Black joined a small folk band in 1975 called General Humbert, with whom she toured Europe and released two albums, in 1975 and 1978. In 1982 she developed a professional relationship with musician/producer Declan Sinnott and recorded her first solo album, "Mary Black". The album performed well in the Irish charts and it went gold. In 1983 it was honoured by the "Irish Independent" and it is still referred to as one of the best Irish albums of the 1980s. Black ventured into traditional Irish music with the band De Dannan and toured with them around Europe and in the US. The album she recorded with them, "Anthem", won the Irish Album of the Year award. During her time with De Dannan, Black also continued with her solo career with albums such as "Collected" (1984) and "Without the Fanfare" (1985). These recordings took Black into a more modern musical direction. Along with the success of these releases, IRMA named her Entertainer of the Year in 1986 and Best Female Artist in 1987 and 1988.