A playlist of every song played at Woodstock 1969
Everybody knows about Woodstock 1969, but far fewer people could confidently name a single song that was played there beyond Jimi Hendrix rattling off ‘Star Spangled Banner’.
It is inseparable from its own myth. In a literal sense, details are often difficult to corroborate with 500,000 conflicting reports. What is known is that in August ’69, just north of New York City, in a small town in the Catskill Mountains, the great unwashed came together, and the world has been reeling from the miasma kicked up ever since.
As Jimi Hendrix poeticised, “500,000 halos outshined the mud and history. We washed and drank in God’s tears of joy, and for once, and for everyone, the truth was not a mystery. Love called to all; music is magic.” While Hendrix’s highfalutin recollection of utopian liberation might uphold one side of the Woodstock coin, the obverse was equally apparent.
Cue Pete Townshend of The Who’s appraisal, “Well, it changed me. I hated it.” The poor bastard was spiked, and he had to deal with the activist Abbie Hoffman invading the stage mid-performance. Townshend wasn’t alone either. Grace Slick questioned the event too. Her appraisal can be surmised as thus: no toilets, bad trips, a hell of a lot of mud, and shoddy sound.
But despite the rather obvious and inevitable drawback, the formation of the myth, even in that moment, was apparent. “When it happened for the first time,“ Neil Young said in praise of the Promethean event, “It was something special because there you were there, and there were half a million people, and we’re just realising, ‘We are somebody’. We’re making a difference, and everybody is with us”.
The scale alone upholds the myth: here was 0.25% of the entire population of the US at the time, all coming together to celebrate the liberating force of music. Regardless of the highs and lows, that point alone underlines Woodstock’s importance.
So, while the songs might have largely been forgotten, they underpin the existence of the legend. And in the aftermath, things did go full circle and revert back to ‘art’ being paramount. As one of the event organisers, Michael Lang told the Guardian, A lot of careers took off at Woodstock: Santana, Joe Cocker. Sly & the Family Stone electrified everybody. It was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s second show.”
The mind continues to boggle at such a list of names, but once again, in the strange lore of Woodstock, there are just as many that your average punter wouldn’t be able to name if there was a million dollars on the line to do so.
In my experience, nothing tells the real story of the event quite like the collated setlists. Alongside iconic moments that have gone down in history, the running order of the songs played reveals the amount of curtailed sets, bizarre stage times, entirely forgotten acts, glossed-over reality that Hendrix was actually playing to an emptying field, non-musical moments that perfectly illuminate the zeitgeist and the no-shows in between.
With that in mind, you can check out every song played at Woodstock 1969 below. This is all wrapped up in a playlist that was painfully tedious to compile at the foot of the piece, too (NB, not every song played is available on Spotify).
Every song played at Woodstock 1969:
Day One: Friday, August 15th
Richie Havens (5:07 pm)
- ‘From the Prison’
- ‘Get Together’
- ‘From the Prison (Reprise)’
- ‘High Flying Bird’
- ‘I Can’t Make It Anymore’
- ‘Handsome Johnny’
- ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’
- ‘Freedom’
Swami Satchidananda
- Opening address: “My beloved brothers and sisters…”
Sweetwater (6:15 pm)
- ‘Motherless Child’
- ‘Look Out’
- ‘For Pete’s Sake’
- ‘Day Song’
- ‘What’s Wrong’
- ‘My Crystal Spider’
- ‘Two Worlds’
- ‘Why Oh Why’
- ‘Let The Sunshine In’
- ‘Oh Happy Day’
Bert Sommer (7:15 pm)
- ‘Jennifer’
- ‘The Road To Travel’
- ‘I Wondered Where You Be’
- ‘She’s Gone’
