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If you have heard of greats like John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, and Paul McCartney, you would already be familiar with the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF). SHOF is an American Institution that recognizes and celebrates the incredible talents of American songwriters within the popular music industry. This organization paves the way for budding stars, grooming the next crop of master composers through outreach (partnerships and scholarships).
The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established back in 1969 as a virtual honor roll by a songwriter himself, Johnny Mercer, and his colleagues Howie Richmond and Abe Olman, who were music songwriters/publishers. On January 1st, 1970, the inaugural ceremony was hosted in New York. The event has seen 140 singer/songwriters being inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame. Among the inductees were - Folk singer Woody Guthrie, who wrote the beloved tune "This Land is Your Land", Gus Edwards aka The Star Maker, Father of the Blues W.C. Handy, Classical and popular music composer George Gershwin, King of Ragtime Scott Joplin, Jingle Bells composer James Lord Pierpont, and Pioneer jazz stride pianist Fats Waller.
Since then, several songwriters across the country who would become recognized for great hits throughout the years, and they've inducted into the prestigious collection. Top-notch songwriters are celebrated for their pioneering contributions. These reputed musical pioneers are immortalized while the organization's outreach to the music company will groom the next generation of troubadours.
Ironically, as technology has expanded, the institution has moved from existing in just a virtual space into a physical location in recent years. Music lovers and supporters could now see the list of inductees and awardees whose music danced their way into the hearts, inside The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
The Songwriters Hall of Fame has induced hundreds of incredible writers and issued over 200 awards. Inducted songwriters are those who have had at least 20 years of releasing superhit songs, whether as an individual or group. Over the years, the Songwriters Hall of Fame has honored numerous greats with diverse talents and backgrounds, including the likes of Cat Stevens, Duke Ellington, Sting, Jay Z, John Williams, Cindy Lauper, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Otis Redding, Phil Collins, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Lionel Richie, AI Green, Scott Joplin, Fats Domino, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Billy Rose, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Missy Elliot, Billy Joel, and Paul McCartney.
The honorees are awarded through a voting process, of which eligible voters select 3 nominees from a songwriter category and 3 from a performing songwriter category. The latest instalment includes the 2022 inductees who were officially announced a few months back. The list includes another exceptional batch of writers who have carried on the proverbial baton. The highly talented songwriters include -
The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced that the inductees for the Class of 2022 are Toby Keith, Amy Grant, Buddy Cannon, John Scott Sherrill, and Rhett Akins.
Rhett Akins' songwriting credits include his own "It Goes Like This" (Thomas Rhett), "That Ain't My Truck, and "Honey Bee" (Blake Shelton). Cannon's songwriting resume is known for "Set Em Up Joe" (Vern Gosdin), "Give It Away" (George Strait), "I've Come To Expect It From You" (George Strait), "The Church on Cumberland Road" (Shenandoah), "Wild and Blue" (John Anderson), and "How Long Gone" (Brooks & Dunn).
Grant popularized a lot of her own compositions, including "That's What Love is For", "Baby Baby", and "Tennessee Christmas". Keith even recorded many of his self-penned hits, including "How Do You Like Me Now?" "As Good As I Once Was", and "Should've Been a Cowboy".
The five new inductees-elect will soon join the 213 previously inducted members of the elite organization when they're officially inducted during the "50/51" Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on November 1st at the Music City Center. As the organization's 50th Anniversary celebration was postponed last year, the event this year will honor two classes in a double-sized event that'll also spotlight the previously named class of 2020 - Bobbie Gentry, Steve Earle, Brett James, Kent Blazy, and Spooner Oldham.
Paul Simon
Starting off in the legendary musical duo Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon has been busy writing hit songs for years and years. He is responsible for most of the hits, including "Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "Bridge over Troubled Water". The duo decided to part ways in 1970 and Simon continued creating endless masterpieces.
George Harrison
Often overshadowed by other Beatles members John and Paul, many fans still acknowledge and largely appreciate the incredible talent of George Harrison. His contribution to the group included "Taxman", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Within You Without You", "Something", and "Here Comes the Sun".
