Tons of rock songs from 1968 became hits, but few have aged quite as well as the following three tracks that still bring back memories for baby boomers after all these years. Any of these three tunes will send you back in time to when the music was good, culture was changing, and the internet wasn’t even a thought in anyone’s mind.
“Hey Jude” by The Beatles
Is this an obvious shoo-in for any list of timeless rock songs from 1968 that bring back memories? Of course. But it’s worthy of a spot not just because of its historical significance, but also because it’s just a genuinely amazing song on a musical level. Paul McCartney was not playing games when he wrote “Hey Jude”, and everything from that sweet, stunning opening to that anthemic explosion at the climax of the song still sounds amazing after all these years.
The Beatles’ legendary song “Hey Jude” was a No. 1 smash around the world, topping charts in the US, UK, much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere.
“Hello, I Love You” by The Doors from ‘Waiting For The Sun’
This pop-rock classic from The Doors was one of the band’s biggest mainstream hits. Some fans weren’t loving it, though, with many claiming “Hello, I Love You” was a commercial cash grab and not indicative of the band’s true sound. In the end, “Hello, I Love You” was a huge hit anyway. The track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached the Top 40 in the UK and much of Europe.
“The Weight” by The Band from ‘Music From Big Pink’
The Band’s debut album is still the stuff of legend after all these years, and “The Weight” is easily the most memorable song off Music From Big Pink. This country rock classic is one of the most influential songs to hit the airwaves in 1968 and might have had a huge hand in bolstering the country and roots rock boom that would follow in the 1970s. And, surprisingly, at the time, it wasn’t a particularly enormous hit for The Band. “The Weight” only made it to No. 63 in the US.
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