Happy Anniversary: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby, Stills & Nash

49 years ago today, one of the most famous trios of the rock era released their debut album, kicking off a career together that would carry on for the better part of the next five decades. 

The origins of the collaboration between David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash are well-documented, but given that we’re celebrating the anniversary of their first album together, it’s as good a time as any to rehash the tale. David Crosby had been in The Byrds, but he’d flown the coop, as it were, in late 1967. In early 1968, Stephen Stills’ band, Buffalo Springfield, had closed up shop, and later that year Graham Nash came to California with his band at the time, The Hollies. All three gentlemen were in attendance for a party in July ’68 – Crosby and Nash say it was at Joni Mitchell’s house, while Stills says it was at Cass Elliott’s house – but wherever the location may have been, the momentous event remains the same: they sang together on a new Stills song called “You Don’t Have to Cry,” and the resulting vocal chemistry was staggeringly strong.

Having found himself increasingly frustrated within The Hollies, Nash decided to leave the band and instead put his focus on collaborating with Crosby and Stills. The trio entered the studio together and put together a self-produced LP which featured a number of songs which have since become iconic, including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Marrakesh Express,” “Guinnevere,” “Wooden Ships,” and “Helplessly Hoping.” Indeed, the album itself has become iconic as well, appearing in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.