Who *really* Writes the #1 Pop Music: Hit Charade

Read this last night. The main guys they mention, Max Martin, has written the 3rd most #1 singles of all time, behind Lennon and McCartney. And most of those have come in the last 7 or 8 years. He'll probably pass Lennon pretty soon if he keeps it up.

 

I thought it was well known that big name pop stars don't write many of their songs?

 

I thought for sure it was Napoleon Dynamite.

 

Very interesting read. I'm pleased to say I haven't heard of any of the current hits he listed. Long live session musicians!

 

Already knew this. I never hold pop musicians in high regard and I automatically assume that all of their songs were written by someone else.

 

It's not just pop artists either. Today's "country music" is just as bad. The same song-writing teams write most of the songs you see/hear from artists on the CMA's, which seemingly air about every month or so. There's a reason they all sound the same. Because the songs are written by the same people.

Clint Black was a huge star in the 90's who only recorded his own songs. In the 2000's, his record company wanted him to stop writing songs and record songs written by other people (like all these sorry pop-country acts you see at the rodeo every year) and he refused. His career hasn't been the same since.

 

I don't really believe that most popular bands/singers write their songs, outside of most rock bands and rappers.

Any pop star, or country star, I would guess writes maybe 10% of their songs.

 

IMO there are different manifestations of what a musician needs to bring to the table that doesn't necessarily require being a song-writer.

I think about musicians like Otis Redding. On Otis Blue, his biggest album, he has songwriting credits on three of the 11 songs. But I don't hesitate to consider him an artist because of what he brings to the table in terms of bringing emotions to his voice and the words he sings. Same with people like Aretha Franklin, etc...

I also think that there's value in good pop music and I don't look down on pop stars, like say a Katy Perry, etc. But don't consider them artists because I don't think they bring as much to the table as other pop artists of their generation (Beyonce, Sia, etc...)

 

I don't think the revelation of this article is that pop stars don't write most of their songs. The intriguing thing is just how small the REAL group of musical writers is. Just this handful of Norwegian dudes responsible for so much of what you hear on the radio is pretty remarkable.

Also, the K-Pop formula and "school" kind of reminds me of China developing and training their major athletes (like Yao Ming) so they can keep a chunk of everything they make.

 

Honestly, I didn't read the article.

The fact that it's a small group writing, probably explains why I hate most songs on the radio these days.


That, or I'm getting old...

 

Hip-hop has a sh-t ton of ghost writers. All your favs use them.

 

Taylor swift used to write all her own songs.

 

You haven't heard The Weeknd's song?

 

Nothing new. Some people are good at writing and some are good at singing. Very few are good at both.

George and Ira Gershwin wrote some of the best songs in history.
Ella Fitzgerald was the first lady of song and she never wrote anything.

 

Country music is a little different. A lot of the songs are written by other musicians that have to pay their dues before being the feature act. However, interestingly enough the best song writer in country music has the name "McAnally" and is flaming gay....

 

Its the pretense that gets me. Why lie to your fans. Where's the artist's sense of integrity? Maybe I'm getting old also.

 

One exception to the rule is Ne-Yo. Though he's had more success writing for others, his solo career has been extremely successful as well.