Top 100 songs for August 31, 1968
This weekly snapshot follows the songs and artists competing across the Billboard Hot 100. Open any entry for its full chart history, or explore 1968 and the 1960s.
This week’s No. 1 is “People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals. Meanwhile, “Harper Valley P.T.A.” by Jeannie C. Riley rises from No. 81 to No. 7. 22 songs are listed in their first chart week.
See debuts and biggest movers
This week’s chart highlights
Biggest climbers
- Harper Valley P.T.A. — Jeannie C. Rileyup 74 places, No. 81 → No. 7
- Who Is Gonna Love Me? — Dionne Warwickup 43 places, No. 96 → No. 53
- Six Man Band — The Associationup 32 places, No. 89 → No. 57
New to this week’s Top 10
New to this week’s Top 40
- Magic Bus — The WhoNo. 32
- Mr. Businessman — Ray StevensNo. 33
- I Get The Sweetest Feeling — Jackie WilsonNo. 35
- Down At Lulu's — Ohio ExpressNo. 36
- Special Occasion — Smokey Robinson & The MiraclesNo. 39
First-week entries
- To Wait For Love — Herb AlpertNo. 63
- Help Yourself — Tom JonesNo. 67
- (The Lament Of The Cherokee) Indian Reservation — Don FardonNo. 72
- Midnight Confessions — The Grass RootsNo. 74
- Barefoot In Baltimore — Strawberry Alarm ClockNo. 75
- Down On Me — Big Brother And The Holding CompanyNo. 76
- Unchained Melody — The Sweet InspirationsNo. 77
- My Way Of Life — Frank SinatraNo. 78
- Down Here On The Ground — Lou RawlsNo. 79
- Piece Of My Heart — Big Brother And The Holding CompanyNo. 80
- Private Number — Judy Clay & William BellNo. 81
- Hey, Western Union Man — Jerry ButlerNo. 83
- The Weight — The BandNo. 84
- (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me — Dionne WarwickNo. 85
- Break Your Promise — The DelfonicsNo. 86
- Do What You Gotta Do — Bobby VeeNo. 87
- That Kind Of Woman — Merrilee Rush & The TurnaboutsNo. 89
- The Mule — The James BoysNo. 90
- Help Yourself (To All Of My Lovin') — James & Bobby PurifyNo. 96
- If Love Is In Your Heart — Friend And LoverNo. 97
- Since You've Been Gone — Ramsey LewisNo. 98
- Naturally Stoned — The Avant-GardeNo. 100
First-week entries have one recorded chart week. Climbs and Top 10/Top 40 arrivals use recorded previous positions for consecutive chart weeks; returning songs without a previous position are not classified as debuts.