Top 10 Fifth Dimension Songs

Photo: Soul City Records. / Public domain via Creative Commons

Our Top 10 Fifth Dimension Songs list takes a look at one of the most popular singing groups of the 1960s. The Fifth Dimension were a group that was famous for their wonderful cover version of popular songs written by a wide variety of artists and songwriters. Many of the groups hits were written by the fabulous Laura Nyro. In 1965, five brilliant singers named Billy Davis Jr., Florence La Rue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, and Ronald Townson formed a vocal group called the The Versatiles. Eventually, the group would change their name to the Fifth Dimension. A young songwriter named Jimmy Webb who would become one of the most legendary songwriters of all time, would compose the Fifth Dimension’s first big hit called “Up Up and Away.”

The band first big hit “Up Up and Away,” was released on the bands first album of the same name. The Fifth Dimension’s debut album was released in 1965. The band would release twelve more studio albums from 1967 to 1978. A thirteenth record was released in 1995 entitled In The House. Many of the people associated with the Fifth Dimension would still continue to enjoy musical careers into the 80s and 90s. As mentioned previously, Jimmy Webb would become one of the most legendary songwriters in some classic rock history. Other songwriters associated with The 5th Dimension would also have successful careers including the duo of Ashford and Simpson who wrote many of The Fifth Dimension hits. Marilyn McCoo, and Billy Davis Jr. would leave the group early and have a string of hits on their own including the smash hit single “You Don’t Have To Be A Star.”

There are many artists in music history that define the times and those who are a product of the times. And of course, there are those that fuel the times. The Fifth Dimension were somewhere in between. They were essentially a vocal cover group, but the sound they produced would become deeply ingrained in the cultures of the 1960s and 1970s, defining them as major part of pop culture. Like many other musical acts of the 1960s such as The Association, The Monkees and so many others, the Fifth Dimension utilized the famous studio band “The Wrecking Crew,” on all their recordings.  Our top 10 Fifth Dimension Songs list takes a look at those classic songs that became a part of our daily lives during those great years of the 20th century.

# 10 – Go Where You Wanna Go

We open up our top 10 5th Dimension songs list with the very first single the group ever released entitled “Go Where You Wanna Go.” The song was written by John Philips in 1965 and originally released by The Mamas & the Papas. However, The Mamas & the Papas did not have much success with the song. It was The Fifth Dimension who had the hit with “Go Where You Wanna Go.” The 5th Dimension had a great feel for taking really good songs and turning them into super big hits that the original artists were not able to do.

# 9 – Carpet Man

Carpet man was a great original Jimmy Webb song that was covered by many artists. The song was released in 1967 on the band second album entitled The Magic Garden. The song was not a huge hit for The 5th Dimension, but it still became a top 40 hit in the United States peaking at number thirty nine. However, it was much bigger in Canada where it peaked at number three on the Canadian music charts.

# 8 – Never My Love

The song “Never My Love,” was written by Don and Dick Addrisi. It was one of the most popular songs of the 1960s. It was also one of the most covered. The Association had the most success with the song. Nonetheless, The Fifth Dimension’s recording of the song also did very well. The song peaked at number twelve on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. However, it hit number one of the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts in 1967.

# 7 – Sweet Blindness

“Sweet Blindness,” is the first of a select group of Laura Nyro songs to appear on this top ten 5th Dimension songs list. The song was released on the 5th Dimension album Stoned Soul Picnic. 

# 6 – Stoned Soul Picnic

The classic Laura Nyro song “Stone Soul Picnic,” was the first single released from the 5th Dimensions album also entitled Stone Soul Picnic. The song was a major success for The 5th Dimension. It reached all the way to the number three position on the Billboard top 100 in 1968. Remember, The 5th Dimension was competing against The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks and hundreds of other classic rock bands, yet they were still able to achieve such incredible chart success.

# 5 – Last Night I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All

The great Fifth Dimension song “Last Night I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All,” was one of the groups biggest 1970s hits. The song was written by Tony Macaulay. The Fifth Dimension gave Tony Macaulay a top 10 hit as the song reached the number eight position on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. The song was released on the Fifth Dimension album Individually & Collectively

# 4 – One Less Bell To Answer

There’s nothing like a great Burt Bacharach song. 5th Dimension covered this classic Burt Bacharach song in 1972 and had a huge monster hit with. This is one of Marilyn McCoo greatest vocal performances ever. The song was released on the 5th Dimension album entitled portrait. The album was released in 1970. The song “One Less Bell To Answer,” reached all the way to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s a big-time hit.

# 3 – Wedding Bell Blues

Continuing with our top 10 5th Dimension songs list, we turn once again to another great Laura Nyro song entitled “Wedding Bell Blues.” The song was released in 1969 on the legendary album The Age of Aquarius. It would become the bands second number one hit as it reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in that extraordinary year of 1969.

# 2 – Up, Up and Away

As we close in on the top spot on our top 10 Fifth Dimension songs list we turn once again to the great Jimmy Webb. As written in the article’s introduction the song “Up Up and Away,” was the band’s first big hit. It also became the band’s first top 10 hit as a peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally it became the band’s first number one hit on a worldwide basis as it reached the number one spot in Australia.

# 1 – Age Of Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In

If we had to choose one song that would represent the spirit of the 1960’s counterculture, it would be this wonderful recording that the 5th Dimension released entitled “Age of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In.” The two song medley was originally written for the 1967 Broadway musical Hair. The medley that the 5th Dimension put together earned them their first number one single of their career. The medley hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1969. What a summer that was.