“Great means incredibly well crafted, easily memorable, with a universally relatable sentiment and a sense of authenticity—“from the heart” as they say. Iconic means touching a cultural nerve, standing the test of time and instantly recognizable by many people - that holds true even if it’s not widely considered… Read more...
It would be hard to look at a list of current hit songs without noticing a trend: the growing use of featured artists. A featured artist is one who makes a guest appearance on another artist’s recording to create a collaboration. What’s the difference between a duet and a song… Read more...
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… Read more...
Here at Broadcast Music, Inc., we love the holiday season, because we have an excuse to play some of our favorite festive tunes by BMI songwriters - from classics like Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” to Mariah Carey’s greatest gift to the world, “All I Want For Christmas… Read more...
We all know that Italians have greatly contributed to world culture - through art, cinema, fashion, literature, technology, cuisine, even sports cars - but what would pop music be without them? October, also known as Italian Heritage Month, is the perfect time to ponder this question. Here at Broadcast Music,… Read more...
John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” The BMI holiday countdown concludes with John Lennon’s delicate, defiant “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Released in December 1971, as Vietnam’s kaleidoscope of violence refracted the horrors of war around the world,… Read more...
James Brown, “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” With its tightly intertwined rhythms, percussive horns and traditional jump-blues bridge, “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” catches the incomparable James Brown during a period of transition—moving from the hard-hitting… Read more...
Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector In the early 1960s, Brooklyn natives Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich were barely in their early twenties when… Read more...
BMI songwriting giants Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil will receive the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award, presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHoF) during the organization’s 42nd annual ceremony on Thursday, June 16 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Through their lives as professional songwriters and the… Read more...
Holiday songs are no longer elevator music for the month of December—nor, as seems to increasingly be the case, for late October and November. The BMI repertoire is stacked with new classics that command attention, channeling lovesick blues, winking irreverence and funk-laced grooves into original odes to the season. In… Read more...
