January 4 – Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding.
January 6 – The Gibson Guitar Corporation patents its Gibson Flying V electric guitar design.
January 13 – Johnny Cash performs his famous concert at Folsom State Prison in California.
January 20 – The Who and the Small Faces start with a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
February 1 - Universal Studios offers the Doors $500,000 to star in a feature film, which is never made.
February 4 - The Bee Gees make their American television debut on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.
February 12 – Jimi Hendrix is given an honorary high school diploma from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington. Hendrix is also given the key to the city.
February 16 – The Beatles, Mike Love, Mia Farrow, Donovan and others travel to India to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh.
February 18 – David Gilmour joins Pink Floyd, replacing founder Syd Barrett, who had checked himself into a psychiatric hospital.
February 21 – McGraw-Hill, Inc., outbids eight other publishers and pays $150,000 for the U.S. rights to Hunter Davies' authorized biography of the Beatles.
February 22 – Florence Ballard of the Supremes is released from her contract with Motown.
February 27 - Doo-wop Singer Frankie Lymon is found dead at his grandmothers house in Harlem, New York, of a heroin overdose
March 1 – Johnny Cash and June Carter are married in Franklin, Kentucky, with Merle Kilgore as best man.
March 8 – Bill Graham opens the Fillmore East in an abandoned movie theater in New York City.
March 25 – The 58th and final new episode of The Monkees airs on NBC.
March 30 – The Yardbirds record their live album Live Yardbirds at the Anderson Theater.
April 4 – James Brown appears on national television, in an attempt to calm feelings of anger in the United States following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
April 6
The 13th Eurovision Song Contest is held in the Royal Albert Hall, London. The winning song, Spain's "La, la, la" is sung by Massiel, after Spanish authorities refused to allow Joan Manuel Serrat to perform it in Catalan. The UK finish in second place, just one point behind, with the song "Congratulations" sung by Cliff Richard, which goes on to outsell the winning Spanish entry throughout Europe.
The Open Pibroch Competition of the Scottish Piping Society of London is held at the London Scottish headquarters at Buckingham Gate. First place was won by Robert Brown, for the ninth time in ten years, with a performance of The King's Taxes. Second prize went to Seamus McNeill of the College of Piping, Glasgow, with The Bells of Perth, third prize to Pipe Major Angus MacDonald of the First Battalion, Scots Guards, with Macfarlane's Gathering, and fourth prize to John MacFadyen with The Battle of Auldern. MacFadyen, however, won narrowly over Brown in the second big competition, that for the Bratach Gorm, the blue banner of the MacCrimmons.
April 7 – Singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone's performance at Westbury Music Fair is dedicated to the late Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. The song "Why? (the king of love is dead)" by Gene Taylor is performed for the first time. the show was partially released on the Emmy nominated album Nuff Said (1968).
April 29 – The rock musical Hair opens on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre.
May 4 – Mary Hopkin performs on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks. Hopkin catches the attention of model Twiggy, who recommends her to Paul McCartney. McCartney would soon sign Hopkin to Apple Records.
May 5 – Buffalo Springfield performs together for the last time in Long Beach, California.
May 7
Aretha Franklin records her live LP Aretha in Paris at the Olympia Theater.
Karlheinz Stockhausen begins composing his fifteen intuitive music works, Aus den sieben Tagen.
May 14 – At a press conference, John Lennon and Paul McCartney introduce the Beatles' new business concept, Apple Corps, Ltd., a disastrously mismanaged entertainment company that included a recording studio, a record label, and clothing store.
May 26 – Blues artist Little Willie John dies in prison after being convicted of manslaughter.
May 30 – The Beatles begin recording The White Album (officially titled, simply, The Beatles). Sessions would span over 4 months, ending on October 14.
June 20
David Ruffin is fired from The Temptations due to his ego and because he began inquiring into the Temptations' financial records, demanding an accounting of the group's money.
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas make their debut at the Copacabana in New York City, winning a rave review in the New York Times. The engagement was recorded but remains in the Motown vaults.
July – Release in Brazil of the album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis by Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and others with arrangements by Rogério Duprat inaugurates the Tropicália movement in music.
July 7 – The Yardbirds perform for the last time before disbanding.
