Why Is Roberta Flack Not Getting the Appreciation She Deserves?

The First Black Woman to Win Record of the Year Should Be Remembered as a Pop Icon

Roberta Flack changed popular music. She was the first Black woman to win Record of the Year at the Grammys—and the first person to do it twice in a row. Her voice, soft yet commanding, turned songs into stories full of depth and emotion. Despite her influence, her name is too often left out when discussing music’s most important voices. Her death should be a moment for reflection, a time to finally give her the credit that has too often been subdued.

The Industry Didn’t Know How to Handle Her

Flack was trained in classical piano and studied at Howard University at just 15 years old. But when she entered the music industry, she didn’t follow a traditional path. She blended soul, jazz, folk, and classical music into something entirely her own. Her breakout song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, was a slow-burning ballad that didn’t follow pop radio’s formula. It was so powerful that Clint Eastwood featured it in Play Misty for Me (1971), making it an unexpected hit. I know it best from it being the emotional anchor of X-Men Days of Future Past (2014).

18 Essential Roberta Flack Songs (from Rolling Stone):

1. Compared to What (1969)

2. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1969)

3. Ballad of the Sad Young Men (1969)

4. You’ve Got a Friend (with Donny Hathaway) (1971)

5. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (1971)

6. Just Like a Woman (1970)

7. Where Is the Love (with Donny Hathaway) (1972)

8. Be Real Black for Me (with Donny Hathaway) (1972)

9. Killing Me Softly With His Song (1973)

10. Some Gospel According to Matthew (1975)

11. Feel Like Makin’ Love (1974)

12. The Closer I Get to You (with Donny Hathaway) (1977)

13. Back Together Again (with Donny Hathaway) (1980)

14. Making Love (1982)

15. Tonight I Celebrate My Love (with Peabo Bryson) (1983)

16. Oasis (1988)

17. Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes) (1988)

18. Set the Night to Music (with Maxi Priest) (1991)

While Flack’s music was loved by audiences, the industry didn’t know where to place her. She wasn’t a gospel-belting powerhouse like Aretha Franklin, nor did she fit neatly into rock, R&B, or folk. Instead, she moved between genres with ease, producing records that were intimate, thoughtful, and quietly groundbreaking. When she released Feel Like Makin’ Love in 1975, she became one of the first Black women to self-produce an album, proving she was in full control of her artistry long before the industry gave women that recognition.

Despite her success, Flack was never nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, even though her influence stretches across generations and genres. Her impact on R&B, soul, and even hip-hop, especially through the Fugees’ 1996 rework of Killing Me Softly, is undeniable. Part of this erasure is due to how we define musical greatness. The industry has always favored loud, rebellious figures, and Flack’s quiet power didn’t fit the image of a "rock and roll" legend. Black women who challenge expectations often don’t get their due. While white male artists like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen are endlessly analyzed, Flack, who was just as innovative, rarely received the same attention.

A Voice Silenced But a Legacy That Endures

In her final years, Flack battled ALS, which left her unable to sing. Even as her voice faded, she remained committed to sharing her story, supporting a PBS documentary and co-writing a children’s book about her early love for music. Now, with her passing, the question remains: Will the world finally recognize what it lost?

Her music continues to shape modern artists. Alicia Keys, Solange, and Maxwell have all drawn from her influence. Her signature sound, intimate and emotionally rich, remains a blueprint for storytelling in song. Yet true recognition must go beyond quiet admiration from musicians. It requires institutions, critics, and the public to actively restore her rightful place in music history.

Roberta Flack deserves more than passing mentions and occasional tributes. She should be celebrated as the trailblazer she was, an artist who redefined pop music and proved that quiet, thoughtful artistry could be just as revolutionary as loud, defiant rebellion. Death often forces us to reevaluate an artist’s impact, but Flack’s importance should have never been in question. It is time to give her the recognition she has always deserved.

References

• Powers, Ann. 2025. “Remembering Roberta Flack: The Virtuoso.” NPR Music, February 24, 2025.

• Moore, Marcus J. 2024. “The Subtle Eternity of Roberta Flack.” TIDAL, November 18, 2024.

• Grow, Kory. 2022. “Roberta Flack Reveals ALS Diagnosis, Says She Can No Longer Sing.” Rolling Stone, November 14, 2022.