Love, hate, acceptance, rejection, and curiosity: 76 most influential songwriters
The question of what makes a song “great” has always been an unfair one. If there was a straightforward answer to it many of popular music’s most outstanding songwriters would lie in obscurity. Pushing against formulas and clichés enables songs to stand apart. We care about certain writers and their songs precisely because their work disrupts whatever we thought was possible with the song form.
Rock magazines and blogs regularly post “Greatest” lists concentrated on artists, albums, guitarists, songs, and, of course, songwriters. These lists are usually predictable recitals. In terms of songwriter the list makers tend to fall into the “rockist,” Boomer trap of anointing the rock and folk-rock singer-songwriters of the 1960s as the cornerstone of great songwriting. Doing so means ignoring the popular music that preceded rock (e.g., musical theater, classic blues), downplays generations of post 1960s songwriters, ignores music written in languages other than English, and omits genres outside of rock and select strains of R&B and country, among other issues.
What’s included
I decided to revisit the issue of “great” songwriters by refining the concept. Instead of settling on an undefined “common sense” approach, which merely reinforces the status quo, I approach it with the following characteristics in mind:
· There is a distinct, recognizable voice in the composer’s work.
· The composer’s songs are flexible and adaptable. Notably, they have artistic appeal beyond the original artist’s rendition (if the composer is also a performer) and/or the most popular version of the song.
· The songwriter’s body of work has defined a particular genre and/or era, and the influence has persisted. This could be in the form of interpretations, tribute albums, and other nods to the songwriter’s endurance.
· The songs have garnered the respect and admiration of a variety of vocalists, musicians, and composers.
I have intentionally challenged certain canons to include a range of writers, approaches, and voices. I have tried to avoid the privileging of one mode of storytelling (e.g., four-minute pop songs). There is less gender diversity than I would like and less national diversity in terms of songwriter origins and language. There are structural and historical issues of access and bias that inform some of these challenges. For example, female composers and composers of color have had far fewer opportunities to write for Broadway and Hollywood than white composers, historically. Nonetheless, I hope you will find some voices you hadn’t considered previously.
What’s excluded
Approaching the topic of songwriting through selective criteria above meant excluding songwriters for a variety of reasons including the following:
· There are lots of gifted singer-songwriters effective at crafting songs for their individual voices and styles, and/or within a genre, whose work has not been interpreted broadly. This applies to many popular well-regarded solo (mostly) singer-songwriters as well as pop stars who co-write their songs. This quality explains why this list does not include [insert name of your favorite songwriter]. Person X might be a gifted writer whose work has generated some covers. In fact, Person X might have 1-2 songs covered widely but the majority of their songwriting has not done been thus they’re best appreciated for some notable individual songs rather than a body.
· Relatedly, some noted singer-songwriters have been feted by tributes and cover albums. To my ears their music is highly idiosyncratic and uneven, best interpreted by the original artist, and, frankly, based on my tastes, most appreciated by their ardent fans.
· Being a prolific professional songwriter/hitmaker is not the equivalent of being a significant composer. Certain writers, many of whom are also producers, have crafted a sizable array of “hits” that have generated major airplay and record sales. We mustn’t confuse productivity with artistry; this is highly subjective but demonstrable. Many professional songwriters are commercial hacks who rely on tried and true songwriting formulas.
· The lack of transcendence. There are gifted songwriters whose have written well-crafted and entertaining songs, many of which were influential during a particular era. Time has exposed certain flaws and limitations to their music.
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What follows is a list (unranked and alphabetized by first name) of 76 songwriters or songwriting teams [102 people total] whose music transcends era and genre. It is important to note that I discuss lyricists and librettists either independently or alongside their most notable compositional partners, especially among those associated with Broadway and film songs. An enjoyable aspect of composing this list also includes a conscious decision to select some well-regarded performers better known for singing whose songwriting talents are underrated. A few songwriters are listed with band mates since their most notable songs were crafted in a band context.
Since no one is an expert is all genres I embrace my own limitations to avoid universalizing. You will definitely find fault with my selections and ask “What about?” Optimally, this begins an ongoing conversation. One I’m happy to engage.
There infinite ways composers can arrange the components of music—notes, melody, harmony, rhythm, and lyrics—so the list is intentionally diverse in genre, era, and scope. You will find composers of musicals, gospel songs, reggae, and country tunes side by side. I’ve listed examples of notable songs and representative recordings by the artist and/or interpreters of their music for exploration. Enjoy!
New Orleans composer, producer, and performer Allen Toussaint is the first of 76 entries on this list of influential popular songwriters.
Each entry has the following format: Songwriter name(s) and birth dates (when available), brief description, five notable songs, and representative recordings of songs by the songwriter(s) performed by the songwriter and/or various performers.
Blues, country, pop, R & B, and rock songwriters are typically the best interpreters of their music. Many writers in these genres have been celebrated by other artists via tributes. Since not all tributes are of equal quality I am selective about these. Broadway and film composers, and many professional pop/rock composers, are often represented by “various artist” compilations and tributes since most are not performers. For Broadway composers cast recordings are an excellent source for the original versions of songs. However, the “songbook” interpretations of their songs by jazz, pop, and cabaret singers are usually the most relevant and compelling versions for popular audiences.
THE 76 MOST INFLUENTIAL SONGWRITERS:
Allen Toussaint (1938-2015)
Writer, producer, and impresario Toussaint definitively voiced the rhythms, textures, and flavors of post-Dixieland New Orleans. Trained in piano and highly versatile Toussaint was an in-demand respected producer and arranger who wrote songs for New Orleans legends like Irma Thomas and Aaron Neville. He also collaborated with some of the most notable musicians in rock and R&B. His songs live in multiple corners of the popular music landscape.
NOTABLE SONGS: Everything I Do is Gonh Be Funky, It’s Raining, Southern Nights, With You in Mind, Yes We Can Can
The Allen Toussaint Collection (Reprise)
Songbook (Rounder)
Rolling with the Punches: The Allen Toussaint Songbook (Various artists; Ace Records)
Andy Razaf (1895-1973)
Razaf was a brilliant songwriter whose writing possessed a distinctive wit and observational acuity. Chiefly associated with swing and cabaret music he collaborated frequently with Fats Waller, Eubie Blake and other notable composers of the pre-rock era.
NOTABLE SONGS: Ain’t Misbehavin’, Honeysuckle Rose, Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now, Memories of You, Stompin at the Savoy
A Tribute to Andy Razaf (Maxine Sullivan & Her Jazz All-Stars; DCC Jazz)
Guess Who’s in Town (Bobby Short; Atlantic)
Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1995)
Steeped in classical music, jazz, and Brazilian pop traditions, bossa nova pioneer Jobim’s compositions set a bar for harmonic sophistication, rhythmic elegance, and lyric beauty that made him the “Gershwin” of Brazil.
NOTABLE SONGS: Boy from Ipanema, Desifinado, Dindi, Waters of March, Wave
Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings (Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim; Reprise)
Elis & Tom (Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobim; Universal Music International)
The Man from Ipanema (Verve)
Arthur Schwartz (1900-1984) & Howard Dietz (1896-1983)
Schwartz and Dietz wrote some of the subtler, more haunting ballads in the musical and film canon. A wide range of musicians have adapted their songs including Frank Sinatra and Jo Stafford who made “Dancing in the Dark” and “Haunted Heart” signatures.
NOTABLE SONGS: Alone Together, By Myself, Dancing in the Dark, I See your Face Before Me, You and the Night and the Music
American Songbook Series: Arthur Schwartz (Smithsonian Collection)
By Myself (Meredith d’Ambrosio; Sunnyside)
Memphis Minnie was an iconic songwriter and performer of the country blues. “Me and My Chauffeur” is among her most covered songs.