July 9–14 – The International Eisteddfod takes place in Llangollen, North Wales
July 18 – Mina presents her Italian white soul hits "Se stasera sono qui" and "Colpo al cuore". The performance is transmitted live without playback from the Auditorio A of the Radiotelevisione Italiana regional headquarters in Naples.
August 1 – Jeff Beck Group releases their album Truth. A seminal work of heavy metal, it incorporates blues and hard rock. It introduced the talents of Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood.
August 4 – Yes performs for the first time, at a summer camp.
August 5–10 – The Royal National Eisteddfod takes place in Barry, Wales.
August 23 – Simon & Garfunkel give a live concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California. A recording is later released on CD in 1994 by Australian company Vigotone Records as Voices of Intelligent Dissent.
September 7 – Led Zeppelin performs for the first time, billed as The New Yardbirds (the Yardbirds had disbanded two months earlier, and guitarist Jimmy Page subsequently formed this new group).
September 14 – Two sons of singer Roy Orbison, 10-year-old Roy DeWayne Orbison and 6-year-old Anthony King Orbison, die in a house fire in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Orbison's youngest son,Wesley, was miraculously saved by Roy’s parents.
September 15
Song of Summer, Ken Russell's noted TV documentary about Frederick Delius, is shown for the first time as part of the BBC's Omnibus series.
PocketDiscs are released in several test markets in the United States.
September 19 – The Who begin recording Tommy, a rock opera that tells the story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, including his experiences with life and the relationship with his family.
October 8 – The soundtrack for the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet is released, containing popular "What Is a Youth" tune.
November 8 – John and Cynthia Lennon are divorced.
November 11 - Three days after their divorce, John Lennon costars with Yoko Ono in Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, which ends up to become a flop.
November 15 – 500,000 people march in Washington, D.C. for peace, which becomes the largest anti-war rally in U.S. history. In attendance: Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Denver, Mitch Miller, touring cast of Hair
November 17 – Diana Ross & the Supremes replace The Beatles' hugely successful "Hey Jude" at number-one in the U.S. with "Love Child"; this would be the last of five turnovers at number-one between the two most successful music acts in America during the 1960s.
November 22 – The Beatles (also known as "The White Album") by The Beatles is released. Also released is The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks. "Once again The Beatles had over a quarter of a million advance orders, and of course went straight to number 1. While The Beatles broke artistic and commercial ground even before it was released (over 250,000 advance orders!), the Kinks' effort was their worst charting release ever, but has since become their biggest album in terms of sales and artistic statement.
November 26 – Cream plays their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It will be the last time Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker play together until their 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
December 2
Jimi Hendrix's manager Chas Chandler quits over differences with Hendrix during the recording of Electric Ladyland
Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform their last concert together before Janis goes solo.
Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream airs on NBC.
December 9
A political confrontation at the Planten un Blomen Hall in Hamburg results in cancellation of the scheduled premiere of Hans Werner Henze's oratorio Das Floß der Medusa, a score dedicated to Che Guevara.
TCB airs on NBC starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, becoming the first variety special in America to feature an exclusively African American cast.
Shinjuku Music Festival is broadcast for the first time by Nippon Cultural Broadcasting.
December 11 - The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was filmed. Acts included The Rolling Stones, The Who, Taj Mahal, Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac, and Marianne Faithfull. This was the last appearance of Brian Jones as a member of The Rolling Stones.
December 20 – Peter Tork announces he is leaving The Monkees.
December 22 – The Animals reunite for one benefit concert at the Newcastle City Hall while Eric Burdon & The Animals are disbanding.
Bands disbanded
Buffalo Springfield
Cream
Freddie and the Dreamers
The Righteous Brothers
The Seekers
The Shangri-Las
The Yardbirds (Reformed in 1992)
The Zombies (Reformed in 1991)
Los Speakers
In the USA, 6,540 pop singles and 4,057 albums were released.
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1968.