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell has a confessional, musically adventurous songwriting style. Beside her beautiful voice and incredible guitar skills, her songs were nothing short of exceptional. Some of her most famous songs were "Help Me", "Big Yellow Taxi", and "Free Man in Paris".
Eminem
Eminem is largely considered by many people to be the greatest rapper of all-time. While this has certainly a lot to do with his rhythm, tone, and phrasing, Eminem is clearly an incredible songwriter. Eminem has an extremely unique style of songwrting, which has made him the star that he is today. Songs like "Lose Yourself", "Rap God", and "Love the Way You Die" perfectly demonstrate his songwriting brilliance.
James Taylor
James Taylor is easily one of the most popular musicians ever, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Due to his incredible talent and contribution to the music industry, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He has written several great songs, including "How Sweet It Is", "You've Got a Friend", and "Fire and Rain".
Stevie Nicks
Everyone knows that Stevie Nicks is an incredibly talented songwriter who has written some of the best songs ever created. Whether she was joined by her iconic band Fleetwood Mac or on her own, she has always displayed beautiful aspects of poetry. She has written a ton of great songs including "Rhiannon", "Landslide", and "Edge of Seventeen".
Buddy Holly
After Buddy Holly opened for Presley back in 1955, he decided to pursue a career in music. Great thing that he did, because he went down in the history books as one of the best musicians and songwriters to ever live. Holly has writing credits for his like "It's So Easy", "That'll Be the Day", and "Everyday".
James Brown
James Brown was definitely a true legend, having played a key role in shaping and influencing multiple genres of music. He had numerous talents including vocals, drums, organ, guitar, harmonica, and of course his incredible songwriting. He has written numerous songs through the years, including "Please Please Please", "I Got You", and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".
Van Morrison
Have you been to a karaoke night without hearing "Brown Eyed Girl"? Maybe, maybe not. Van Morrison has written some incredible songs to this day. Along with "Brown Eyed Girl", he has managed to write some incredible hits like "Into the Mystic", "Moondance", and "Domino".
Johnny Cash
With over 90 million records sold worldwide, Johnny Cash is undoubtedly one of the best to ever do it and he will go down as one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He was a singer, guitarist, and a songwriter who stole the hearts of everyone around him. Some of his classics include "Folsom Prison Blues", "On The Road Again", and "Ring of Fire".
Prince
Losing the legendary Prince in 2016 was definitely a massive tragedy to the entire world of music. Famously known for his guitar licks and insane vocals, Prince was also known to be one of the greatest songwriters to have ever lived. He left the industry with treasures like "1999", "I Wanna Be Your Lover", and "Diamonds and Pearls".
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
The genuieses behind the sweet music of The Rolling Stones are the lead singer Mick Jagger and the guitarist Keith Richards. They developed a songwriting partnership pretty quickly, very similar to the one of The Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released amazing tracks including "Wild Horses", "Sympathy for the Devil", and "Satisfaction".
Neil Young
Starting his musical journey in Canada and making his way all the way to Los Angeles, Neil Young made a massive name for himself pretty quickly. Between his guitar, vocals, and songwriting skills, he is truly unstoppable. With hit songs like "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man", he is known to have create some of the best songs in music history.
Freddie Mercury
Very few fans can argue with the notion that "Bohemian Rhapsody" is easily one of the greatest songs of all time. While Freddie Mercury wrote this track in particular, every member of Queen played a part writing for the band Guitar player Brian May famously wrote "We Will Rock You", bass player John Deacon wrote "Another One Bites the Dust", and drummer Roger Taylor wrote "Radio GaGa".
Michael Jackson
It was very easy to be distracted by the King of Pop's incredible voice and dance music but underneath it all were his talented writing skills. Tracks like "Billie Jean", "Smooth Criminal", and "Beat It" will forever linger in the world of great music.
Bruce Springsteen
Everyone knows of the legendary Bruce Springsteen or as many in the industry like to call him "The Boss". While everyone likes to focus on his unique and distinct voice, Springsteen is also an incredibly talented songwriter. His most popular songs include "Born in the USA" and "Born to Run".
