Discover the story of the song > California Dreamin – The Mamas and the Papas

The song California Dreamin' was written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and was originally recorded by The Mamas and the Papas in 1965. The song is about the desire to leave the dreariness of winter for the warmth of summer in California. Although the group was originally from California, they had recorded the song while in exile in New York, far from home.

The song was an immediate hit, reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1966. The song became one of the band's biggest hits and was covered by many artists, including The Beach Boys, The 5th Dimension and The Bangles. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it 401st on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.