Melanie

For better or worse, singer-songwriter Melanie Safka will always be remembered for her 1972 smash hit “Brand New Key,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts despite being banned from many radio stations because of implicit sexual innuendos. That song's success sometimes overshadows Melanie's other accomplishments—she delivered two more Top 40 hits that year alone, while “Brand New Key” simultaneously topped the charts—and the longevity of her career. Now 64 years old and more than 30 albums deep, the songwriter continues to pave her way as an artist unwilling to conform to anybody else's expectations.