Remembering Roberta Flack: 8 timeless hits to salute an unrivaled talent

By Maria Sherman

In an era where popular music is fluid, it is easy to forget the listening world was not always so open. Unless, of course, Roberta Flack’s career is closely examined.

Flack, whose intimate vocal and musical style made her one of the top recording artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She leaves behind a rich repertoire of music that avoids categorization. Her debut, “First Take,” wove soul, jazz, flamenco, gospel and folk into one revelatory package, prescient in its form and measured in its approach.

Flack will likely be remembered for her classics — “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” among them. As she should be. But her talents extend well beyond the familiar titles.

1969: “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye”

Picking one standout from “First Take” is a fool’s errand, but listeners would be