single · January 9, 1967

So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star

The Byrds

Play 30s preview

3 AmigosSee this day

folk rockpsychedelic rock

This single saw the Byrds turning their attention to rock and roll's past, tackling a tune by The Who with a distinctively Byrdsian flavor. It reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• The Byrds released "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" as a single in January 1967. The song was included on their album *Younger Than Yesterday*. It was recorded during a period of shifting band dynamics and evolving musical exploration.
• The single's B-side was "Everybody's Talkin'," a cover of the Fred Neil song. This track would later become a bigger hit for The Byrds in its own right, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Although a charting single, "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" is not as widely remembered as some of The Byrds' earlier hits. It nonetheless exemplifies their willingness to experiment with covers and their signature sound.

The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. They are widely recognized as pioneers of folk rock and psychedelic rock music.