Hank Williams
Hank Williams has widely been considered to be one of the most influential and most significant American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. He actually had 35 singles that reached the top-10 charts. He is best known for his songs "I Saw the Light", "Hey Good Lookin'", and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive".
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys star wrote or co-wrote more than 25 songs for the group. He was actually the very first pop artist who was credited for writing, producing, arranging, and performing his own material. He is responsible for tracks like "I Get Around", "Good Vibrations", and "Wouldn't It Be Nice".
Stevie Wonder
Before he was even a historic music figure, he was being described as a child prodigy. This was because of his incredible voice, instrumental talent, and exceptional songwriting. Stevie Wonder is responsible for giving some all-time greats including "Superstition" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
Elton John
Elton John is a living legend, one of the most well-known artists of all-time. While he is an incredibly talented pianist and vocalist, he is also well known for his incredible songwriting. Elton John wrote some incredible songs like "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer", and "Bennie and The Jets".
Bob Marley
Bob Marley was a legendary Jamaican musician who eventually made a massive name for himself all over the world. His music had a distinct, soothing sound that was hard to dislike. Many of his songs have carried on through the years, including "Is This Love", "No Woman No Cry", and "One Love".
David Bowie
David Bowie or also called "Ziggy Stardust" was easily one of the best songwriters and performers of his time. It was a hard day for the music industry when the world lost the legend back in 2016. Even though he is no longer here, he has still left music enthusiasts with some of the most iconic music in history.
John Lennon
While John Lennon started writing alongside his band mate Paul McCartney, he went on to write some of the best songs ever created during his solo career. Apart from his individual projects, he has also earned writing honors for numerous Beatles superhits.
Paul McCartney
Now onto the next famous Beatles star, Paul McCartney. Starting out writing with John Lennon, Paul McCartney went on to pursue an incredibly successful solo career. Hit songs like "Let It Be" and "Hey Jude" will live on to be counted among some of the best songs ever written.
Bob Dylan
It can be pretty hard to deny that the legendary Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of all time. While many people joke that he did not particularly have the greatest voice, his incredible poetry made up for that. His music could go from breaking your heart deeply to healing it all within a matter of minutes.
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FAQs
Who is the best songwriter in the world 2022? ›
Jack Antonoff has won the Songwriter Award at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 for his outstanding contributions to music for two decades and counting.
Who is the most popular singer songwriter 2022? ›The top global artists of 2022
It's a three-peat for global recording artist Bad Bunny. The singer-songwriter is the year's most-streamed artist in the world on Spotify—a spot he's held since 2020.
- Jesse Frasure is at No. ...
- Josh Osborne comes in at No. ...
- Michael Hardy rounds out the top five on the MusicRow's Top 100 Songwriters of 2021 list. ...
- Taylor Swift is the highest ranking female songwriter on this year's list at No.
Rank | Name | Lifetime |
---|---|---|
1 | Bob Dylan | May 24, 1941 – present |
2 | Paul McCartney | June 18, 1942 – present |
3 | John Lennon | October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980 |
4 | Chuck Berry | October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017 |
- I'm Good (Blue) I'm Good (Blue) David Guetta & Bebe Rexha. ...
- Levitating. Levitating. Dua Lipa. ...
- 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) Lizzo. ...
- Shivers. Shivers. Ed Sheeran. ...
- Anti-Hero. Anti-Hero. Taylor Swift. ...
- abcdefu. abcdefu. GAYLE. ...
- Left and Right. Left and Right. ...
- Miss You. Miss You.
Musical career
Martin is the songwriter with the third-most number-one singles on the chart, behind only Paul McCartney (32) and John Lennon (26). In addition, he is tied with George Martin for the most Hot 100 number-one songs as a producer, with 23 as of 2021.