Babyface (b. 1959)/Babyface + L.A. Reid (b. 1956) & Daryl Simmons
Inspired by Minneapolis funk, soul music, and ‘70s folk-pop Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds emerged as one of the primary architects of New Jack Swing in the late 1980s, and transitioned into one of the defining voices of romantic balladry and torch songs. He and his frequent creative partners, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, co-wrote and produced some of the most popular music of the 1980s and 1990s.
NOTABLE SONGS: Another Sad Love Song, End of the Road, Not Gon’ Cry, Superwoman, Take a Bow
A Collection of His Greatest Hits (Sony Music)
Songbook Volume One: The Songs of Babyface (The Whispers; Interscope)
Barry Mann (b. 1939) & Cynthia Weil (b. 1940)
This married duo are professional songwriters of unusual range whose combined talents generated classics spanning from Brill Building pop to lush film themes. Interpreters of their songs include George Benson, The Righteous Brothers, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler, and The Drifters.
NOTABLE SONGS: Don’t Know Much, On Broadway, Somewhere Out There, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, (You’re My) Soul and Inspiration
Born to Be Together: The Songs of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (Various Artists; Ace)
Bill Withers (1938-2020)
Withers’ clear-eyed portraits of love and life brought a spare elegance and soulful flavoring to the singer-songwriter genre making his songs attractive to pop, rock, R&B, jazz, and country interpretations.
NOTABLE SONGS: Ain’t No Sunshine, Hello Like Before, Just the Two of Us, Lean on Me, Lovely Day, Use Me, Who is He (And What is He to You)
Lovely Day: The Very Best of Bill Withers (Sony)
Lean on Me (Jose James; Blue Note)
Bob Dylan (b. 1941)
Bob Dylan’s growth from a new voice in traditional folk to a pioneering fuser of folk and rock sensibilities, and his explorations of country and gospel, helped him influence the way musicians and fans listen, write, and understand the possibilities of popular song. His facility for allusion, wordplay, and tone altered the nature of popular song and remains an influence.
NOTABLE SONGS: Blowin’ in the Wind, Just Like a Woman, Lay Lady Lay, Like a Rolling Stone, The Times They are a Changing
Highway 61 Revisited (Sony)
Blood on the Tracks (Sony)
Love and Theft (Sony)
Odetta Sings Dylan (Sony)
The Byrds Play Dylan (Sony/BMG)
Heart of Mine: Love Songs of Bob Dylan (Maria Muldaur; Telarc)
Bob Marley (1945-1981)
Bob Marley wrote and performed intimate love songs, spiritual reflections, and inspiring cultural anthems, that drew upon and expanded the language of Jamaican musical traditions, most notably reggae. In doing so Marley, who was a Rastafarian and a Pan-Africanist, helped reggae become an internationally respected and admired style.
NOTABLE SONGS: Buffalo Soldier, Is This Love, No Woman, No Cry, One Love, Redemption Song
Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & the Wailers (Universal Island)
Brenda Russell (b. 1949)
Russell’s ear for flowing melodies and vivid original imagery makes her one of the most widely covered composers among R&B, pop, and jazz singers. Her talents helped her branch into film music and secure the role as a co-composer of the award-winning Broadway musical The Color Purple. Rufus, Oleta Adams, Nancy Wilson, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, and Joe Cocker are among those who have interpreted her songs.
NOTABLE SONGS: Get Here, If Only for One Night, Piano in the Dark, Please Pardon Me (You Remind me of a Friend), So Good, So Right
Brenda Russell (A&M)
Ultimate Collection—Brenda Russell (Hip-O)
Brian Holland (b. 1941)-Lamont Dozier (b. 1941)-Eddie Holland (b. 1939)
Holland-Dozier-Holland’s (HDH) unique fusion of throbbing rhythms, gospel inspired vocal arrangements, and colloquial lyrics made them, arguably, the most central force in advancing Motown’s crossover aspiration to become the “Sound of Young America.” They are only rivaled by a few luminaries, including Motown’s Smokey Robinson, Lennon/McCartney, and Bob Dylan for their ability to define the sound of the mid-to-late 1960s.
NOTABLE SONGS: Baby I Need Your Loving, Heatwave, How Sweet It Is, I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch), Reach Out I’ll Be There, You Can’t Hurry Love
Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 (Motown)
Brian Wilson (b. 1942)
As lead writer and arranger for the Beach Boys Wilson played a major role in pushing teen pop into more harmonically complex and psychologically layered territory. Though Wilson struggled personally and professional for decades after their initial success his most notable songs, often co-written with his band mates, is one of the defining textures of classic California pop.
NOTABLE SONGS: Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder), God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, In My Room, Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Beach Boys Today! (Capitol)
Pet Sounds (Capitol)
Bruce Springsteen (b. 1949)
Since the early 1970s Bruce Springsteen has effectively synthesized the deep influence of the rock, R&B, and folk music he grew up with into a highly flexible style adept at keen introspection and anthemic fervor. Springsteen is lauded for his ability to depict working class characters, as well as intricate portraits of desire, romance, family, and postindustrial America. He has successfully balanced his identity as a dynamic performer and band leader, and highly respected songwriter whose work is widely covered across musical styles.
NOTABLE SONGS: Atlantic City, Born to Run, Fire, Mansion on the Hill, Tougher than the Rest
Nebraska (Sony)
Born in the USA (Sony)
Tunnel of Love (Sony)
The Essential Bruce Springsteen (Sony)
Cover Me (Various artists; Rhino)
Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska (Various artists; SubPop)
Buddy Holly (1936-1959)
Holly was one of the pioneering writers, performers, and bandleaders of early rock ‘n’ roll. Though a fatal plane crash ended his life prematurely his songs are impressively durable and appealing. Buoyant, emotive, and stylistically diverse his catalog inspired generations of performer to pursue careers in rock.
NOTABLE SONGS: Everyday, It’s So Easy, Not Fade Away, Rave On, True Love Ways
From the Original Master Tapes (MCA)
Listen to Me: Buddy Holly (Various artists: Verve Forecast)
Rave On: Buddy Holly (Various artists; Fantasy)
Burt Bacharach (b. 1928) & Hal David (1921-2012)
Burt Bacharach’s advanced chords and intricate rhythms plus Hal David’s colorful, nuanced lyrics created a rich interpretive palette for generations of gifted interpreters since the early 1960s. Aretha Franklin, B.J. Thomas, Chuck Jackson, Dusty Springfield, and Jackie DeShannon, Jerry Butler were among their most gifted interpreters. The premier popularizer of their songs, however, was the fabulous Dionne Warwick whose vocal range and technical prowess made their songs a cornerstone of 1960s popular music.
NOTABLE SONGS: Alfie, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Don’t Make Me Over, I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself, Walk on By
Dionne Warwick Collection: Her All-Time Greatest Hits (Rhino)
The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection (Various Artists; Rhino)
Carole King (b. 1942)/Carole King & Gerry Goffin (1939-2014)
As a composer Carole King became the most successful female songwriter of the Brill Building era of pop writing classics for pop and R&B singers, and girl groups often with lyricist Gerry Goffin. In the late 1960s she transitioned to more personal songs which spawned one of the classics of singer-songwriter pop, Tapestry whose songs, some of which were co-written with Goffin and poet Toni Stern, remain a benchmark for aspiring songwriters and interpreters. King continued scoring hits in the 1970s branching into composing for television, film, and Broadway, and a collaborating with other songwriters.
NOTABLE SONGS: I Feel the Earth Move, It’s Too Late, Up on the Roof, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman
Tapestry (Ode)
Carole King: The Ode Collection (Sony)
Tapestry Revisited (Atlantic)
Goin’ Back: The Songs of Goffin and King (Various artists; Sequel)
Chuck Berry (1926-2017)
Berry is the poet laureate of early rock ‘n’ roll. Musically, he synthesized key elements of swing, R&B, and country to develop his unique guitar style and showmanship. Lyrically, he captured the angst and optimism of the emergent teen culture of the mid-1950s with panache. His approach is foundational to rock as a distinctive and enduring genre.
