Everyday People

Recorded in 1968 by Sly & The Family Stone in the San Francisco Bay Area, 'Everyday People' featured Sly Stone on lead vocals and keyboards, Freddie Stone on guitar, Larry Graham on bass, Greg Errico on drums, Cynthia Robinson on trumpet, Jerry Martini on saxophone and Rose Stone on keyboards and vocals. Written, arranged and produced by Sly Stone, the recording showcased the group's distinctive shared vocal arrangements and incorporated Graham's innovative slap-bass technique. Released in November 1968 on Epic Records, 'Everyday People' delivered a message of racial equality, tolerance and social unity during a period marked by civil rights struggles and political unrest. It became the group's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, holding the position for four consecutive weeks in February and March 1969, and also topped Billboard's soul singles chart. The song became an enduring anthem of equality and inclusion, popularising the phrase 'different strokes for different folks' and influencing subsequent generations of musicians. Its cultural significance has been reinforced through recordings by artists including Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Arrested Development and Peggy Lee, while its inclusion on the album Stand! contributed to that recording's induction into the National Recording Registry in 2014.