Billboard #1 Hits: #255: “It’s Too Late”- Carole King. June 19, 1971. 5 weeks at #1 in the Billboard Hot 100.

• Single: “It’s Too Late”- Carole King
• Record Company-Ode
• Genre: Pop
• Written by Carole King and Toni Stern
• B-side: “I Feel The Earth Move”
• Album- Tapestry
• Grade: A+
• Peaked at #1 5 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100. #6 in UK Singles Chart. #1 in Canada.

“It’s Too Late” and “I Feel The Earth Move” was the first single from Carole King’s hugely successful Tapestry album. King had made a name for herself- as a songwriter during the 1960’s with her then songwriting partner and husband Gerry Goffin. Her first solo album didn’t come out until 1970 and it was only a modest success. Tapestry was a career maker. King would go on to win Grammy’s for Record Of The Year for “It’s Too Late”, Song of the Year for “You’ve Got A Friend”, Album of the Year and Best Female Vocal Performance for “Tapestry.”

When I first bought this album in the late 70’s and listened to it I thought every song on Tapestry must have been a hit because even the ones that I know I’d never heard before- sounded so familiar. Who knows about the accuracy of numbers as far as album sales go- but this one has reportedly sold over 25 million worldwide. Rolling Stone ranked it #36 in their 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time list.

As far as “It’s Too Late” goes-the Dean of rock music critics- Robert Christgau has written that ‘if there is a truer song about breaking up than “It’s Too Late” the world isn’t ready for it.”