Crosby, Stills & Nash has remained one of the most influential bands in music history for more than 50 years. Like three notes of a chord vibrating in perfect harmony, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash sang as one, creating music that feels as vital today as it did when first written.

Their otherworldly harmonies and fearless storytelling have resonated across generations as their songs became enduring anthems for personal and social change. The idea of change—emotional, intellectual, and musical—has always been central to CSN’s identity. Whether singing about love, loss, or the urgent need for justice, their songs held up a mirror to themselves and the world, offering listeners seeking meaning and connection a chance to reflect and grow.

CSN played a pivotal role in popular music’s coming of age while achieving immense commercial and critical success. The group—through its various incarnations—has sold millions of albums. The trio’s self-titled 1969 debut and 1970 follow-up, Déjà Vu, with Neil Young, are benchmarks in rock music. Over the decades, they have crafted timeless classics like “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Long Time Gone,” “Marrakesh Express,” “Helplessly Hoping,” “Teach Your Children,” “Carry On,” “Woodstock,” “Southern Cross,” and “Just A Song Before I Go,” to name a few.

Each member of CSN has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: as part of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and individually—Crosby for The Byrds, Stills for Buffalo Springfield, and Nash for The Hollies. Additionally, CSN was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2009. The Library of Congress further acknowledged their impact in 2023 by adding their landmark album Déjà Vu to the National Recording Registry, preserving it as a cultural, historical, and aesthetic treasure.

“They are one person, they are two alone, they are three together, they are for each other.”

Before CSN became the world’s first “supergroup,” each member had already achieved significant success with their respective bands. The serendipitous chain of events that ultimately brought them together began to unfold at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, the unofficial start of the Summer of Love.

On the festival’s third night, The Byrds delivered a solid performance, but tensions within the band simmered after Crosby made controversial comments on stage. The situation took a dramatic turn the following night when Crosby, at Stills’ invitation, joined Buffalo Springfield on stage to fill in for Neil Young, who had abruptly left the band before the festival.

After Monterey, The Byrds began recording The Notorious Byrd Brothers, their fifth album in three years. However, internal tensions finally reached a breaking point, and Crosby was fired in August before the album was completed.  

Meanwhile, Buffalo Springfield spent the rest of the year on the road before heading into the studio to record the aptly titled Last Time Around. By the time the album came out in the summer of 1968, the band had already broken up.

As Buffalo Springfield was winding down, Crosby and Stills began working together intensely, jamming and writing new material. One of their first creations was “Wooden Ships,” co-written with Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner aboard Crosby’s newly acquired schooner, the Mayan. Around the same time, Crosby began producing Joni Mitchell’s debut, Song to a Seagull (1968) and invited Stills to contribute to the sessions.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Graham Nash was grappling with frustrations of his own in The Hollies. His new songs were met with indifference, and he was convinced the band had lost its creative focus by deciding to record an entire album of Bob Dylan covers in a Vegas-style swing.

Disillusioned by his struggles in the Hollies, Nash, like Crosby and Stills, yearned for the creative freedom to make music on his own terms. Fate, in the form of Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas, was about to intervene.

“Are you thinkin’ of telephones, and managers / And where you got to be at noon? / You are living a reality I left years ago.”

In February 1968, the Hollies were in Los Angeles to play a show at the Whisky a Go Go on Valentine’s Day. Sensing Nash’s dissatisfaction, Elliot sent Crosby to “kidnap” him from the band’s hotel and bring him to a party in the Hollywood Hills hosted by Peter Tork of the Monkees. Music filled the room, with Stills at the piano banging out boogie-woogie. “Wow! Who’s that?” Nash asked, to which Crosby replied, “That’s the guy I want you to meet.”

Nash invited Crosby and Stills to the Valentine’s Day show. After the performance, the three spent the night driving around in Stills’ secondhand Bentley, affectionately nicknamed Dently, bonding over music, harmonies, and a joint. At one point, Stills turned to Crosby and asked, “Okay, which one of us is going to steal him?”

