The final act on my list of “forgotten” artists (and thanks again to Chris Dalla Riva for compiling the stats on his Can’t Get Much Higher substack) is The 5th Dimension. And this might be the most celebrated of them all.
In addition to 20 Top 40 hits on the Hot 100 (seven of which reached the Top 10 and two of which reached #1), The 5th Dimension littered the Easy Listening and R&B charts and won two Record of the Year Grammys. Their “sunshine pop” sound was quite popular from the mid-60s to the early 70s.
Among those hits were today’s medley from the musical Hair, which reached #1, and a trio of Laura Nyro covers: ‘Stoned Soul Picnic,’ ‘Sweet Blindness,’ and ‘Wedding Bell Blues.’
The vocal quintet was also a big TV draw, appearing multiple times on The Ed Sullivan Show, Top of the Pops, and the late night talk show circuit.
I believe the group’s failure to gain a foothold with today’s listeners is due to their dated psychedelic soul sound. So much great 60s and 70s music is not only echoed in today’s hits but has as much appeal now as it ever did. The Flower Power sound does neither.
Well, that was a fun three weeks. I wonder which of today’s hitmakers will show up on a list like this 60 years from now.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
[Chorus]
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
[Bridge]
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation
Aquarius
Aquarius
[Verse 2]
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
[Chorus]
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
[Part 2: Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)]
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Outro]
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine (oh, let it shine)
Let the sunshine in (come on)
The sunshine in (now everybody just sing along)
Let the sunshine (and let the sun shine on in)
Let the sunshine in (open up your heart)
The sunshine in (let it shine on in)
(And when you’re lonely)
Let the sunshine (Hey! Let it shine, yeah)
Let the sunshine in (you got to open up your heart)
The sunshine in (and let it shine on in)
(And when you feel like you’ve been mistreated)
Let the sunshine (and your friends turn their back upon ya)
Let the sunshine in (just open up your heart)
The sunshine in (and let it shine on in)
(You’ve got to feel it)
Let the sunshine (you’ve got to feel it)
Let the sunshine in (ahh, open up your heart and let it shine on in)
The sunshine in
(And let me tell you one thing)
Let the sunshine (I want you to sing along with the 5th Dimension)
Let the sunshine in (Hey, open up your heart)
The sunshine in
(Aww, come on)
Let the sunshine (Let it shine)
Let the sunshine in (Everyday)
The sunshine in (Hey, you got to feel it)
Let the sunshine (You got to feel it)
Let the sunshine in (When you open up your heart)
The sunshine in (You gotta let the sun come on in)
(And I see in the mornin’)
Let the sunshine (And late in the evening)
Let the sunshine in (Open up your heart)
The sunshine in (Hey!)
Meet Me In Montauk 
Well, maybe one of your kids, or their kids, will continue this blog and revisit the forgotten artist series.😛
I always loved their music and hate to think of them as forgotten 😢