ego and because he began inquiring into the Temptations' financial records, demanding an accounting of the group's money.
  • Martha Reeves & the Vandellas make their debut at the Copacabana in New York City, winning a rave review in The New York Times. The engagement was recorded but remains in the Motown vaults.
• July – Release in Brazil of the album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis by Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and others, with arrangements by Rogério Duprat, inaugurates the Tropicália movement in music.
• July 7 – The Yardbirds perform for the last time before disbanding.
• July 9–14 – The International Eisteddfod takes place in Llangollen, North Wales
• July 18 – Mina presents her Italian white soul hits "Se stasera sono qui" and "Colpo al cuore". The performance is transmitted live without playback from the Auditorio A of the Radiotelevisione Italiana regional headquarters in Naples.
• August 1 – Jeff Beck Group releases their album Truth. A seminal work of heavy metal, it incorporates blues and hard rock. It introduced the talents of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood.
• August 4 – Yes performs for the first time, at a summer camp.
• August 5–10 – The Royal National Eisteddfod takes place in Barry, Wales.
• August 21 – Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. At this evening's performance of The Proms in London, the USSR Symphony Orchestra plays with Mstislav Rostropovich as soloist in Dvořák's Cello Concerto.
• August 23 – Simon & Garfunkel give a live concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California. A recording is later released on CD in 1994 by Australian company Vigotone Records as Voices of Intelligent Dissent.
• September 7 – Led Zeppelin performs for the first time, billed as The New Yardbirds (the Yardbirds had disbanded two months earlier, and guitarist Jimmy Page has subsequently formed this new group). Also this day, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour premieres on NBC.
• September 14 – Two sons of singer Roy Orbison, 10-year-old Roy DeWayne Orbison and 6-year-old Anthony King Orbison, die in a house fire in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Orbison's youngest son, Wesley, is miraculously saved by Roy's parents.
• September 15
  • Song of Summer, Ken Russell's noted TV documentary about Frederick Delius, is shown for the first time as part of the BBC's Omnibus series.
  • PocketDiscs are released in several test markets in the United States.
• September 19 – The Who begin recording Tommy, a rock opera that tells the story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family.
• October 7 – Jose Feliciano at Tiger Stadium for 1968 World Series in Detroit sing a personal and controversial soul version of "Star-Spangled Banner", this was the first time for the National Anthem in a different style. ^[2]
• October 8 – The soundtrack for the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet is released, containing popular "What Is a Youth" tune.
• November 8 – John and Cynthia Lennon are divorced.
• November 11 – Three days after his divorce, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's experimental album Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins is released in the United States. Noted for its cover photographs of the couple naked, it ends up being a flop.
• November 17 – Diana Ross & The Supremes replace The Beatles' hugely successful " Hey Jude" at number-one in the U.S. with " Love Child"; this would be the last of five turnovers at number-one between the two most successful music acts in America during the 1960s.
• November 22 – The Beatles (also known as "The White Album") by The Beatles is released. Also released is The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks.
• November 26 – Cream plays their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It will be the last time Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker play together until their 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• December 2
  • Jimi Hendrix's manager Chas Chandler quits over differences with Hendrix during the recording of Electric Ladyland
  • Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform their last concert together before Janis goes solo.
• December 3 – The 50-minute television special Elvis (sponsored by sewing machine manufacturer The Singer Company), taped in June with a live audience in Burbank, California, airs on NBC in the United States marking the comeback of Elvis Presley after 7 years during which the legendary rock and roll musician's career has centered on the movie industry. Concluding with the premiere of " If I Can Dream", it is not only the highest rated television show for the week of broadcast, but the highest rated television special of the year.
• December 6 – The Rolling Stones release Beggars Banquet, which contains the classic song " Sympathy for the Devil."
• December 9
  • A political confrontation at the Planten un Blomen Hall in Hamburg results in cancellation of the scheduled premiere of Hans Werner Henze's oratorio Das Floß der Medusa, a score dedicated to Che Guevara.
  • TCB airs on NBC starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, becoming the first variety special in America to feature an exclusively African American cast.
  • Shinjuku Music Festival is broadcast for the first time by Nippon Cultural Broadcasting.
• December 11 – The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is filmed. Acts include The Rolling Stones, The Who, Taj Mahal, Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac and Marianne Faithfull. This is the last appearance of Brian Jones as a member of the Rolling Stones.
• December 20 – Peter Tork announces he is leaving The Monkees.
• December 22 – The Animals reunite for one benefit concert at the Newcastle City Hall while Eric Burdon & The Animals are disbanding.
• December 31 – Small Faces break up when Steve Marriott storms off the stage.
• Undated – Tropicália movement in Brazil ends.

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

In the US, 6,540 pop singles and 4,057 albums were released. ^[3]

January

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
2	Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4	Elvis Presley	Compilation
	Sing Me Back Home	Merle Haggard	–
15	The Notorious Byrd Brothers	The Byrds	–
	From Sea to Shining Sea	Johnny Cash	–
	Nefertiti	Miles Davis	–
16	Vincebus Eruptum	Blue Cheer	–
21	Boogie with Canned Heat	Canned Heat	–
	The Graduate	Simon & Garfunkel (incidental music by Dave Grusin)	Soundtrack
22	Gris-Gris	Dr. John	–
	Heavy	Iron Butterfly	–
	Lady Soul	Aretha Franklin	–
	Spirit	Spirit	–
29	Steppenwolf	Steppenwolf	–
30	White Light/White Heat	The Velvet Underground	–
–	A Beacon from Mars	Kaleidoscope	–
	Did She Mention My Name?	Gordon Lightfoot	–
	Horizontal	The Bee Gees	–
	Everybody Knows	The Dave Clark Five	US
	Mass in F Minor	The Electric Prunes	–
	Now and Them	Them	–
	Om	John Coltrane	–
	Something Else Again	Richie Havens	–

February

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
19	Once Upon a Dream	The Rascals	–
21	Child Is Father to the Man	Blood, Sweat & Tears	–
23	The Dock of the Bay	Otis Redding	Compilation
	Doin' Our Thing	Booker T and The MG's	–
-	Fleetwood Mac	Fleetwood Mac	–
	There Are But Four Small Faces	Small Faces	US [4]
	The Beat Goes On	Vanilla Fudge	–
	Hangin' On	Waylon Jennings	–
	The Inner Mystique	The Chocolate Watch Band	–
	The Mason Williams Phonograph Record	Mason Williams	–
	It's Been a Long Long Time	Hep Stars	–

