It's the 50th anniversary of 1968. Much has already been written about that historical, turbulent year. Allow me to add a few more words.For me, 1968 was the heart of my adolescence -- I was 13-14 years old, raging with hormones, far from adult but old enough to be aware of, and shaped by, current events. And the current events of 1968 were something else. Of course, I wasn't totally attuned to every bit of it back then, but in years to come it was clear to me (and about a gajillion other people) that 1968 was one helluva year.
An unpopular war in Vietnam with unflattering, unvarnished news coverage. Anti-war protests and draft dodgers. Racial tensions. The civil rights movement and protests. Black Panthers. Black Power. Flower Power. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The women's rights movement. The environmental movement. Student unrest and campus protests. Assassinations. The Cold War and the possibility of nuclear conflict hanging over everything.
A brief rundown of some memorable 1968 occurrences:
With 500,000 American troops in Vietnam, North Vietnam launches the surprise Tet Offensive. U.S. casualties are heavy during the month-long siege, and public opinion of the war sours.
A photographer snaps the iconic photo of a South Vietnamese policeman summarily executing a Viet Cong prisoner on the streets of Saigon.
President Lyndon Johnson announces he won't seek
reelection.
reelection.
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis.
LBJ signs the Civil Rights/Fair Housing Act.
The U.S. and North Vietnam begin peace talks in Paris. South Vietnam boycotts the talks.
Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles.
The anti-war Yippies announce they'll go to Chicago for the Democratic Convention.
The GOP nominates Richard Nixon for president.
The Soviet Union invades Czechoslovakia and crushes the"Prague Spring" anti-communist uprising.
In a raucous convention, the Democrats nominate Hubert Humphrey for president. Outside the convention hall, Chicago police administer brutal, unprovoked beatings on crowds of anti-war protesters.
George Wallace enters the presidential race as an independent.
U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos give the black power salute on the medal stand during the Mexico City Olympics.
LBJ announces a halt to all U.S. bombing in North Vietnam.
Nixon narrowly wins the presidential election.
College campuses mark National Turn In Your Draft Card Day with rallies, card burning and protests.
Apollo 8 becomes the first manned spacecraft to leave earth's orbit, reach and orbit the moon, and return to earth. Notable for its dramatic Christmas Eve TV broadcast while orbiting the moon.
These days, when I'm constantly disgusted by the daily horrors of the Trump Freak Show, I can find a small silver lining by thinking back to 1968 and saying to myself, "Well, somehow we managed to survive all that!"
And for an even happier disposition, I can always remember the music of 1968, all those catchy ear-worms that burrowed into my young brain 50 years ago and are still there today.
From Billboard's Top 100 Hits of 1968, here are the top ten songs of that year:
1. Hey Jude - The Beatles. Paul's sing-along cheer-up anthem written for Julian Lennon.
2. Love Is Blue - The Paul Mauriat Orchestra. An improbable instrumental hit with harpsichord and strings.
3. Honey - Bobby Goldsboro. A vomitously saccharine ballad about a terminally ill young woman.
4. Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding. A posthumous #1 hit, released after singer's death in a plane crash.
5. People Got To Be Free - The Rascals. Happy, funky soul from New Jersey white boys.
6. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream. Heavy riffs from the classic power trio.
7. This Guy's In Love With You - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. A rare vocal sung by Herb -- rare because Herb couldn't sing.
8. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Hugo Montenegro. The instrumental movie theme.
9. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel. Movie theme from The Graduate. How many hit songs name-drop JoeDiMaggio?
10. Tighten Up - Archie Bell & The Drells. Hooky rhythm guitar and horns. A personal favorite.
And I must mention just one more:
38. Yummy Yummy Yummy (I Got Love In My Tummy) - The Ohio Express. Wretched bubblegum crap with the worst song title ever. Yucky yucky yucky.
Those were the days, my friends. (Another '68 song!)
These days, when I'm constantly disgusted by the daily horrors of the Trump Freak Show, I can find a small silver lining by thinking back to 1968 and saying to myself, "Well, somehow we managed to survive all that!"
And for an even happier disposition, I can always remember the music of 1968, all those catchy ear-worms that burrowed into my young brain 50 years ago and are still there today.
From Billboard's Top 100 Hits of 1968, here are the top ten songs of that year:
2. Love Is Blue - The Paul Mauriat Orchestra. An improbable instrumental hit with harpsichord and strings.
3. Honey - Bobby Goldsboro. A vomitously saccharine ballad about a terminally ill young woman.
4. Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding. A posthumous #1 hit, released after singer's death in a plane crash.
5. People Got To Be Free - The Rascals. Happy, funky soul from New Jersey white boys.
6. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream. Heavy riffs from the classic power trio.
7. This Guy's In Love With You - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. A rare vocal sung by Herb -- rare because Herb couldn't sing.
8. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Hugo Montenegro. The instrumental movie theme.
9. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel. Movie theme from The Graduate. How many hit songs name-drop JoeDiMaggio?
10. Tighten Up - Archie Bell & The Drells. Hooky rhythm guitar and horns. A personal favorite.
And I must mention just one more:
38. Yummy Yummy Yummy (I Got Love In My Tummy) - The Ohio Express. Wretched bubblegum crap with the worst song title ever. Yucky yucky yucky.
Those were the days, my friends. (Another '68 song!)
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