R.E.M., Steely Dan, Timbaland and more have been announced as inductees into the 2024 class of Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
- READ MORE: R.E.M.: every single album ranked and rated
Yesterday morning (January 17), the Songwriters Hall Of Fame announced five new inductees through CBS‘ Mornings programme. Leading the charge are Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Bill Berry, who formed R.E.M. until 2011. The band’s extensive discography encompasses 15 studio albums, including Top 40 hits such as ‘Losing My Religion’, ‘The One I Love’, ‘Stand’, ‘Everybody Hurts’ and more.
Following R.E.M. is Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who formed rock-jazz fusion band Steely Dan until Becker’s death in 2017. As a duo, the band released nine studio albums between 1972 and 2003, which carried various Top 40 hits including ‘Do It Again’, ‘Reelin’ In The Years’, ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’, ‘Peg’, ‘Hey Nineteen’ and more.
The third songwriter named is Timbaland, whose extensive production discography encompasses work for Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, LL Cool J, Justin Timberlake and more. He also possesses a lengthy list of songwriting credits, which includes work on Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’, ‘Sexyback’ and ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’, Nelly Furtado’s ‘Promiscuous’, Rihanna’s ‘Rehab’ and Madonna’s ‘4 Minutes’.
Non-performing writers Hilary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford round out the 2024 class. Lindsey is known for her work in country circles, penning for heavyweights including Carrie Underwood (‘Jesus, Take The Wheel’), Casey Musgraves (‘Wonder Woman’), Lady Gaga (‘Million Reasons’) and Taylor Swift (‘Fearless’). Her other work includes writing for Miley Cyrus, Tim McGraw, Mickey Guyton and Miranda Lambert. Pitchford’s repertoire includes various ’80s film soundtrack hits, including various numbers from Footloose, namely the film’s title track and Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding Out For A Hero’, and Fame, which includes its title track and ‘I Sing The Body Electric’.
The 2024 Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will take place on June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. The Hall Of Fame’s website states that more honorary inductees will be announced soon.
In a statement, the Hall Of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers emphasised the important role songwriters play in the music industry, stating: “I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch… nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter. We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2024 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and literally enriched music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”
In 2023, Jade, Snoop Dogg and Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne led that year’s class of Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductees, alongside Gloria Estefan, Teddy Riley, Glen Ballard and Liz Rose.