NOTABLE SONGS: Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Maybellene, Rock and Roll Music, Roll Over Beethoven, You Never Can Tell
Definitive Collection (Geffen)
Before he crossed over commercially as a performer singers like Patsy Cline, Ray Price, and Faron Young popularized Willie Nelson’s songs.
Cindy Walker (1918-2006)
Walker is one of the most gifted and underrated songwriters of her time. A singer and performer influenced by vibrant performers like Rose Maddox she is best known as a songwriter. Though chiefly associated with country, songs like “Dream Baby” and especially “You Don’t Know” have been widely recorded—and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. She has a rich catalog of smart, melodic songs highly varied in tone and subject worth discovering.
NOTABLE SONGS: Bubbles in My Beer, Dream Baby, In the Misty Moonlight, You Don’t Know Me
You Don’t Know Me: Songs of Cindy Walker (Willie Nelson; Lost Highway)
Cole Porter (1891-1964)
Porter was one of the few pre-rock composers who composed music and lyrics with equal proficiency. He had an outstanding gift for crafting graceful melodies dripping with smoldering sensuality and an intriguing élan that made songs as risqué as “Love for Sale” and “Let’s Do It” appealing. Though musical theatre and film are his roots cabaret, jazz, country, rock, and R&B musicians have adapted his songs to a vast range of arrangements and rhythms. One of the titans of the American popular song form.
NOTABLE SONGS: I Get a Kick out of You, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Just One of Those Things, Night and Day, You’re the Top
Lee Wiley Sings the Songs of George and Ira Gershwin & Cole Porter (Audiophile)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (Verve)
Bobby Loves Cole Porter (Bobby Short; Atlantic)
Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Cole Porter (Concord)
Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999)
As lead singer and chief writer for The Impressions, Mayfield wrote some of the most majestic and uplifting music of the era, especially his anthems of Black survival, like “People Get Ready.” He made an equally important contribution to film through his classic scores for such films as Superfly and Sparkle.
NOTABLE SONGS:Choice of Colors, Freddie’s Dead, Move on Up, People Get Ready, Pusherman
People Get Ready: The Best of Curtis Mayfield’s Impressions (Spectrum Music)
Move on Up (Warner Music Group)
Doc Pomus (1925-1991)/Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman (1938-1991)
Doc Pomus, in general, and Pomus and writing partner Mort Shuman as a duo, wrote some of the coolest and most covered R&B and pop songs ever including “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and “Can’t Get Used to Losing You.” Artists as varied as The Drifters, Emmylou Harris, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Adams have covered their songs.
NOTABLE SONGS: Can’t Get Used to Losing You, I Count the Tears, Save the Last Dance for Me, This Magic Moment, Viva Las Vegas
The Real Me: Johnny Adams Sings Doc Pomus (Rounder)
Till the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Doc Pomus (Various Artists; Rhino)
Dolly Parton (b. 1946)
Parton’s ability to capture the emotional essence of her humble upbringings in Appalachia, and to defy regional and gender stereotypes through wit, humor, and heart has made her one of the most prolific and revered songwriters within country music, and beyond. Her traversing of genre and medium has made her a titan of post-1960s popular music.
NOTABLE SONGS: 9 to 5, Coat of Many Colors, Down from Dover, I Will Always Love You, Jolene
Essential Dolly Parton (Sony Legacy)
Just Because I’m a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton (Various Artists; Sugar Hill)
Dorothy Fields (1904-1974)/Dorothy Fields & Jimmy McHugh (1894-1969)
Fields’s remarkably vivid lyrics have animated the melodies of some of America’s most prominent composers including Cy Coleman, Jerome Kern, and Jimmy McHugh, among others. Her astute linguistic finesse is integral to what constitutes a “standard” to generations of listeners. Her collaborations with the gifted McHugh were here most consistent collaborations and he included alongside Fields.
NOTABLE SONGS: Exactly Like You, A Fine Romance, I’m in the Mood for Love, Pick Yourself Up, The Way You Look Tonight
Sings Mostly Dorothy Fields and Cy Coleman (Mark Murphy; GHB Jazz Foundation)
Capitol Sings Jimmy McHugh: I Feel a Song Comin’ On (Various artists [seven are Field-McHugh compositions]; Capitol)
Duke Ellington (1899-1974) & Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967)
Bandleader, pianist, composer, and icon, Duke Ellington brought an orchestral grandeur to big band swing and jazz that have defined the vocabulary of the genre since he began leading his famous orchestra in the 1930s. His creative partnership with Billy Strayhorn yielded some of the defining music of American popular song. Anthems like “It Don’t Mean a Thing” and “Take the ‘A’ Train,” trenchant ballads such as “Lush Life,” and unique vocal tone poems “On a Turquoise Cloud” and “Transblucency (A Blue Fog that You Can Almost See Through)” exemplified the infinite compositional range of jazz, including the ever-present role of the blues. Nearly every major musician in jazz has recorded and/or been inspired by their songs.
NOTABLE SONGS: In a Sentimental Mood, It Don’t Mean a Thing, Lush Life, Mood Indigo, Solitude, Take the ‘A’ Train
The Ivie Anderson Collection 1932-46 (Acrobat)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (Verve)
Joya Sherrill Sings Duke (20th Century Fox)
Sophisticated Lady (Carol Sloane; Audiophile)
Love Came: The Songs of Billy Strayhorn (Allan Harris; Love)
Elton John (b. 1947) & Bernie Taupin (b. 1950)
Pianist-composer Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin injected the 1970s era troubadour culture with a stylistic dynamism and lyric range richer, deeper, and more daring than the folksy guitar strumming and adolescent angst associated with the singer-songwriter genre. In their place were vivid character songs (“Daniel”), country-flavored tunes (“Country Comfort”), rock stompers (“Saturday Night’s Alright”), and soulful ballads (“Don’t Let the Sun God Down on Me”) performed in high style by John. Even as John was developing his voice in the 1970s other singers took notice covering tunes like “Your Song” and “Border Song,” immediately. Though John and Taupin have experienced fallow periods their most enduring songs remain touchstones for contemporary musicians.
NOTABLE SONGS: Border Song (Holy Moses), Daniel, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word, Your Song
Elton John Greatest Hits 1970-2002 (UTV)
Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin (Various Artists; Polydor)
Elvis Costello (b. 1954)
Though Costello gained fame for punk and so-called “Power Pop” (new wave?”) at heart he was always an eclectic. Along with writing well known songs he originated, such as “Allison,” he has kept company with an array of formidable admirers including Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint, and Paul McCartney, and written for individual singers (e.g., Wendy James, Swedish opera singer Anne Sofie von Otter) and film.
NOTABLE SONGS: Alison, Almost Blue, God Give Me Strength, Shipbuilding, Watching the Detectives
The Best of Elvis Costello: The First 10 Years (Hip-O)
Painted from Memory [with Burt Bacharach] (Island Def Jam)
The River in Reverse [with Allen Toussaint] (Verve)
Fleetwood Mac: Lindsey Buckingham (b. 1949)/Christine McVie (b. 1943)/Stevie Nicks (b. 1948)
As a collective Fleetwood Mac’s three primary songwriters have written some of the most outstanding original songs since their most enduring line-up formed in 1975. 1975’s Fleetwood Mac and 1977’s Rumours were exceptionally popular and unusually accomplished blends of ballads, mid-tempo songs, and rockers largely focused on the pleasures and dramas of love. Beyond the sleek production and tight rhythm section characterizing their albums were songs like “Rhiannon,” “Dreams,” “Landslide,” “Everywhere,” “Songbird” that have attracted various interpretations in rock, R&B, country, and jazz.
