3 Top 40 Hits From 1968 That Every 60s Kid Still Knows by Heart Today

The music from the latter part of the 1960s will always be nostalgic, regardless of how many years have passed. These are three of the best songs that came out in 1968. They are all so good, it’s almost certain that every 60s kid still knows them today.

“Take Time To Know Her” by Percy Sledge

Percy Sledge’s “Take Time To Know Her” is the title track of his fourth studio album. The song was written by Steve Davis.

A cautionary tale about a mother warning her son not to rush into a relationship, “Take Time To Know Her” says, “Take time to know her / It’s not an overnight fling / You better take time to know her / Please please don’t rush into this thing.”

“Take Time To Know Her” became a crossover hit for Sledge, hitting the Top 10 on Billboard’s R&B chart and the Top 20 on the Hot 100 chart. This is Sledge’s last big hit. His only other single to reach the top of the charts is “When A Man Loves A Woman”. That song, out in 1966, is Sledge’s debut single.

“Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf

“Magic Carpet Ride” is part of Steppenwolf’s second record, appropriately called The Second. The song was written by band members John Kay and Rushton Moreve.

A song about the fantasy world, “Magic Carpet Ride” says, “Well, you don’t know what we can find / Why don’t you come with me little girl / On a magic carpet ride.”

“Magic Carpet Ride” is Steppenwolf’s second Top 5 single in 1968, following their iconic “Born To Be Wild”. “Magic Carpet Ride” is also Steppenwolf’s final single to reach the Top 5.

“Cry Like A Baby” by The Box Tops

The Box Tops only had two Top 10 singles, “The Letter” and “Cry Like A Baby”. “Cry Like A Baby” is the title track of The Box Tops’ sophomore album. Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham are the two writers of the song.

A song of deep regret, “Cry Like A Baby” says, “As I look back on a love so sweet now / I cry like a baby / Every road is a lonely street / I cry like a baby.”

Perhaps ironically, the two writers spent all night unsuccessfully trying to write a song for The Box Tops. Frustrated, they went to breakfast the next morning, where Oldham said he was so tired that he could “cry like a baby,” and the song was born.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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