1. Michelle Phillips

When we think of the height of hippie happenings, it’s hard not to think of California beaches, bonfires, Big Sur, and that sun-kissed carefree attitude so synonymous with the 60s and 70s. Michelle Phillips, founding member of the Mama and Papas, was all that and more – the perfect hippie girl to hop onto the scene.

Michelle performed the three-day Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 founded by husband and fellow bandmember John Phillips, and for one incredible performance, delivered some of that California dream. Though the Mamas and Papas were only a quartet for two quick years, they perfectly captured the culture shift, and for a brief and shining moment, everyone was dancing in the street.

2. Pattie Boyd & George Harrison

Meeting on the set of The Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night, Pattie Boyd and George Harrison were smitten from the first moment they met. It was the age of free love, after all. The pair got into transcendental meditation, a craze that became an integral part of the hippie counterculture.

After spending some time further studying meditation in India, Pattie and George’s spirits and style reflected the Eastern influence. Back in London, when heading out for a night on the town the twosome could be caught wearing the free-flowing silhouetted clothing and funky printed fabrics still so readily associated with the hippies of the 60s and 70s.

3. Carly Simon

The golden girl of the music industry with her big blonde hair and of course, all those awards, Carly Simon is still the bohemian free-spirit she was when she first found fame in the 70s. Carly and her easy-breezy kaftans couldn’t be more classically hippie haute couture.

Opening for Cat Stevens, working with Mick Jagger, and eventually collaborating musically and matrimonially with James Taylor, Carly’s charisma was contagious. Simon is pretty open about her incredible experience at the center of the music scene, but don’t expect her to reveal the inspiration behind her biggest hit “You’re So Vain,” some things she’s keeping secret.

4. Grace Slick

As the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, one of the headlining bands at Woodstock, Grace Slick is practically the human embodiment of the famed music festival and of hippie culture as a whole. Set to perform on Saturday night, a prime slot in the festival lineup, Slick and company didn’t take the stage until Sunday morning.

But when they did finally go on, Jefferson Airplane did so in spectacular fashion. Looking out across the thousands upon thousands of fans Slick walked up to the mic and said, “Alright friends, you have seen the heavy groups, now you will see morning maniac music, believe me, yeah, it’s the new dawn.”

5. Jane Birkin

The 60s and 70s were a time of liberation and living life for love, and Jane Birkin certainly did just that. A free-spirit, Jane bucked with trends, opting instead to follow her own tastes, and in the process became a figure of inspiration for women everywhere.

Whether in her work with French superstar Serge Gainsbourg, such as the salacious duet “Je t’aime…moi non plus” which shocked everyone, or deciding to use a straw basket instead of a regular handbag, Birkin has always made her own rules. Maybe that’s why Jane Birkin has been the It Girl since the 60s – her style is just always in season.

6. Gloria Steinem

There’s a reason hippies were considered part of a counterculture movement, they were taking the status quo and turning it all around and upside down, perhaps none more so than Gloria Steinem. A lifelong social activist and writer, Steinem can get a crowd all fired up just as much as any musician.

In a time marked by revolution, Gloria Steinem was basically a one-woman revolution in and of herself. Steinem’s style is still inspired by her start in the 60s and 70s — fit for a radical. Steinem’s signature tinted aviator shades and practical boots mean she’s ready to lead feminists everywhere into the future.

7. John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Two of the most exciting, introspective artists of a generation found each other in this mixed up crazy world, and good thing too, because imagine a world without “Imagine.” These two icons didn’t just look the part of the free-spirited creative type, they walked the walk.

Through Ono’s performance art and Lennon’s solo career, the pair really did try to preach the importance of peace, love and understanding. Whether collaborating on music or fine art, or serving as each other’s muse in their solo careers, Lennon and Ono inspired everyone to try and live a little more harmoniously, and that’s what being a hippie is all about.

8. Janis Joplin

First catching everyone’s attention at the Monterey Pop Festival, clad in thrift store clothes and colored sunglasses, Janis Joplin’s bluesy voice mesmerized music lovers and musicians alike. Everyone who experienced Joplin live agreed that there was only one word to describe her energy on stage – electric.

Two years later, what was supposed to be three days of peace and love celebrated through the power of music became a moment that defined a generation and the hippie movement as a whole. We’re talking, of course, of Woodstock. When Janis Joplin rocked the stage at Woodstock, she gave everyone a little piece of her heart.

9. Jack Nicholson

From the very moment he cracks open that smile that seems to be more than just his mouth, but his whole face, Jack Nicholson becomes the mischievous and fun-loving rebel he’s played so many times on film. Always up for a little excess and pushing the edges of expression, Jack Nicholson is the perfect Hollywood hippie.

