The Mamas & The Papas | California Dreamin' (1965)

The best-known version is by the Mamas and 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.

"California Dreamin'" became a signpost of the California sound, heralding the arrival of the nascent counterculture era. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 1966 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.[9] The song is No. 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.