NOTABLE SONGS: The Chain, Don’t Stop, Dreams, Everywhere, Rhiannon, Songbird
The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (WEA/Reprise)
Frank Loesser (1910-1969)
One of the most prolific and enduring composers of musicals Loesser’s original songs, especially those from Guys and Dolls made him a musical theater and popular icon. His reputation was also drawn from his gift for crafting originals for film many of which (e.g., “Heart and Soul,” “Baby Its, Cold Outside”) have transcended their origins and attracted generations of interpretations.
NOTABLE SONGS: Baby, It’s Cold Outside, Heart and Soul, If I Were a Bell, Luck Be a Lady, What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve
Capitol Sings Frank Loesser: I Hear Music (Various artists; Capitol)
Heart & Soul: The Unforgettable Songs of Frank Loesser (Various artists; Sony Classical)
Why Fight the Feeling: Songs by Frank Loesser (Rebecca Kilgore and Dave Frishberg; Arbors)
Franklin Sisters: Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) & Carolyn Franklin (1944-1988)
The crowning of Aretha Franklin as the “Queen of Soul” emphasizes her vocal prowess but rarely her songwriting. Many of the Queen’s essential songs were written by the artist (“Rock Steady”), co-written with her sister Carolyn (“Save Me”), or written solely by Carolyn (“Ain’t No Way”), who also sang background often. In short, the Franklin soul sound was often a family affair warranting recognition for their collective efforts.
NOTABLE SONGS:
Aretha’s compositions: Call Me, Day Dreaming, Rock Steady
Carolyn’s compositions: Ain’t Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around), Ain’t No Way, Angel
Aretha & Carolyn’s compositions: Baby, Baby, Baby, Save Me
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (four songs written by Aretha and/or Carolyn; Atlantic)
Lady Soul (three songs written by Aretha and/or Carolyn; Atlantic)
Spirit in the Dark (five songs written by Aretha and/or Carolyn ; Atlantic)
Young, Gifted & Black (four songs written by Aretha and/or Carolyn; Atlantic)
As a songwriter and musician Chuck Berry was the true King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. His songs established its musical, rhythmic, and thematic vocabulary.
George (1898-1937) & Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)
Classically trained but attuned to the rhythms and harmonies of blues and jazz, George Gershwin wrote some of the most insinuating melodies in popular music aided by the lyrical élan of his gifted brother Ira. Before George’s untimely death in 1937 they redefined the musical bounds of Broadway, film, and the pop world.
NOTABLE SONGS: But Not for Me, Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm, Our Love is Here to Stay, The Man I Love
Lee Wiley Sings the Songs of George and Ira Gershwin & Cole Porter (Audiophile)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (Ella Fitzgerald; Verve)
Gershwin Live! (Sarah Vaughan; Columbia)
‘S Marvelous: The Gershwin Songbook (Various artists; Verve)
The Great Songs of George Gershwin (Various artists; Columbia/Legacy)
Gibb Brothers: Barry (b. 1946), Maurice (1949-2003), & Robin (1949-2012) Gibb
In a four decade career the Bee Gees were some of the more graceful and versatile melodists in pop excelling at romantic pop, film music, dance pop, and inspiring interpretations from some of popular music’s most notable vocalists including Nina Simone, Conway Twitty, Al Green, Barbra Streisand, and Dionne Warwick
NOTABLE SONGS: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, How Deep is Your Love, Islands in the Steam, Run to Me, To Love Somebody
Their Greatest Hits: The Record (Polydor)
Hank Williams (1923-1953)
The so-called “Hillbilly Shakespeare” has written the most transcendent songs originating from country music. Singers as varied as Tony Bennett, The Carpenters, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, and Cassandra Wilson have mined the interpretive riches in his songs. Few songwriters can match his gift for emotionally direct, often world weary, lyrics, rhythmic variety, and adaptable melodies.
NOTABLE SONGS: Cold, Cold Heart, Hey Good Lookin’, I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Jambalaya (on the Bayou), Your Cheatin’ Heart
Hank Williams Gold (Mercury Nashville)
Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute (Various artists; Lost Highway)
Harlan Howard (1927-2002)
If you enjoy Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” Ray Charles’s “Busted,” or the countless versions of songs like “Heartaches by Number” and “No Charge” you know the music of Harland Howard. Able to write for country, R&B, gospel, and pop artists, his songs are melodic, reflective, and full of heart.
NOTABLE SONGS: Busted, Foolin’ Around, Heartaches by Number, I Fall to Pieces, No Charge
Favorite Country Songwriter (Sony Music)
Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard (Buck Owens; Capitol)
Waylon Sings Ol’ Harlan (Waylon Jennings; RCA Victor)
Harold Arlen (1905-1986)
A gifted composer of film themes and Broadway musicals Arlen was among the first popular songwriters to incorporate blues and jazz elements in his songs. These touches helped songs like “Blues in the Night,” “Stormy Weather,” and “The Man That Got Away” become torch standards. Equally gifted at lighthearted fare (“Get Happy,” “I’ve Got the World on a String”) he is best known for the Wizard of Oz’s anthem “Over the Rainbow.”
NOTABLE SONGS: Blues in the Night, Come Rain or Come Shine, One for My Baby (One More for the Road), Over the Rainbow, That Old Black Magic
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook (Verve)
The Great Songs from the Cotton Club (Maxine Sullivan; Harbinger Records)
Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Harold Arlen (Concord Jazz)
Harry Warren (1893-1981)
One of the lesser known “Songbook” composers, Warren has crafted some of the most majestic and enduring music of his time. From Etta James to The Flamingos to Susannah McCorkle to Beyonce his music remains a linchpin of inspiration for generations.
NOTABLE SONGS: At Last, I Only Have Eyes for You, Lullaby of Broadway, The More I See You, There Will Never Be Another You
The Music of Harry Warren (Susannah McCorkle; Inner City)
Spring Isn’t Everything (Maxine Sullivan; Audiophile)
Hoagy Carmichael (1918-1981)
Many Tin Pan Alley songwriters wrote swing tunes filled with urban imagery. Carmichael, however, favored relaxed tempos that attracted lush, natural images in their lyrics befitting of the Southern themes he favored. His most popular standards, “Nearness of You,” “Georgia on my Mind,” and perhaps the most iconic song of pre-rock American pop, “Stardust” embody the unique melodic grace and lyric naturalism that define his style.
NOTABLE SONGS: Georgia on My Mind, Nearness of You, Rockin’ Chair, Skylark, Stardust
Hoagy Sings Carmichael (Blue Note)
The Music of Hoagy Carmichael (Bob Wilber featuring Maxine Sullivan; Audiophile)
Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael (Intersound)
Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
Fred Astaire, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine, are the superior popular singers who have dedicated whole albums to recordings of Irving Berlin. One of America’s earliest songwriting populists, and a pillar of the pre-rock American songbook Berlin excelled at writing melodic, accessible songs for theatre and film that endeared him to audiences and fellow musicians. Like Cole Porter he was adept at music and lyrics, and his songs remain prominent in the repertoires of singer and musicians.
NOTABLE SONGS: Always, Blue Skies, Cheek to Cheek, There’s No Business, Like Show Business, What’ll I Do
Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine Sing the Best of Irving Berlin (Verve)
Bennett/Berlin (Tony Bennett; Columbia)
Let’s Face the Music and Dance (Susannah McCorkle; Concord)
Ella Fitzgerald’s legendary “songbook” series, recorded on Verve Records from 1956-64, popularized the best songs from America’s most beloved composers of Broadway and film music including George and Ira Gershwin. Her 1959 collection of their work is considered definitive.
Ivan Lins (b. 1945)
Lins is one of the leading songwriters in the eclectic Música popular brasileira (MPB) style that emerged in the late 1960s. His songs are widely embraced for their rich harmonies and elegant lyrics. Since the 1970s a variety of jazz, pop, and R&B singers have adapted his songs in their original Portuguese and in English including such modern standards as “The Island” and “Love Dance.” Lins is a beloved composer, singer, and performer whose songs are highly regarded in Brazil and beyond.