What happened next has been the subject of friendly debate among the trio. Stills claims they first sang together shortly after the Whisky show and credits Elliot with orchestrating the harmonizing session. According to Stills, Elliot instructed him to be ready for a call from Crosby: “Have your guitar, and don’t say shit to anybody.” When the call came, Stills rushed to Elliot’s house off Mulholland Drive, where Crosby, Nash, and Elliot eagerly awaited. The trio sang together for the first time in Elliot’s dining room.

Nash remembers it differently. He says he returned to England to try to carry on with The Hollies, but his plans were soon derailed when rumors began circulating that he was planning to leave the group. In August, he flew back to Los Angeles to visit Mitchell. It was then, in the living room at her house on Lookout Mountain in Laurel Canyon, that the legendary harmonic convergence took place.

Crosby said both versions are plausible. “Cass was the one who introduced me to Graham. Joni had been romantically involved with me and then fell in love with Graham. It could’ve happened either place. 

What isn’t in dispute is the magic conjured when they finally sang together. Crosby and Stills played Nash a new song they’d been working on, “You Don’t Have to Cry.” After listening intently, Nash asked them to play it again—and then again. On the third time, he added his own harmony. In that instant, Crosby, Stills & Nash was born.

Crosby was stunned: “When we heard him put on that third harmony… it was about the rightest thing I ever heard.” Stills echoed: “The third time he joins in: ‘In the morning, when you rise…’ Holy fuck!” Nash described the experience as a revelation: “It was one of those moments when the lights go on and everything begins to make sense.”

In the aftermath, Nash returned to England to fulfill his obligations with the Hollies before leaving the group. That fall, Stills and Crosby were in England rehearsing with Nash as they tried (unsuccessfully) to get a record contract with Apple Records, the Beatles’ new label. Undeterred, they returned to L.A. in early 1969 and signed with Atlantic Records. Soon after, the trio was in Hollywood at Wally Heider Recording (Studio 3), creating what would become one of the greatest debut albums in rock history: Crosby, Stills & Nash.

“Sing the song / Don’t Be Long / Thrill me to the marrow”

When it was released in May 1969, Crosby, Stills & Nash flew in the face of the era’s fixation on guitar heroes with its acoustic arrangements and sophisticated harmonies. The album became a watershed moment in pop music, pointing toward a more organic and personal approach that would influence countless others. It received critical acclaim, with Saturday Review calling it “the happiest sound since laughter,” and later won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. 

Each member brought something unique to the table. Stills contributed the towering opener, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” a song born out of his relationship with Judy Collins. The track’s melodic complexity and emotional depth made it an immediate classic. Bill Halverson, the album’s engineer, recalls playing an early version for some of the best ears in the music business—Atlantic Records President Ahmet Ertegun and producer Phil Spector. “…we played it for them and just put them away.”

In her memoir Sweet Judy Blue Eyes, Collins remembered the impact the song had on her when Stills sang it to her for the first time: “I knew I was listening not only to my story but also to a song that was going to be for all times, not just ours. It was a classic, and it broke my heart.”

Nash added a different flavor with “Marrakesh Express,” a song inspired by a colorful train ride he took through Morocco. Filled with rich imagery, it was a joyful departure from the more introspective songs that dominated the late ’60s. Nash later called it his artistic breakthrough: “Words, melody—everything came at once. And I knew, the minute I finished it, that I’d turned a corner in my songwriting.”

At the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, Crosby’s “Long Time Gone” stood as a stark response to the political turmoil of the time. Written on the night of Robert Kennedy’s assassination, the song is a powerful plea to “speak out against the madness.” He later recalled, “I was already angry about Jack Kennedy getting killed, and it boiled over into this song when they got his brother, too." 

The album was a landmark achievement, but its success raised a new challenge: how to recreate it live. 

