4 Classic Rock Ballads From 1968 That Never Get Old for 60s Kids

Some classic rock ballads just stand the test of time, like these four iconic tunes from the year 1968. If you were a kid when these songs hit the airwaves, I bet you still play them on occasion. I know I certainly do, and I wasn’t even born in the 60s!

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles from ‘The Beatles’

The Beatles were a natural pick for this list, and I went with a ballad straight from one of the Fab Four’s most then-underrated songwriters, George Harrison. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was one of the biggest blues rock songs of the year in 1968, despite the fact that it was only released as a B-side to “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”.

“I Started A Joke” by Bee Gees from ‘Idea’

Bee Gees dropped a few bangers in the late 1960s that are of note, and “I Started A Joke” is, in my opinion, a little underrated among their bigger hits. This soft rock ballad was the last Bee Gees single release to showcase the guitar prowess of Vince Melouney, and he left them with quite a gorgeous performance. “I Started A Joke” would become a Top 30 hit globally, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topping the charts in Canada, among other countries.

“Only One Woman” by The Marbles

Speaking of Bee Gees, “Only One Woman” by The Marbles is a soulful rock ballad written by the songwriting mastery of the Gibb brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice. The Marbles gave it a personal enough touch to bring the song to the top of the charts, peaking at No. 5 on the UK Singles chart, though it didn’t quite cross over to the US charts.

“Tuesday Afternoon” by The Moody Blues from ‘Days Of Future Passed’

“Tuesday Afternoon” by The Moody Blues is more than worthy of a spot on our list of classic rock ballads from 1968 that still sound so good today. It’s a little prog, a little baroque pop, and a whole lot of psychedelic rock with a ballad-like structure that makes it almost sound like some sort of cowboy song from space. It’s a real gem, one that made it all the way to No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Photo by Harry Myers/Conde Nast via Getty Images