Rank | Singer | Genre |
---|---|---|
1 | Michael Jackson | Pop, Soul, Funk, R&B, Rock, Disco, & Dance |
2 | Stevie Wonder | Soul, Pop, R&B, Funk, & Jazz |
3 | Marvin Gaye | Soul, R&B, Funk, Pop, & Jazz |
4 | Freddie Mercury | Hard Rock, Music Hall, Glitter, & Prog Rock |
Top-selling artists worldwide as of 2022. Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
Who wrote the greatest song ever written? ›"The Greatest" is a song written by Don Schlitz, and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in April 1999 as the first single from the album She Rides Wild Horses. The song reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Who has written the most Top 10 songs? ›Diane Warren is considered to be among the most prolific and successful contemporary songwriter of our time. A quick glance at her list of Top Ten hits reveals a range of musical genres and styles so diverse it's difficult to believe the songs could have come from the same person.
What singer wrote the most songs? ›
Steve Allen is well known to have written the most songs in history, topping well beyond 1000. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records . Irving Berlin wrote more than 1,500 songs, including scores for 20 Broadway shows.
Which songwriter has sold the most records? ›Formerly of The Beatles (1960–1970) and Wings (1971–1981), McCartney is the most commercially successful songwriter in the history of popular music, according to Guinness World Records. McCartney gained worldwide fame as a member of The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
What is the world's most listened to song? ›Rank | Song | Streams (billions) |
---|---|---|
1 | "Shape of You" | 3.303 |
2 | "Blinding Lights" | 3.277 |
3 | "Dance Monkey" | 2.705 |
4 | "Someone You Loved" | 2.558 |
It was never a hit single and got almost no play on Top 40 radio. There's even a dispute over the exact title. Yet “It's a Small World,” also known as “It's a Small, Small World” and “It's a Small World (After All),” is very likely the most played song in music history — nearly 50 million times.
What is the most listened to song of all time? ›Rank | Song | Artist |
---|---|---|
1 | "Shape of You" | Ed Sheeran |
2 | "rockstar" | Post Malone ft. 21 Savage |
3 | "One Dance" | Drake ft. Wizkid and Kyla |
4 | "Closer" | The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey |
James Brown had dozens of songs make it to the Hot 100, but none ever reached No. 1. Brown is another legend who shockingly never reached the top spot on the Hot 100. He came close more than a few times with songs like "Living in America" (peaked at No.
Which pop artist has sold the most records? ›1. The Beatles — 183 million units.
Who has released the most music ever? ›Elvis Presley
Until his death in 1977, the King released over 60 albums, including numerous collections and soundtracks.
- 1 Taylor Swift97%
- 2 Lady Gaga97%
- 3 Justin Bieber97%
- 4 Beyoncé97%
- 5 Adele96%
- 6 Kanye West96%
- 7 Miley Cyrus96%
- 8 Katy Perry96%
1. The Weeknd. In 2022, The Weeknd won the foremost 10 Billboard Music Awards, and 5 iHeartRadio Music Awards, including Top Artist of the Year, making him the most popular singer in the world.
Who has the most beautiful voice in the world female? ›
1: Aretha Franklin
Topping our list of the best female singers of all time, Aretha Franklin also stands as the most-charting female singer in history. Starting out in the gospel choir at her Baptist church, in Detroit, Franklin began her career as a recording artist in 1960, aged just 18.
Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' named Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone.
What is the greatest piece of music ever written? ›- The Well-Tempered Clavier, BWV 846–893. ...
- Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), WWV 86. ...
- 2161 Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony 1824 Play.
- Mass in B Minor. ...
- Symphony No. ...
- Piano Concerto No. ...
- The Art of Fugue (Die Kunst der Fuge), BWV 1080. ...
- Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde), WWV 90.
...
Freddie Mercury | |
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Mercury performing with Queen in New Haven, Connecticut, 1977 | |
Born | Farrokh Bulsara5 September 1946 Stone Town, Zanzibar |
The subject is the life and music of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca. 1525-1594), a famous Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music. He is the best-known 16th-century composer of the Roman School.
Who is the current queen of pop? ›Dubbed “the first lady of music”, Beyoncé Knowles has created a legacy that is unparalleled. With 20 record titles to her name, the Pop megastar has pushed boundaries and empowered women while redefining music history in the process.
What female songwriter has the most number one hits? ›Diane Warren and Lionel Richie are tied for the lead, with eight No. 1 hits written all by themselves. Warren is the only female songwriter who has written three or more No. 1 hits all by herself.