“Don’t run, the time approaches / Hotels and midnight coaches / Be sure to hide the roaches" 

Stills, determined not to be limited to acoustic performances, envisioned a band that could deliver both an acoustic and an electric set. An unexpected solution came in the form of his former bandmate, Neil Young.

The suggestions came up when Stills was having dinner with Ertegun, who had a soft spot for Buffalo Springfield, especially Stills’ dynamic guitar interplay with Young. As they sat listening to Young’s song, “I Am A Child,” Ertegun said, “Stephen, there’s something about Neil Young that goes with this…”

It was a compelling suggestion, but it took time to convince all three members that Young wouldn’t upset their natural chemistry. 

Stills was intrigued by the possibilities and eventually signed on. Then, a chance meeting outside Mitchell’s house swayed Crosby. Young pulled over in his vintage car, sat on the hood, and played Crosby a few new songs, including “Helpless” and “Country Girl.” Crosby was captivated: “I thought, ‘Now I want to join his group.’”

Nash was still leery, recalling Crosby’s remark that ‘Juggling four bottles of nitroglycerin is fine...until you drop one.’” That changed after meeting Young for the first time. He later joked:

“By the end of breakfast, I was ready to nominate him for Prime Minister of Canada. I went back to the guys and said, ‘Alright, he’s in.’” 

The newly minted quartet, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, made its live debut on August 16, 1969, at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre. The audience gave them a standing ovation after the very first song, “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”

Four days later, they took the stage at Woodstock around 3:30 am in front of 500,000 people. Stills famously announced, “This is the second time we’ve played in front of people, man. We’re scared shitless.” But the performance went down in history, and their appearance was a key part of the documentary, Woodstock (1970).

Watching from afar was Mitchell, by then Nash’s girlfriend. Although she’d been scheduled to play at the festival, she ultimately stayed behind. Her managers, worried about the chaotic conditions at the event, persuaded her to return to the Carlyle Hotel in New York City so she wouldn’t miss an important appearance the following day on The Dick Cavett Show.

Seated at the grand piano in her suite, she wrote “Woodstock,” a song that became a defining anthem of the era. Mitchell later recalled: “I never could have written that song if I had gone. I wrote it from the point of view of a fan rather than a performer. As it was, I got to watch it unfold and then put it into words.”

“We are stardust, we are golden / We are billion-year old carbon / And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden”

CSNY recorded their electrified version of “Woodstock” in October 1969, with Young’s searing guitar leading the charge. The song would soon find a home on the group’s next album, Déjà Vu.

Released in March 1970, Déjà Vu quickly became a defining moment in rock history. A musical tour de force, each member brought their own energy and vision to the project, creating an album greater than the sum of its parts. It was embraced by fans and critics alike, shipping double platinum.

Stills’ “Carry On” kicked off the album with a burst of energy and vocals that made the band sound like a heavenly choir. However, it might not have happened if Nash hadn’t mentioned to Stills that the album was missing a showstopper. The very next day, Stills gave Nash his response. “Hey Willy, [Nash’s nickname], remember yesterday how you were telling me we didn’t have a great opening track? Well, listen to this.” He then proceeded to play “Carry On” complete and intact. Nash was gob-smacked, “Get the fuck out of here!” 

Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” was a powerful declaration of defiance and individuality that brought a raw intensity to the album. The song was recorded live in the studio, giving his message the needed edge. Young said, “It’s really Crosby at what I think is his best. It’s all live, three guitars, bass, organ and drums, and there are no overdubs.” 

At the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, Nash’s “Teach Your Children” was a plea for love and understanding aimed at breaking society’s vicious circle of violence. Already an accomplished photographer and collector of photographs, Nash was inspired by a famous photo taken in Central Park by Diane Arbus of an angry-looking young boy holding a plastic hand grenade. “I thought, ‘If we don’t start teaching our kids a better way of dealing with each other, humanity will never succeed.” The lilting pedal steel guitar that weaves in and out of the song was played by the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, whose band learned to sing harmony from CSN. 

