For What It's Worth: History and Key Facts

"For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)", often referred to as simply "For What It's Worth", is a song written by Stephen Stills, first recorded by Buffalo Springfield on December 5, 1966, and released as a single on Atco Records in December 1966; it peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1967. The song is often associated with the Vietnam War because students, "flower children" and other young people often clashed with police at anti-war protests and other demonstrations during the counterculture era.

It was later added to the March 1967 second pressing of their first album, Buffalo Springfield. The title was added after the song was written, and does not appear in the lyrics.

In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song at number 63 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Source and attribution

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