“I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” came out in 1971, not once but twice. First released by The Hillside Singers, “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” is their only big hit. However, the writers did not intend for it to be a single. The song, written by Bill Backer, Billy Davis, Roger Cook, and Roger Greenaway, began as a jingle for The Coca-Cola Company.
The Hillside Singers are the brainchild of an advertising agency. They began specifically to sing “Buy The World A Coke”. The jingle was so popular that it became “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”.
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Before The Hillside Singers were created to sing “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”, the song was pitched to a group called The New Seekers. The New Seekers chose not to record the song, which is what led to the formation of The Hillside Singers. After The New Seekers saw the success of the song, they had a change of heart, releasing their own version as well.
The Hillside Singers had a few moderate hits. Still, “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” remains their biggest single. Both versions of the song became a Top 10 hit. The New Seekers’ take on this song became their final Top 10 hit in the United States.
The Story Behind “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” by The Hillside Singers and The New Seekers
“I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” begins with, “I’d like to build the world a home / And furnish it with love / Grow apple trees and honey bees / And snow white turtle doves / I’d like to teach the world to sing / In perfect harmony / I’d like to hold it in my arms / And keep it company.”
None of the writers imagined that the jingle would turn into such a hit. The song began as “True Love And Apple Pie”. It started when Becker wrote “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” on a napkin at an airport.
“[Becker] heard ’True Love’, and felt the lyric was not suitable for Coke,” Greenaway tells Billboard. “He did like the melody and mentioned an idea he had whilst waiting at Shannon airport. The song was then rewritten as ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing’. I had to leave London early, so the new lyric was written by Cook, Backer, and Davis.”
In 2015, “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” rose in prominence again. That year, it was part of the iconic Mad Men series finale.
Photo by Jack Mitchell/Getty Images
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