NOTABLE SONGS: Dinorah Dinorah, I’m Not Alone, The Island, Love Dance, Smiling Hour (Abre Alas), Velas
Cantando Histórias (EMI)
Night Mood: The Music of Ivan Lins (Mark Murphy; Milestone)
A Love Affair: The Music of Ivan Lins (Various Artists; Telarc)
Belezas—The Music of Ivan Lins and Milton Nascimento (Carol Saboya; AAM)
Jackie DeShannon (b. 1941)
One of the earliest and most successful female singer-songwriters in rock ‘n’ roll and rock DeShannon is highly a versatile writer whose writing has found a place in pop, country, rock, and soul music. Brenda Lee, The Searchers, Irma Thomas, and The Byrds are among those who have covered her songs. Her “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” and “Bette Davis Eyes” are among her most enduring anthems.
NOTABLE SONGS: Bette Davis Eyes, Come and Stay with Me, Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe, Put a Little Love in Your Heart, When You Walk in the Room
Best of 1958-1980: Come & Get Me (Raven)
James Brown (1933-2006)
The sparse melodies, repetitive lyrics, and tight rhythms, of the “Godfather of Soul’s” James Brown’s original songs laid the blue print for the “funk” genre. Sly Stone, George Clinton, Prince, Michael Jackson have all borrowed from his musicianship. Though dance anthems like “(I Got You) I Feel Good)” and “Sex Machine” is central to his legacy he also wrote searing ballads like “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and Black pride anthems like “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud.”
NOTABLE SONGS: I Got the Feelin’, I Got You (I Feel Good), It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud
20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (Polydor)
Jerome Kern (1885-1945)
If Kern had only written the music for Show Boat, the first major integrated “book” musical, he would have a unique place in American musical theatre history. Beyond that 1927 milestone Kern, who collaborated with first rank lyricists, continued writing some of the most harmonically complex and beautiful songs in popular music, including “All the things you Are,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” and “The Way You Look Tonight.”
NOTABLE SONGS: All the Things you Are, Can’t Help Lovin that Man, Ol’ Man River, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Why Was I Born
Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (Verve)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (Verve)
The Sliver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern (Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap; Columbia)
Capitol Sings Jerome Kern: The Song is You (Various artists; Capitol)
Jerry Leiber (1933-2011) & Mike Stoller (b. 1933)
As writers and producers Leiber & Stoller brought notable touches of elegance to R&B (e.g., The Drifters’ “There Goes My Baby”) and wrote some of the most buoyant teen dance pop of the 1950s including “Jailhouse Rock” and “Yakety Yak.” Some of their most covered songs, including “Stand By Me” (co-written with Ben E. King) and “On Broadway” (co-written with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil) are deeply entrenched anthems in the popular music memory.
NOTABLE SONGS: Is That All There Is?, Kansas City, On Broadway, Stand By Me, There Goes My Baby
There’s a Riot Goin’ On! The Rock ‘N’ Roll Classics of Leiber & Stoller (Various artists; Rhino)
The Songs of Leiber & Stoller (Various artists; Not Now Music)
The Hit Songs of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller (Various artists; Acrobat)
Lyricist Dorothy Fields wrote some of the most famous words in popular music including “The Way you Look Tonight” and “Big Spender.”
Jimmy Webb (b. 1946)
In the 1960s Webb emerged as one of the most imaginative storytellers via songs popularized by Glen Campbell, The Fifth Dimension, Dusty Springfield, Richard Harris, and Nina Simone, among others. Webb specializes in emotive ballads with picturesque lyrics and serene, often hymn-like musical qualities. Singers as disparate as Art Garfunkel (“All I Know”), Carmen McRae (“Didn’t We”), Donna Summer (“MacArthur Park”), and The Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson’s “Highwayman”) have shared his often-idiosyncratic stories with listeners.
NOTABLE SONGS: Adios, By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Didn’t We, MacArthur Park, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Tunesmith: The Songs of Jimmy Webb (Various artists; Raven)
Glen Campbell Sings the Best of Jimmy Webb 1967-1992 (Raven)
John Hiatt (b. 1952)
John Hiatt was an exceptionally witty, emotionally incisive songwriter for over a decade before some of the most distinguished voices in pop, R&B, rock, and roots music, including Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Maria Muldaur, and Marti Jones, spread the word and helped expand his audience beyond the cognoscenti.
NOTABLE SONGS: Across the Borderline, Feels Like Rain, Have a Little Faith in Me, Icy Blue Heart, Thing Called Love, When We Ran
Anthology (Hip-O)
Love Gets Strange: The Songs of John Hiatt (Rhino/WEA)
John Lennon (1940-1980) & Paul McCartney (b. 1942)
In the six years they released albums (1964-70) The Beatles—who were students of both British traditions, including skiffle and cabaret, and American rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, and country, managed to synthesize many of popular music’s greatest traditions and advance them. After releasing a wave of albums filled with energetic, impassioned, youthful songs that made them cultural phenomenon the band pivoted. Lennon and McCartney were their chief songwriters and brought different strengths. The influence of folk-rockers, especially Dylan, psychedelic drugs, and Indian music, among others, expanded their horizons beyond teen pop toward more sophisticated music—more impressionist lyrics, more complex harmonies, and greater attention to arrangements and texture. From 1965-70 their music expanded the possibilities of the album form and created some of the most daring, appealing, and exciting new songs to emerge in popular music.
NOTABLE SONGS: Come Together, Let It Be, Norwegian Wood, Revolution, Yesterday
Past Masters (Apple)
Rubber Soul (Apple)
Revolver (Apple)
The Beatles (Apple)
Abbey Road (Apple)
Keely Smith Sings the John Lennon-Paul McCartney Songbook (Reprise)
The Other Side of Abbey Road (George Benson; A & M)
Rubber Souled (Various Artists; Risky Business/Sony)
The Lennon and McCartney Songbook (Various artists; EMI)
Judy Collins Sings the Beatles (Wildflower Records)
John Prine (1946-2020)
Funny, ironic, perceptive, and a bit askew Prine brought a fresh sensibility to the earnest troubadour class of the early 1970s. Despite being pegged as the “next Dylan” he was his own artist—someone inspired by folk-rock, country music, rock ‘n’ roll, and more. A wide range of performers including Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackie DeShannon covered his songs. Never a commercial act, critics, musicians, and audiences adored his integrity.
NOTABLE SONGS: Angel from Montgomery, Hello in There, In Spite of Ourselves, Paradise, Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
Great Days: The John Prine Anthology (Rhino)
Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine (Various Artists; Oh Boy)
Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
“Waiting ‘round the bend/My huckleberry friend/Moon river and me.” In just a few carefully crafted lines Johnny Mercer painted incredibly elegant pictures with words. One of the most innovative lyricists of the pre-rock era, his lyric writing he displayed an unerring gift for ethereal yet palpably beautiful imagery well suited to the contours of the classic melodies supplied by composers such as Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, and Jerome Kern. Rare is the jazz or pop interpreter who has not interpreted his music.
NOTABLE SONGS: Dream, I Remember You, Midnight Sun, Moon River, Skylark
The Songs of Johnny Mercer (Susannah McCorkle; The Jazz Alliance/Concord)
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook (Verve)
Rosemary Clooney Sings the Lyrics of Johnny Mercer (Concord)
Joni Mitchell (b. 1943)
Mitchell’s ability to capture the world in her own highly personal language yet resonate well beyond her own recordings is a distinctive gift among her peers. In songs as varied in tone and subject as “A Case of You,” “Both Sides Now,” “Black Crow,” and “River” she has created mini-masterpieces singers have mined for emotional truth and expression. Like Laura Nyro and Bob Dylan her music continues to reverberate with established listeners and garner new generations of fans and interpreters.