Who is the number 1 female artist of all time? ›Madonna is recognized by Guinness World Records as the "Best-selling female recording artist of all time".
Who is the most successful female singer? ›Madonna. The Queen of Pop, Madonna, is the bestselling female artist of all time. She's released 14 studio albums, three soundtracks, five live albums and six compilations, plus 63 UK Top 10 singles. Since 1983, she's sold an estimated 335 million albums and singles worldwide.
What song stayed number 1 the longest? ›
"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond.
Who has most No 1 Billboard hits? ›The Beatles, unsurprisingly, lead the way with a record 20 No. 1s, all earned between 1964 and 1970. The Fab Four also scored 34 top 10s (second only to Madonna's 38), hitting No.
Who has the most Top 40 hits of all time? ›- Elvis Presley. 1st Appearance: “Hard Headed Woman” (Peak: No. ...
- James Brown. 1st Appearance: “Try Me” (Peak: No. ...
- Aretha Franklin. 1st Appearance: “Won't Be Long” (Peak: No. ...
- Ray Charles. 1st Appearance: “Rockhouse (Part 2)” (Peak: No. ...
- The Beatles. ...
- Elton John. ...
- Stevie Wonder. ...
- The Rolling Stones.
- As a musician, Paul McCartney has the most number-one albums, with 27. This includes 19 albums from his work with The Beatles, 3 solo albums, and 5 albums as a part of his 1970s group Wings. ...
- Barbra Streisand is the only artist to have number 1 albums in six different decades.
Songwriting Income Streams From Performances
The sync fee we discussed earlier is a licensing fee to use the song and the performance royalty is fee for the song per play. This is one of the top songwriting income streams. On a big hit single, the performance money can easily be in the 6-7 figure range.
Royalty rates vary, but it is usually up to $5 per spin. More often than not, songs that end up on terrestrial radio are written by more than one person, so that royalty gets split a few ways. If you've got a hit on your hands, you can make a great deal of money.
Who has sold more than 150 million records? ›- The Beatles – over 257 million certified units. ...
- Elvis Presley – over 206 million certified units. ...
- Michael Jackson – over 169 million certified units. ...
- Madonna – over 164 million certified units. ...
- Elton John – over 159 million certified units.
- Bad Bunny.
- Taylor Swift.
- Harry Styles.
- Drake.
- Morgan Wallen.
- Taylor Swift, “Sweet Nothing” TaylorSwiftVEVO. ...
- Steve Lacey, “Bad Habit” Dan Music. ...
- Rihanna, “Lift Me Up” RihannaVEVO. ...
- Paramore, “This is Why” Paramore. ...
- Maggie Lindeman, “She Knows It” MaggieLindemannVEVO. ...
- 1975, “About You” The1975VEVO. ...
- Flo Milli, “Conceited” ...
- King Princess, “For My Friends”
Elvis Presley (USA) is the best-selling solo artist, with 1 billion sales worldwide (129.5 million in the USA).
Who has the best voice in the world? ›
- 1 of 31. Barbra Streisand. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for BSB. ...
- 2 of 31. Etta James. Charles Paul Harris/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. ...
- 3 of 31. Aretha Franklin. ...
- 4 of 31. Whitney Houston. ...
- 5 of 31. Mariah Carey. ...
- 6 of 31. Elton John. ...
- 7 of 31. Freddie Mercury. ...
- 8 of 31. Adele.
Justin Bieber takes the top spot, with millions of followers across socials and billions of plays on streaming services. The most popular female artist currently goes to Taylor Swift, while BTS are unsurprisingly the most popular band.
What is the most popular song of the last 10 years? ›- A Sky Full of StarsColdplay.
- Be the OneDua Lipa.
- Dance MonkeyTones And I.
- Want to Want MeJason Derulo.
- That's What I LikeBruno Mars.
- Truth HurtsLizzo.
- XO Tour Llif3Lil Uzi Vert.
- I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)Icona Pop, Charli XCX.
Number of weeks | Artist(s) | Song |
---|---|---|
16 | Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men | "One Sweet Day" |
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber | "Despacito" | |
15 | Harry Styles | "As It Was" |
14 | Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" |