The UK Singles Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles of the week in the United Kingdom. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical singles. This list shows singles that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart during 1968, as well as singles which peaked in 1967 and 1969 but were in the top 10 in 1968. The entry date is when the single appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
One-hundred and nine singles were in the top ten in 1968. Nine singles from 1967 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while "Albatross" by Fleetwood Mac and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by Marmalade were both released in 1968 but did not reach their peak until 1969. "Daydream Believer" by The Monkees, "Thank U Very Much" by The Scaffold and "Walk Away Renée" by Four Tops were the singles from 1967 to reach their peak in 1968. Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1968. Amen Corner, Fleetwood Mac, Joe Cocker, Marmalade, Nina Simone and Status Quo were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 single in 1968.
The 1967 Christmas number-one, "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles, remained at number-one for the first three weeks of 1968. The first new number-one single of the year was "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" by Georgie Fame. Overall, twenty different singles peaked at number-one in 1968, with The Beatles (2) having the joint most singles hit that position.
Background Multiple entries One-hundred and eleven singles charted in the top 10 in 1968, with one-hundred and three singles reaching their peak this year.
Nineteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1968. The Beatles secured the record for most top 10 hits in 1968 with four hit singles.
Manfred Mann was one of a number of artists with two top-ten entries, including the number-one single "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)". Amen Corner, Bee Gees, Donovan, Lulu and Status Quo were among the other artists who had multiple top 10 entries in 1968.
Chart debuts Forty-nine artists achieved their first top 10 single in 1968, either as a lead or featured artist. Of these, four went on to record another hit single that year: Amen Corner, Don Partridge, Marmalade and Status Quo. Love Affair had two other entries in their breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo single.
Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entriesSimon Dupree and the Big Sound1"Kites"9—Love Affair3"Everlasting Love"1"Rainbow Valley" (5), "A Day Without Love" (6)John Fred & His Playboy Band1"Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" 3—Plastic Penny1"Everything I Am"6—Amen Corner2"Bend Me, Shape Me" 3"High in the Sky" (6)Solomon King1"She Wears My Ring"3—Brenton Wood1"Gimme Little Sign"8 —Status Quo2"Pictures of Matchstick Men"7"Ice in the Sun" (8)Esther & Abi Ofarim1"Cinderella Rockefella"1—Don Partridge2"Rosie"4"Blue Eyes" (3)1"Green Tambourine"7—Otis Redding1"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"3—John Rowles1"If I Only Had Time"3—1910 Fruitgum Company1"Simon Says"2—Honeybus1"I Can't Let Maggie Go"8—Gary Puckett & The Union Gap1"Young Girl"1"Lady Willpower" (5)Bobby Goldsboro1"Honey"2—Jacky1"White Horses"10—Julie Driscoll1"This Wheel's on Fire"5—Brian Auger and the Trinity1"Baby, Come Back"1—O. C. Smith1"The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp"2—Marmalade2"Lovin' Things"6"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (1) Cupid's Inspiration1"Yesterday Has Gone"4—Ohio Express1"Yummy Yummy Yummy"5—Tommy James and the Shondells1"Mony Mony"1—Richard Harris1"MacArthur Park"4—1"Fire"1—Sly and the Family Stone1"Dance to the Music"7—Johnny Nash1"Hold Me Tight"5—Canned Heat1"On the Road Again"8—Mary Hopkin1"Those Were the Days"1—1"Jesamine"2—Leapy Lee1"Little Arrows"2—Mason Williams1"Classical Gas"9—José Feliciano1"Light My Fire"6—Hugo Montenegro1"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"1—Joe Cocker1"With a Little Help from My Friends"1—Barry Ryan1"Eloise"2—1"Only One Woman" 5 —1"This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"3—The Bandwagon1"Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache"4—Nina Simone1"Ain't Got No, I Got Life"/"Do What You Gotta Do"2—Malcolm Roberts1"May I Have the Next Dream with You"8—Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band1"I'm the Urban Spaceman"5—Love Sculpture1"Sabre Dance"5—Gun1"Race with the Devil"8—Fleetwood Mac1"Albatross" 1—
Songs from films Original songs from various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included "Mrs. Robinson" (from The Graduate) and "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" (Les Bicyclettes de Belsize).
Additionally, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" from the film of the same name, originally recorded by Ennio Morricone, topped the chart when it was covered by Hugo Montenegro.
