The Mamas & The Papas

The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock and psychedelic pop vocal group active from 1965 to 1968, one of the defining acts of the 1960s counterculture. The group was formed around songwriter and arranger John Phillips, with vocalists Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips, and became famous for their intricate four-part vocal harmonies.

Their sound blended folk songwriting with the lush production style of mid-1960s pop, producing a string of hits including «California Dreamin'», «Monday, Monday» and «Dedicated to the One I Love». «Monday, Monday» reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, while several other singles landed in the Top 5, and the group's five studio albums sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.

The Mamas & the Papas' close vocal blend and John Phillips' songwriting became a template for the California sound of the era, influencing countless folk-pop and soft-rock acts that followed. The group split up in 1968, briefly reunited for the 1971 album People Like Us, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 in recognition of their lasting impact on American popular music.