In the late 60s, flower power was all the rage. The summer of 1967, in particular, was one of change, bright colors, and psychedelics. Here are four songs that served as the soundtrack to this historic era.
“All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles
Written primarily by John Lennon, “All You Need Is Love” is one of The Beatles‘ most enduring hits, and it’s also one of the biggest Summer of Love anthems. When asked about one of his songs being propaganda in an interview in 1971, Lennon was quick to mention this hit as well.
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“Sure. So was ‘All You Need Is Love.’ I’m a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change,” he said, per Songfacts.
“For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield
Stephen Stills wrote this one, feeling inspired by the protests that were happening on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood at the time. Springfield released it in 1966, and by the summer of 1967, it was charting.
The song asks the listener to stop and take a look at what’s happening around them. It’s often considered an anti-war song as well, in protest of the Vietnam War.
“San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” by Scott McKenzie
In the summer of 1967, the Monterey Pop Festival took place in California. This song was actually written by John Phillips of The Mamas And The Papas. He wrote it with the intention of putting the minds of Monterey landowners at ease, as many of them were worried about the thousands of hippies that were coming to town. The song attempts to paint hippies as “gentle people” who just want peace.
“If you’re going to San Francisco / Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair / If you’re going to San Francisco / You’re gonna meet some gentle people there.”
As a result, “San Fransico” ended up becoming one of the Summer of Love’s biggest songs.
“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys
Even though this song was written just before flower power took over, as songwriter Mike Love recalls, he definitely had that vibe in mind when penning the track.
“This was before the Summer of Love, but there were definitely psychedelic rumblings on the West Coast,” Love explained to Uncut. “I felt ‘Good Vibrations’ was The Beach Boys’ psychedelic anthem or flower power offering. So I wrote it from that perspective.”
Photo by: Reg Lewis/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
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Kyu Sakamoto. (1941-1985) Japanese singer, best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Aruko" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. (Photo by Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images) -
Picture taken in 1974 in Stockholm shows the Swedish pop group Abba with its members (L-R) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus posing after winning the Swedish branch of the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Waterloo". – Sweden's legendary disco group ABBA announced on April 27, 2018 that they have reunited to record two new songs, 35 years after their last single. The quartet split up in 1982 after dominating the disco scene for more than a decade with hits like "Waterloo", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and "Super Trouper". (Photo by Olle LINDEBORG / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo credit should read OLLE LINDEBORG/AFP via Getty Images)
