News Archive
If we were collaborating on a song and I suggested that one particular line of lyric – and the melody that accompanies it – be repeated eighteen times, would you think that would be entirely too repetitive to be successful? How about if, in the same song, I insisted that…
BMI Celebrates its 2020 London Awards Winners
BMI today paid tribute to the top UK and European songwriters, composers and music publishers of the most-performed songs of the previous year with the 2020 BMI London Awards. Honourees for Song of the Year, Million-Air Awards, Top 30 Pop Songs and Film, TV & Visual Media were celebrated across…
5 Tips for Making Your Lyrics Stand Out
At my songwriting workshops I stress the importance of including lyric and melodic elements in our songs that will compel listeners and decision-makers to choose our material over the tough competition. Let’s look at some ways to write lyrics that command attention. 1. Find a Fresh Angle It’s unlikely that…
What Makes a Song a Worldwide Phenomenon?
Warning: Listening to the songs referenced in this article is likely to result in an inability to get them out of your brain. It is an incredible accomplishment for a song to reach the top of one of the Billboard charts. Occasionally, songs connect with listeners sufficiently to…
Harry Gregson-Williams and Other Top Songwriters Honored At 2018 BMI London Awards
Tonight, BMI proudly honored acclaimed film composer Harry Gregson-Williams with the BMI Icon Award at the 2018 BMI London Awards. Guests including Liam Payne, James Arthur, Natasha Bedingfield, Tinie Tempah and Trevor Rabin attended the awards at London’s Dorchester Hotel for an evening of celebration for UK and European songwriters,…
How to Write a Song That’s Fun to Listen to—and Fun to Sing
When it was suggested I write about songs that are fun to sing, the jukebox in my brain instantly thought of “The Name Game” (recorded by Shirley Ellis, written by Lincoln Chase and Shirley Elliston). Anyone of a certain age remembers plugging his or her name into the…
Rewind With BMI’s 2016 Songs of the Year
Every year BMI celebrates the immense talent of our affiliates over the course of eight different awards shows. The coveted Song of the Year award, which is given to the track that received the most performances within that genre, salutes the songwriter’s ability to dominate the airwaves. Here’s a chance…