"2 in 3" - Esther & Abi Ofarim
"Ain't Got No, I Got Life"/"Do What You Gotta Do" – Nina Simone
"Ain't No Way" - Aretha Franklin
"Ain't Nothin' but a Houseparty" – The Showstoppers
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
"All Along the Watchtower" – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Albatross" – Fleetwood Mac
"Am I That Easy to Forget" – Engelbert Humperdinck
"Anything" – Eric Burdon & The Animals
"Baby Come Back" – The Equals
"The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" – Georgie Fame
"Bend Me, Shape Me" – The American Breed
"Bend Me, Shape Me" – Amen Corner
"Blue Eyes" – Don Partridge
"Born to Be Wild" – Steppenwolf
"Both Sides Now"- Judy Collins
"Breakin' Down the Walls of Heartache" – The Bandwagon
"Build Me Up Buttercup" – The Foundations
"California Dreamin'" – Bobby Womack
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" – Andy Williams
"Captain of Your Ship" – Reparata and the Delrons
"Chain of Fools" – Aretha Franklin
"Classical Gas" – Mason Williams
"Cloud Nine" – The Temptations
"Congratulations" – Cliff Richard
"Cry Like a Baby" – The Box Tops
"Dance to the Music" – Sly & the Family Stone
"Darlin'" – The Beach Boys
"A Day Without Love" – Love Affair
"Days" – The Kinks
"Delilah" – Tom Jones
"Do It Again" – The Beach Boys
"Do You Know the Way to San Jose" – Dionne Warwick
"Du sollst nicht weinen" - Heintje
"Eloise" – Barry Ryan
"Everlasting Love" – Love Affair
"Everything I Am" – Plastic Penny
"Fire!" – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
"Fire Brigade" – The Move
"Fool on the Hill" – Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
"Girl Watcher" - The O'Kaysions
"Going Up the Country" – Canned Heat
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" – Hugo Montenegro
"Grazing in the Grass" – Hugh Masekela
"Green Tambourine" – The Lemon Pipers
"Gimme Little Sign" – Brenton Wood
"Harper Valley P.T.A" – Jeannie C. Riley
"Hello, Goodbye" – The Beatles
"Hello, I Love You" – The Doors
"Help Yourself" – Tom Jones
"Helule Helule" – The Tremeloes
"Hey Jude"/"Revolution" – The Beatles
"High in the Sky – Amen Corner
"Honey" – Bobby Goldsboro
"The House That Jack Built" – Aretha Franklin
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" – Donovan
"Hush" – Deep Purple
"The Horse" – Cliff Nobles & Co.
"I Can Take or Leave Your Loving" - Herman's Hermits
"I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" – Dusty Springfield
"I Don't Want Our Loving to Die" – The Herd
"I Love You" – People!
"Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille" - Jacques Dutronc
"I Pretend" – Des O'Connor
"I Wish It Would Rain" – The Temptations
"I'll Love You Forever Today" – Cliff Richard
"I'm a Tiger" – Lulu
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" – Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations
"I'm the Urban Spaceman" – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
"I've Gotta Be Me" – Sammy Davis, Jr.
"I've Gotta Get a Message to You" – Bee Gees
"Ice in the Sun" – Status Quo
"If I Only Had Time" – John Rowles
"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" – Iron Butterfly
"Indian Rope Man"- Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity
"Jennifer Juniper" – Donovan
"Jesamine" – The Casuals
"Journey to the Center of the Mind" – The Amboy Dukes
"Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" – John Fred & His Playboy Band
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" – Rolling Stones
"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" – The First Edition
"Keep On" – Bruce Channel
"Keep the Ball Rollin'" - Al Hirt
"Lady Madonna" – The Beatles
"Lady Willpower" – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
"Lazy Sunday" – Small Faces
"The Legend of Xanadu" – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
"Little Arrows" – Leapy Lee
"Little Green Apples" – Roger Miller
"Little Green Apples" – O. C. Smith
"The Look of Love" – Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
"Love Child" – Diana Ross & The Supremes
"Love is Blue" – Paul Mauriat
"Lovin' Things" – Marmalade
"MacArthur Park" – Richard Harris
"Magic Bus" – The Who
"A Man Without Love" – Engelbert Humperdinck
"Marianne" – Cliff Richard
"Master Jack" - Four Jacks and a Jill
