Today, Carole King turned 80 years – wow, it’s hard to believe! Admittedly, I would have completely missed the occasion, had it not been for a Facebook post I saw earlier this evening.
Ignoring the 80th birthday of one of my longtime favorite singer-songwriters simply wasn’t an option. Carole’s defining solo album Tapestry holds a special place in my heart. I devoted an entire series to this record around its 50th anniversary in February of last year.
Not only is Tapestry a timeless gem, but it also was one of the very first vinyl music records I heard back in Germany when was about eight years old. This album became an essential part of what marked the start of my journey into the beautiful world of music, a journey I’m so glad I embraced, and a journey that continues to this day.
If you’re looking for a recap of Carole’s life and her impressive accomplishments, there’s a great bio on her website. Frankly, I probably couldn’t do better than that. Instead, I’d like to celebrate the happy occasion with some of the great music Carole has written.
I’m going to do this in the form of a Spotify playlist that is focused on Carole’s solo career. In case you’d like to read about her songwriting partnership with Jerry Goffin, you could check the aforementioned bio or this post I published in November 2020.
Let’s get to some music. The following career-spanning playlist is in chronological order, starting with Carole’s solo debut album Writer from May 1970 and going to Tapestry: Live in Hyde Park, released in 2017.
Happy birthday and many happy returns!
Sources: Wikipedia; Carole King website; Spotify
Christian's Music Musings 
Can you even believe she’s 80 years old? These rock stars are all getting so ancient now. You got Come Down Easy and Been to Canaan on your playlist, and those are my two favorite songs on that album. Rhymes and Reasons and Writer are my favorite Carole King albums. And you also got Up on the Roof and Goin’ Back, the two best songs on that album too. That’s unbelievable you like the same ones I do. And Sweet Seasons and Its Gonna Take Some Time are the best ones on Music. Besides Brother Brother, of course. That’s a nice playlist.
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