March

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack	The Nice	Debut
4	We're Only in It for the Money	The Mothers of Invention	–
6	The United States of America	The United States of America	–
7	Birthday	The Association	–
13	Eli and the Thirteenth Confession	Laura Nyro	–
25	Dionne Warwick in Valley of the Dolls	Dionne Warwick
	Reflections	Diana Ross & The Supremes	–
-	Move	The Move	Debut
	Song to a Seagull	Joni Mitchell	–
	The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter	The Incredible String Band	–
	I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me	James Brown	–
	A Long Time Comin'	Electric Flag	–
	A Portrait of Ray	Ray Charles	–
	Safe at Home	The International Submarine Band	–
	Scott 2	Scott Walker	–

April

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
3	Bookends	Simon & Garfunkel	–
	Wow/Grape Jam	Moby Grape	double LP
6	Sher-oo!	Cilla Black	–
8	The Legend of Bonnie & Clyde	Merle Haggard	–
17	The Pentangle	Pentangle	–
19	Odessey and Oracle	The Zombies	–
22	The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees	The Monkees	–
29	The Temptations Wish It Would Rain	The Temptations	–
	Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys and Friends, Vol. III	Stone Poneys	–
-	Dance to the Music	Sly & the Family Stone	–
	Children of the Future	Steve Miller Band	Debut
	Just Because I'm a Woman	Dolly Parton	–
	God Bless Tiny Tim	Tiny Tim	–
	I Love Charley Brown	Connie Smith	-
	Randy Newman	Randy Newman	–
	I Got the Feelin'	James Brown	–
	Journey to the Center of the Mind	Amboy Dukes	–
	Like to Get to Know You	Spanky and Our Gang	–
	Simon Says	1910 Fruitgum Company	–
	The Twain Shall Meet	Eric Burdon & The Animals	–

May

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
6	At Folsom Prison	Johnny Cash	Live
13	Lumpy Gravy	Frank Zappa	Reedited version
14	La La Means I Love You	The Delfonics	–
17	The Pentangle	Pentangle	Debut
24	Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake	Small Faces	–
-	Basic Blues Magoos	Blues Magoos	–
	The Beat of the Brass	Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass	–
	The Papas & The Mamas	The Mamas & the Papas	–
	Quicksilver Messenger Service	Quicksilver Messenger Service	Debut
	The Tom Jones Fever Zone	Tom Jones	Parrot album
	A Tramp Shining	Richard Harris	–
	Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil	The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band	–

June

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
14	Aretha Now	Aretha Franklin	–
	In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida	Iron Butterfly	–
	Renaissance	Vanilla Fudge	–
	The Inflated Tear	Rahsaan Roland Kirk	–
	Renaissance	Vanilla Fudge	–
21	Bare Wires	John Mayall's Bluesbreakers	–
24	Friends	The Beach Boys	–
	Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits	The Rascals	Compilation
26	It's All About	Spooky Tooth	–
28	A Saucerful of Secrets	Pink Floyd	[5]
-	Speedway	Elvis Presley
	40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve	Chicken Shack	Debut
	Baptism: A Journey Through Our Time	Joan Baez	–
	Fairport Convention	Fairport Convention	Debut
	Feliciano!	José Feliciano	–
	The Immortal Otis Redding	Otis Redding	Compilation
	Old Golden Throat	Johnny Cash	–
	Os Mutantes	Os Mutantes	–
	Ptooff!	The Deviants	–
	Silver Apples	Silver Apples	–

July

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Music from Big Pink	The Band	–
3	Waiting for the Sun	The Doors	–
5	My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...	Tyrannosaurus Rex	–
12	Delilah	Tom Jones	–
17	Shades of Deep Purple	Deep Purple	US
18	Anthem of the Sun	Grateful Dead	–
19	Music in a Doll's House	Family	–
22	Miles in the Sky	Miles Davis	–
	Super Session	Mike Bloomfield/ Al Kooper/ Stephen Stills	–
26	In Search of the Lost Chord	The Moody Blues	–
29	Truth	The Jeff Beck Group	–
30	Last Time Around	Buffalo Springfield	–
–	Creedence Clearwater Revival	Creedence Clearwater Revival	[6]
	Undead	Ten Years After	[7]
	Begin	The Millennium	[8]
	Getting to the Point	Savoy Brown	–
	Only the Greatest	Waylon Jennings	–
	So Fine	Ike & Tina Turner
	Tape from California	Phil Ochs	–

August

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
9	Wheels of Fire	Cream	–
12	Cheap Thrills	Big Brother and the Holding Company	–
19	The Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3	The Beach Boys	Compilation
	Stack-O-Tracks	The Beach Boys	Compilation
21	Tell Mama	Etta James	–
23	Mr. Wonderful	Fleetwood Mac	–
26	Diana Ross & the Supremes Sing and Perform "Funny Girl"	Diana Ross & the Supremes	performance of Funny Girl Broadway musical
	I Heard It Through the Grapevine	Marvin Gaye	–
	Live at London's Talk of the Town	The Supremes	Live
	Special Occasion	The Miracles	–
30	Sweetheart of the Rodeo	The Byrds	–
-	Stoned Soul Picnic	The 5th Dimension	–
	Behold & See	Ultimate Spinach	–
	Donovan in Concert	Donovan	Live
	Every One of Us	Eric Burdon & The Animals	–
	Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits	Frank Sinatra	Compilation
	James Brown Plays Nothing But Soul	James Brown	–
	Live at the Apollo, Volume II	James Brown	Live
	Lonely Is the Name	Sammy Davis Jr.	–
	Memories	The Vogues	–
	Outsideinside	Blue Cheer	–
	Together	Country Joe and the Fish	–
	Turn Around, Look at Me	The Vogues	–
	You're All I Need	Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell	–