"Mathilda" - Udo Jürgens
"Me the Peaceful Heart" – Lulu
"Midnight Confessions" – The Grass Roots
"Mighty Quinn" – Manfred Mann
"Monterey" – Eric Burdon & The Animals
"Mony Mony" – Tommy James & the Shondells
"Mrs. Robinson" – Simon & Garfunkel
"My Little Lady" – The Tremeloes
"My Name is Jack" – Manfred Mann
"My Song" - Aretha Franklin
"Need Your Love So Bad" – Fleetwood Mac
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" – The Marmalade
"On the Road Again" – Canned Heat
"Only One Woman" – The Marbles
"Over You" – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
"Paradise Lost" – The Herd
"Piece of my Heart" – Big Brother and the Holding Company
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" – Status Quo
"Race with the Devil" – The Gun
"Rainbow Valley" – Love Affair
"Reach out of the Darkness" - Friend & Lover
"Rosie" – Don Partridge
"Say It Loud" – James Brown
"Scarborough Fair" – Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
"Schlager Rendezvous 1" - Peter Alexander
"See Saw" - Aretha Franklin
"The Silent Sun" – Genesis
"Simon Says" – 1910 Fruitgum Company
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" – Otis Redding
"Sky Pilot" – Eric Burdon & The Animals
"Sleepy Joe" - Herman's Hermits
"Some Velvet Morning"- Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra
"Son of a Preacher Man" – Dusty Springfield
"Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp" – O. C. Smith
"Soulful Strut" – Young-Holt Unlimited
"Spooky" – Classics IV
"Step Inside Love" – Cilla Black
"Stoned Soul Picnic" – The 5th Dimension
"Suddenly You Love Me" – The Tremeloes
"Summertime"- Big Brother & The Holding Company
"Sunshine Girl" - Herman's Hermits
"Sunshine of Your Love" – Cream
"Suzie Q." – Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Sweet Blindness" - The 5th Dimension
"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" – Aretha Franklin
"This Guy's in Love With You" – Herb Alpert
"This Wheel's on Fire" – Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity
"Those Were The Days" – Mary Hopkin
"Tighten Up" – Archie Bell & the Drells
"Tiptoe Through the Tulips" – Tiny Tim
"Valleri" – The Monkees
"Valley Of The Dolls" – Dionne Warwick
"The Weight" – The Band
"What a Wonderful World" – Louis Armstrong, His Orchestra & Chorus
"White Horses" – Jacky
"White Houses" – Eric Burdon & The Animals
"White Room" – Cream
"A Winter's Tale" – Genesis
"With a Little Help from My Friends" – Joe Cocker
"Yesterday Has Gone" – Cupid's Inspiration
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – The Byrds
"Young Girl" – The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" – The Ohio Express
See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1968 (USA)
"1,2,3, Red Light" w.m. Sal Trimachi and Bobbi Trimachi
"1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" w.m. Bobby Russell
"Abraham, Martin and John" w.m. Dick Holler
"Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" w.m. Les Reed & Barry Mason
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film of the same name
"Classical Gas" m. Mason Williams
"Congratulations" w.m. Bill Martin and Phil Coulter
"Dear World" w.m. Jerry Herman from the musical Dear World
"Eli's Coming" w.m. Laura Nyro
"The Fool on the Hill" w.m. John Lennon & Paul McCartney
"For the Good Times" w.m. Kris Kristofferson
"Galveston" w.m. Jimmy Webb
"Heffalumps and Woozles" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
"Honey Pie" w.m. John Lennon and Paul McCartney
"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises
"Indian Lake" w.m. Tony Romeo
"Indian Reservation" w.m. John D. Loudermilk, first recorded by Don Fardon
"Little Green Apples" w.m. Bobby Russell
"Mac Arthur Park" w.m. Jimmy Webb
"Mr. Bojangles" w.m. Jerry Jeff Walker
"My Way" (French: "Comme d'habitude") w.m. Claude François & Jacques Revaux, Eng.: Paul Anka
"The Night They Raided Minsky's" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
"A Perfect Gentleman" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse Introduced by Jason Robards and Norman Wisdom in the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
"Promises, Promises" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach from the musical Promises, Promises
