"Everyday People" is a 1968 song composed by Sly Stone and first recorded by his band, Sly and the Family Stone. It was the first single by the band to go to number one on the Soul singles chart and the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It held that position on the Hot 100 for four weeks, from February 9 to March 8, 1969, and is remembered as one of the most popular songs of the 1960s. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No. 5 song of 1969.

Overview

The song is one of Sly Stone's pleas for peace and equality between differing races and social groups, a major theme and focus for the band. The Family Stone featured

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members Greg Errico and Jerry Martini in its lineup, as well as female members Rose Stone and Cynthia Robinson; making it an early major integrated band in rock history. Sly and the Family Stone's message was about peace and equality through music, and this song reflects the same. Unlike the band's more typically funky and psychedelic records, "Everyday People" is a mid-tempo number with a more mainstream pop feel. Sly, singing the main verses for the song, explains that he is "no better / and neither are you / we are the same / whatever we do." Sly's sister Rose Stone and Cynthia Robinson sing bridging sections using the cadence of the " na-na na-na boo-boo" children's taunt, also known as the children’s nursery rhyme Five Little Monkeys Swinging From a Tree. The chant mocks the futility of people hating each other for being tall, short, rich, poor, fat, skinny,

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, or anything else. The bridges of the song contain the line "different strokes for different folks", which became a popular catchphrase in 1969 (and inspired the name of the later television series, ''

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''). Rose's singing ends each part of the bridge with the words: "And so on, and so on, and scooby dooby doo". During the chorus, all of the singing members of the band (Sly, Rosie, Larry Graham, and Sly's brother Freddie Stone) proclaim that "I am everyday people," meaning that each of them (and each listener as well) should consider himself or herself as parts of one whole, not of smaller, specialized factions. Bassist Larry Graham contends that the track featured the first instance of the " slap bass technique", which would become a staple of funk and other genres. The technique involves striking a string with the thumb of the right hand (or left hand, for a left-handed player) so that the string collides with the frets, producing a metallic "clunk" at the beginning of the note. Later slap bass songs – for example, Graham's performance on " Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)" – expanded on the technique, incorporating a complementary "pull" or "pop" component. The third verse of Sly and the Family Stone's 1969 "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", a No. 1 hit by February 1970, references the titles of "Everyday People" and several of the band's other successful songs. "Everyday People" was included on the band's album '' Stand!'' (1969), which sold over three million copies.

Cover versions

Maroon 5 recorded a cover of the song for a Sly and the Family Stone tribute album. Cher and

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covered the song for a 2017 Gap advertisement. The latter’s duet later went viral on TikTok in 2025.

Legacy

Hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

group Arrested Development used the song as the basis of their 1992 hit, " People Everyday", which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 8 on the Hot 100. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked "Everyday People" as No. 145 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and No. 109 on their updated list in 2021. It was listed on ''Billboard''s 500 Best Pop Songs.

Personnel

* Sly Stone: vocals * Rose Stone: vocals, piano * Freddie Stone: vocals, guitar * Larry Graham: vocals, bass guitar * Greg Errico: drums, background vocals * Jerry Martini: saxophone, background vocals * Cynthia Robinson: trumpet, vocal ad-libs * Engineered by Don Puluse * Written and produced by Sly Stone

Charts

The song was ranked No. 5 on '' Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1969.

Weekly charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Notes

References

External links

* {{authority control 1968 songs 1968 singles 1969 singles 1983 singles Sly and the Family Stone songs Joan Jett songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Song recordings produced by Sly Stone Songs written by Sly Stone Songs about racism and xenophobia Epic Records singles Direction Records singles