Best-selling singles Until 1970 there was no universally recognised year-end best-sellers list. However, in 2011 the Official Charts Company released a list of the best-selling single of each year in chart history from 1952 to date. According to the list, "Hey Jude" by The Beatles is officially recorded as the biggest-selling single of 1968.
Top-ten singles Key SymbolMeaning‡Single peaked in 1967 but still in chart in 1968.♦Single released in 1968 but peaked in 1969.(#)Year-end best-selling single.EnteredThe date that the single first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the single reached in the UK Singles Chart.
Entered(week ending) Weeksintop10 Single Artist Peak Peak reached(week ending) WeeksatpeakSingles in 1967 9"If The Whole World Stopped Loving" ‡Val Doonican 3 1 6"Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" ‡Gene Pitney 5 3 9"Hello, Goodbye" ‡The Beatles 1 7 7"I'm Coming Home" ‡Tom Jones 2 1 3"Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" ‡ Traffic 8 1 6"Thank U Very Much"The Scaffold 4 1 6"Magical Mystery Tour (EP)" ‡The Beatles 2 3 7"Daydream Believer"The Monkees 5 1 5"Walk Away Renée"Four Tops 3 1Singles in 1968 2"Kites"Simon Dupree and the Big Sound 9 2 6"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde"Georgie Fame 1 1 7"Everlasting Love"Love Affair 1 2 6"Am I That Easy to Forget"Engelbert Humperdinck 3 2 5"Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)"John Fred & His Playboy Band 3 1 2"Tin Soldier"Small Faces 9 1 3"Everything I Am"Plastic Penny 6 1 5"Bend Me, Shape Me"Amen Corner 3 1 7"Mighty Quinn"Manfred Mann 1 2 6"She Wears My Ring"Solomon King 3 1 4"Suddenly You Love Me" The Tremeloes 6 1 3"Gimme Little Sign"Brenton Wood 8 2 4"Pictures of Matchstick Men"Status Quo 7 3 6"Fire Brigade"The Move 3 1 7"Cinderella Rockefella"Esther & Abi Ofarim 1 3 6"The Legend of Xanadu"Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 1 1 1"Words"Bee Gees 8 1 5"Rosie"Don Partridge 4 2 4"Jennifer Juniper"Donovan 5 1 3"Green Tambourine"The Lemon Pipers 7 1 8"Delilah"Tom Jones 2 3 6"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"Otis Redding 3 1 2"Me, the Peaceful Heart"Lulu 9 1 11"What a Wonderful World"/"Cabaret"Louis Armstrong 1 4 5"Lady Madonna"The Beatles 1 2 6"Congratulations" Cliff Richard 1 2 3"If I Were a Carpenter"Four Tops 7 1 3"Step Inside Love"Cilla Black 8 1 6"If I Only Had Time"John Rowles 3 1 7"Simon Says"1910 Fruitgum Company 2 1 5"Jennifer Eccles"The Hollies 7 2 6"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"Andy Williams 5 1 2"I Can't Let Maggie Go"Honeybus 8 1 7"Lazy Sunday"Small Faces 2 1 8"A Man Without Love"Engelbert Humperdinck 2 3 6"I Don't Want Our Loving to Die"The Herd 5 1 9"Young Girl"Gary Puckett & The Union Gap 1 4 8"Honey"Bobby Goldsboro 2 1 2"White Horses" Jacky 10 2 4"Rainbow Valley"Love Affair 5 2 2"Joanna"Scott Walker 7 1 4"Do You Know the Way to San Jose"Dionne Warwick 8 2 5"This Wheel's on Fire"Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and the Trinity 5 1 7"Jumpin' Jack Flash"The Rolling Stones 1 2 5"Blue Eyes"Don Partridge 3 1 5"Hurdy Gurdy Man"Donovan 4 3 7"Baby, Come Back"The Equals 1 3 9"I Pretend"Des O'Connor 1 1 6"The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp"O. C. Smith 2 3 3"Lovin' Things"Marmalade 6 1 4"Yesterday Has Gone"Cupid's Inspiration 4 2 3"My Name Is Jack"Manfred Mann 8 1 4"Yummy Yummy Yummy"Ohio Express 5 2 8"Mony Mony"Tommy James and the Shondells 1 3 4"MacArthur Park"Richard Harris 4 2 8"Fire"The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 1 1 8"This Guy's in Love with You" Herb Alpert 3 4 4"Mrs. Robinson"Simon & Garfunkel 4 1 4"I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten"Dusty