NOTABLE SONGS: All I Really Want, Big Yellow Taxi, Black Crow, A Case of You, River
Blue (Reprise)
Court and Spark (Asylum)
Drawn to all Things: The Songs of Joni Mitchel (Ian Shaw; Linn)
River: The Joni Mitchell Letters (Herbie Hancock featuring Various artists; Verve)
After Blue (Tierney Sutton; BFM)
Kenneth Gamble (b. 1942) & Leon Huff (b. 1942)
Gamble and Huff’s songs are simultaneously funky, lush, and soulful pillars of the Philadelphia Soul sound. Gifted producers, composers, and businessmen (they founded Philadelphia International Records) their formidable body of classics is comprised of some of the quintessential ballads (“If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Close the Door”), dance music (“Don’t Leave Me This Way,” “The Love I Lost”), and message songs (“Back Stabbers,” “For the Love of Money,” “Love Train”) of the 1970s.
NOTABLE SONGS: Backstabbers, For the Love of Money, If You Don’t Know me by Know, Love Train, You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
Philadelphia International Records: The 40th Anniversary Box Set (Various artists; Philadelphia International)
Kris Kristofferson (b. 1936)
The county music that crossed over to the pop world in the 1960s was often highly slick formulaic Nashville music. Texan Kristofferson’s songs embraced the vivid realism and poetic overtones of the best folk-rock and forced country songwriting to grow up. One of the original country “outlaws” Ray Price, Johnny Cash, Sammi Smith, Janis Joplin, and Ronnie Milsap are among those who popularized his songs and propelled him into the top ranks of contemporary songwriters.
NOTABLE SONGS: For the Good Times, Help Me Make it through the Night, Me and Bobby McGee, Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends, Why Me
Singer/Songwriter (Kris Kristofferson/Various Artists; Monument)
Sings Kristofferson (Willie Nelson; Sony BMG)
The Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson (Various artists; American Roots)
Laura Nyro (1947-1997)
Writer, musician, and producer Nyro created a new sonic and lyric universe on her late 1960s albums More than a New Discovery, Eli and the 13th Confession, and New York Tendaberry. Her unpredictable chords, serpentine melodies, and impressionistic lyrics stood apart from much of the folk inspired singer-songwriter music of the time. Though she was never a hit maker her songs inspired recordings of her songs by Barbra Streisand, Blood Sweat & Tears, Three Dog Night, and the Fifth Dimension. Nyro’s greatest legacy are the writers she has inspired including Rickie Lee Jones, Todd Rundgren, and Kate Bush.
NOTABLE SONGS: And When I Die, Eli’s Comin, I Never Meant to Hurt You, Save the Country, Stoney End
Eli & the 13th Confession (Columbia)
New York Tendaberry (Columbia)
Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro (Various Artists; Astor Place Recordings)
Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro (Billy Childs featuring various artists; Sony)
No list of great songwriters is complete without Dolly Parton. “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” and “I Will Always Love You” tell you everything you need to know.
Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
Poet and songwriter Cohen emerged in the late 1960s as a song stylist who favored moody, haunting songs about lust, desire, and broken hearts. Though he expanded his range to social and cultural concerns his work continues to fascinate modern day romantics. Though he had a modest vocal range covers of his songs by Judy Collins, Roberta Flack, Jennifer Warnes, Tim Hardin, and others in the late 1960s and early 1970s have made his songs a beloved source of interpretive inspiration for multiple generations.
NOTABLE SONGS: Bird on a Wire, Dance Me to the End of Love, First We Take Manhattan, Hallelujah, Suzanne
Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia)
Various Positions (Columbia)
Famous Blue Raincoat (Jennifer Warnes; Cypress)
Loretta Lynn (b. 1932)
Loretta Lynn’s original country songs conveyed a working-class pride (“Coal Miner’s Daughter”), love of family (“One’s on the Way”), and proto-feminist view on marriage (“Don’t Come Home a Drinkin with Lovin’ on your Mind”) and social issues (“The Pill”) from a woman’s perspective. The unique voice of her songs and her endearing performing style have garnered her a range of admirers who have interpreted her songs over six decades in a variety of contexts.
NOTABLE SONGS: Blue Kentucky Girl, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Don’t Come Home a Drinkin, I’m a Honky Tonk Girl, You Ain’t Woman Enough
Honky Tonk Girl: The Loretta Lynn Collection (MCA)
Eilen Jewell Presents: Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn
Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn (Columbia)
Lucinda Williams (b. 1953)
Inspired by music (country blues, folk-rock, country), poetry, and an incisive observational sensibility Williams became a notable songwriter in the late 1980s when country, folk, and rock singers, such as Patty Loveless and Mary Chapin-Carpenter, recorded her songs. Her songwriting has made her an icon of contemporary Americana.
NOTABLE SONGS: Changed the Locks, Crescent City, I Just Wanted to See You So Bad, The Nights Too Long, Passionate Kisses
Lucinda Williams (Rounder)
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury)
Marvin Gaye (1939-1984)
Inspired by crooners like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, and steeped in the gospel music Gaye was a versatile musician from the start at Motown co-writing hits for himself and other artists (e.g., Martha & the Vandellas “Dancing in the Street”). After a decade of hits as a soloist, and his duets with Tami Terrell, Gaye embraced the album format and branched into more personal territory tackling social issues (What’s Going On), sexuality (Let’s Get it On), and divorce (Here, My Dear), as well as writing for soundtracks and incorporating disco and funk elements. Despite his tragic death in 1984 his legacy continues to inform the writing and performing styles of contemporary performers including D’Angelo, El DeBarge, Maxwell, and Usher.
NOTABLE SONGS: Dancing in the Street, If This World Were Mine, Mercy Mercy Me, Trouble Man, What’s Going On
Marvin Gaye Gold (UMG/Motown)
What’s Going On (Motown)
Marvin is 60: A Tribute Album (Various artists; Motown)
Memphis Minnie (1897-1973)
Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Memphis Minnie was one of the premier “country blues” artists to emerge in the 1920s. Her highly varied repertoire of original songs teems with a great gift for humor, sensuality, and self-reflection evident in the music of followers including Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, and Lucinda Williams.
NOTABLE SONGS: I’m Sailin, In My Girlish Days, Nothin in Rambling, Me and My Chauffeur Blues, When the Levee Breaks
Hoodoo Lady 1933-1937 (Sony)
Memphis Minnie: Hoodoo Lady (Snapper)
Complete Recorded Works Series (Document Records)
First Came Memphis Minnie (Various Artists; Stony Plain Records)
Milton Nascimento (b. 1942)
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro Nascimento is part of a second wave of important post-bossa nova Brazilian composers to emerge in the late 1960s. Nascimento was influenced by jazz and rock music, alongside samba and other Brazilian traditions. A multicultural array of musicians—primarily in jazz—have embraced the distinct melodic and rhythmic qualities and poignant lyrics of such songs as “Travessia (Bridges)” and “Canção do Sal (Salt Song).”
NOTABLE SONGS: Canção do Sal (Salt Song), Empty Faces, Nada Sera Como Antes (Nothing Will Be as It Was), Ponta de Areia, Travessia (Bridges)
Courage (CTI)
Clube Da Esquina (Odeon)
Milton (CTI)
Nada Será Como Antes: Elis Interpreta Milton Nascimento (Elis Regina; Fontina)
Belezas—The Music of Ivan Lins and Milton Nascimento (Carol Saboya; AAM)
Duke Ellington and Bily Strayhorn’s intricately crafted songs defined the music swing, soul, and passion of jazz.
Norman Whitfield (1940-2008)
Among the in-house songwriters at Motown, Whitfield composed some of the most yearning, complex, and adult-oriented songs. Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Edwin Starr, and especially The Temptations brought his songs to life. Among his greatest achievements is “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” a classic for Knight & the Pips and Gaye, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and The Car Wash soundtrack.