- ‘Things Are Going My Way’
- ‘And When It’s Over’
- ‘Jeanette’
- ‘America’
- ‘A Note That Read’
- ‘Smile’
Tim Hardin (9:00 pm)
- ‘(How Can We) Hang on to a Dream’
- ‘Once-Touched By Flame’
- ‘If I Were a Carpenter’
- ‘Reason to Believe’
- ‘You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie’
- ‘Speak Like a Child’
- ‘Snow White Lady’
- ‘Blues on My Ceiling’
- ‘Simple Song of Freedom’
- ‘Misty Roses’
Ravi Shankar (10:00 pm)
- ‘Raga Puriya-Dhanashri / Gat In Sawarital’
- ‘Tabla Solo In Jhaptal’
- ‘Raga Manj Kmahaj’
Melanie (11:00 pm)
- ‘Close to It All’
- ‘Momma Momma’
- ‘Beautiful People’
- ‘Animal Crackers’
- ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’
- ‘Tuning My Guitar’
- ‘Birthday of the Sun’
Arlo Guthrie (11:55 pm)
- ‘Coming into Los Angeles’
- ‘Wheel of Fortune’
- ‘Walking Down the Line’
- ‘The Story Of Moses’
- ‘Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep’
- ‘Every Hand in the Land’
- ‘Amazing Grace’
Day Two: Saturday, August 16th
Joan Baez (1:00 am)
- ‘Oh Happy Day’
- ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’
- ‘I Shall Be Released’
- ‘Joe Hill’
- ‘Sweet Sir Galahad’
- ‘Hickory Wind’
- ‘Drug Store Truck Driving Man’
- ‘One Day At A Time’
- ‘Take Me Back To The Sweet Sunny South’
- ‘Warm and Tender Love’
- ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’
- ‘We Shall Overcome’
Quill (12:15 pm)
- ‘They Live the Life’
- ‘That’s How I Eat’
- ‘Driftin”
- ‘Waitin’ For You’
Country Joe McDonald (1:00 pm)
- ‘Janis’
- ‘Donovan’s Reef’
- ‘Heartaches By The Number’
- ‘Ring Of Fire’
- ‘Tennessee Stud’
- ‘Rockin’ Round The World’
- ‘Flyin’ High’
- ‘Seen A Rocket’
- ‘The Fish Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag’
- ‘I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag’
Santana (2:00 pm)
- ‘Waiting’
- ‘Evil Ways’
- ‘Just Don’t Care’
- ‘Savor’
- ‘Jingo’
- ‘Persuasion’
- ‘Soul Sacrifice’
- ‘Fried Neckbones And Some Home Fries’
John B Sebastian (3:30 pm)
- ‘How Have You Been’
- ‘Rainbows All Over Your Blues’
- ‘I Had A Dream’
- ‘Darlin’ Be Home Soon’
- ‘Younger Generation’
The Keef Hartley Band (4:45 pm)
- ‘Spanish Fly’
- ‘She’s Gone’
- ‘Too Much Thinking’
- ‘Believe In You’
- ‘Medley: Sinnin’ For You, Leaving Trunk, Just To Cry, Sinnin’ For You’
Incredible String Band (6:00 pm)
- ‘Invocation’
- ‘The Letter’
- ‘Gather ‘Round’
- ‘This Moment’
- ‘Come With Me’
- ‘When You Find Out Who You Are’
Canned Heat (7:30 pm)
- ‘I’m Her Man’
- ‘Going Up the Country’
- ‘A Change Is Gonna Come / Leaving This Town’
- ‘Rollin’ Blues’
- ‘Woodstock Boogie’
- ‘On the Road Again’
Mountain (9:00 pm)
- ‘Blood Of The Sun’
- ‘Stormy Monday’
- ‘Theme From An Imaginary Western’
- ‘Long Red’
- ‘Who Am I But You And The Sun’
- ‘Beside The Sea’
- ‘Waiting To Take You Away’
- ‘Dreams Of Milk And Honey’
- ‘Southbound Train’
Grateful Dead (10:30 pm)
- ‘St. Stephen’
- ‘Mama Tried’
- ‘Dark Star’
- ‘High Time’
- ‘Turn On Your Lovelight’
Day Three: Sunday, August 17th
Creedence Clearwater Revival (12:30 am)
- ‘Born On The Bayou’
- ‘Green River’
- ‘Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won’t Do)’
- ‘Bootleg’
- ‘Commotion’
- ‘Bad Moon Rising’
- ‘Proud Mary’
- ‘I Put A Spell On You’
- ‘Night Time Is The Right Time’
- ‘Keep On Chooglin”
- ‘Suzy Q’
Janis Joplin (2:00 am)
- ‘Raise Your Hand’
- ‘As Good As You’ve Been To This World’
- ‘To Love Somebody’
- ‘Summertime’
- ‘Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)’
- ‘Kosmic Blues’
- ‘I Can’t Turn You Loose’
- ‘Work Me Lord’
- ‘Piece Of My Heart’
- ‘Ball and Chain’
Sly & The Family Stone (3:30 am)
- ‘M’Lady’
- ‘Sing A Simple Song’
- ‘You Can Make It If You Try’
- ‘Everyday People’
- ‘Dance To The Music’
- ‘Music Lover’
- ‘I Want To Take You Higher’
- ‘Love City’
- ‘Stand!’
The Who (5:00 am)
- ‘Heaven And Hell’
- ‘I Can’t Explain’
- ‘It’s A Boy’
- ‘1921’
- ‘Amazing Journey’
- ‘Sparks’
- ‘Eyesight To The Blind’
- ‘Christmas’
- ‘Acid Queen’
- ‘Pinball Wizard’
- ‘Do You Think It’s Alright?’