Hippies and their pursuit of artistic expression got the Hollywood treatment in the 1968 film Psych Out, and Jack Nicholson oh-so-fittingly played the male lead. Nicholson brought an easy swagger to the role, probably because he had the real-life experiences of the age to inspire his acting.

10. Veruschka von Lehndorff

Everyone was all abuzz with talk of an epic music festival happening in upstate New York, so it wasn’t long before some of the biggest names in Hollywood were hearing about the hottest ticket in town too. 60s supermodel Veruschka caught wind of Woodstock, and wisely decided it would be worthwhile.

With her long blond hair and model-tall legs, Veruschka stood out in a crowd, even in the sea of roughly 400,000 people that attended Woodstock over the course of those three days. Veruschka is clearly having the time of her life, and luckily photographers we able to capture her, perfectly encapsulating the energy of the festival.

11. Mick Jagger & Marianne Faithfull

A singer in her own right, Marianne Faithfull met Andrew Oldham, the Rolling Stones’ manager, and together with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger produced her first single “As Tears Go By.” But when Faithfull and Mick Jagger’s relationship turned from professional to personal, there was nothing to be sad about.

The musical couple became rock n’ roll legends, leading a lifestyle of liberation from any earthly troubles. Everyone wanted to be them or be around them, and based on the legends of the parties they partook in, their free-loving attitude was completely contagious. Who could help but have fun with Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger.

12. Joni Mitchell

The folksy Joni Mitchell was a songwriting mastermind, and her words spoke to the very spirit and soul of the times. Less interested in protesting or political activism, Mitchell’s music promoted emotional vulnerability, and the value of connecting with one another.

Originally from Canada, Joni Mitchell settled in California and became a major voice for hippies all around the world. In her song “California” the bohemian Mitchell is traveling around the world, making connections with countries and people along her way, the wanderlust of her generation had caught hold of her too. From a café in Paris, France to a small island in Greece, Mitchell made memories and put them into song.

13. Barbra Streisand

As one of the most beloved and award-winning artists of our time, it might be expected that Barbra Streisand would be an all out diva, but the superstar songstress got her start in the time of peace and love. With a profile as high as hers, Streisand had an incredible platform to showcase her hippie spirit.

Whether she was wearing bell-bottoms or big flowing dresses, Streisand’s style in the 60s and 70s was always on point. Her ability to jump from stage to silver screen, in roles such as Judy from the 1972 romp What’s Up Doc? gave her the perfect opportunity to have fun across every form of artistic expression.

14. Sharon Tate

What does the hippie bride wear on her wedding day? Well of course, flowers in her hair, and lots of them. Sharon Tate designed her own white mini dress that she wore in her courthouse wedding to Polish director Roman Polanski, and those flowers were the perfect touch of flower power.

Married in Chelsea, London in January 1968, Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski were perfectly dressed in the fashion of the moment. Tate’s self-designed dress, and Polanski’s Victorian-esque suit are reflective of the 60s and 70s shift to style as self-expression. We’re sure their outfits were perfectly appropriate at the Supremes concert they attended after the ceremony.

15. Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks is, inarguably, the original queen of bohemian style, and she lived her life to match. Having more than earned her crowning as the “Queen of Rock n’ Roll,” Stevie Nicks is the hippie who makes our hearts sing.

Twirling around on stage in shawls and then still wrapped in ever more shawls, Stevie Nicks gives all of herself over to her music. Using her personal life — tales of love and loss from the 60s, 70s, and beyond as the inspiration for her lyrics, the mere sight of Nicks brings us back to the gypsy that she was and always will be.

16. Warren Beatty

If there was any one person to celebrate the spirit of free-love to its fullest, it’s hippie Warren Beatty. The iconic lothario was loving the liberated outlook everyone was embracing, growing out his hair and dressing in vintage clothes, he was more than game to take part.

Warren Beatty has famously been the number one proponent of falling in love, as often as possible, and in the 60s and 70s, that was a-okay, as everyone was looking for love – all kinds of love. It was about finding love for your neighbor, love for nature, love for just about everything around you. And for that, how can anyone have anything but love for Warren.

17. Jane Fonda

Although she may claim to never have been an actual hippie in her youth, Jane Fonda stood for everything the hippies were spreading through their art, namely, peace. Despite causing controversy for some of her political activism, Fonda was a fierce supporter of spreading love, not war.

