"Let the sunshine in."
"This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius"
— "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In"
The 5th Dimension is an American five-member vocal group formed in 1966, whose music is a mixture of R&B, Pop, and Soul which they refer to as "champagne soul". They scored multiple major hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the most famous being "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In". The group still performs despite only one of the original members, Florence LaRue, remaining in the group.
Founding members:
- Marilyn McCoo
- Florence LaRue
- Billy Davis Jr.
- LaMonte McLemore
- Ronald L. "Ron" Townson
Studio discography:
- 1967 - Up – Up and Away
- 1968 - The Magic Garden
- 1968 - Stoned Soul Picnic
- 1969 - The Age of Aquarius
- 1970 - Portrait
- 1971 - Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes
- 1972 - Individually & Collectively
- 1973 - Together, Growing Together
- 1974 - Soul & Inspiration
- 1975 - Earthbound
- 1978 - Star Dancing
- 1979 - High on Sunshine
- 1995 - In the House
Let the tropes in:
- Artistic License – Space: "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" describes a new age that will come "When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars." In actuality, the moon is in the seventh house part of every day and Jupiter and Mars align multiple times each year.
- Astrologer: "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" is based upon astrology and the coming "Age of Aquarius".
- Break Up Song: "One Less Bell to Answer" is about trying (and failing) to remain optimistic after a break-up.
- More than Three Dimensions: The name of the group references a hypothetical fifth dimension, although it originates from its five members.
- New-Age Retro Hippie: "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" produces this image of a free hippie utopia.
- Siamese Twin Songs: "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" is made of two songs with different sounds.
- Western Zodiac: "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" is about the astrological belief that the world was about to enter an "Age of Aquarius", full of peace and love.
