Photo: Francesco Scavullo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Helen Reddy songs list looks back at the career of one of pop culture’s most gifted song interpreters and female vocalists. Most of Helen Reddy’s recordings were brilliant cover versions of songs written by others. However, her biggest hit “I Am Woman,” was self penned. It was a song that helped fuel her career and turned heads instantly. Helen Reddy would become one of the most successful and loved female vocalists of all time. She had tremendous success between the years 1972 and 1975. During that peak period, she earned three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She also had six Top 10 Hits on the Billboard Hot 100. While her success was clearly defined on a mass cultural level by her Top 10 hits, she was mostly known as an Adult Contemporary artist. A fact proven by her success on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts where she celebrated eight number one singles.
Helen Reddy released her first album in 1971 entitled Helen Reddy. That album was followed up by her platinum selling career breaking album I Am Woman in 1972. From that point on Helen Reddy would release sixteen more studio albums and thirty one singles. She would constantly sell out concerts wherever she performed. Sadly, Helen Reddy passed away in September of 2020.
Our Top 10 Helen Reddy songs list is a loving tribute to one of our favorite artists. Most of the songs on this list with a few exceptions were massive hits for the legendary artists
# 10 -The Last Blues Song
We open up this loving tribute to our favorite Helen Reddy songs with this little known gem entitled “The Last Blues Song.” Of course, any Helen Reddy fans knows this one as it was the closing song on her legendary I Am Woman album. Nonetheless, the song was never released as a single so its one of those deep album tracks that the general public who never brought the album are unaware of. This is Helen Reddy as loose as she could be. She is having fun on this one. It’s a throwback song to the 20s with a New Orleans Dixieland feel. Lyrically it was a perfect song to close the album with. Just listen to her sing that chorus with such cabaret soul.
# 9 – Keep On Singing
Continuing with our top 10 Helen Reddy songs list we turn to one of her great sing along songs. The early 1970s was a time when pop songs were filled with mini stories often dramatically over the top or at least filled with plenty of sentiment. Helen Reddy’s “Keep On Singing,” was released in 1973. The song was issued as the lead single from her 1974 album entitled Love Song For Jeffery. The song was a top twenty hit for Helen Reddy as it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. Interestingly, the b side of the single “Keep On Singing,” was a great cover of Billy Joel’s song “Your My Home,” which appeared on his Piano Man album. It stands as one of Billy Joel’s most underrated songs. Helen Reddy knew very well how to pick great songs to cover. She made a career of it.
# 8 – Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady
Here we have another gem of a Helen Reddy song which also happened to be a big hit. This one is all class. Helen Reddy’s “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady” was released as a single in 1975. It was issued on Helen Reddy’s album entitled No Way to Treat a Lady. The song broke the Billboard Top 10 peaking at number 8. It would also become Helen Reddy’s last top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 of her career. Just like so many of her other Top 10 Hit songs, the track “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady” also hit number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. The song was written and originally recorded by Harriet Schock,
# 7 – I Don’t Know How to Love Him
Helen Reddy’s recording of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” stands as the song that played a pivotal role in launching Helen Reddy’s successful recording career. “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” became Helen Reddy’s first charting single breaking the Billboard Top 20. It helped her secure a recording contract which led to the release of her first album also entitled I Don’t Know How to Love Him. The song had been originally released on the soundtrack to the 1971 motion picture Jesus Christ Superstar. The song was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
# 6 – Delta Dawn
Continuing with our top 10 Helen Reddy songs list we turn to Helen Reddy’s second number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. “Delta Dawn,” served as the lead single from Helen Reddy’s 1973 album Long Hard Climb. The song was a also a top 10 hit single for country artist Tanya Tucker in 1972. “Delta Dawn,” was written by Larry Collins and Alex Harvey.
# 5 – You And Me Against The World
Breaking into the second half of our top 10 Helen Reddy songs list we present the beautiful Helen Reddy recording “You And Me Against The World.” This wonderful song written by Paul Williams was released on the album Love Song For Jeffrey. Helen Reddy’s phrasing on this one clearly shines. Like all the great singers that could turn a phrase like a Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin or a Karen Carpenter, Helen Reddy’s connects to the listener beautifully on this heart warming track. It’s the ultimate version of one of the most endearing songs ever written.
# 4 – Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)
This was one of those catchy songs you heard on the radio in the early 1970s that you could not stop singing once you heard it. Helen Reddy’s “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress),” was released on the album Long Hard Climb. Listen to the band on this one. Its a top notch production and Helen Reddy’s vocal is outstanding as usual.
The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 making it two straight top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 for Helen Reddy. “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress),” also hit number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart making it also two numbers ones in a row for Helen Reddy on that particular chart. The song was written by Linda Laurie.
# 3 – Peaceful
As we wind down this top 10 Helen Reddy songs list we present one of our favorite Helen Reddy songs of all time. The grand piece “Peaceful,” was the opening track on Helen Reddy’s 1972 album I Am Woman. I played this one over and over again on the album. It’s just one of those magical songs that has a verse that transcends into a chorus that is just so uplifting and spiritual you can’t help but feel good when you listen to it. The song was written by Kenny Rankin.
# 2 – Angie Baby
Helen Reddy’s creepy song “Angie Baby,” was a huge hit in 1974. It was one of those songs that had such a memorable melody and hook that you could not deny it radio airplay. As a thirteen years old in 1974, I loved the song. I just had no idea what it was really about, although I did visually see a pretty scary but cool story in it. Just how literal one wants to interpret the lyrics is up to the individual. To this day, people still wonder what was really going on in the song. Nonetheless, there was no denying the song’s popularity as it hit number one on the Billboard hot 100 in 1974. I never get tired of listening to this one. The song’s production deserved a Grammy Award and so did Helen Reddy’s vocal.
# 1 – I Am Woman
We close out our top 10 Helen Reddy songs list with her most popular song. Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman,” was the song that turned the singer into a household name. It was her first number one hit as it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. It quickly became a song loved an celebrated by those involved in the women’s liberation movement on the 1970s. For many it still does. The song was written by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton.
This article is dedicated to my father John Kachejian. He was a huge Helen Reddy fan. I first started listening to his Helen Reddy records on the living room turntable in the early 1970s. My father worked at the Copacabana in the 1950s. He had great taste in music because he had seen the best working at the Copa. He meant the world to me and I miss him dearly. Whenever I hear Helen Reddy songs, I think of him. Miss you Dad. One day I will see you at the track again……
Brian Kachejian
Top 10 Helen Reddy Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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