- ‘Fiddle About’
- ‘There’s A Doctor I’ve Found’
- ‘Go To The Mirror Boy’
- ‘Smash The Mirror’
- ‘I’m Free’
- ‘Tommy’s Holiday Camp’
- ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’
- ‘Summertime Blues’
- ‘Shakin’ All Over’
- ‘My Generation’
Jefferson Airplane (8:00 am)
- ‘The Other Side of This Life’
- ‘Somebody to Love’
- ‘3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds’
- ‘Won’t You Try / Saturday Afternoon’
- ‘Eskimo Blue Day’
- ‘Plastic Fantastic Lover’
- ‘Wooden Ships’
- ‘Uncle Sam Blues’
- ‘Volunteers’
- ‘The Ballad of You & Me & Pooneil’
- ‘Come Back Baby’
- ‘White Rabbit’
- ‘The House at Pooneil Corners’
Joe Cocker with The Grease Band (2:00 pm)
- ‘Rockhouse’
- ‘Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring’
- ‘Dear Landlord’
- ‘Something’s Coming On’
- ‘Do I Still Figure In Your Life’
- ‘Feelin’ Alright’
- ‘Just Like A Woman’
- ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned’
- ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’
- ‘I Shall Be Released’
- ‘Hitchcock Railway’
- ‘Something To Say’
- ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’
Country Joe & The Fish (6:30 pm)
- ‘Rock And Soul Music’
- ‘Love’
- ‘Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine’
- ‘Sing Sing Sing’
- ‘Summer Dresses’
- ‘Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife’
- ‘Silver And Gold’
- ‘Maria’
- ‘The Love Machine’
- ‘Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me (I’m a Nut)’
- ‘Crystal Blues’
- ‘Rock And Soul Music (Reprise)’
- ‘The Fish Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag’
Ten Years After (8:15 pm)
- ‘Spoonful’
- ‘Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’
- ‘Hobbit’
- ‘I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes’
- ‘Help Me’
- ‘I’m Going Home’
The Band (10:00 pm)
- ‘Chest Fever’
- ‘Don’t Do It’
- ‘Tears Of Rage’
- ‘We Can Talk’
- ‘Long Black Veil’
- ‘Don’t Ya Tell Henry’
- ‘Ain’t No More Cane’
- ‘This Wheel’s On Fire’
- ‘I Shall Be Released’
- ‘The Weight’
- ‘Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever’
Day Four: Monday, August 18th
Johnny Winter (12:00 am)
- ‘Mama, Talk To Your Daughter’
- ‘Leland Mississippi Blues’
- ‘Mean Town Blues’
- ‘You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now’
- ‘I Can’t Stand It’ (with Edgar Winter)
- ‘Tobacco Road’ (with Edgar Winter)
- ‘Tell The Truth’ (with Edgar Winter)
- ‘Johnny B. Goode’
Blood, Sweat & Tears (1:30 am)
- ‘More And More’
- ‘Just One Smile’
- ‘Somethin’ Comin’ On’
- ‘I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know’
- ‘Spinning Wheel’
- ‘Sometimes In Winter’
- ‘Smiling Phases’
- ‘God Bless The Child’
- ‘And When I Die’
- ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’
Crosby, Stills, and Nash (3:00 am)
- ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’
- ‘Blackbird’
- ‘Helplessly Hoping’
- ‘Guinnevere’
- ‘Marrakesh Express’
- ‘4 + 20’
Crosby, Still, Nash and Young (3:45 am)
- ‘Mr. Soul’
- ‘I’m Wonderin”
- ‘You Don’t Have To Cry’
- ‘Pre-road Downs’
- ‘Long Time Gone’
- ‘Bluebird Revisited’
- ‘Sea Of Madness’
- ‘Wooden Ships’
- ‘Find The Cost Of Freedom’
- ’49 Bye-Byes’
Paul Butterfield Blues Band (6:00 am)
- ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’
- ‘No Amount Of Loving’
- ‘Driftin’ And Driftin”
- ‘Morning Sunrise’
- ‘All In A Day’
- ‘Love March’
- ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’
Sha Na Na (7:30 am)
- ‘Get A Job’
- ‘Come Go With Me’
- ‘Silhouettes’
- ‘Teen Angel’
- ‘(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame’
- ‘Wipe Out’
- ‘Book Of Love’
- ‘Teenager in Love’
- ‘Little Darlin”
- ‘At The Hop’
- ‘Duke Of Earl’
- ‘Get A Job (Reprise)’
Jimi Hendrix (9:00 am)
- ‘Message To Love’
- ‘Hear My Train A Comin”
- ‘Spanish Castle Magic’
- ‘Red House’
- ‘Mastermind’
- ‘Lover Man’
- ‘Foxy Lady’
- ‘Beginning / Jam Back At The House’
- ‘Izabella’
- ‘Fire’
- ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
- ‘Stepping Stone’
- ‘The Star Spangled Banner’
- ‘Purple Haze’
- ‘Woodstock Improvisation’
- ‘Villanova Junction’
- ‘Hey Joe’