"Save The Country" w.m. Laura Nyro
"Stand By Your Man" w.m. Billy Sherrill & Tammy Wynette
"Stoned Soul Picnic" w.m. Laura Nyro
"Sweet Blindness" w.m. Laura Nyro
"Take Ten Terrific Girls" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
"Ten Feet off the Ground w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
"This Guy's In Love With You" w. Hal David m. Burt Bacharach
"Wichita Lineman" w.m. Jimmy Webb
"The Windmills of Your Mind" w. Alan Bergman & Marilyn Bergman m. Michel LeGrand from the film The Thomas Crown Affair
"The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers" w.m. Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman from the film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
"You Rat, You" w. Lee Adams m. Charles Strouse from the film The Night They Raided Minsky's
Milton Babbitt – Relata II for orchestra
Henk Badings
Symphony No. 14
Armageddon
Samuel Barber – Twelfth Night and To Be Sung on the Water, op. 42
Luciano Berio –
O King
Sinfonia
Chemins III
Questo vuol dire che for three female voices, small chorus, tape and other available resources
Carlos Chávez – Pirámide (ballet)
John Corigliano – Piano Concerto
George Crumb – Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death for baritone, electric guitar, electric double bass, amplified piano/electric harpsichord, and two percussionists
Mario Davidovsky – Music for Solo Violin
Peter Maxwell Davies –
Stedman Caters
Stedman Doubles (revised version)
Fantasia on a Ground and 2 Pavans (after Purcell)
Epistrophe for two pianos
L’homme armé
Edison Denisov –
Osen′ (Autumn), for 13 solo voices
Oda, pamyati Khe Gevara (Ode in Memory of Che Guevara)
Romanticheskaya muzïka (Romantic Music)
Cristóbal Halffter –
Symposion
Yes, Speak Out, Yes
Roy Harris –
Symphony no. 12
Concerto for Amplified Piano, Brass, Double Bass, and Percussion
Sonata for Cello and Piano (revised version)
Hans Werner Henze – Das Floß der Medusa
Krzysztof Penderecki - St Luke Passion (Penderecki)
Heinz Holliger – h for wind quintet
Karel Husa - Music for Prague 1968
Ladislav Kupkovic – Souvenir (one of his few recorded works)
Helmut Lachenmann – temA for flute, voice and cello
György Ligeti – Zehn Stücke für Bläserquintett (Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet)
Witold Lutosławski – Livre pour orchestre
Ester Mägi – Symphony
Krzysztof Meyer – Sonatas for Piano, No. 4
Bo Nilsson – Attraktionen, for string quartet
Per Nørgård –
Rejse ind i den gyldne skærm (Voyage into the Golden Screen)
Concerto for Accordion Recall
Roger Sessions – Symphony no. 8
Dmitri Shostakovich –
String Quartet no. 12 in D♭ major, op. 133
Sonata for Violin and Piano in D major, op. 134
Karlheinz Stockhausen –
Aus den sieben Tagen
Kurzwellen
Stimmung
Spiral
John Tavener – The Whale (cantata)
David Tudor & Lowell Cross – Reunion
Charles Wuorinen –
Flute Variations II
String Trio
Iannis Xenakis – Nomos Gamma for 98 musicians dispersed among the audience
Benjamin Britten – The Prodigal Son (church parable)
Carlos Chávez – Los visitantes (revision of Panfilo e Lauretta)
Peter Maxwell Davies – Revelation and Fall
Gian Carlo Menotti – Help, Help, The Globolinks!
Ástor Piazzolla – María de Buenos Aires
Cabaret (Kander and Ebb) – London production
Canterbury Tales London production
Dames at Sea Off-Broadway production opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre on December 20 and transferred to the Theatre de Lys on April 22, 1969, for a total run of 575 performances.
The Dancing Years (Ivor Novello) – London revival
Darling of the Day (w. E. Y. Harburg m. Jule Styne) Broadway production opened at the George Abbott Theatre on January 27 and ran for 31 performances. Starred Patricia Routledge and Vincent Price
George M! Broadway production
Golden Boy London production
Golden Rainbow Broadway production
Hair – Broadway (1,750 performances) and London (1,997 performances) productions
House of Flowers off-Broadway revival
Lady, Be Good! London revival
Man of La Mancha London production
Promises, Promises Broadway production (1,281 performances)
The Happy Time – musical/comedy – 286 performances at the Broadway Theatre featuring Robert Goulet 1968 Tony Award winner for Best Actor in a Musical. Nominee 1968 Tony Award Best Musical.
