On This Day in 1968, Glen Campbell Recorded One of the Greatest Songs of All Time, “Wichita Lineman”

For some, this article title might be an incredibly hot take. However, we are far from the only people who think that. Though, before we divulge who else agrees with our perspective, we are going to celebrate and acknowledge the 57th recording anniversary of Glen Campbell‘s masterpiece “Wichita Lineman”, which was recorded today, May 27, in 1968.

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On this day in 1968, Glen Campbell took to the Capitol Recording Studio in Los Angeles to record the infamous single. Star-studded studio muscians Carol Kaye, Jim Gordon, Mike Melvoin, Al Casey, Bob Felts, and producer Al DeLory joined Campbell on the recording. Fun fact: Carol Kaye famously wrote the opening bass riff, which has become one of the song’s most memorable aspects.

Following the recording session, Campbell released the song in October of that same year. “Wichita Lineman” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100. Furthermore, in 2000, the single received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award. As notable as those accolades are, they are far from the only acclaim the single has received.

It’s Not Just Us: Behind the Sweeping Acclaim of Glen Campbell’s Masterpiece

Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” is one of, if not the most notable, songs in his catalog. Consequently, it is one of the most notable songs of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In addition to us praising Campbell’s single, other notable folks and entities to have done the same include Bob Dylan and Rolling Stone.

Bob Dylan, who isn’t the historically most generous compliment-giver, stated that “Wichita Lineman” was “the greatest song ever written,” per Dylan Jones’ book, Wichita Lineman: Searching In The Sun For The World’s Greatest Unfinished Song. Furthermore, in 2021, Rolling Stone created the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. “Wichita Lineman” came in right at the middle of the pack, as Rolling Stone ranked the song at No. 206.

Concerning the inspiration for the song, Jimmy Webb, the song’s author, told the BBC that he “just tried to take an ordinary guy and open him up and say, ‘Look, there’s this great soul, and there’s this great aching and this great loneliness inside this person, and we’re all like that,’” per Rolling Stone.

Again, you may not agree with our opinion. If not, that is quite okay. Regardless, today marks a monumental day in music history, as “Wichita Lineman” went from an idea to a reality. A reality that impacted the masses and musicians across the world.

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