When Carole King released her “Tapestry” album in 1971, the world was ready to listen!

The collection of songs written by Carole, some of them previously recorded by other artists, and others entirely new, won 4 Grammy Awards, including “Album of the Year,” and song of the Year for “It’s Too Late!”

Over the years, “Tapestry” has sold more than 25 MILLION copies—10 million in the US alone—and spent 318 weeks on Billboard’s Album Chart, a record until Adele broke it in 2017.

All of this success was unheard of for a female artist in those days, but let’s get specific.

When rock critics heard “It’s Too Late,” the first single release from “Tapestry,” they were astounded—and said so. Many were impressed at the feminism of the song (Specifically, The woman broke up with a man!). Others cited the maturity and pathos of the lyrics, Carole’s “warm, earnest singing voice, and the overall production quality.

Radio listeners (and record buyers) agreed! In both the US and Canada, “It’s Too Late” went straight to #1 on the Top 40 and Adult Contemporary Charts, and it currently sits at #345 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
It’s NEVER too late to appreciate the musical Tapestry of Carole King and her “Great Song of 1971!

— Mike Cook