4 Songs From 1968 That Every Baby Boomer Knows by Heart

Many a baby boomer has heard, memorized, and loved these four songs from the year 1968. They just can’t be beat. In fact, I’d say they are decade-defining classics. Let’s get a little nostalgic and dive into a few baby boomer-loved songs from 1968!

“Hey Jude” by The Beatles

“Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad / Take a sad song and make it better.”

The Beatles had quite a few memorable songs drop in 1968, but one of the most enduring has to be “Hey Jude”. Paul McCartney wrote this pop-rock ballad as a message of hope to John Lennon’s first son, Julian. If you’ve ever found yourself in need of a positive perspective in a bad situation, you’ve probably turned to this song for a bit of comfort.

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding from ‘The Dock Of The Bay’

“I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay / Watching the tide roll away.”

That chorus is so catchy and so memorable, even I know it by heart, and I’m a Millennial. Otis Redding had a massive hit on his hands with this soul-funk classic. Sadly, he would never see the impact “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” had on listeners. He died a month prior to its release in a plane crash and didn’t get to see the song become a No. 1 hit in the US. His memory lives on in this delightful, genre-defining classic.

“Sunshine Of Your Love” by Cream from ‘Disraeli Gears’

“I’ve been waiting so long / To be where I’m going / In the sunshine of your love.”

Cream was probably the biggest supergroup of the 1960s, and “Sunshine Of Your Love” remains the group’s most enduring song. The gathering of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker yielded other hits, but “Sunshine Of Your Love” is one of their most legendary psychedelic works. “Sunshine Of Your Love” peaked at No. 5 in the US and No. 25 in the UK.

“Mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel from ‘Bookends’ and ‘The Graduate’

“And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson / Jesus loves you more than you will know / Woah, woah, woah.”

Whether you were born before or after the baby boomer era, this is one of those songs from 1968 that you’ve absolutely heard before. “Mrs. Robinson” is one of folk duo Simon & Garfunkel’s most famous tunes, and it’s one that probably will never go out of style. “Mrs. Robinson” was a No. 1 smash hit on the Hot 100 chart and also reached the Top 10 globally.

(Photo by Mirrorpix via Getty Images)