California Dreamin'

"California Dreamin'"
US picture sleeve (restored)
Single by the Mamas & the Papas
from the album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
B-side"Somebody Groovy"
ReleasedDecember 1965
RecordedNovember 1965
StudioUnited Western, Hollywood
Genre
Length2:42
LabelDunhillRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Lou Adler
The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology
"Go Where You Wanna Go"
(1965)
"California Dreamin'"
(1965)
"Monday, Monday"
(1966)
Audio
"California Dreamin'" on YouTube

"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965.

"California Dreamin'" became a well-known example of the "California sound", and the 1960s counterculture era. It was certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 2023 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2021, Rolling Stone placed the song at number 420 in its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.