September

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
19	Crown of Creation	Jefferson Airplane	–
27	Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo	Status Quo	–
	Hair	West End cast	–
-	Avant Slant	The John Benson Brooks Trio	[9]
	Bobby Darin Born Walden Robert Cassotto	Bobby Darin	–
	Idea	Bee Gees	–
	Life	Sly & the Family Stone	–
	Magic Bus: The Who on Tour	The Who	Compilation
	Shine On Brightly	Procol Harum	–

October

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	In Person at the Whisky a Go Go	Otis Redding	Live
3	Mama Tried	Merle Haggard	–
14	Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages	Tyrannosaurus Rex	–
16	Electric Ladyland	The Jimi Hendrix Experience	–
	Three Dog Night	Three Dog Night	–
25	This Was	Jethro Tull	–
-	Aretha in Paris	Aretha Franklin	Live
	Electric Mud	Muddy Waters	–
	Dream a Little Dream	Cass Elliot	–
	1, 2, 3, Red Light	1910 Fruitgum Company	–
	The Book of Taliesyn	Deep Purple	US
	Bradley's Barn	The Beau Brummels	–
	The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark	Dillard & Clark	–
	The Hurdy Gurdy Man	Donovan	–
	Nazz	Nazz	–
	Sailor	Steve Miller Band	–
	The Second	Steppenwolf	–
	Traffic	Traffic	–
	The Tumbler	John Martyn	–
	The Wonderful World of The Osmond Brothers	The Osmonds	–

November

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
1	Living the Blues	Canned Heat	double LP; studio + live
	5 By 5 (1964–69)	The Dave Clark Five	–
	Wonderwall Music	George Harrison	Soundtrack
	The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands	The Turtles	–
	Sweet Child	Pentangle	–
8	Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations	Diana Ross & the Supremes & The Temptations	Duets
12	Neil Young	Neil Young	Re-released November 1969
13	Love Child	Diana Ross & the Supremes	–
20	Eivets Rednow	Stevie Wonder	released under pseudonym Eivets Rednow
22	The Beatles	The Beatles	commonly referred to as The White Album
	Dusty... Definitely	Dusty Springfield	–
	Elvis	Elvis Presley	Soundtrack to 1968 TV special
	The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society	The Kinks	–
29	Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins	John Lennon and Yoko Ono	–
	Astral Weeks	Van Morrison	–
-	Ars Longa Vita Brevis	The Nice	–
	Head	The Monkees	Soundtrack
	The Best of Cilla Black	Cilla Black	–
	Back Here on Earth	Gordon Lightfoot	–
	Blues from Laurel Canyon	John Mayall	–
	Born to Be	Melanie Safka	–
	The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse	Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band	–
	Gentle on My Mind	Dean Martin	–
	Help Yourself	Tom Jones	–
	I've Gotta Be Me	Sammy Davis Jr.	–
	The Ice Man Cometh	Jerry Butler	–
	The Marble Index	Nico	–
	Promises, Promises	Dionne Warwick	–
	Release of an Oath	The Electric Prunes	–
	This Is My Country	The Impressions with Curtis Mayfield	–
	Time Out! Time In For Them	Them	–
	Wee Tam and the Big Huge	The Incredible String Band	–

December

Day	Album	Artist	Notes
2	Cruising with Ruben & the Jets	The Mothers of Invention	–
6	Beggars Banquet	The Rolling Stones	–
	James Taylor	James Taylor	–
	For Once in My Life	Stevie Wonder	–
9	Live at the Copa	The Temptations	Live
11	Blood, Sweat & Tears	Blood, Sweat & Tears	–
23	The Natch'l Blues	Taj Mahal	–
-	An American Music Band	The Electric Flag	–
	Any Day Now	Joan Baez	–
	Brooklyn Bridge	The Brooklyn Bridge	–
	The Circle Game	Tom Rush	–
	The Family That Plays Together	Spirit	–
	I Love How You Love Me	Bobby Vinton	–
	Jewels	Waylon Jennings	–
	Love Is	Eric Burdon & The Animals	–
	Rock and Other Four Letter Words	Marks and Lebzelter	[10]
	The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas	Frank Sinatra	–
	The Soft Machine	The Soft Machine	–
	Transformer	David Stoughton	[11]

Release date unknown

Billboard Top popular records of 1968

The 1968 Billboard year-end list is composed of records that entered the Billboard Hot 100 during November–December 1967 (only when the majority of chart weeks were in 1968), January to November–December 1968 (majority of chart weeks in 1968). Records with majority of chart weeks in 1967 or 1969 are included in the year-end charts for those years, respectively, and multiple appearances are not permitted. Each week thirty points were awarded to the number one record, then nineteen points for number two, eighteen points for number three, and so on. The total points a record earned determined its year-end rank. The complete chart life of each record is represented. There are no ties, even when multiple records have the same number of points. The next ranking category is peak chart position, then weeks at peak chart position, weeks in top ten, weeks in top forty, and finally weeks on Hot 100 chart.

The chart can be sorted by Artist, Song title, Recording and Release dates, Cashbox year-end ranking (CB) or units sold (sales) by clicking on the column header. Additional details for each record can be accessed by clicking on the song title, and referring to the Infobox in the right column of the song page. Billboard also has chart summaries on its website. Cashbox rankings were derived by same process as the Billboard rankings. Sales information was derived from the RIAA's Gold and Platinum database, the BRIT Certified database and The Book of Golden Discs, ^[12] but numbers listed should be regarded as estimates. Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry information with sources can be found on Wikipedia.

