Editing Barbra Streisand (section)

==== First albums ====
When she was 21, Streisand signed a contract with [[Columbia Records]] that gave her full creative control, in exchange for less money.

Lieberson relented and agreed to sign her. Nearly three decades later, Streisand said:<ref>Barbra Streisand. ''Just for the Record...'' Columbia C4K 44111, 1991, [[liner notes]].</ref><ref name="control" />

{{Blockquote|text=The most important thing about that first contract – actually, the thing we held out for – was a unique clause giving me the right to choose my own material. It was the only thing I really cared about. I still received lots of pressure from the label to include some pop hits on my first album, but I held out for the songs that really meant something to me.}}

She took advantage of this several times during her career.<ref name="control" />

Columbia wanted to call her first album, in early 1963, ''Sweet and Saucy Streisand''; Streisand used her control to insist that it was called ''[[The Barbra Streisand Album]]'', saying "if you saw me on TV, you could just go [to the record shop] and ask for the Barbra Streisand album. It's common sense".<ref name="control" /> It reached the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' chart and won three [[Grammy Award]]s.<ref name="Nickens" />{{rp|11}} The album made her the best-selling female vocalist in the country.<ref name="Nickens" />{{rp|11}} That summer she also released ''[[The Second Barbra Streisand Album]]'', which established her as the "most exciting new personality since [[Elvis Presley]]."<ref name="Nickens" />{{rp|11}} She ended that breakthrough year of 1963 by performing one-night concerts in Indianapolis, San Jose, Chicago, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.<ref name="Nickens" />{{rp|11}}