53 years ago, Carly Simon released this dissident soft-rock track — and it reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts

Carly Simon has carved a niche for himself in the music industry with his distinctive voice and deeply introspective, confessional songwriting. Rising to fame in the 1970s, the American singer used her gift for words as a powerful tool to express herself more deeply, a gift that would later earn her the Best New Artist award at the 14th Annual Grammy Awards. She was a promising young artist who is today considered one of the legends of music, especially in the field of songwriting. While his self-titled debut studio album had already cemented his name in the game, this was his third album — No secrets – which ultimately propelled his career to greater heights. A defining work in his career, No secrets also featured his signature song, “You’re So Vain”.

Dissident tracks have long been associated with the hip-hop genre, but few artists outside of that landscape have actually achieved major success with their hard-hitting lyrics aimed at fellow performers. These songs include “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey“It’s not to blame” Joni Mitchelland “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swiftamong many others. Dating back to the 1970s, Simon also released one – a track shrouded in mystery, but celebrated for its catchy melody and sharp, biting rendition of heartbreak. A soft-rock single that left listeners speculating for decades about its true subject, “You’re So Vain” could be said to have made Simon a household name.

“You’re So Vain” gave Carly Simon her first number one hit

“You’re So Vain” was indeed a milestone in Simon’s career. No secrets (which also included singles like “The Right Thing to Do”, “We Have No Secrets” and “Night Owl”) was the singer-songwriter’s biggest commercial breakthrough, spending a total of five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. His first single, the still iconic “You’re So Vain”, remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, marking a significant moment in his career. It remains his most popular song to date, and in the world of streaming, the single continues to be his number one, with nearly 650 million streams on Spotify as of this writing. The song was also nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 16th Annual Grammy Awards in 1974, and it was recently ranked 496th among Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” proving its lasting impact decades later.

Since it hit the airwaves in 1972, listeners have long wondered who the “son of a gun” behind Simon’s biggest hit really was. The song is famous for its harsh criticism of someone so self-centered and narcissistic, and it is often considered a feminist breakup anthem. Really, it was. At the time of its release, “You’re So Vain” was considered brave and bold at a time when it was so unusual for female artists to publicly denounce a man, even if only through song, for his behavior and flaws. And while the whole song was telling, the chorus just sealed the deal for everyone. He says, “You’re so vain / I bet you think this song’s about you / Don’t you?” The question remains, however: who exactly was so vain behind Simon’s iconic hit?

The Mystery Behind Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”

Sure, the song was popular for its melody and Simon’s confessional narration, but let’s be honest: the mystery surrounding it really did the song a lot of good, allowing it to capture the imagination and curiosity of audiences for decades. And for decades, Simon has been tight-lipped about the man’s identity, making him a long-running mystery in pop music. Several theories have emerged and some names have been speculated, including Mick Jagger, David Bowie, David Cassidy, Cat Stevensher ex-husband James Taylorand more. However, in 2015, Simon finally revealed a name and confirmed that it was indeed Warren Beatty (a name that had also appeared in several speculations) since the beginning. But there’s a catch: only the second verse refers to the actor. “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” she told People. “Warren thinks this is all about him!” The second verse says:

“You had me many years ago when I was still pretty naive / Well you said we were such a cute couple / And you’d never leave / But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me / I had dreams they were clouds in my coffee.”

Simon explained that the other verses are about two other men, but she’s keeping it a secret — “at least until they know it’s about them,” as she told People. Regardless of the man behind “You’re So Vain,” one thing remains certain: It’s an enduring anthem decades later that has inspired many female artists to write boldly about their own experiences and assert their voices in music.