Eminem, Boy George, George Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Janet Jackson, the Doobie Brothers, NWA and Alanis Morissette have been selected as nominees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, a diverse group of rap, rock, hip-hop and pop pioneers.
On the ballot are Bryan Adams, of radio shows such as ‘Summer of ’69’ and ‘Have You Ever Loved a Girl?’, and the Beach Boys, who hope to be inducted 25 years after band founder Brian Wilson. )’s Mike Love participated in the vote. . David Gates, co-lead singer of pop music group Bread, is also seeking participation.
Each year the hall presents both performers and non-performers, and this year the latter includes Walter Afanasieff, who helped with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Mike Chapman, who co-wrote Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield”; and Narada Michael Walden, architect of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” and Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love.”
Eligible members must vote for three candidates in the composer category and three candidates in the performing composer category by December 22nd. The Associated Press received an early copy of the list.
Several performers also appeared in the entries, including Clinton and The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald) of the Parliament-Funkadelic group, who were hugely influential with hits like “Atomic Dog” and “Give Up the Funk.” I’m getting another opportunity. There are famous songs such as ‘Listen to the Music’ and ‘Long Train Runnin’. Steve Winwood, whose hits include ‘Higher Love’ and ‘Roll With It’, has also previously voted.
This year’s hip-hop is dominated by Eminem, who has hit songs such as ‘Lose Yourself’ and ‘Stan’, and NWA member Dr. Represented by Dre, Eazy E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. There are already hip-hop stars in the halls. Hits such as ‘Mony Mony’, ‘Crimson and Clover’, and ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ by Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Missy Elliot were also well received.
If Jackson, whose 1989 album ‘Rhythm Nation’ was a landmark, enters the Hall, it will have been more than 20 years since the late Michael. Morissette, a Canadian songwriter who won Grammys, Tonys, Junos and MTV awards for the influential “Jagged Little Pill,” will also be added to the Hall’s women of rock. (Glen Ballard, who helped produce and write the album, is already involved.)
Like Crow, the “All I Wanna Do” and “Everyday Is a Winding Road” singer-songwriter is seeing a major resurgence after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. Boy George raises the flag for the 80s. New Wave with the Culture Club had hits ‘Karma Chameleon’ and ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me’.
Other nominees in the poor category included Franne Golde, who co-wrote Selena’s “Dreaming of You,” and Tom Douglas, who wrote country hits for Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert; Ashley Gorley co-wrote Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help”; and Roger Nichols, who co-wrote The Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun.”
They are joined by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who contributed to Brandy and Monica’s hit “The Boy Is Mine.” Former Crickets members Sonny Curtis and Build Me Up Buttercup, who wrote and performed the theme song for the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Love is All Around. British composer Tony Macaulay, who composed the song, participated.
The Hall also featured a three-song songwriting team: Steve Barri and PF Sloan, who wrote “Secret Agent Man.” and Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who wrote the Four Tops hit “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)”; Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, who wrote the Percy Sledge song “Out of Left Field.”
The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those who created popular music. Songwriters with notable song catalogs are eligible for induction 20 years after their songs were first commercially released.
Among those already in the hall are Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and There’s Phil. Collins. Last year, REM, Steely Dan, Dean Pitchford, Hillary Lindsey and Timbaland were inducted.
