In 1965, the group The Lovin' Spoonful released the song as the first single from their debut studio album Do You Believe in Magic. The single was well received by the public and became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 9. According to the lyrics, the magic referenced in the title is the power of music to supply happiness and freedom to both those who make it and those who listen to it. Session drummer Gary Chester played tambourine on the track. The Lovin' Spoonful's version was ranked number 216 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

This is the first of 7 Lovin' Spoonful songs that I will be posting. There were only 2 groups that had their first 7 songs released.... reach the Top Ten. I subbed the 7 songs from Gary Lewis and the Playboys. The Lovin' Spoonful also had their first 7 songs reach the Top Ten.