This the Top 6 singles of 1968 according to Billboard year-end list. Which one is your favourite?

In the end, it wasn’t even close. It came between The Monkees and The Doors, who both scored the vast majority of the votes. Turns out, The Doors lit a greater fire underneath the members of Toddintheshadow’s subreddit as “Light My Fire” won over “I’m a Believer”.

1. “Hey Jude” (The Beatles) https://youtu.be/mQER0A0ej0M?si=IOOOxQKLgBvM2mRg

This highly obscure Beatles song spent a measly nine weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Written primarily by Paul McCartney, "Hey Jude" was a global number-one hit, topping charts in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada. It tied the 1968 record for the longest Billboard Hot 100 number-one run at nine weeks—a record it held for nine years until Debby Boone (an artist Todd has covered) beat it with “You Light Up My Life”. Notably, at over seven minutes, it was the longest single to top the US charts at the time. The song, which has sold around eight million copies, ranks among the greatest songs ever on many critics' lists. Originally titled "Hey Jules," McCartney wrote it to comfort John Lennon's son Julian during his parents' breakup. The lyrics promote a positive outlook and encourage finding love. The song culminates in a four-minute "Na-na-na na" coda.

Yeah, so I’m pretty confident this is winning the poll. It’s only real competition is what’s at No. 4.

2) “Love is Blue” (Paul Mauriat) https://youtu.be/Y_tPE3o5NWk?si=2IMt4M_4usRP46iE

"L'amour est bleu" (or in English, "Love Is Blue") is a song whose music was composed by André Popp, and whose lyrics were written by Pierre Cour, First performed in French by Greek singer Vicky Leandros (appearing as Vicky) as the Luxembourgish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967, it has since been recorded by many other musicians, most notably in this case by French orchestra leader Paul Mauriat, whose instrumental version (recorded in late 1967) became the first number-one hit by a French lead artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, spending five weeks at the top. I would go into the lyrics, but this version doesn’t have lyrics. It remained the only French song to top the chart until 2017, when Daft Punk was a featured artist on The Weeknd's number-one hit "Starboy".

This is a very cool easy listening instrumental. It has a baroque pop influence to it no doubt influenced by what was happening in contemporary music. I like this song.

3) “Honey” (Bobby Goldsboro) https://youtu.be/rZiEY3O-FWk?si=ONNbUmykbmPwiM2t

"Honey" is a song written by Bobby Russell. He first produced it with former Kingston Trio member Bob Shane, who was the first to release the song. It was then given to American singer Bobby Goldsboro, who recorded it for his 1968 album of the same name, originally titled Pledge of Love. In the song, the narrator mourns his absent wife, and the song begins with him looking at a tree in their garden, remembering how "it was just a twig" on the day she planted it. Only in the third verse is it finally revealed that "one day...the angels came," and that his wife had died. Goldsboro's version was a hit, reaching No. 1 in several countries, including the US, spending five weeks at the top (it was the 200th to reach No. 1).

Oh man, this song sucks. It’s so schlocky and stupid. Unfortunately, it was indicative of the type of schlock that would top the charts in the uncool 70s. It is widely considered one of the worst songs to ever top the charts, and I agree.

4) "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding) https://youtu.be/7C-VscEQugk?si=OiSQuUQVuZg6kloj

A posthumous No. 1 for soul legend Otis Redding, it was co-written by Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. Redding recorded it twice in 1967, including just three days before his death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. The lyrics convey a sense of resignation and the calm acceptance of life's struggles, with the singer watching the ships roll in and then roll away again. Redding considered the song unfinished, and planned to record what he considered a final version, but never got the chance. It was released on Stax Records' Volt label in 1968, becoming the first posthumous #1 single in the US.

If this was the unfinished version, then holy cow, what would the final version sound like? Absolutely amazing song. It gets my vote.

5) “People Got to Be Free” (The Rascals) https://youtu.be/PGUhdwTyziM?si=aVORpZSy0bG2auOb

"People Got to Be Free," The Rascals' third and final US No. 1 hit, was penned by band members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, with Cavaliere on lead vocals. This upbeat yet passionate song calls for tolerance and freedom. Released during the turbulent summer of 1968, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, marking the group's longest run at number one. Although some linked the song to the 1968 assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy It was actually recorded before Kennedy's death and was inspired by a hostile incident where the group, sporting beards and long hair, faced threats from locals after their tour vehicle broke down in Fort Pierce, Florida.

I love The Rascals (or Young Rascals as they were formerly known). Great band. The best band to fuse soul and rock. And this is a great protest song.

6) “Sunshine of Your Love” (Cream) https://youtu.be/y_u1eu6Lpds?si=-eyy704gRCjLo4tJ

This 1967 song by Cream was written by Pete Brown and Cream members Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton, the latter of which is everyone’s favourite boomer (Bruce and Clapton wrote the music; Brown the lyrics). It had two chart runs in the US. Originally, it peaked at No. 36 on the Hot 100 in late-1967, but a re-release in mid-1968 saw it reach No. 5 on the Hot 100. With elements of hard rock and psychedelia, it is one of Cream's best known and most popular songs, and features one of the most iconic guitar riffs of the 1960s. It is one of the most acclaimed and enduring songs of the psychedelic era.

Although Clapton is an asshole, you can’t deny his guitar playing, at least back then. Damn, this is a great song. What a riff. The guitar work is so catchy and cool.

Rounding out the Top 10 is “This Guy’s in Love With You” (Herb Alpert) (No. 7), “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (Hugo Montenegro) (No. 8), “Mrs. Robinson” (Simon & Garfunkel) (No. 9) and “Tighten Up” (Archie Bell and the Drells) (No. 10)