“And feed them on your dreams / The one they pick’s, the one you’ll know by”

With Déjà Vu’s success, CSNY embarked on a massive tour in 1970, bringing their unparalleled harmonies and powerful songs to audiences across the country. The tour was a triumph, and highlights would be released in 1971 on 4 Way Street, a double live album.

It not only featured live versions of many of the group’s best-loved songs, but it also introduced tracks destined for each member’s solo career, including Crosby’s haunting “Laughing,” Stills’ future Top 20 hit, “Love the One You’re With,” and Nash’s protest song “Chicago.” The album underscored the band’s political views with a passionate take on “Ohio” and the show closer, “Find the Cost of Freedom.”

Stills said, “The song is about what it says it’s about: the cost of freedom, Abraham Lincoln, Medgar Evers, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy. And a million others whose names we’ll never know. All the martyrs for this fragile thing called democracy, which we are always in danger of having taken away...” 

“Find the cost of freedom / Buried in the ground”

After the success of Déjà Vu and the subsequent tour, the members explored individual projects, each showcasing their distinctive artistic voices. These separations gave the members the freedom to explore while staying connected. Stills explained the loose arrangement. “Everybody would have the chance to carry on their solo careers and do what we wanted in any combination we wanted, in order to make it as interesting as possible, continually updating our relationships and our approaches to music, always open to other influences.”

Stills’ debut solo album, Stephen Stills (1970), featured his biggest-ever solo hit with “Love the One You’re With.” The song's title was something Stills heard legendary keyboardist Billy Preston say at a party. “I asked him if I could pinch this line he had, and he said, ‘Sure.’ So, I took the phrase and wrote a song around it. It’s a good times song, just a bit of fun.”

Meanwhile, Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name (1971) ventured into more experimental territory, filled with lush, ethereal soundscapes like “I’d Swear There Was Somebody Here” and collaborations with members of the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Garcia said, “I think some of the finest playing I’ve done on record is on his solo album. As far as being personally satisfied with my own performances, which I rarely am, he’s gotten better out of me than I get out of myself." 

Nash’s Songs for Beginners (1971) was deeply personal, filled with reflections on love, loss, and the political landscape of the time. One of the most poignant tracks, “Simple Man,” was written right after his breakup with Mitchell and performed for the first time at the Fillmore East, with Mitchell in the audience. Reflecting on that moment, Nash would later say: “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”

More music and tours followed with Stills recording a second solo effort (Stephen Stills 2), two albums with Manassas, and Long May You Run with Young. Meanwhile, Crosby & Nash recorded their debut as a duo with Graham Nash David Crosby. Their orbits around one another drifted but didn’t break 

By the summer of 1974, the collective power of CSNY drew each of them back to the mothership for an historic stadium tour—the largest ever up to that point. The band’s performances at 31 concerts affirmed the power of their music and the enduring strength of their message. The tour was a celebration of their young legacy, much like the greatest hits collection that came out at the same time. So Far would top the albums chart and sell more than six million copies. Decades later, in 2014, this monumental tour was immortalized on CSNY 1974, an archival live album that captured the era’s energy and excitement. 

The 1974 tour was a triumph, but it also marked a transition. Over the next few years, the members of CSNY would continue to pursue their solo careers. Then, in 1977, Crosby, Stills & Nash reunited to release CSN, their first album as a trio in seven years. An extraordinary success, the album was certified quadruple-platinum and a reminder of why the trio’s sound had always been so special. One of the standout tracks, “Just a Song Before I Go,” became the band’s highest-charting single, reaching #7 on the Billboard charts. 

Written by Nash on a bet, it perfectly encapsulated the effortless genius that had always defined CSN’s work. Crosby later recalled: “Graham was at home in Hawaii about to go off on tour. The guy who was going to take him to the airport said, ‘We’ve got 15 minutes, I’ll bet you can’t write a song in that amount of time.’ Well, you don’t smart off to Nash like that. He did it.”