Rank	Artist	Title	Label	Recorded	Release Date	CB	Sales	Charts, Awards
1	The Beatles	" Hey Jude"	Apple 2276	July 31, 1968	August 26, 1968	1	8.00 [13]	US Billboard 1968 #1, Hot100 #1 for 9 weeks, 19 total weeks, 323 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2001
2	Marvin Gaye	" I Heard It Through the Grapevine"	Tamla 54176	April 10, 1967	October 30, 1968	3	4.00 [14]	US Billboard 1968 #2, Hot100 #1 for 7 weeks, 15 total weeks, 246 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #1, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 7 weeks, 14 total weeks, 275 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998
3	Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra	" Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)"	Philips 40495	October 21, 1967	December 1967	2	4.00	US Billboard 1968 #3, Hot100 #1 for 5 weeks, 18 total weeks, 225 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #1, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 11 weeks, 24 total weeks, 187 points
4	Otis Redding	" (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"	Volt 157	November 22, 1967	January 8, 1968	11	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #4, Hot100 #1 for 4 weeks, 16 total weeks, 216 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #6, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks, 224 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998
5	Bobby Goldsboro	" Honey"	United Artists 50283	January 30, 1968	February 17, 1968	6	3.00	US Billboard 1968 #5, Hot100 #1 for 5 weeks, 15 total weeks, 210 points, Top Country Singles 1968 #10, Country Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks, 200 points
6	Herb Alpert	" This Guy's in Love with You"	A&M Records 929	April 1968	April 10, 1968	4	2.50	US Billboard 1968 #6, Hot100 #1 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks, 204 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #2, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 10 weeks, 17 total weeks, 185 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998
7	The Rascals	" People Got to Be Free"	Atlantic 2537	May 14, 1968	July 1, 1968	8	1.50	US Billboard 1968 #7, Hot100 #1 for 5 weeks, 14 total weeks, 201 points
8	Diana Ross and the Supremes	" Love Child"	Motown 1135	September 1968	September 30, 1968	5	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #8, Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks, US R&B 1968 #24, R&B #2 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks, 200 points
9	Simon and Garfunkel	" Mrs. Robinson"	Columbia 44511	February 2, 1968	April 5, 1968	7	1.50	US Billboard 1968 #9, Hot100 #1 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks, 173 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999
10	The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett	" Young Girl"	Columbia 44450	January 9, 1968 [15]	February 1968	9	1.25	US Billboard 1968 #10, Hot100 #2 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks, 162 points
11	Archie Bell & the Drells	" Tighten Up"	Atlantic 2478	August 1967	February 1968	14	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #11, Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, 160 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #10, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, 197 points
12	Jeannie C. Riley	" Harper Valley P.T.A."	RCA Victor 20-1759	1968	August 1968	21	5.50	US Billboard 1968 #12, Hot100 #1 for 1 week, 13 total weeks, 160 points, Top Country Singles 1968 #8, Country Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 14 total weeks, 208 points, Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019
13	John Fred and His Playboy Band	" Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)"	Paula 282	September 1967	October 1967	12	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #13, Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 16 total weeks, 159 points
14	The Doors	" Hello, I Love You"	Elektra 45635	February to May 1968	June 11, 1968	16	1.50	US Billboard 1968 #14, Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks, 156 points
15	The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett	" Woman, Woman"	Columbia 37095	August 16, 1967 [15]	September 19, 1967	17	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #15, Hot100 #4 for 3 weeks, 17 total weeks, 150 points
16	Glen Campbell	" Wichita Lineman"	Capitol 2302	August 4, 1968	October 1968	19	3.00	US Billboard 1968 #16, Hot100 #3 for 1 weeks, 15 total weeks, 149 points, Top Country Singles 1968 #11, Country Singles #1 for 2 weeks, 19 total weeks, 194 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #3, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 18 total weeks, 172 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2019, National Recording Registry 2019
17	Stevie Wonder	" For Once in My Life"	Tamla 54174	April 10, 1968	October 1968	27	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #17, Hot100 #2 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 148 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2009
18	Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra And Chorus	" The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"	RCA Victor 47-9423	November 22, 1967	January 1968	25	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #18, Hot100 #2 for 1 weeks, 22 total weeks, 148 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #4, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 26 total weeks, 167 points
19	Mary Hopkin	" Those Were The Days"	Apple 8526	July 1968	August 26, 1968	10	8.00	US Billboard 1968 #19, Hot100 #2 for 3 weeks, 13 total weeks, 146 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #6, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 13 total weeks, 167 points
20	The Lemon Pipers	" Green Tambourine"	Buddah 23	August 1967	November 1967	13	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #20, Hot100 #1 for 1 week, 13 total weeks, 139 points
21	Dionne Warwick	" (Theme from) Valley of the Dolls"	Scepter 12203	1967	October 1967	49	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #21, Hot100 #2 for 4 weeks, 13 total weeks, 139 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1998
22	O. C. Smith	" Little Green Apples"	Columbia 44616	August 1968	September 1968	35	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #22, Hot100 #2 for 1 weeks, 17 total weeks, 137 points
23	Hugh Masekela	" Grazing in the Grass"	Uni 55066	March 12, 1968	May 1968	47	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #23, Hot100 #1 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks, 134 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #7, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks, 215 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2018
24	The Rolling Stones	" Jumpin' Jack Flash"	London 908	April 20, 1968	June 1, 1968	15	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #24, Hot100 #3 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks, 131 points
25	Gary Puckett and the Union Gap	" Lady Willpower"	Columbia 44547	April 9, 1968 [15]	June 1, 1968	20	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #25, Hot100 #2 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, 130 points
26	Steppenwolf	" Born To Be Wild"	Dunhill 4138	April 10, 1967	October 1968	26	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #26, Hot100 #2 for 3 week, 13 total weeks, 129 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2002
27	The Rascals	" A Beautiful Morning"	Atlantic 2493	March 6, 1968	March 22, 1968	18	1.50	US Billboard 1968 #27, Hot100 #3 for 2 weeks, 13 total weeks, 128 points
28	Classics IV	" Spooky"	Imperial 66259	August 1967	December 1967	40	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #28, Hot100 #3 for 3 weeks, 15 total weeks, 127 points
29	The Crazy World of Arthur Brown	" Fire"	Atlantic 2556	September 1, 1968	September 7, 1968	33	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #29, Hot100 #2 for 1 weeks, 13 total weeks, 126 points
30	The Box Tops	" Cry Like a Baby"	Mala 593	August 1967	February 1968	34	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #30, Hot100 #2 for 2 weeks, 15 total weeks, 125 points
31	Aretha Franklin	" Chain Of Fools"	Atlantic 2464	August 1967	November 1967	29	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #31, Hot100 #2 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks, 124 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #4, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks, 238 points
32	Richard Harris	" MacArthur Park"	Dunhill 4134	December 21, 1967	April 1968	31	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #32, Hot100 #2 for 1 weeks, 13 total weeks, 122 points
33	The Beatles	" Lady Madonna"	Capitol 2138	February 6, 1968	March 18, 1968	30	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #33, Hot100 #4 for 3 week, 11 total weeks, 121 points
34	Mason Williams	" Classical Gas"	Warner Bros./Seven Arts 7190	August 1967	February 1968	22	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #34, Hot100 #2 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 120 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #7, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 17 total weeks, 161 points
35	Dion	" Abraham, Martin and John"	Laurie 3464	1968	August 1968	32	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #35, Hot100 #4 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 120 points
37	Steppenwolf	" Magic Carpet Ride"	Dunhill 4161	March 1, 1968	September 1968	48	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #37, Hot100 #3 for 1 week, 16 total weeks, 119 points
149	Tiny Tim	" Tiptoe Thru’ the Tulips with Me"	Reprise 0679	December 21, 1967	April 1968	170	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #149, Hot100 #17 for 1 weeks, 9 total weeks, 4 points

