🏆 Billboard Chart Week of March 9, 1968
🎵 #1 Song: “Love Is Blue (L’amour Est Bleu)” by Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra
⏱ Week at #1: Week 5 of 5
⚡ What Happened This Week
The Billboard Hot 100 chart for March 9, 1968 marked the fifth and final week at #1 for one of the most surprising hits of the entire decade.
“Love Is Blue (L’amour Est Bleu)” continued leading the charts while soul music, bubblegum pop, and emotional ballads kept climbing behind it.
The chart reflected a fascinating moment when soft orchestral instrumentals still coexisted with the rapidly changing sounds of late-1960s pop music.
🎂 What Was the #1 Song on Your Birthday?
If you were born during the week ending March 9, 1968, this was your birthday song:
🎵 Love Is Blue by Paul Mauriat
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Try your own birthday:
📊 Billboard Hot 100 – Top 5 Songs (March 9, 1968)
“Love Is Blue (L’amour Est Bleu)” – Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra
“(Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls” – Dionne Warwick
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” – Otis Redding
“Simon Says” – 1910 Fruitgum Co.
“I Wish It Would Rain” – The Temptations
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🎻 “Love Is Blue” Finishes Its Run At #1
Paul Mauriat’s instrumental smash completed its fifth and final week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
The song became one of the defining easy-listening hits of the late 1960s and proved that instrumental music could still become a massive commercial success during the rock era.
Its calm orchestral arrangement offered listeners a softer alternative to the psychedelic rock movement dominating much of youth culture.
🎬 Dionne Warwick Remains Close Behind
“(Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls” held steady at #2.
Dionne Warwick’s sophisticated vocal performance and the elegant songwriting of Burt Bacharach and Hal David continued making the song one of the biggest adult-pop crossover hits of 1968.
Its cinematic style helped separate it from the more guitar-driven songs climbing the charts.
⚓ Otis Redding’s Classic Continues Rising
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” remained at #3.
The emotional impact of the song continued growing following Otis Redding’s tragic death only months earlier.
Its thoughtful lyrics and reflective mood helped redefine soul music and influenced countless artists in the years that followed.
Today, it remains one of the most respected recordings in popular music history.
🎉 “Simon Says” Brings Bubblegum Fun
“Simon Says” climbed another spot to #4.
The 1910 Fruitgum Co. became one of the leading acts of the bubblegum pop movement, a style designed around:
- catchy hooks,
- upbeat rhythms,
- and simple singalong lyrics.
The song’s playful energy made it extremely popular with younger audiences and helped introduce a lighter side to late-1960s pop music.
🌧 The Temptations Continue Their Emotional Hit
“I Wish It Would Rain” slipped to #5 but remained one of the strongest soul records on American radio.
The Temptations delivered a deeply emotional performance that showcased the growing maturity of Motown’s sound.
The song’s themes of heartbreak and loneliness connected strongly with listeners and helped solidify the group’s legendary reputation.
🎶 A Unique Mix Of Musical Styles
The March 9, 1968 chart highlighted the incredible variety dominating American popular music.
The Top 5 featured:
- orchestral instrumentals,
- cinematic pop,
- Southern soul,
- bubblegum pop,
- and emotional Motown ballads.
Few eras in Billboard history blended so many completely different sounds together at the same time.
🔥 Final Thoughts
The Billboard chart week of March 9, 1968 closed the remarkable #1 run of “Love Is Blue.”
As the song completed its fifth week at the top, new styles of soul, pop, and psychedelic music continued transforming the sound of American radio and pushing popular music into an exciting new era.