Carole King, 80, looks stunning in throwback photos from her early career

Having contributed to writing or co-writing a whopping 118 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the New Yorker is regarded as one of the most successful female songwriters of the 20th century.

Her success continued over in the UK, where she landed another 61 hits, which all charted on the official singles chart, making Carole the most successful female songwriter in the country between 1962 and 2005.

From You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin to Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles, Carole played a pivotal part in music, penning songs for all genres, with a particular focus on soul and pop.

The 80-year-old didn’t achieve worldwide success until the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, began writing over two dozen chart hits for many artists.

By the 1970s, Carole commanded the attention in her own right when she began singing her own songs while often showing off her impressive piano skills in the process.

And while her 1970 debut album, Writer, failed to see the same kind of commercial success she had while writing for other artists.

It was her sophomore album, Tapestry, that skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 200, where it remained for a whopping 15 weeks in 1971 and stayed on the chart for an incredible six years.

To date, Carole has released 25 solo albums and is said to have sold over 75 million copies worldwide.

Aside from her sales, the mother-of-four has also scooped up dozens of accolades, including four Grammy Awards, and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Carole was also inducted twice in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a performer and songwriter.