Melanie is best known for her hits, 'Brand New Key', 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)', and 'Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma' - selling over 25 million records over the course of her career.

The inspiration for her signature classic "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" apparently arose from the Woodstock audience lighting candles during her set. A gospel-boosted genuine one-off, that combined high drama with Melanie's trademark hippy sincerity, the recording became a hit in both Europe and the USA in the spring and summer of 1970.

It was on her own label that she scored her biggest US hit with the novelty-sounding 1972 number one, "Brand New Key" (also known as "The Roller Skate Song"). "Brand New Key" was featured in the 1997 movie Boogie Nights and sold over three million copies worldwide.

The follow-up single to "Brand New Key" was "Ring The Living Bell". To compete with this release, Melanie's former record company released "The Nickel Song" (a song she had recorded whilst still signed to Buddah). Both songs were simultaneous Top 40 hits whilst 'Brand New Key' was still on the charts - setting a record for the first female performer to have three Top 40 hits concurrently. Melanie was awarded Billboard's #1 Top Female Vocalist for 1972.