NOTABLE SONGS: Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, I Can’t Get Next You, I Heard it Through the Grapevine, I Know I’m Losing You, Just My Imagination, Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Cloud Nine (The Temptations; Motown)
The Norman Whitfield Sessions (Marvin Gaye; Motown)
Car Wash soundtrack (MCA)
Paul Simon (b. 1941)
As a composer and lyricist Simon has few rivals when it comes to the literacy of his lyrics and adventurousness of his musical choices. After mastering folk forms in Simon & Garfunkel he pushed beyond folk-rock conventions in his solo work. The influence of gospel, reggae, Latin rhythms, and folk informs his music in the 1970s. South African and Brazilian influences shape the music on his boldest albums Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints, influences that have informed his writing ever since. “American Tune,” “Graceland,” “Something So Right,” and “Still Crazy After All these Years” number among the “standards” he has crafted.
NOTABLE SONGS: American Tune, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Graceland, Something So Right
Best of Simon & Garfunkel (Sony/Legacy)
There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (Sony Music)
Graceland (Sony Music)
Sing the Songs of Paul Simon (New York Voices; RCA Victor)
Percy Mayfield (1920-1984)
Mayfield was a successful performer in the R&B market in the early 1950s thanks to his epic (and oft-covered) 1950 hit “Please Send Me Someone to Love.” After a nearly fatal accident he who transitioned his focus more to songwriting than performing though he still recorded for Specialty, Chess, Imperial, and Ray Charles’s label Tangerine Records. Recordings of his songs by Ray Charles (“Hit the Road Jack”) and Aretha Franklin who covered “River’s Invitation” reflected his stature among his peers, as do the numerous covers of “Please” in blues, jazz, R&B, and rock. New Orleans singer Johnny Adams’s Walking on a Tightrope is a definitive exploration of Mayfield’s songbook.
NOTABLE SONGS: Danger Zone, Hit the Road Jack, Please Send Me Someone to Love, River’s Invitation, Walking on a Tight Rope
Percy Mayfield—Poet of the Blues (Specialty)
Walking on a Tightrope: The Songs of Percy Mayfield (Johnny Adams)
Prince (1958-2016)
Debuting in a funk-disco vein in 1978, Prince quickly dispelled any attempt to contain his talents through broadening his palette via new wave pop, blazing rock, epic film themes, slinky funk, and sumptuous ballads. Along with being one the most popular and dynamic musicians of his era his songs have attracted interpretations from The Bangles, Sheena Easton, Cyndi Lauper, Stephanie Mills, Etta James, Mariah Carey, Sinead O’Connor, and Dwight Yoakam.
NOTABLE SONGS: Adore, Do Me Baby, How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore, Nothing Compares 2 U, Purple Rain
Purple Rain (Paisley Park/Warner Brothers)
Sign O’ The Times (Paisley/ Warner Brothers)
4EVER (NPG/Warner Brothers)
Randy Newman (b. 1941)
Inspired by film scores and Tin Pan Alley musically but fully contemporary in his lyric sensibility Newman impressed critics and peers in the late 1960s with songs like “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and “Love Story.” His affinity for satire and character songs informed his breakthrough albums Sail Away, Good Old Boys, and Little Criminals which spawned a panoply of covers including “Sail Away,” “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” “Guilty,” “Baltimore,” and “Rider in the Rain.” In addition to his pop impact Newman is also a notable composer of film themes with 22 Oscar nominations and two wins.
NOTABLE SONGS: Feels Like Home, Guilty, I Think it’s Going to Rain Today, Louisiana 1927, Sail Away
12 Songs (Reprise)
Good Old Boys (Reprise)
The Best of Randy Newman (Rhino)
The Music of Randy Newman (Roseanna Vitro; Motéma Music)
Joni Mtichell’s Blue (1971) is a masterpiece of intimate longing and reflection. “River,” “All I Want,” and “A Case of You” are among its most coveted songs.
Ray Charles (1930-2004)
As a pioneer of “soul” music, one of the ways Charles changed American popular music was his ability to translate gospel elements to the secular world as a writer. Many of his earliest songs from the 1950s marry the melodies of spirituals in the public domain (e.g., “This Little Light of Mine” becomes “This Little Girl of Mine”), delivered with call and response vocal arrangements and melisma, with secular lyrics. Collectively the songs, the arrangements and the delivery transformed the sound and feel of love songs bringing a new fervor and sensuality. Soul music is unimaginable without songs like “What I’d Say,” “I Got a Woman,” and “Hallelujah I Lover Her So.”
NOTABLE SONGS: Ain’t That Love, Hallelujah I Love Her So, I Got a Woman, Talkin’ Bout You, What I’d Say
The Birth of Soul (Atlantic)
Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles (Elektra)*
*There are multiple Ray Charles tribute albums which focus on his later hits but Darin’s set focuses mostly on Charles’s original compositions.
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) & Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) / Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960)
Composer Rodgers, in his partnerships with the urbane Lorenz Hart and the sensitive Hammerstein, was one of the most prolific and influential writers in musical theater. The songs of Rodgers & Hart (“My Funny Valentine”) and Rodgers & Hammerstein (“You’ll Never Walk Alone”) are central to the musical vocabulary of popular music. With Hart, musicals like Pal Joey and Babes in Arms made “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered,” “Where or When,” and “The Lady is a Tramp” staples of popular music. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music employed the musical form ambitiously to draw attention to social prejudice.
NOTABLE SONGS: Rodgers & Hart: It Never Entered My Mind, The Lady is a Tramp, Little Girl Blue, Manhattan, You Took Advantage of Me
NOTABLE SONGS: Rodgers & Hammerstein: If I Loved You, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Something Wonderful, The Sweetest Sounds, You’ll Never Walk Alone
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook (Verve)
Isn’t It Romantic: Capitol Sings Rodgers and Hart (Capitol)
Tony Bennett Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook (Concord Jazz)
Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein: Hello Young Lovers (Various artists; Capitol)
Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein (Angel)
Robert Johnson (1911-1938)
The legend surrounding Delta bluesman Robert Johnson alleges that he made a pact with the devil. Regardless of the mythology, his songs—clever, sensual, and full of feeling—were largely written and performed in the 1930s but did not garner public notice until the early 1960s when Columbia released a Johnson compilation. Since the 1960s British and American rockers fascinated by the blues have covered his songs and helped place him among the genre’s pioneers. Singers as varied as rocker Eric Clapton, blues artist Taj Mahal, and jazz singer Cassandra Wilson have interpreted his songs.
NOTABLE SONGS: Come on in My Kitchen, Crossroad Blues, Hellhound on My Trail, If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day, Rambling on My Mind
Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings (Columbia)
Hellhound on My Trail: Songs of Robert Johnson (Various artists; Telarc)
The Lady & Mr. Johnson (Rory Block; Rykodisc)
Me and Mr. Johnson (Eric Clapton; Reprise)
Sammy Cahn (1913-1993) & Jimmy Van Heusen (1913-1990)
As solo writers, lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jimmy Van Heusen were highly accomplished. As a duo they wrote some of the most enduring popular standards for Hollywood, Broadway, and popular audiences, thanks to the subtle melodic qualities and intricate lyrics of their best-known songs. Their association with top tier musicals and first rank artists like Sinatra has given hem a place in the vaunted American songbook.
