|
Dates
|
Performer/Title
|
|
|
August 20 – September 16
1967
|
Bobbie Gentry - Ode to
Billie Joe
|
4
|
|
September 17 – October 14
1967
|
Box Tops - The Letter
|
4
|
|
October 15 – November 18
1967
|
Lulu - To Sir with Love
|
5
|
|
November 19 – 25 1967
|
Strawberry Alarm Clock -
Incense and Peppermints
|
1
|
|
November 26 – December 23
1967
|
Monkees - Daydream Believer
|
4
|
|
December 24 1967 – January
13 1968
|
Beatles - Hello, Goodbye
|
3
|
|
January 14 – 27 1968
|
John Fred and His Playboy
Band - Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
|
2
|
|
January 28 – February 3
1968
|
Lemon Pipers - Green
Tambourine
|
1
|
|
February 4 – March 9 1968
|
Paul Mauriat - Love Is Blue
|
5
|
|
March 10 – April 6 1968
|
Otis Redding - Sitting On
The Dock Of The Bay
|
4
|
|
April 7 – May 11 1968
|
Bobby Goldsboro - Honey
|
5
|
|
May 12 – 25 1968
|
Archie Bell and The Drells
- Tighten Up
|
2
|
|
May 26 – June 15 1968
|
Simon and Garfunkel - Mrs.
Robinson
|
3
|
|
June 16 – July 13 1968
|
Herb Alpert - This Guy's In
Love With You
|
4
|
|
July 14 – 27 1968
|
Hugh Masekela - Grazing In
The Grass
|
2
|
|
July 28 – August 10 1968
|
Doors - Hello, I Love You
|
2
|
|
August 11 – September 14
1968
|
Rascals - People Got To Be
Free
|
5
|
Now, there are some very good songs here. But there's also a lot of fluff and dreck ("To Sir, With Love;" "Incense and Peppermint;" "Judy In Disguise';" "Green Tambourine;" "Love Is Blue;" "Honey;" "Tighten Up;" "This Guy's In Love With You;" accounting for 25 of the 53 weeks). And much of what I remember from 1967-68 is not to be found.
There are some reasons for this. For example, The Beatles chose not to release any singles from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. For example, the only album Bob Dylan released in this period was John Wesley Harding, and the only single from the album was "Drifter's Escape." ("All along the Watchtower" was released in November 1968, and Jimi Hendrix had a monster hit with it separately.) The Kinks album of the time was Something Else, which peaked on the album charts in the US at #135; "Waterloo Sunset" is probably the best-known song from the album, and although it reached #2 on the British pop charts, if never made the top 100 in the US. The Who Sell Out was released in December 1967, with only 1 single released--"I Can See For Miles"--which peaked at #10 in the US.
But the number of outstanding songs...well,, looking back, I am amazed. Here's a list of songs that hit the top 40, and never made it to #1, that I personally think are terrific (note that this is not a complete list of songs from the top 40):
Light My Fire (twice, two different performers)
I was Made To Love Her
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Funky Broadway
All You Need Is Love
Brown-Eyed Girl
There Is a Mountain
Higher and Higher
Soul Man
Natural Woman
People Are Strange
I Can See For Miles
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
I Second That Emotion
Chain of Fools
Different Drum
I Wish It Would Rain
I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Is In
Walk Away Renee
I Thank You
Dance To the Music
The Mighty Quinn
Scarborough Fair/Canticle
Lady Madonna
A Beautiful Morning
Summertime Blues
Like To Get To Know You
Ain’t Nothin’ Like the Real Thing
Think
Cry Like a Baby
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Stoned Soul Picnic
Hurdy-Gurdy Man
Classical Gas
Sunshine of Your Love
Born To Be Wild
You Keep Me Hangin’ On
Journey To the Center Of Your Mind
Dream a Little Dream Of Me
People Got To Be Free
I did not list the performers (but will note that there are three song by Aretha Franklin on the list). There were 17 #1 songs from September 1967 to August 1968. My list has 40 songs on it. Take the 17 worst songs from my list and compare those to the #1 hits. Which would you rather listen to? For me, it's an easy choice.
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