1973 No. 1 Hit Ranked Among ‘Greatest Songs of All Time’ Became a Timeless Anthem

When Roberta Flack released her version of “Killing Me Softly with His Song” in 1973, it quickly set itself apart. The track’s stripped-back sound and lyrics made it feel personal in a way few hits did at the time.

More than 50 years later, it still serves as a timeless anthem that continues to connect with listeners. Rolling Stone even named the track as one of the greatest songs of all time, ranking it #273 out of 500 in their updated 2021 list.

“Killing Me Softly with His Song” was originally composed as a folk song by Charles Fox and co-written by Norman Gimbel and Lori Lieberman in late 1971. After Gimbel and Fox denied Liberman songwriting credit, she decided to record her own version of the song, but it never charted. Instead, multiple artists recorded their own covers, including Roberta Flack.

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Flack first heard the song for the first time while on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City, and was immediately hooked by the title. In September 1972, Flack performed her cover as an encore while opening for Quincy Jones’ tour stop in the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, which the audience loved. A few months later, in January 1973, Flack released her version of “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” which was included in her fourth studio album, Killing Me Softly, and spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, the singer won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year.

American hip-hop group Fugees also released a cover of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” in 1996. Although it became an international hit, it did not appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Fox suggested that Flack’s version was more successful than the original because her “version was faster and [had] a strong backbeat that wasn’t in the original.” The late pop-jazz singer, who grew up in a musical family, was very active in her church’s community and played the piano for them during masses.

“My classical background made it possible for me to try a number of things,” she said. “I changed parts of the chord structure and chose to end on a major chord. It wasn’t written that way.”

Despite Flack’s version being more successful than the original, Lieberman described the rendition as “one of the greatest things to ever happen.”

“I have endless gratitude to Roberta Flack for hearing something within that song to bring it to the world and to change not just my life, but so many with her artistry, her talent and her heart,” Lieberman told the New York Post in February 2025 when Flack passed away due to health complications. “She was an incredible musician, an incredible pianist and a beautiful singer. She’s one of the greatest artists of my generation.”

The Grammy-winning singer and pianist has always been known for her smooth and intimate vocal style and her blend of soul, jazz and pop. She rose to fame in the early 1970s with her hits like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love”. Over the decades, Flack has remained an influential voice, shaping the sound of modern R&B and inspiring generations of artists. In February 2025, she passed away due to a heart attack and complications with ALS. She was 88 years old.

“Killing Me Softly With His Song” and the rest of Flack’s discography are available on all major streaming platforms.

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