Springfield 4 1 3"Last Night in Soho"Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich 8 1 6"Help Yourself"Tom Jones 5 3 4"Sunshine Girl"Herman's Hermits 8 2 3"Dance to the Music"Sly and the Family Stone 7 1 6"Do It Again"The Beach Boys 1 1 7"I've Gotta Get a Message to You"Bee Gees 1 1 4"High in the Sky" Amen Corner 6 1 6"I Say a Little Prayer"Aretha Franklin 4 3 6"Hold Me Tight"Johnny Nash 5 3 4"On the Road Again"Canned Heat 8 2 9"Hey Jude" (#1)The Beatles 1 2 11"Those Were the Days"Mary Hopkin 1 6 8"Jesamine" The Casuals 2 1 6"Lady Willpower"Gary Puckett & The Union Gap 5 2 7"Little Arrows"Leapy Lee 2 1 3"The Red Balloon"The Dave Clark Five 7 1 4"My Little Lady"The Tremeloes 6 2 1"Ice in the Sun"Status Quo 8 1 1"Classical Gas"Mason Williams 9 1 3"Les Bicyclettes de Belsize"Engelbert Humperdinck 5 1 2"A Day Without Love"Love Affair 6 1 5"Light My Fire"José Feliciano 6 1 10"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"Hugo Montenegro 1 4 5"With a Little Help from My Friends"Joe Cocker 1 1 4"Only One Woman"The Marbles 5 1 6"Eloise"Barry Ryan 2 2 7"This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"The Isley Brothers 3 2 4"All Along the Watchtower"The Jimi Hendrix Experience 5 1 5"Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache"The Bandwagon 4 1 3"Elenore"The Turtles 7 1 9"Ain't Got No, I Got Life"/"Do What You Gotta Do"Nina Simone 2 1 10"Lily the Pink"The Scaffold 1 4 2"I'm a Tiger"Lulu 9 2 5"1–2–3 O'Leary" Des O'Connor 4 3 1"May I Have the Next Dream With You" Malcolm Roberts 8 1 8"Build Me Up Buttercup"The Foundations 2 2 7"I'm the Urban Spaceman"Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band 5 3 5"Sabre Dance" Love Sculpture 5 1 2"Race with the Devil" Gun 8 1 9"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" ♦Marmalade 1 3 10"Albatross" ♦Fleetwood Mac 1 1
Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1968, including singles that reached their peak in 1967 or 1969. The figures include both main artists and featured artists. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 1968 is also shown.
Entries Artist Weeks Singles4 24"Hello, Goodbye", "Hey Jude", "Lady Madonna", "Magical Mystery Tour (EP)"3Engelbert Humperdinck17"Am I That Easy to Forget", "A Man Without Love", "Les Bicyclettes de Belsize"Love Affair13"A Day Without Love", "Everlasting Love", "Rainbow Valley"Tom Jones 18"Delilah", "Help Yourself", "I'm Coming Home"2Amen Corner9"Bend Me, Shape Me", "High in the Sky"Bee Gees8"I've Gotta Get a Message to You", "Words"Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich9"Last Night in Soho", "The Legend of Xanadu"Des O'Connor13"1-2-3 O'Leary", "I Pretend"Don Partridge10"Blue Eyes", "Rosie"Donovan9"Hurdy Gurdy Man", "Jennifer Juniper"Four Tops 8"If I Were a Carpenter", "Walk Away Renée"Gary Puckett & The Union Gap15"Lady Willpower", "Young Girl"Lulu4"I'm a Tiger", "Me, the Peaceful Heart"Manfred Mann10"My Name Is Jack", "Mighty Quinn"Marmalade 5"Lovin' Things", "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" 9"Lily the Pink", "Thank U Very Much"Small Faces9"Lazy Sunday", "Tin Soldier"Status Quo5"Ice in the Sun", "Pictures of Matchstick Men"The Tremeloes5"My Little Lady", "Suddenly You Love Me"
Notes
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" reached its peak of number-one on 1 January 1969 (week ending). "Albatross" reached its peak of number one on 29 January 1969 (week ending). "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 10 January 1968 (week ending). "Suddenly You Love Me" re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 28 February 1968 (week ending). "Congratulations" was the United Kingdom's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968.