The most well-known song from Minnie Riperton’s album Perfect Angel and her entire discography to date, “Lovin’ You” is a Soul serenade that describes the songstress’ immense love for her child, actress, and comedienne Maya Rudolph. Written by Riperton and her husband Richard Rudolph, “Lovin’ You” was originally meant to be a lullaby for little Maya. Less than a month after its initial release as a single, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-hop Songs chart.

In a documentary dedicated to the song and the story behind it, Richard Rudolph explained the song-writing process:

We went back home, and we were just sitting around in the house in Florida and I was playing it… she just started to sing, and it just came right out of our lives. But it took over a couple of years, the whole thing from beginning to end.

Since its release more than 40 years ago, “Lovin’ You” has been covered by big names, such as Ariana Grande and Olivia Newton-John, showing the mark that Riperton’s greatest hit has made on other artists in the late 20th and early 21st century.