Like her friends Mia Farrow and the Beatles, Fonda traveled to India to seek out some enlightenment, but instead of finding inner peace, she felt her calling was to help bring about peace through political involvement. If promoting passivism and peaceful politics isn’t part of being a hippie, we’re not sure what is.

18. Sonny & Cher

Sonny and Cher first met in a coffee shop when Cher was still Cherilyn Sarkisian, and sweet sixteen. Before long the two were working together in the studio, and then it was almost overnight that they were topping the charts. With such astronomical success, the two needed an aesthetic to match.

Their superstardom got them from the stage to TV screens, and the wardrobes from The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny and Cher Show were as splashy and spectacular as they were. Sonny and Cher were so good at self-expression, they’ve stood the test of time as hippie icons.

19. Nancy Sinatra

Hippie counterculture was an exciting time all around, but especially for women, who were feeling more liberated and empowered than ever before. Sure, there were the long flowing skirts and dresses, but short skirts were a sign of the time too, and Nancy Sinatra’s mini-skirts and tall boots were more than just a signature style.

When Nancy Sinatra put out “These Boots Are Made For Walkin” it’s no surprise that it shot to the top of all the music charts almost immediately – it resonates with women as much today as it did in the 60s. We dare anyone to admit they don’t feel fierce after listening to that chorus.

20. Joan Baez & Bob Dylan

Crowned the King and Queen of Folk, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan wrote the quintessential anthems of the call for change that basically served as the basis of the hippie movement. Their lyrics took on current events, clashes of culture, and ultimately were a poetic plea for peace and love.

The pair of pacifists performed together over the course of their two-year personal and professional partnership, inspiring each other and everyone who had the privilege so seem them live. Listening to Baez and Dylan’s duet of “Blowin’ in the Wind” is sure to keep every hippie hearing it forever young.

21. Jimi Hendrix

According to the Los Angeles Times, it was on stage at the 1967 Monterey music festival that Jimi Hendrix “graduated from rumor to legend.” And so, already a legend by the time Woodstock came around, Hendrix was the headliner. Dressed in all that leather fringe, everything about his performance stands as the height of hippie-dom.

Jimi Hendrix wasn’t just an incredible guitarist, rather he felt the rush of musical expression coursing through every last inch of his body. So much so, in fact, that he famously played his guitar with more than just his hands – he used his teeth and tongue too.

22. David Bowie

A chameleon capable of adapting to any incarnation, David Bowie was hit with the hippie fever by 1968, and as he was with everything, he dove into it head first. Growing his hair out long, Bowie relished the spirit of personal expression, and enjoyed the period of experimentation.

Taking his music in a direction some might not expect from the more avant garde Bowie he would become, David Bowie formed a folk trio, and played around with the sound of the time. With the idea in mind that their less commercial sound wouldn’t see them soaring to the height of fame, it was all about making music for music’s sake. Groovy.

23. Talitha Getty

An indisputable style icon of the 60s and 70s, when you think of the immense influence of the East, and Middle East on hippie fashion, it’s almost impossible not to immediately picture Talitha Getty, posing in her brightly colored and interesting patterned clothes, lounging around Marrakesh.

The photograph has become so famous as an exemplary ensemble that so perfectly captures hippie fashion, that the style of dressing, commonly referred to as “boho chic” has also been dubbed “Talitha Getty chic.” When your style is so iconic it’s its own genre, you’ve done something right. The photograph can be found in the London National Portrait Gallery – get on Getty’s level.

24. Rod Stewart & Britt Ekland

Meeting in the 70s, Rod Stewart and Britt Ekland fell in love fast and hard, like everyone else around them, they were all about following their hearts. In love and in music the two brought a passion for artistic expression. Ekland lived her life open to all possibilities acting, singing, everything.

Ekland contributed a French verse to Stewart’s song “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna be Alright)” and together, the two shot to the top of the charts. But even with the #1 song for 1977, the two never thought too far into the future. As Ekland would say, “You live in the moment.”

25. Goldie Hawn

Hollywood golden girl Goldie Hawn got her start on Laugh In in the late 60s and early 70s, and it couldn’t have been a better place to showcase her immense talent. Totally in touch with the times, Hawn was always wearing fun psychedelic inspired outfits as playful as her personality.

A free-spirit who believes in peace, love and understanding above all else, Hawn balances out her passion for music, dancing and living life out loud and full of love, with a dedicated meditation practice. Hawn’s hippie sensibilities have lasted long after the 60s and 70s, because being a hippie isn’t just a fad, it’s a way of life.

Sources: dailymail.co.uk, complex.com, hollywoodreporter.com