You knew every word. You sang along in the car, in the kitchen, maybe even on the dance floor. But did you ever flip the record over and check who actually wrote those songs?
Carole King was one of the most prolific songwriters of the 20th century, and for years, most people had no idea. Long before Tapestry made her a household name, she and her then-husband Gerry Goffin were quietly writing some of the biggest hits of the 1960s for other artists. By the time she stepped into the spotlight herself, she was already a 28-year-old mother of two and one of the most successful songwriters in the music business.
Here are seven songs you probably know by heart, all written by Carole King.
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” — The Shirelles (1960)
King and Goffin married in 1959 and wrote this song just a year later. The Shirelles turned it into a sensation, it became the first number-one hit ever recorded by a girl group, and the first chart-topper for both The Shirelles and the Goffin-King team.
King loved it so much she revisited it herself on Tapestry in 1971, slowing the melody down and recording it with help from friends James Taylor and Joni Mitchell.
“Up on the Roof” — The Drifters (1962)
King was 20 years old, juggling two young children and a full-time songwriting job, when inspiration struck. She was stuck in city traffic. She and Goffin wrote the song together, played it for The Drifters, and they loved it immediately.
King held onto it, too. She recorded her own version eight years later for her debut solo album, Writer, released in 1970.
“The Loco-Motion” — Little Eva (1962)
Eva Boyd (known to the world as Little Eva) was just 17 when she moved to New York City, hoping to make it as a singer. She ended up babysitting for Goffin and King. When she finally told them she could sing, they listened. And they liked what they heard.
Inspired by Dee Dee Sharp’s “Mashed Potato Time,” Goffin and King wrote “The Loco-Motion” with Little Eva’s voice in mind. The demo she recorded was so good that Dimension Records released it as her debut single. It went straight to number one, King’s third chart-topper before she ever released an album of her own. Grand Funk Railroad covered it in 1974, and Kylie Minogue took it to number three in 1988.
“Chains” — The Beatles (1963)
The Beatles were such fans of Goffin and King’s “Chains” that they included their own version on their debut album, Please Please Me, in 1963, with George Harrison singing lead. Interestingly, The Cookies had already released the song as a single in 1962 and taken it to No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, a higher chart position than The Beatles’ version ever reached.
“One Fine Day” — The Chiffons (1963)
Goffin and King originally wrote this one for Little Eva. But when her vocals didn’t fit their vision for the song, they passed it to The Chiffons, who had just scored a hit with “He’s So Fine.” The Chiffons took it all the way to the top of the charts in March 1963.
King recorded her own version years later for Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King. That recording peaked at No. 12, nearly 17 years after the song’s original release.
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” — Aretha Franklin (1967)
Some songs are written for a specific voice, and this was one of them. Goffin and King wrote “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” with Aretha Franklin in mind. She reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.
The song stayed close to King’s heart. She recorded it herself for Tapestry in 1971, and later used the title for her 2012 memoir, which became a New York Times bestseller. Celine Dion also recorded a popular cover in 1995 as a tribute to King.
“If It’s Over” — Mariah Carey (1991)
In 1991, Mariah Carey was working on her second album, Emotions, when Carole King called and asked her to record “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Carey felt too intimidated to cover it. So King flew to New York City, and the two of them wrote something brand new together, just for Carey.
That song was “If It’s Over,” a gospel ballad that Carey later performed at the 1992 Grammy Awards.
From The Shirelles to Mariah Carey, Carole King’s fingerprints are all over the soundtrack of our lives. The next time one of these songs comes on, you’ll know exactly who was really behind it.