Best pop songwriter/team

[Gentle Giant]

This is a mix of classic pop teams (Brill Building, etc.) and major writers (Dylan, Joni, etc.). The asterisk next to Brian Wilson indicates any of his collaborators (Mike "I'm a raving dickhead" Love, Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Tony Asher, Van Dyke Parks, et al). I wish I could think of more classic black songwriting teams. Dan Penn I added because I've been humming "I'm Your Puppet" for days.

The goal is discussion more than competition. Remember: please no wagering.

[Sergio Zamora]

I'm confused - is this list just for songwriting teams or any songwriter?

If it's the latter, please consider including Stevie Wonder.

[Vince Kargatis]

doesn't listing both 'lennon/mccartney' and 'mccartney/lennon' beg the distinction of both of them singly and as collaborators? seems you should either list just 'lennon/mccartney', or 'lennon' and 'mccartney' singly.

'Fraid I'm personally gonna hafta go the Beatles route. With maybe Bach/David in second.

[Brian Olewnick]

I certainly find myself humming far more Bacharach than Beatles, so I'm going with Angie's ex.

[Jim Dye]

I wish I could think of more classic black songwriting teams.

How about adding Holland-Dozier-Holland!

Here are the top 40 most popular H-D-H penned songs according to their web site. http://www.hollanddozierholland.com/

1. Baby I Need Your Loving
2. You Can't Hurry Love
3. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
4. Reach Out I'll Be There
5. I Can't Help Myself
6. You Keep Me Hangin' On (aka Set Me Free)
7. This Old Heart Of Mine Is Weak For You
8. Where Did Our Love Go
9. Stop In The Name Of Love
10. Baby Love
11. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
12. It's The Same Old Song
13. Roll With It
14. Please Mr. Postman
15. Love Is Like A Heat Wave
16. I Hear A Symphony
17. Come And See About Me
18. One Two Three
19. Two Hearts
20. Reflections
21. My World Is Empty Without You
22. Back In My Arms Again
23. Jimmy Mack
24. Nowhere To Run
25. I Know I'm Losing You
26. The Happening (Soundtrack)
27. Bernadette
28. Take Me In Your Arms And Rock Me A Little While
29. Love Is Here And Now You're Gone
30. Standing In The Shadows Of Love
31. Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart
32. Nothing But Heartache
33. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
34. Quicksand
35. Heaven Must Have Sent You
36. Can I Get A Witness
37. Mickey's Monkey
38. I'm Ready For Love
39. I'm A Roadrunner
40. Playboy

[Fred K]

I'll probably have to go with Lennon/McCartney and suggest these additions to the list:

Jagger/Richards
David Bowie
Elvis Costello

[Gentle Giant]

HDH is a definitely poor omission. My bad.

The McCartney/Lennon option is actually a dig at Sir Paul, who is using that designation (allegedly illegally) on his latest live album to indicate that he wrote certain songs himself (such as Yesterday). I think it's pretty obvious which Beatle tunes are Lennon's and which are McCartney's. Personally, I prefer the former to the latter.

[Pete C]

Ted Hawkins.

[Underhound]

I wish I could think of more classic black songwriting teams

How 'bout Thom Bell/Linda Creed who wrote some great Philly soul for the Stylistics and Spinners.

As for others let's not forget Becker/Fagen and since I'm a big NRBQ fan I gotta mention Terry Adams and Joey Spampinato, together or seperately.

Hey Gentle Giant, I see you live in Melrose. Howdy neighbor.

[Gentle Giant]

Thom Bell, definitely. Great producer, love that Philly sound. Are you familiar with that Monk tribute album from the 80s that featured Fagen and Adams and other rockers doing Monk tunes? Pretty interesting.

So where abouts are you?

[Underhound]

I do have a vinyl version of the Monk tribute album with Fagen, Adams (w & w/o the Q) Carla Bley etc. I thinks it's one of the last vinyl albums I bought.

