Tapestry

Carole King's 1971 release shattered commercial and critical barriers, selling over 25 million copies worldwide and winning four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year in 1972—the first by a female solo artist. It spent 302 weeks on the Billboard 200, a longevity 138 weeks longer than the average top-charting album from that decade. Tapestry outperforms #5 What's Going On in sustained chart dominance and direct audience reach, with its intimate songwriting establishing a template that influenced a generation of singer-songwriters.