Helen Reddy--I Am Woman (1972)

    Helen Reddy was looking for a song. She had become inspired by the burgeoning women's rights movement and was wanting to record something that reflected the strength of those who stood in the face of adversity. To her amazement, there was none to be had. So she wrote lyrics and Ray Burton provided the music.   

     Neither writer thought it would go anywhere other than an album cut and in fact when first released in May of 1972, it went nowhere. A combination of TV appearances and women who began picking up on the song propelled it the fall of that year to #1. It was the first of 6 top 10 songs on the Billboard charts throughout the 70's.