G.G. . I'm here in sunny Melrose on an out of the way street stuck somewhere between Pine Banks and Grove St.

And you?

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Boudloux & Felice Bryant

Great HDH list, Jim!


But my vote is solidly for Lieber and Stoller:

Stand By Me
I Who Have Nothing
Spanish Harlem
There Goes My Baby
Charlie Brown
Yakety Yak
Hound Dog
Love Potion #9
Jailhouse Rock
I'm A Woman
Ruby Baby
Kansas City
Dance With me
Searchin'
Poison Ivy
On Broadway
Fools Fall In Love, just for starters

[hglord]

I haven't posted in a dog's age, but this subject is too tempting.

If you're talking GAS [Great American Songbook], then the winners must be

Richard Rogers and Lorenz (Larry) Hart or
Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen or
George and Ira Gershwin or
Hoagy Charmichael and Johnny Mercer or
Cole Porter

but you haven't listed any of them. Why not? They put all your choices to shame.

Probably too obvious.

[hglord]

Of course, there's always Edward Kennedy Ellington, but who'd think of him on a jazz board?

[Jim Dye]

The topic is neither the GAS, or jazz. That's why it is posted here in The Alley.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

HG: because this is The Alley, I think the assumption is that we're talking post-WWII pop. The Duke and the GAS are more 'jazz serious' topics and would found in The Speakout section, where we had thread on the the GAS on the old board.

Why don't you start one there? I'll play.

[Jim Dye]

me too.

[shrugs]

Garcia/Hunter

[SinginSumo]

hglord - ditto...but let's include Hammerstein with Rodgers.

[stonemonkts]

Does Tom Waits qualify as pop?

If so he's my choice after Lennon/McCartney and Dylan.

[Harold_Z]

How about Ashford & Simpson?

AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING
YOU'RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY
YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE
IF I COULD BUILD MY WHOLE WORLD AROUND YOU...

ETC ETC

[Underhound]

Dittoes on Tom Waits.

John Hiatt
Robbie Robertson
Andy Partridge
Neil Young
Doc Pomus

To name a few more.

[Dr Dave]

Donald Fagan and Walter Becker should be on this list.

Isaac Hayes and David Porter, also! "Hold On, I'm Coming" "Soul Man" "Wrap It Up" and 200-plus other songs...

[walto]

How about Randy Newman?

I'm voting for Lennon, btw.

[EKE BBB]

Dylan, Dylan and then, Dylan

[RainyDay]

When I saw this thread I thought of Holland and Dozier immediately and was surprised not to seem them listed. But someone added their names later so I'm happy.

[Gentle Giant]

I have no beef with any of the additions, all great talents. Personally, it was tough to keep other faves off the list, such as John Prine, but I was trying to go for a 50s to present rock-related genre, and felt he was too folk.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I'm sticking with Lieber & Stoller, but Leonard Cohen is better than most of those guys/teams.

[jeff54]

How could you not vote for the team that wrote:

"Don't you give me no dirty looks
Your fathers hip he knows what cooks
Just tell your hoodlum friends outside
you ain't got time to take a ride"

At least that's who I'm voting for today. tomorrow may be a Tom Waits day.

[Dr Dave]

Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, who gave us

"Do Right Woman"

"I'm Your Puppet"

"Sweet Inspiration"

"Cry Like A Baby"

and about fifty other tunes that charted.

And anyway, Penn is the one who said "Behind every great song is a great pill."

Actually, the above is a lot of sentimental bullshit. Lieber & Stoller were the ones, baby. As Greil Marcus once pointed out, Big Mama Thornton said Elvis "stole" Hound Dog from her, but the matter of authenticity was inconveniently clouded by the song having been composed by two Brill Building guys. I mean, what a story, eh? (And anyway, those who Know know that the all-time killer version is on "Hoodoo Man Blues," in which Junior Wells and Buddy Guy apply their not inconsiderable skills to the same material.)

I'm undergoing a serious re-evaluation of the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Many of those songs sound like aural wind-up toys to me now.