Song · Mamas & Papas
“California Dreaming” by Mamas & Papas
“California Dreaming” by Mamas & Papas appears on 3 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 2009 and 2023. Its best result is #387 on The Current's 893 Essential Songs. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,585 indie & aaa song of all time.
John and Michelle Phillips wrote "California Dreamin'", and the Mamas & the Papas put out the version everybody knows as a single in December 1965. It's folk rock with a psychedelic pop shimmer, and over the years it has come to stand in for the California sound and the counterculture of the 1960s.
The honors have kept piling up. The Grammy Hall of Fame took it in, Rolling Stone put it at 420 on its 2021 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, the RIAA certified it triple platinum in June 2023, and in June 2026 CBS News named it one of 250 essential American songs from the country's past 250 years.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 908 | WYEP | WYEP 913 Essential Songs | 913 |
| 2018 | 387 | The Current | The Current's 893 Essential Songs | 892 |
| 2023 | 638 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 800 Songs About Places | 800 |
Also listed as: California Dreamin'.
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "California Dreaming" by Mamas & Papas.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.