In 1971, Barbra Streisand recorded the album "Stoney End," a deliberate departure from the show tunes and orchestral ballads that had defined her career, aiming instead for a more contemporary pop-rock sound. The shift, guided by producer Richard Perry, gave her a Top 10 hit and demonstrated her ability to succeed outside her established musical comfort zone at a point when her career appeared to be losing commercial momentum.

Streisand's 1969 album "What About Today?" had already attempted a modern refresh with Beatles and Paul Simon covers, but its slow, orchestrated arrangements sold poorly. For "Stoney End," first-time major producer Richard Perry pushed her towards material by Laura Nyro, a critically respected but commercially under-recognised songwriter whose songs had already been hits for acts including Blood, Sweat & Tears and Three Dog Night. Despite Streisand's initial reservations about the title track's lyrics, the resulting single reached number six, becoming her first Top 10 hit in seven years since "People" in 1964.