American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1967. Three-vocalist lineup: Danny Hutton, Cory Wells (died 2015), and Chuck Negron. Distinguished by their ability to make hits out of material written by other songwriters — including Randy Newman, Hoyt Axton, Laura Nyro, Russ Ballard, and Harry Nilsson.
Eleven studio albums between Three Dog Night (1968) and Coming Down Your Way (1975). Commercial peak: 21 consecutive top-40 singles between 1969 and 1975, including "Joy to the World" (1971), "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," "One," "Black and White," and "An Old Fashioned Love Song." Negron departed in 1985; the surviving original members continued. Wells died in 2015.