   Billboard Top Soul Singles 1968

1	Marvin Gaye	"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"						see number 2
2	Johnnie Taylor	" Who's Making Love"	Stax 0009	August 1968	October 1968	52	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #43, Hot100 #5 for 2 weeks, 14 total weeks, 113 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #2, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 16 total weeks, 258 points
3	James Brown & His Famous Flames	" Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"	King 6187	August 7, 1968	August 1968	160	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #84, Hot100 #10 for 1 week, 11 total weeks, 59 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #3, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 12 total weeks, 240 points
4	Aretha Franklin	"Chain Of Fools"						see number 31
5	Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell	" You're All I Need To Get By"	Tamla 54169	April 10, 1967	July 9, 1968	44	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #75, Hot100 #7 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, 67 points, Top Soul Singles 1968 #5, Hot Soul Singles #1 for 5 weeks, 13 total weeks, 227 points

   Billboard Top Country Singles 1968

1	Henson Cargill	" Skip a Rope"	Monument 1041	September 1967	November 1967	187	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #188, Hot100 #25 for 2 weeks, 12 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1968 #1, Country Singles #1 for 5 weeks, 19 total weeks, 261 points
2	Tammy Wynette	" Stand By Your Man"	Epic 10398	August 28, 1968	September 20, 1968	179	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #155, Hot100 #19 for 1 week, 16 total weeks, 4 points, Top Country Singles 1968 #2, Country Singles #1 for 5 weeks, 19 total weeks, 244 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, National Recording Registry 2010
3	Tammy Wynette	" D-I-V-O-R-C-E"	Epic 10315	March 22, 1968	May 1, 1968	179	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #427, Hot100 #63 for 1 week, 6 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1968 #3, Country Singles #1 for 3 weeks, 17 total weeks, 241 points
4	Johnny Cash	" Folsom Prison Blues"	Columbia 44513	January 13, 1968	April 30, 1968	187	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #230, Hot100 #32 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1968 #4, Country Singles #1 for 4 weeks, 18 total weeks, 240 points, National Recording Registry 2003

   Billboard Top Easy Listening Singles 1968

1	Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra	"Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)"						see number 3
2	Herb Alpert	"This Guy's in Love with You"						see number 6
3	Glen Campbell	"Wichita Lineman"						see number 16
4	Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra And Chorus	"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"						see number 18
5	Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66	" The Fool On The Hill"	A&M 961	June 1968	July 1968	84	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #91, Hot100 #6 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, 53 points, Top Easy Listening Singles 1968 #5, Easy Listening Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 15 total weeks, 294 points

   Top Rock Tracks 1968 (unofficial)

1	Cream	" Sunshine of Your Love"	Atco 6544	May 30, 1967	November 2, 1967	44	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #38, Hot100 #5 for 1 week, 26 total weeks, 119 points, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #1, from Disraeli Gears - Atco 232
2	The Jimi Hendrix Experience	" All Along the Watchtower"	Reprise 0767	January 21, 1968	September 2, 1968	169	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #163, Hot100 #20 for 2 weeks, 9 total weeks, 4 points, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #2, from Electric Ladyland - Reprise 6307, Grammy Hall of Fame 2001
3	The Rolling Stones	" Sympathy For The Devil"	London 33	July 25, 1968	December 6, 1968		1.00	Top Rock Tracks 1968 #3, from Beggars Banquet - London 33
4	The Beatles	" While My Guitar Gently Weeps"	Apple 101	September 5–6, 1968	November 22, 1968		1.00	Top Rock Tracks 1968 #4, from The Beatles (White Album) - Apple 101
5	The Band	" The Weight"	Capitol 2269	January 1968	August 8, 1968	422	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #424, Hot100 #63 for 1 week, 7 total weeks, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #5, from Music From Big Pink - Capitol 2955
6	The Doors	" Love Me Two Times"	Elektra 45624	April 1967	November 1967	221	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #194, Hot100 #25 for 1 week, 7 total weeks, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #6, from Strange Days - Elektra 74014.
7	Cream	" White Room"	Atco 6617	June 1967-April 1968	September 1968	46	2.00	US Billboard 1968 #54, Hot100 #6 for 3 weeks, 11 total weeks, 96 points, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #7, from Wheels of Fire - Atco 700
8	The Rolling Stones	" Stray Cat Blues"	London 33	July 25, 1968	December 6, 1968			Top Rock Tracks 1968 #8, from Beggars Banquet - London 33
9	Status Quo	" Pictures Of Matchstick Men"	Cadet Concept 7001	November 1967	January 5, 1968	116	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #113, Hot100 #12 for 1 week, 17 total weeks, 28 points, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #9, from Picturesque Matchstickable Messages from the Status Quo - Cadet Concept single 7001
10	Big Brother and the Holding Company	" Piece Of My Heart"	Columbia 44626	March 2-May 20, 1968	August 12, 1968	132	1.00	US Billboard 1968 #111, Hot100 #12 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, 33 points, Top Rock Tracks 1968 #10, from Cheap Thrills - Columbia 9700