Zorba – after the movie (Zorba the Greek, 1964) and book (Nikos Kazantzakis, 1952).1969 Tony Award for Best Musical and numerous other nominations, 1969 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics (to Fred Ebb, the first year of that category) and three other nominations. 305 performances starting 11/16/68 at the Imperial Theatre, NY. (Revival 9/16/83 at the Broadway Theatre, NY, ran 362 performances with 1984 Theatre World Award to actor Robert Westenberg.)
Aashirwad
Bhagyamudra
Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Finian's Rainbow
Funny Girl
Head - starring The Monkees and written by Jack Nicholson.
The Jungle Book – animated feature film
Monterey Pop
The Night They Raided Minsky's – released December 22 starring Jason Robards and Britt Ekland
Oliver!
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
Star!
Yellow Submarine – animated feature film
January 9 – Al Schnier, American rock guitarist
January 11 – Tom Dumont, guitarist
January 14 – LL Cool J, rapper
January 19 - Ikuko Kawai, violinist
January 27
Mike Patton (Faith No More)
Deb Talan, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Weepies)
Tricky, rapper and songwriter
January 28
Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer
DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill)
February 1 – Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley
February 4 – Marko Matvere, Estonian actor and singer
February 5 – Chris Barron (Spin Doctors)
February 7 – Sully Erna, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Godsmack and Meliah Rage)
February 12
Gregory Charles, Canadian singer, dancer, pianist, and actor
Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips, daughter of John & Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas
February 19
Stochelo Rosenberg, jazz guitarist
February 22 – Brad Nowell (Sublime) (died 1996)
February 25 – Evridiki, Cypriot singer
March 4 – Patsy Kensit, British actress and singer
March 8 – Shawn Mullins, American singer-songwriter
March 11 – Lisa Loeb, American singer-songwriter
March 15
Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth)
Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray Camp Freddy
Kahimi Karie, Japanese singer
March 23 – Damon Albarn, British singer (Blur), (Gorillaz)
March 26
James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins)
Kenny Chesney, country singer
March 30 – Céline Dion, Canadian singer
April 1 – Julia Boutros, Lebanese singer
April 3 – Sebastian Bach (Sebastian Philip Bierk), Canadian-born heavy metal singer (Skid Row)
April 16 – Boudewijn Vincent Bonebakker, Dutch rock guitarist (Gorefest)
April 28 – Howard Donald, British singer and dancer (Take That)
April 29 – Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips, daughter of Brian Wilson
May 1 – D'arcy Wretzky (The Smashing Pumpkins)
May 16 – Ralph Tresvant (New Edition)
May 28 – Kylie Minogue, Australian actress and singer
June 1 – Jason Donovan, Australian actor and singer
June 6 – Alan Licht, American guitarist, composer, and journalist (Run On)
June 10 – The D.O.C., African-American rapper
June 12 – Bobby Sheehan (Blues Traveler)
June 13 – Denise Pearson, British singer (Five Star)
June 30 – Phil Anselmo (Pantera)
July 4 – Jack Frost, American guitarist and songwriter (Seven Witches and The Bronx Casket Co.)
