After spending last week chronicling The New York Times‘ selections of the ’30 Greatest Living American Songwriters,’ this week I’m turning to my own list.
Unlike The Times, I have no obligation to represent multiple genres or recognize major historic figures. My list is entirely based on my tastes and habits, which are relatively narrow given the scope of American popular music over the past 50 years or so. And, yes, I know this list is extremely white. So am I. What can you do?
A trio of repeats topped the Billboard Hot 100 the week of May 31, 1966: Percy Sledge’s ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ The Mindbenders’ ‘A Groovy Kind of Love,’ and The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black.’
At #4, on its way to a peak at #2, was The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?’ This gentle rocker was the band’s fourth of seven straight singles to reach the top 10 of the chart (only these guys and Gary Lewis and the Playboys had that many consecutive top ten hits to start their career).
Throwing back to the week of May 30, 1956, we find Elvis Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel‘ and Morris Stoloff’s ‘Moonglow and Theme from Picnic‘ hanging on atop the singles chart.
Just behind at #3 was the song that would eventually end Presley’s seven-week stint in the top spot: ‘The Wayward Wind’ by pop singer Gogi Grant. This song would go on to spend six weeks at #1.
I’ve run down all but three of the artists named on The New York Times‘ list of the ’30 Greatest Living American Songwriters,’ so I’ll cover the rest today.
Nile Rodgers is another songwriter who worked with a now-deceased partner (Bernard Edwards). Together they founded the funk/disco band Chic, which had #1 hits with ‘Le Freak’ and ‘Good Times.’
They carried that unmistakable sound over to songs written for other artists, including ‘We Are Family’ for Sister Sledge and ‘I’m Coming Out’ for Diana Ross, not to mention the countless hip-hop songs that have sampled their music over the decades.
In a podcast about their curation of the ’30 Greatest Living American Songwriters’ list, one New York Times critic said he regretted not including more songwriters who primarily wrote for other people. It’s easier to celebrate the artists whose faces and voices we treasure as much as their writing chops.
I have no such regrets, and my own list is comprised only of songwriters who also perform.
The Times, on the other hand, did manage to recognize five individuals or teams whose work happens primarily behind the scenes.
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