Other hit singles

Published popular music

• " 1,2,3, Red Light" w.m. Sal Trimachi and Bobbi Trimachi
• "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" w.m. Bobby Russell
• " Abraham, Martin and John" w.m. Dick Holler
• " Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" w.m. Les Reed & Barry Mason
• "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film of the same name
• " Classical Gas" m. Mason Williams
• " Congratulations" w.m. Bill Martin and Phil Coulter
• "Dear World" w.m. Jerry Herman from the musical Dear World
• " Eli's Comin'" w.m. Laura Nyro
• " The Fool on the Hill" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
• " For the Good Times" w.m. Kris Kristofferson
• " Galveston" w.m. Jimmy Webb
• "Heffalumps and Woozles" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
• "Honey Pie" w.m. John Lennon and Paul McCartney
• " I'll Never Fall in Love Again" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises
• "Indian Lake" w.m. Tony Romeo
• "Indian Reservation" w.m. John D. Loudermilk, first recorded by Don Fardon
• " Little Green Apples" w.m. Bobby Russell
• " Mac Arthur Park" w.m. Jimmy Webb
• " Mr. Bojangles" w.m. Jerry Jeff Walker
• " My Way" (French: "Comme d'habitude") w.m. Claude François & Jacques Revaux, Eng.: Paul Anka
• "The Night They Raided Minsky's" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
• "A Perfect Gentleman" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse Introduced by Jason Robards and Norman Wisdom in the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
• "Promises, Promises" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises
• "Save The Country" w.m. Laura Nyro
• " Stand By Your Man" w.m. Billy Sherrill & Tammy Wynette
• "Stoned Soul Picnic" w.m. Laura Nyro
• " Sweet Blindness" w.m. Laura Nyro
• "Take Ten Terrific Girls" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
• "Ten Feet off the Ground" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
• " This Guy's In Love With You" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
• " Wichita Lineman" w.m. Jimmy Webb
• " The Windmills of Your Mind" w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel LeGrand from the film The Thomas Crown Affair
• "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
• "You Rat, You" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's

Classical music

Premieres

Composer	Composition	Date	Location	Performers
Barraqué, Jean	Le Temps restitué (1956–68)	1968-04-04	Royan Festival, France	Pilarczyk – French Radio Choir – Ensemble du Domaine Musical, Amy [16]
Barraqué, Jean	Concerto (1968)	1968-11-20	Royal Festival Hall, London	Rostaing / Fry / BBC Symphony Orchestra – Amy [17]
Langgaard, Rued	Violin Concerto (1944)	1968-01-10	Odense, Denmark	Laursen / Odense Municipal Orchestra – Wellejus [18] [19]
Stockhausen, Karlheinz	Kurzwellen for six players with shortwave receivers and live electronics	1968-05-05	Bremen, Germany, Radio Bremen TV Studio, Pro Musica Nova	Aloys Kontarsky, Alings, Gehlhaar, Fritsch, Bojé, Stockhausen [20]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor	Fantaisie concertante for piano, clarinet and bassoon	1968-11-19	Rio de Janeiro, Sale Cecilia Meireles	Botelho, Devos, Improta [21]

Compositions

• Milton Babbitt – Relata II for orchestra
• Henk Badings
  • Symphony No. 14
  • Armageddon
• Samuel Barber – Twelfth Night and To Be Sung on the Water, op. 42
• Jean Barraqué –
  • Concerto, for six instrumental formations and two solo instruments (vibraphone and clarinet)
  • Le Temps restitué for mezzo-soprano, choir, and orchestra
• Luciano Berio –
  • O King
  • Sinfonia
  • Chemins III
  • Questo vuol dire che for three female voices, small chorus, tape and other available resources
• Carlos Chávez – Pirámide (ballet)
• John Corigliano – Piano Concerto
• George Crumb – Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death for baritone, electric guitar, electric double bass, amplified piano/electric harpsichord, and two percussionists
• Mario Davidovsky – Music for Solo Violin
• Havergal Brian
  • Symphony No. 31
  • Symphony No. 32 in A flat major
  • Legend "Ave atque vale"
• Peter Maxwell Davies –
  • Stedman Caters
  • Stedman Doubles (revised version)
  • Fantasia on a Ground and 2 Pavans (after Purcell)
  • Epistrophe for two pianos
  • L'homme armé
• Edison Denisov –
  • Osen′ (Autumn), for 13 solo voices
  • Oda, pamyati Khe Gevara (Ode in Memory of Che Guevara)
  • Romanticheskaya muzïka (Romantic Music)
• Cristóbal Halffter –
  • Symposion
  • Yes, Speak Out, Yes
• Roy Harris –
  • Symphony no. 12
  • Concerto for Amplified Piano, Brass, Double Bass, and Percussion
  • Sonata for Cello and Piano (revised version)
• Hans Werner Henze – Das Floß der Medusa
• Heinz Holliger – h for wind quintet
• Karel Husa – Music for Prague 1968
• Wojciech Kilar – Training 68 for clarinet, trombone, cello and piano
• Ladislav Kupkovic – Souvenir (one of his few recorded works)
• Helmut Lachenmann – temA for flute, voice and cello
• György Ligeti – Zehn Stücke für Bläserquintett (Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet)
• Witold Lutosławski – Livre pour orchestre
• Ester Mägi – Symphony
• Krzysztof Meyer – Sonatas for Piano, No. 4
• Bo Nilsson – Attraktionen, for string quartet
• Per Nørgård –
  • Rejse ind i den gyldne skærm (Voyage into the Golden Screen)
  • Concerto for Accordion Recall
• Arvo Pärt – "Credo" for piano, chorus and orchestra
• Krzysztof Penderecki – St Luke Passion (Penderecki)
• John Serry Sr. – Processional for Organ
• Roger Sessions – Symphony no. 8
• Dmitri Shostakovich –
  • String Quartet no. 12 in D♭ major, op. 133
  • Sonata for Violin and Piano in D major, op. 134
• Karlheinz Stockhausen –
  • Aus den sieben Tagen
  • Kurzwellen
  • Stimmung
  • Spiral
• John Tavener – The Whale (cantata)
• David Tudor & Lowell Cross – Reunion
• Charles Wuorinen –
  • Flute Variations II
  • String Trio
• Iannis Xenakis – Nomos Gamma for 98 musicians dispersed among the audience