July 5 – Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player (The Evaporators)
July 10 - Claudia Pop, operatic soprano and theatre director
July 16 - Olga Souza ("Corona"), singer
July 19 – Robert Flynn, American musician
July 22 – Rhys Ifans, actor and former vocalist with Super Furry Animals
July 30 – Elvis Crespo, Puerto Rican singer
August 1 – Dan Donegan, American rock musician (Disturbed)
August 2 – John Stanier, American drummer (Helmet, Tomahawk, The Mark of Cain, and Battles)
August 10 – Michael Bivins, New Edition, Bell Biv Devoe
August 11 – Charlie Sexton, American guitarist, singer and songwriter
August 12 – Paul Tucker, British musician (Lighthouse Family)
August 25 – Stuart Murdoch, Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist (Belle and Sebastian)
September 10 – Big Daddy Kane, rapper
September 11 – Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo)
September 12 – Ler LaLonde (Primus, Possessed)
September 13 – Mike Davenport (The Ataris)
September 25 – Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress, singer and dancer
October 1
Kevin Griffin (Better Than Ezra)
Sagol 59, Israeli rapper
October 5 – Nana, rapper
October 6 – Dominique A, singer-songwriter
October 7 – Thom Yorke, British musician (Radiohead)
October 8 – CL Smooth, African-American rapper
October 11 – Jane Krakowski, American actress and singer
October 12 – Hugh Jackman, actor and singer
October 14 – Johnny Goudie, American musician
October 17 – Ziggy Marley, reggae artist
October 19 – Rodney Carrington, American stand-up comic and country musician
October 22 – Shaggy, Jamaican-American reggae & dancehall singer
November 9 – Nazzareno Carusi, Italian pianist
November 10 – Steve Brookstein, British singer
November 11 – David L Cook, Christian music singer and comedian
November 14 - Ken Ford, jazz violinist
November 15
Ol' Dirty Bastard, rapper (d. 2004)
Jennifer Charles, American singer
November 21 – Alex James, British bassist (Blur)
November 25 – Tunde Baiyewu, British singer (Lighthouse Family)
November 28 – Dawn Robinson, American singer (En Vogue)
November 29
Martin Carr (Boo Radleys)
Jonathan Knight, American singer (New Kids on the Block)
December 2 – Nate Mendel (Foo Fighters)
December 9 – Brian Bell (Weezer)
December 16 – Lalah Hathaway, American singer and daughter of Donny Hathaway
December 29 – Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket)
January 18 – Gribouille, French singer, 26 (alcohol and drug-related)
February 5 – Luckey Roberts, ragtime composer and pianist, 80
February 13
Ildebrando Pizzetti, composer, 87
Portia White, singer, 56
February 15 – Little Walter, blues singer and harmonica player, 37
February 27 – Frankie Lymon, American singer, 25 (heroin overdose)
February 28 – Doretta Morrow, dancer, 40 (cancer)
March 6 – Iša Krejčí, composer and conductor, 63
March 10 – Blind Joe Reynolds, singer-songwriter
March 16 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, composer, 72
April 15 – Borys Lyatoshynsky, composer, 73
April 25 – Harald Kreutzberg, dancer and choreographer, 65
May 15 - Florence Austral, operatic soprano, 76
May 19 – Coleman Hawkins, jazz musician, 64
May 24 – Bernard Rogers, composer, 75
May 26 – Little Willie John, blues artist, 30 (heart attack)
June 2 - André Mathieu, pianist and composer, 39
June 8 – Bumble Bee Slim, blues musician, 63
June 14 – Karl-Birger Blomdahl, composer and conductor, 51
June 15 – Wes Montgomery, jazz guitarist, 45 (heart attack)
June 26 – Ziggy Elman, US trumpet player, 54
July 21 – Ruth St. Denis, dancer, 89
July 27 – Lilian Harvey, actress and singer, 62
July 28 - Carl Ravazza, US violinist, vocalist and bandleader, 58
July 30 – Jón Leifs, composer, 69
August 5 – Luther Perkins, guitarist of The Tennessee Two, 40 (burns and smoke inhalation following a house fire)
August 18 – Arthur Marshall, ragtime composer, 86
September 19 – Red Foley, country singer, 58
October 8 – Frank Skinner, film composer, 70
October 15 – Franz Reizenstein, pianist and composer, 57
October 20 – Bud Flanagan, music hall star, 72
October 30 – Pops Foster, jazz musician, 77
November 6 - Charles Munch, conductor, 77 (heart attack)
November 8 – Kokomo Arnold, blues musician, 67
November 9 – Jan Johansson, jazz pianist, 37 (car crash)
November 11 – Jeanne Demessieux, organist, pianist and composer, 47 (embolism)
December 1 – Nicolae Bretan, composer, 81
December 9 – Percy Greenbank, lyricist, 90
December 14 - Margarete Klose, operatic mezzo-soprano, 69
December 19 – Tiberiu Brediceanu, composer
December 31 – Sabin Drăgoi, composer, 91
date unknown
Juan F. Acosta, composer and music teacher
Lucille Dompierre, pianist and arranger
Billy Pigg, bagpiper
Vincenzo Scaramuzza, pianist
Grammy Awards of 1968
Eurovision Song Contest 1968
