Joni Mitchell Made History With Her First No. 1 Hit, Which She Called a “Throwaway Song”

In 1974, Joni Mitchell had her first and only No. 1 single with “Help Me”. The song, written by Mitchell, is part of Court And Spark, a record that was also released in 1974.

“Help Me” not only became one of Mitchell’s biggest hits, but it also helped make history. The song became the first Top 10 hit in the US that was entirely written and produced by a female artist. It’s an interesting distinction for a song that Mitchell had no idea would even become a single, calling it a “throwaway song.”

“My record companies always had a tendency to take my fastest songs on album for singles, thinking they’d stand out because they did on the LPs,” Mitchell says. “Meantime, I’d feel that the radio is crying for one of my ballads.”

“Help Me” starts with, “Help me / I think I’m falling / In love again / When I get that crazy feeling / I know I’m in trouble again.”

What Joni Mitchell Says About “Help Me”

Mitchell deserves a lot of the credit for the success of “Help Me”, along with all of her other songs. Still, the singer-songwriter deflects from taking all of the responsibility, since she historically did not choose her own singles.

“I have nothing to do with the choosing of tracks for singles,” Mitchell explains. “Generally speaking, I don’t agree with the selections. There are tracks that never get played on the radio that I regret won’t get that exposure. So, I like the idea of well-received singles and am sorry when they don’t get a chance to happen.”

“Help Me” might be Mitchell’s first single to reach the top of the charts, but she did have some success before releasing “Help Me”. “Big Yellow Taxi”, out in 1970, became her first Top 40 hit. It’s arguably one of her most popular songs. Mitchell also had moderate success with “You Turn Me On” and “Raised On Robbery”. 

After “Help Me”, Mitchell released “Free Man In Paris”. That song, also on Court And Spark, became her final Top 5 single. In 1976, Mitchell had her final Top 40 single, with “In France They Kiss on Main Street”.

Interestingly, David Crosby produced Song To A Seagull, Mitchell’s first record. For her sophomore Clouds album, she teamed up with Paul A. Rothchild to produce the project. But by her third record, Ladies Of The Canyon, Mitchell began producing by herself.

Photo by Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images