Opera

• Benjamin Britten – The Prodigal Son (church parable)
• Carlos Chávez – Los visitantes (revision of Panfilo e Lauretta)
• Peter Maxwell Davies – Revelation and Fall
• Gian Carlo Menotti – Help, Help, the Globolinks!
• Ástor Piazzolla – María de Buenos Aires

Jazz

Musical theater

• Cabaret ( Kander and Ebb) – London production
• Canterbury Tales     London production
• Dames at Sea     Off-Broadway production opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre on December 20 and transferred to the Theatre de Lys on April 22, 1969, for a total run of 575 performances.
• The Dancing Years ( Ivor Novello) – London revival
• Darling of the Day (w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jule Styne) Broadway production opened at the George Abbott Theatre on January 27 and ran for 31 performances. Starred Patricia Routledge and Vincent Price
• George M!     Broadway production opened at the Palace Theatre and ran for 433 performances
• Golden Boy     London production
• Golden Rainbow     Broadway production opened at the George Abbott Theatre and ran for 388 performances
• Hair – Broadway (1,750 performances) and London (1,997 performances) productions
• House of Flowers     off-Broadway revival
• Lady, Be Good!     London revival
• Man of La Mancha     London production
• Promises, Promises     Broadway production opened at the Shubert Theatre and ran for 1,281 performances
• The Happy Time Broadway production opened at the Broadway Theatre and ran for 286 performances
• Zorba – after the movie ( Zorba the Greek, 1964) and book ( Nikos Kazantzakis, 1952).1969 Tony Award for Best Musical and numerous other nominations, 1969 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics (to Fred Ebb, the first year of that category) and three other nominations. 305 performances starting 11/16/68 at the Imperial Theatre, NY. (Revival 9/16/83 at the Broadway Theatre, NY, ran 362 performances with 1984 Theatre World Award to actor Robert Westenberg.)

Musical films

• Aashirwad
• Bhagyamudra
• Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• Finian's Rainbow
• Funny Girl
• Head – starring The Monkees and written by Jack Nicholson.
• The Jungle Book – animated feature film
• Monterey Pop
• The Night They Raided Minsky's – released December 22 starring Jason Robards and Britt Ekland
• Oliver!
• The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
• Star!
• Yellow Submarine – animated feature film

Births

• January 9 – Al Schnier, American rock guitarist
• January 11 – Tom Dumont, American guitarist
• January 14 – LL Cool J, American rapper and actor
• January 19 – Ikuko Kawai, Japanese classic violinist and composer
• January 27
  • Mike Patton, American alternative metal vocalist and producer ( Faith No More)
  • Deb Talan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist ( The Weepies)
  • Tricky, English rapper and songwriter
• January 28
  • Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • DJ Muggs, American trip hop musician ( Cypress Hill)
• February 1 – Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter (daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley) (died 2023)
• February 4 – Marko Matvere, Estonian actor and singer
• February 5 – Chris Barron, American alternative rock singer-songwriter ( Spin Doctors)
• February 7 – Sully Erna, American singer-songwriter and guitarist ( Godsmack and Meliah Rage)
• February 12
  • Gregory Charles, Canadian singer, dancer, pianist and actor
  • Chynna Phillips, American pop singer ( Wilson Phillips) and actress (daughter of John & Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas)
• February 13 – Ahlam, Emirati singer and actress
• February 19 – Stochelo Rosenberg, Dutch Gypsy jazz guitarist
• February 22 – Brad Nowell, American ska punk musician ( Sublime) (died 1996)
• February 25
  • Evridiki, Cypriot singer
  • Oumou Sangaré, Malian Wassoulou singer
• March 4 – Patsy Kensit, British actress and singer
• March 8 – Shawn Mullins, American singer-songwriter
• March 11 – Lisa Loeb, American singer-songwriter
• March 15
  • Kahimi Karie, Japanese singer
  • Mark McGrath, American rock singer ( Sugar Ray) and television presenter
  • Jon Schaffer, American heavy metal guitarist and singer-songwriter ( Iced Earth)
• March 23 – Damon Albarn, British singer ( Blur and Gorillaz)
• March 26
  • Kenny Chesney, American country singer
  • James Iha, American alternative rock guitarist ( The Smashing Pumpkins)
• March 29 – Lucy Lawless, New Zealand born singer and actress
• March 30 – Céline Dion, Canadian singer-songwriter
• April 1 – Julia Boutros, Lebanese singer
• April 3 – Sebastian Bach (Sebastian Philip Bierk), Canadian-born heavy metal singer ( Skid Row)
• April 9 – Cutfather, Danish music producer, songwriter, DJ and remixer
• April 12 – Toby Gad, Los Angeles based German singer-songwriter/music producer ( The Veronicas, Madonna, Leona Lewis, Hilary Duff)
• April 15 – Ed O'Brien, English Guitarist and songwriter ( Radiohead)
• April 16 – Boudewijn Vincent Bonebakker, Dutch rock guitarrista ( Gorefest)
• April 28 – Howard Donald, British singer and dancer ( Take That)
• April 29 – Carnie Wilson, pop singer ( Wilson Phillips), daughter of Brian Wilson
• May 1 – D'arcy Wretzky ( The Smashing Pumpkins)
• May 16 – Ralph Tresvant ( New Edition)
• May 28 – Kylie Minogue, Australian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, music producer and philanthropist
• June 1 – Jason Donovan, Australian actor and singer
• June 6 – Alan Licht, American guitarist, composer and journalist ( Run On)
• June 10 – The D.O.C., African-American rapper
• June 12 – Bobby Sheehan ( Blues Traveler)
• June 13
  • David Gray, British folk rock singer-songwriter
  • Denise Pearson, British singer ( Five Star)
• June 30 – Phil Anselmo ( Pantera)
• July 4 – Jack Frost, American guitarist and songwriter ( Seven Witches and The Bronx Casket Co.)
• July 5 – Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player ( The Evaporators)
• July 10 – Claudia Pop, Romanian soprano and opera stage director, Doctor in Music, senior lecturer
• July 16 – Olga Souza ("Corona"), Brazilian singer and dancer
• July 19 – Robert Flynn, American musician
• July 22 – Rhys Ifans, actor, previously vocalist with Super Furry Animals
• July 24 – Kristin Chenoweth, American actress and singer
• July 30 – Elvis Crespo, Puerto Rican singer
• August 1 – Dan Donegan, American rock musician ( Disturbed)
• August 2 – John Stanier, American drummer ( Helmet, Tomahawk, The Mark of Cain and Battles)
• August 10 – Michael Bivins, New Edition, Bell Biv Devoe
• August 11 – Charlie Sexton, American guitarist, singer and songwriter
• August 12 – Paul Tucker, British musician ( Lighthouse Family)
• August 21 – Dina Carroll, British singer
• August 25 – Stuart Murdoch, Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist ( Belle and Sebastian)
• September 10 – Big Daddy Kane, American rapper
• September 11 – Kay Hanley ( Letters To Cleo)
• September 12 – Ler LaLonde ( Primus, Possessed)
• September 13 – Mike Davenport ( The Ataris)
• September 21 – David Jude Jolicoeur aka Trugoy the Dove, American rapper and record producer ( De La Soul) (died 2023)
• September 25
  • Will Smith, American rapper, actor, producer, comedian and singer-songwriter ( DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
  • Catherine Zeta-Jones, Welsh-born actress, singer and dancer
• October 1
  • Kevin Griffin ( Better Than Ezra)
  • Sagol 59, Israeli rapper
• October 3 – Sevil Hajiyeva, Azerbaijani singer
• October 5 – Nana, rapper
• October 6 – Dominique A, French singer-songwriter
• October 7 – Thom Yorke, British musician ( Radiohead)
• October 8 – CL Smooth, African-American rapper
• October 11 – Jane Krakowski, American actress and singer
• October 12 – Hugh Jackman, Australian actor, dancer and singer
• October 14 – Johnny Goudie, American musician
• October 17 – Ziggy Marley, Jamaican reggae artist
• October 17 – Alejandra Ávalos, Mexican musician and actress
• October 19 – Rodney Carrington, American stand-up comic and country musician
• October 22 – Shaggy, Jamaican-American reggae & dancehall singer
• October 30 – Kiyoharu, Japanese singer-songwriter
• November 9 – Nazzareno Carusi, Italian pianist
• November 10 – Steve Brookstein, British singer
• November 12 – Kathleen Hanna, riot grrrl pioneer, American singer ( Bikini Kill)
• November 14 – Ken Ford, jazz violinist
• November 15
  • Jennifer Charles, American singer
  • Ol' Dirty Bastard, American rapper (died 2004)
• November 21 – Alex James, British bassist ( Blur)
• November 25 – Tunde Baiyewu, British singer ( Lighthouse Family)
• November 28 – Dawn Robinson, American singer ( En Vogue)
• November 29
  • Martin Carr ( Boo Radleys)
  • Jonathan Knight, American singer ( New Kids on the Block)
• December 2
  • Lucy Liu, American actress, director, film producer, singer and artist
  • Nate Mendel ( Foo Fighters)
• December 9 – Brian Bell ( Weezer)
• December 16 – Lalah Hathaway, American singer and daughter of Donny Hathaway
• December 20 – Billy Mann, American songwriter, record producer, creative executive, music publisher and founder/CEO (P1Nk, Delta Goodrem, Cher, Robyn)
• December 29 – Glen Phillips ( Toad the Wet Sprocket)

