3 One-Word Classic Rock Songs From 1968 That Are Awesome

When it comes to music, sometimes all you need is a single word to get people interested. Instantly, with a flash of a lone name or idea, the audience is in. Hooked. When that happens, it’s the sign of a talented artist, one who has a lot more than a single word to share when it’s all said and done.

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Here below, we wanted to examine that very dynamic. We wanted to highlight three talented musical acts that hooked us with a song known by merely one name. Indeed, these are three one-word classic rock songs from 1968 that are awesome.

“Think” by Aretha Franklin from ‘Aretha Now’ (1968)

Perhaps no one in the history of music could get your attention with a single word like Aretha Franklin. Whether she’s singing about respect or about getting your wits together to think more clearly, Franklin knows how to cut through the static, through the white noise, and get to where it counts. We respond to her voice, to her urgency, and to the imperative feeling she creates in her songs. Think! When it comes to her sound, it’s obvious.

“Crossroads” by Cream from ‘Wheels Of Fire’ (1968)

British-born guitar player Eric Clapton has long been a fan of groundbreaking blues player Robert Johnson. And on this track with his band Cream, Clapton covered the Johnson offering, electrifying it and putting his own buzzy spin on the stuff. Clapton took so much from the early American blues artists, then, like others from the British Invasion, he brought it back to American audiences. Here, he was quite successful, and with it, Johnson’s legacy continues to thrive.

“One” by Three Dog Night from ‘Three Dog Night’ (1968)

Another cover, this track was originally released by Harry Nilsson in 1968. But when Three Dog Night covered it shortly thereafter, the offering hit a higher spot on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 5. Most know this song for its opening line: “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” How true a statement and how perfect a thing to ponder in a pop track. You’ll never think of the single digit the same way again!

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