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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