Fifty-seven years ago, pop vocal group The 5th Dimension released “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” a song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became a defining generational hit.
Released on March 3, 1969, as the lead single from their fourth studio album, The Age of Aquarius, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” became a major mainstream phenomenon. Not even a week after its arrival, it entered the Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 1 on April 12, where it spent a staggering six consecutive weeks.
Alongside its chart dominance, the song also experienced significant commercial triumph. On August 9, 1991, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) after selling over 2 million copies in the U.S. In total, the song has moved over 3 million units globally.
Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
Creating “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”
“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” was originally penned by composer Galt MacDermot and lyricists James Rado and Gerome Ragni for the 1967 musical Hair. During a trip to New York City, one of the band members lost his wallet, which was later returned to him by a man who happened to be involved with the Broadway show. The band was invited to see the production, which inspired them to pitch the idea of recording “Aquarius” to their producer.
Initially, producer Bones Howe declined, believing it wouldn’t succeed as a single after the official cast album failed to perform well. However, Howe soon came up with the groundbreaking idea to combine two separate tracks from the musical—”Aquarius” and “The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)”—into a continuous medley arrangement. Shortly after, the band booked studio time at United Recording in Las Vegas to begin tracking.
When asked about the chart-topping smash hit in an interview, original member of The 5th Dimension Florence LaRue expressed her fond memories of the reworked version:
“Oh, we really liked it! We had no idea it would become an anthem of the time,” LaRue said. “We had no idea at all how big it would be. We just thought it was a wonderful, uplifting song.”
Nearly six decades after its release, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” remains a generational classic. On Spotify, the track has accumulated over 86 million streams, seamlessly bridging the gap between original listeners and modern demographics.
Related: 1969 Hit by ‘The King of the Blues’ Ranked Among ‘Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time’