Music Thread - August 29, 2026 [TRex]

Happy Saturday evening friends! Welcome to the music thread! (or is this the Hobby Thread afterparty? or maybe the Club ONT pre-party?)

Please adjust your treble and bass and get your woofers and tweeters in order.

Tonight's music thread theme is writing. Yes, music can be about singing but how do singers know what to say? This may come as a shock to some of you, so I'll say it gently: in some cases, other people write the words. What? Yep.

All the chatter over the past few days about Dolly Parton writing "I Will Always Love You" - later was made famous by Whitney Houston - got us thinking.

What great songs were written by people other than those that recorded/sang them? What great writers warrant more recognition in the history books?

Many songs you recognize were not written by the recording/performing artist. No, Garth Brooks did not write "Friends in low places" - Earl Bud Lee and Dewayne Blackwell wrote it. "What's Love Got to Do with It" was recorded by Tina Turner but written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle. "...Baby One More Time" made Britney Spears famous but it was written by Max Martin and first offered to TLC.

The list below came from poking around the interwebs which means it may or may not be accurate.

Prince wrote "Manic Monday" for The Bangles, "Nothing Compares 2 U" for Sinéad O'Connor, and "I Feel for You" for Chaka Khan.

Carole King co-wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" for The Shirelles, "The Loco-Motion" for Little Eva, and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for Aretha Franklin.

Neil Diamond wrote "I'm a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" for The Monkees.

Willie Nelson wrote "Crazy," which became Patsy Cline's signature hit, "Hello Walls" sung by Faron Young, "Pretty Paper" sung by Roy Orbison, and "Pretend I Never Happened" by Waylon Jennings

The Bee Gees wrote "Islands in the Stream" for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, and "Woman in Love" for Barbra Streisand.

Paul McCartney wrote and produced "Come and Get It" for Badfinger.

Lionel Richie wrote and produced "Lady" for Kenny Rogers.

Sia wrote "Diamonds" for Rihanna and "Pretty Hurts" for Beyoncé.

Pharrell Williams co-wrote "Hot in Herre" for Nelly.

Paul Anka adapted and wrote the English lyrics for "My Way," which Frank Sinatra made famous.

Country music has a tradition of understanding that singers and songwriters are two often two different people.

Professional songwriters are a backbone of country music but less recognized by name. Here are a few:

Harlan Howard wrote or co-wrote "I Fall to Pieces" (Patsy Cline), "Busted" (Johnny Cash / Ray Charles), "Heartaches by the Number," and "Why Not Me."

Cindy Walker's writing credits include "You Don't Know Me," "Dream Baby," "Bubbles in My Beer," and songs for Bob Wills, Eddy Arnold, and Roy Orbison.

Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote a huge catalog for the Everly Brothers (
"Bye Bye Love," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Wake Up Little Susie") plus hits for others.

Bob McDill's songwriting hits include "Good Ole Boys Like Me," "Gone Country," and "Song of the South."

Billy Sherrill was better known as a producer, but co-wrote "Stand by Your Man," "The Most Beautiful Girl."

Ashley Gorley is a modern songwriter with dozens of top hits written for Luke Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Carrie Underwood, and others. His most well known hits include "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen, "That's My Kind of Night" and "Play it Again" by Luke Bryan, and "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins.

Your turn. Turn it up.

posted by Open Blogger at 07:30 PM

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