“Travelling twice the speed of sound / It’s easy to get burned”

Following the success of CSN, they continued their creative run with Daylight Again in 1982, featuring hits like Stills’ “Southern Cross” and Nash’s “Wasted on the Way.” The latter reflected the trio’s resilience despite the ups and downs inherent in a creative partnership. Nash summed it up best: “We have wasted an enormous amount of time on petty issues that should never have kept us from making music." 

“So much water moving underneath the bridge / Let the water come and carry us away”

This renewed sense of purpose carried over into their 1983 tour, where the trio delivered impassioned live performances of these songs and more. The best moments of those shows were captured on the live album Allies, highlighting their continued on-stage chemistry. 

Building on that momentum, CSNY reunited in July 1985 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., for a performance at Live Aid, the global charity event organized by Bob Geldof. Taking the stage together for the first time in over a decade, their harmonies echoed around the world, reminding millions of their enduring influence on music and social activism.

The performance at Live Aid reignited the group’s collaborative spirit, leading to American Dream in 1988—only its second studio album together in 18 years. Released amid rising global awareness around environmental issues, the band addressed the issue head-on in “Clear Blue Skies.”

“Clear blue skies, not too much to ask for / They were here before we came / Will they be here when we’re gone?”

Following its reunion with Young, CSN returned in 1990 with Live It Up, featuring guest appearances by Peter Frampton, Branford Marsalis, and Bruce Hornsby. Then, to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary in 1994, CSN released what would be its final studio album, After the Storm. A major tour ensued, including a return to Woodstock, the site of their most famous performance.

With the new millennium on the horizon, CSNY reunited in 1999 for its third and final studio album, Looking Forward. Anchored by its optimistic title track, the album featured contributions from all four members. It also paved the way for their highly anticipated CSNY2K tour, introducing their music to a new generation of fans. 

Even before that tour, CSN was constantly on the road, touring virtually every year between 1984 and 2015. That dedication to performing live helped forge a deep connection with new and longtime fans alike.

The band continued to build on its legacy through the years, releasing archival sets that celebrated its rich history. It began in 1991 with CSN, a platinum-certified boxed set featuring nearly 30 unreleased recordings. Naturally, the band members dedicated the set to Cass Elliot, “without whom most of this music may not have been made.”

The collection heralded the arrival of others, including three that delved into the individual members’ careers inside and outside of CSN—David Crosby’s Voyage (2007), Graham Nash’s Reflections (2009), and Stephen Stills’ Carry On (2013). Additionally, Demos(2009) offered fans early acoustic versions of some of the group’s best-loved songs, including “Marrakesh Express,” “You Don’t Have To Cry,” and “Déjà Vu.” 

The latest archive release is Live at the Fillmore East 1969, which came out in 2024. It features a newly discovered multi-track recording of the band’s September 20, 1969, concert at the historic Fillmore East in New York City, capturing the band during its meteoric rise. In the set’s liner notes, Nash recalls the scene backstage. “… I’ve often told the story of our friend Bill Graham pushing $100 bills under the door, trying to entice us to do yet another song. It was only when Neil saw that he’d gotten to $800 that we finally gave up and went back to play another encore, much to the delight of the audience.”

After years of constant touring and collaboration, CSN played its final show together in 2015. Sadly, David Crosby passed away in 2023, marking the end of an era for one of rock’s most influential collectives.

CSN and CSNY didn’t just redefine what it meant to make music as a group; they reshaped the cultural landscape of their era. Through their distinctive harmonies, evocative storytelling, and unwavering dedication to social causes, they created songs that transcended entertainment, becoming rallying cries for change and reflection. Their music captured the spirit of a generation, while also paving the way for future artists to blend art with activism. Decades later, their songs continue to resonate, standing as timeless testaments to the enduring power of music to inspire, provoke thought, and unite people across generations.