"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and first recorded by Barry McGuire.[3] The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.[4]
"California Dreamin'" became a signpost of the California sound,[5] heralding the arrival of the nascent counterculture era.[6][7] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 1966[8] and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.[9] In 2021, Rolling Stone placed the song at number 420 in its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[10]
