Billboard Hot 100 | Top 5 – Week of December 14, 1968
By the middle of December 1968, the Billboard Hot 100 had shifted into one of the strongest soul-driven moments of the year. Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through The Grapevine surged from number four to number one, ending the brief reign of Diana Ross & The Supremes’ Love Child. It was a major moment for Motown and Tamla, with three of the Top 3 records connected to the Motown family.
The chart told a clear story about where late-1968 popular music was headed. Marvin Gaye’s tense, emotional performance brought a darker, more mature soul sound to the top. Diana Ross & The Supremes remained powerful at number two, while Stevie Wonder held steady at number three with the joyful energy of For Once In My Life. Together, those records showed Motown’s remarkable ability to dominate the pop chart with very different kinds of songs.
Outside of Motown, the Top 5 carried deep emotional weight. Dion climbed to number four with Abraham, Martin And John, a reflective song that spoke directly to the losses and uncertainty of the decade. Johnnie Taylor held at number five with Who’s Making Love, keeping Stax soul firmly in the national spotlight.
This was a chart full of feeling: suspicion, hope, remembrance, confidence, and heartbreak. As 1968 neared its end, the Hot 100 sounded less like a simple pop countdown and more like a reflection of the year itself.
Top 5 Songs (December 14, 1968)
1. I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
I Heard It Through The Grapevine reached number one this week, giving Marvin Gaye one of the defining hits of his career. The record’s dark atmosphere, pulsing rhythm, and emotional vocal performance made it stand apart from nearly everything else on the chart.
Gaye’s delivery carried suspicion, hurt, and restraint all at once. The song did not need to shout to feel powerful. Its tension built through the arrangement and through Gaye’s controlled performance, creating one of Motown’s most unforgettable records.
Its rise to number one showed that soul music was moving into deeper and more dramatic territory. By December 1968, Grapevine had become the sound of the season.
2. Love Child – Diana Ross & The Supremes
Love Child slipped to number two after its run at the top, but it remained one of the most important Supremes records of the late 1960s. The song’s serious subject matter helped the group move beyond the lighter romantic themes of many earlier hits.
Diana Ross delivered the song with urgency and emotion, while the Motown production kept it sharp and radio-friendly. That combination made the record both meaningful and commercially powerful.
Even after leaving number one, Love Child continued to show how Motown was adapting to the changing sound and social climate of 1968.
3. For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder held at number three with For Once In My Life, bringing bright energy to a Top 5 filled with emotional intensity. His version transformed the song into an upbeat declaration of confidence and joy.
Wonder’s vocal performance was full of movement and personality, while his harmonica added a distinctive touch. The record showed his growing power as a performer capable of making familiar material feel completely his own.
Its strong chart position confirmed that Stevie Wonder was entering a new and important phase of his career.
4. Abraham, Martin And John – Dion
Dion climbed to number four with Abraham, Martin And John, one of the most reflective records of the year. The song looked back on Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy, giving listeners a quiet space to remember.
Its gentle arrangement and restrained vocal made the song feel sincere rather than dramatic. In a year marked by loss and unrest, that restraint helped give the record its emotional power.
The song’s rise showed how strongly Americans connected with music that helped them process the events of the decade.
5. Who’s Making Love – Johnnie Taylor
Johnnie Taylor held at number five with Who’s Making Love, keeping Stax soul firmly in the Top 5. The record’s groove, confidence, and sharp vocal performance made it one of the strongest soul hits of late 1968.
Taylor brought a rawer Memphis feel to the chart, offering a contrast to Motown’s polished sound. The song was direct, rhythmic, and full of personality, which helped it stand out on radio.
Its continued Top 5 placement showed that soul music was not just present on the Hot 100 — it was one of the chart’s driving forces.
More Weeks at #1 for “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
This song spent multiple weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Explore each chart week below:
🎂 What Was the #1 Song on Your Birthday?
If you were born during the week ending December 14, 1968, this was your birthday song:
🎵 I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
▶ Watch and experience this song →
🎂 Born in the 60s? Try your own birthday:
Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 This Week
- I Heard It Through The Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
- Love Child – Diana Ross & The Supremes
- For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
- Abraham, Martin And John – Dion
- Who’s Making Love – Johnnie Taylor
- Hey Jude – The Beatles
- Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
- Stormy – Classics IV Featuring Dennis Yost
- I Love How You Love Me – Bobby Vinton
- Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf
Chart Movers This Week
Looking Back at December 1968
The December 14, 1968 chart mattered because it placed Marvin Gaye at number one with one of Motown’s most powerful records. I Heard It Through The Grapevine marked a darker, more mature direction for soul music and became one of the defining songs of the late 1960s.
The Top 5 also showed the strength of Black music at the close of the year. Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Johnnie Taylor all occupied major positions, while Dion’s reflective ballad added the emotional weight of national memory.
Looking back, this week feels like one of the clearest snapshots of 1968’s closing mood: soulful, serious, emotional, and unforgettable.