NOTABLE SONGS: All the Way, Call Me Irresponsible, Come Dance with Me, Come Fly with Me, The Second Time Around
Capitol Sings Sammy Cahn (Various Artists; Capitol)
Rosemary Clooney Sings the Music of Jimmy Van Heusen (Concord)
Sinatra Sings the Songs of Van Heusen & Cahn (Reprise)
All the Way: Etta Jones Sings Sammy Cahn (Etta Jones; High Note)
Smokey Robinson (b. 1940)
As a writer for his own group, The Miracles, and as a Motown executive who wrote songs for the label’s other performers Robinson was seminal to the “Motown sound.” His greatest achievement was authoring seminal songs astute in metaphor and musicality including “Tears of a Clown” and “Tracks of My Tears,” as well as “I Second that Emotion,” “Ooh Baby Baby” and “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me.” As a solo artist the title song and album Quiet Storm expanded the texture of Black romantic pop and inspired a radio format, a tradition he contributed to via slow jam classics like “Cruisin’” and “Being with You.”
NOTABLE SONGS: Cruisin, Ooh Baby, Baby, Quiet Storm, Shop Around, Tracks of my Tears, You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me
The Ultimate Collection: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (Motown)
The Solo Anthology (Motown)
Bob Marley was a titan of reggae whose musical messages resonated in Jamaica and worldwide.
Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
American musical theater lacked a strong identity until the rise of the integrated book musical. Stephen Sondheim, whose earliest triumph was his lyrics to Westside Story, has been the most renowned composer of American musical theater since the 1960s via the formal innovations of Company (1970), Follies (1971), Sweeney Todd (1979), and Sunday in the Park with George (1984), among others. Though Broadway’s influence on popular music waned in the late 1960s his songs have both inspired new generations of composers and maintained ties between musical theater and popular music especially in jazz, vocal pop, and cabaret.
NOTABLE SONGS: Being Alive, I’m Still Here, Losing My Mind, Send in the Clowns, Somewhere
Cleo Sings Sondheim (Cleo Laine; BMG)
Sings the Stephen Sondheim Songbook (Julie Wilson; DRG)
Sondheim, Etc. (Bernadette Peters; Angel)
Stevie Wonder (b. 1950)
In the span of Motown’s gifted child prodigy morphed from a promising phenomenon to one of the most innovative musicians and composers in the industry. Beginning with 1972’s Music on my Mind he used the albums form to create a musical universe unto himself which generated one of the richest cycles of new songs in popular music via Talking Book, Innervisions, Fulfillingness’ First Finale, and his masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life. Collectively, they have spawned a range of cross-genre sand multi-generational interpretations comparable to the most venerated composers from the pre and post-rock eras.
NOTABLE SONGS: All in Love is Fair, As, Higher Ground, Isn’t She Lovely, Overjoyed
Talking Book (Motown)
Songs in the Key of Life (Motown)
Tales of Wonder (Nnenna Freelon; Concord)
Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s Songs (Various artists; Motown)
Thom Bell (b. 1943) & Linda Creed (1948-1986)
Producer and composer Thom Bell and lyricist Linda Creed’s collective talents expanded the sound of R&B in the 1970s to a lush, romantic variant known as “soft soul.” Soul groups such as The Stylistics and The Spinners, and solo performers like Johnny Mathis, Teddy Pendergrass, and Phyllis Hyman originated a formidable group of sounds that have endured.
NOTABLE SONGS: Betcha By Golly Wow, Rubberband Man, Stop, Look, Listen to Your Heart, You Are Everything, You Make Me Feel Brand New
I’m Coming Home (Johnny Mathis; Sony)
The Best of the Stylistics (Amherst)
The Very Best of the Spinners (Rhino)
Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993)
Dorsey established the gospel repertoire as a sustainable body of music modernizing it from a folk form to a popular style. His most noted compositions including “Precious Lord” and “The Lord will Make a Way” are bedrocks of the form sung regularly in Protestant churches, recorded frequently by soloists and choirs, and integral to the careers of legends such as Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward, James Cleveland, and Marion Williams.
NOTABLE SONGS: I’m Going to Live the Life I Sing in My Songs, If You See My Savior, The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow, (There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley, Take My Hand Precious Lord
Take My Hand, Precious Lord: Recordings of the Great Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey (Various artists; Legacy)
Valerie Ashford (b. 1946) & Nick Simpson (1941-2011)
This dynamic married duo has had three major careers as professional songwriters. They include writing R&B hits such “Let’s Go Get Stoned” for Ray Charles and “Never Had it So Good” for Ronnie Milsap (yes, that Ronnie Milsap!) in the 1960s. They want on to make their mark at Motown writing a series of hits for its diverse roster but concentrating on crafting soulful duets for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell who immortalized classics like “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “You’re All I Need to Get By.” They also wrote and produced Diana Ross’s 1970 solo debut album and her 1979’s The Boss. After Motown the duo thrived writing anthems like Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” and scoring with their own hits including “Is It Still Good to Ya” (covered by Teddy Pendergrass), and their classic anthem “Solid.”
NOTABLE SONGS: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, I’m Every Woman, Solid, You’re All I Need to Get By
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: Greatest Hits (Motown)
Diana Ross (Motown)
The Very Best of Ashford & Simpson (Rhino)
Johnny Adams, nicknamed the “Tan Canary” in New Orleans, was an interpreter par excellence whose 1989 Percy Mayfield “songbook” album placed a spotlight on Mayfield’s superb songs.
Van Morrison (b. 1945)
Idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and undeniably gifted Van Morrison’s music has intrigued and inspired many since his 1970 breakthrough “Moondance.” Inspired by jazz, R&B, rock, and Irish music but never beholden to one style his ability to synthesize and defy boundaries has helped songs like “Tupelo Honey” and “Crazy Love,” and “Moondance” attain the status of modern standards.
NOTABLE SONGS: Brown Eyed Girl, Crazy Love, Have I Told You Lately, Moondance, Tupelo Honey
Astral Weeks (Warner)
Moondance (Warner)
No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison (Various artists; Polydor)
Vanthology: A Tribute to Van Morrison (Various artists; Evidence)
William C. Handy (1873-1958)
The unique hybrid of African and Western elements constituting the blues existed as a musical form for centuries. However, Memphis based musician W.C. Handy was among the first to recognize it as a song form and publish blues songs. His originals, including “St. Louis Blues” and Memphis Blues” were staples for “classic blues” singers of the 1920s such as Bessie Smith and jazz musicians. Performers such as Louis Armstrong helped sustain interest his songs well into the albums era devoting an album to his songs as did Nat “King” Cole continued in accordance with his lead role in 1958’s Handy biopic St. Louis Blues.
NOTABLE SONGS: Beale Street Blues, Careless/Loveless Love, Memphis Blues, St. Louis Blues, You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down
Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy (Columbia)
St. Louis Blues (Nat “King” Cole; Capitol)
Willie Dixon (1915-1992)
Bassist, songwriter, and performer Dixon’s frank yet artful approach to adult sensuality made him one of most covered writers and performers of post-world war two Chicago Blues. Some of his compositions are staples of modern blues singing from the peak of the Chess Records peak era including Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie Man,” Little Walter’s “My Babe” and Etta James’s “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” Dixon’s music is deeply influential to the late 1960s blues revival including covers by the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, Canned Heat, and Jeff Beck. Without him there is no “blues rock” or rock ‘n’ roll!
NOTABLE SONGS: Hoochie Coochie Man, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Little Red Rooster, My Babe, Seventh Son
Willie Dixon: The Chess Box (Various artists; Geffen)
The Songs of Willie Dixon (Various artists; Telarc)
Willie Nelson (b. 1933)
Before he was widely known as a performer Nelson was a prolific songwriter whose compositions appealed chiefly to country singers Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Faron Young, and Billy Walker. Unbound by genre the influence of western swing, folk, blues, and gospel informs his writing styles. Since the late 1960s singers from every genre adapted his music including Rosemary Clooney, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Al Green, and other legends.
NOTABLE SONGS: Crazy, Funny How Time Slips Away, Hello Walls, Night Life, On the Road Again
Nite Life: Greatest Hits and Rare Tracks 1959-1971 (Rhino)
Complete Atlantic Sessions (Rhino)
Revolutions of Time: The Journey 1975-1993 (Sony)
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