Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers form the American folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary. They began in New York City’s coffee house cultural scene, and became one of the best-known and most successful folk groups. They debuted at The Bitter End, a club in Greenwich Village, New York, and their debut album, Peter, Paul & Mary, made it into the top ten.
The group had many hits, but only one recording reached Number One: Leaving on a Jet Plane, written by John Denver. The trio broke up around 1970 in order to pursue solo careers but never had the success as individuals as they had achieved as a group. They reunited in the late 1970s. Peter, Paul and Mary are now known primarily as being advocates for social justice and still tour together. Travers died in 2009.
Top 40 hits in chronological order
- Lemon Tree, #35 in 1962
- If I had a Hammer (The Hammer Song), #10 in 1962, written by Pete Seeger
- Puff the Magic Dragon, #2 in 1963
- Blowin' in the Wind, #2 in 1963, written by Bob Dylan
- Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, #9 in 1963, written by Bob Dylan
- Stewball, #35 in 1963
- Tell It on the Mountain, #33 in 1964
- For Lovin' Me, #30 in 1965
- I Dig Rock and Roll Music, #9 in 1967
- Too Much of Nothing, #35 in 1967, written by Bob Dylan
- Day Is Done, #21 in 1969
- Leaving on a Jet Plane, #1 in 1969, written by John Denver
Other well-known songs
- Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
- The Wedding Song
- The Great Mandela