Which 1972 Roberta Flack song won both the Grammy for Record and Song of the Year?

“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1973 Grammy Awards. Roberta Flack’s recording had become a major hit after its use in the 1971 film Play Misty for Me, despite first appearing on her 1969 album First Take.

The song was written by Ewan MacColl, who composed it in 1957 for Peggy Seeger. Flack transformed the folk composition with a slow, spacious arrangement that emphasized piano, voice and emotional restraint. Her performance topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in 1972.

The two Grammy categories recognize different achievements: Record of the Year honors the overall recorded performance and production, while Song of the Year honors songwriting. Flack’s win in both categories reflected the recording’s impact as both a performance and a composition.