The essential Woodstock playlist

Perfectly encapsulating the breezy, folksy vibe of the Woodstock festival, Freedom is an anthem for those who need to escape for a couple of days. That's what the crowd at Woodstock did, and they couldn't have asked for a better place to do it. 

With its mix of sunny vocals and hippie optimism, Going up the Country was the song that kicked off Woodstock (1970). The film introduced us to acts like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, but it's the opener from Canned Heat that sticks with you. 

The crowd lost their mind when Hendrix played Voodo Child, partly because the song rocks, and partly because he sped up the tempo and played one of the solos with his teeth. Yes, his teeth. The fact that it sounds the same is just plain ridiculous. 

Joplin gave everything to her music and gave nearly a million people goosebumps on a warm summer's night. She may not have liked her performance at Woodstock, but she also didn't like her performance at Monterey...so take that with a grain of salt. 

Even though the title might indicate otherwise, The Who aren't singing about summertime blues, but rather tearing through one of their most popular, upbeat tracks. The song was originally a 1950's downer...now it's a rock song with growls, riffs, and laughs. 

A hippie anthem that still rocks today, My Generation wasn't a success in the US until it played at Woodstock. When 500,000 people saw Daltry throwing his mic in the air like a yo-yo, Moon slamming his drums like a hammer, and the band veering into a three-minute jam sesh, it was destined to become a hit. 

From one generation to another, Woodstock lives on through Sebastian's lullaby. The people in the crowd have grown up or passed away, but the song lives on through their kids and grandkids. 

The real national anthem for marijuana--sorry, Bob Marley--this folk tune wafts over you like a cloud of smoke.  

The Weight didn't make it into the final cut of Scorsese's film, which might be the director's biggest mistake since Boxcar Bertha. 

This ridiculously catchy tune is heavily influenced by drugs, but that didn't stop it from becoming a hit for Jefferson Airplane in 1967. In addition to the chart success, it also played great at Woodstock--who knew lyrics about acid would play so well with hippies?  

I Put a Spell on You is unlike any other Credence track out there. It saw John Fogerty adding a touch of vinegar to his vocals, and the guitar puts you in a trance like few other songs of its era. 

Considered one of the great live performances, this soul classic has enough energy to power an entire city. You can't listen to it without moving to the beat. 

Woodstock wasn't all sex, drugs, and rock & roll--it was also a protest against the war. Joan Baez knew that and gave the crowd a protest song for the ages.  

Protest songs don't get any better than this. Sing-a-longs don't get any better than this. Rednecks with earrings don't get any better than this. This is an Apex Mountain for a lot of things, not least of which is the crowd at Woodstock, who rose to their feet and sang so loud you could hear them 20 miles away. 

This catchy tune about a broken couple was a hit for CSN in 1969. Since its release, it's sold millions of records and has been studied in classrooms for its use of alliteration. 

The lead track on Crosby, Stills and Nash, Judy Blue Eyes is arguably the band's most recognizable tune. It's one of the few breakup songs that doesn't sound like a pity party and is written with the kind of honesty and sung with the kind of grace you can only find on a CSN record. 

Stuck in the 6 am slot on Monday morning, Paul Butterfield is one of the concert's most underrated acts. Because no one was awake to see it, the performance went unnoticed by just about everyone...until now. 

The greatest live performance ever. Joe Cocker turns the Beatles ditty into a full-blown, full-throttle, fully-intoxicating parade of organs, vocals, guitars, and air guitars worthy of a Lance Stephenson celebration. 

Kobe vs. Mcgrady.  Pacino vs. De Niro. Ravi vs. Rhaka. This performance is right up there with the great duels, as Ravi and Rakha trade riffs like two boxers trading punches in the ring. 

Despite the riffs of Hendrix and the vocals of Stone, it's Alvin Lee who rocked the house harder than anyone. His rendition of Going Home is quite possibly the hardest song of its era.