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TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

#477 AQUARIUS / LET THE SUNSHINE IN The Fifth Dimension
The musical "Hair" opened on Broadway in 1968. The hit show was created by James Rado, Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot. American group The 5th Dimension combined 2 of the musical's show stoppers in a medley. Their interpretation begins with a psychedelic space age feel, drawing the listener in until the hip chorus. Horns herald the 2nd section, as the sing-a-long chorus of "Let the Sunshine In" rings its celebratory message. Billy Davis Jr. infuses the track with high energy gospel. 
It's said that this song's existence stems from a chance encounter. Davis left his wallet in a taxi. The next passenger found it and rang the vocalist. Davis invited the passenger and his wife to a 5th Dimension concert. That stranger was a producer of the show "Hair" and he reciprocated with an invitation for the group to see his show. 
The 5th Dimension recorded their medley, with Bones Howe producing. In 1969, the single reached #1 in the US and Canada. It peaked at #11 in Britain and went top 10 in Australia and parts of Europe. The disc won the Record of the Year Grammy. It was featured on the 'Age of Aquarius' LP. 
The group continued scoring hits and releasing albums until it downsized to a trio. A line-up still performs from time to time. Key vocalists and married couple Davis and Marilyn McCoo quit to form a duo in the mid-70s. They charted well with the duet "You Don't Have to Be a Star" in 1976. McCoo hosted the TV music show "Solid Gold" in the 80s. Ron Townson died of kidney failure in 2001 at the age of 68.

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new songs are added each day (every 12 hours)  with a mid-week bonus every Wednesday.