Deaths

• January 18 – Gribouille, French singer, 26 (alcohol and drug-related)
• February 5 – Luckey Roberts, ragtime composer and pianist, 80
• February 13
  • Ildebrando Pizzetti, composer, 87
  • Portia White, contralto singer, 56
• February 15 – Little Walter, blues singer and harmonica player, 37
• February 27 – Frankie Lymon, American singer, 25 (heroin overdose)
• February 28 – Doretta Morrow, dancer, 40 (cancer)
• March 6 – Iša Krejčí, composer and conductor, 63
• March 10 – Blind Joe Reynolds, singer-songwriter
• March 16 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, composer, 72
• April 15 – Borys Lyatoshynsky, composer, 73
• April 25 – Harald Kreutzberg, dancer and choreographer, 65
• May 15 – Florence Austral, operatic soprano, 76
• May 19 – Coleman Hawkins, jazz musician, 64
• May 24 – Bernard Rogers, composer, 75
• May 26 – Little Willie John, blues artist, 30 (heart attack)
• June 2 – André Mathieu, pianist and composer, 39
• June 8 – Bumble Bee Slim, blues musician, 63
• June 14 – Karl-Birger Blomdahl, composer and conductor, 51
• June 15 – Wes Montgomery, jazz guitarist, 45 (heart attack)
• June 26 – Ziggy Elman, US trumpet player, 54
• July 21 – Ruth St. Denis, dancer, 89
• July 27 – Lilian Harvey, actress and singer, 62
• July 28 – Carl Ravazza, US violinist, vocalist and bandleader, 58
• July 30 – Jón Leifs, composer, 69
• August 5 – Luther Perkins, guitarist of The Tennessee Two, 40 (burns and smoke inhalation following a house fire)
• August 15 – Luis Gianneo, Argentine composer, pianist and conductor, 71
• August 18 – Arthur Marshall, ragtime composer, 86
• September 19 – Red Foley, country singer, 58
• October 8 – Frank Skinner, film composer, 70
• October 15 – Franz Reizenstein, pianist and composer, 57
• October 20 – Bud Flanagan, music hall star, 72
• October 30 – Pops Foster, jazz musician, 77
• November 6 – Charles Munch, conductor, 77 (heart attack)
• November 8 – Kokomo Arnold, blues musician, 67
• November 9 – Jan Johansson, jazz pianist, 37 (car crash)
• November 11 – Jeanne Demessieux, organist, pianist and composer, 47 (embolism) ^[22]
• December 1 – Nicolae Bretan, composer, 81
• December 9 – Percy Greenbank, lyricist, 90
• December 14 – Margarete Klose, operatic mezzo-soprano, 69
• December 19 – Tiberiu Brediceanu, composer, 91
• December 31 – Sabin Drăgoi, composer, 74
• date unknown
  • Juan F. Acosta, composer and music teacher
  • Lucille Dompierre, pianist and arranger
  • Billy Pigg, bagpiper
  • Vincenzo Scaramuzza, pianist

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1968

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1968

References