Songwriters of the Modern Era, 1960-Present

Includes pop, top 40, and current era composers and lyricists, those who might be identified with television, rock and roll, and modern theater.  This generally includes songwriters active 1960 – present.

PopularSong.org has been continuously publishing essays (originally as magazine articles) on key artists and their contributions to the craft since 2007.   These are not biographies as such, although some contain brief biographical info where it is necessary to develop further understanding.  Rather these essays seek to explain the significance of a given artist, and further define their place in the Great American Songbook.

Although many of these artists transcended eras, their most significant contributions — or the focus of a particular essay — is generally based on their activity after 1960.

Please click the links below….

Richard Carpenter

Frank DeVol

Lee Hazlewood

Billy Joel

Elton John

Bert Kaempfert

Carole King

Gordon Lightfoot

Doc Pomus

Jimmy Webb


Left to right: Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Harry Nilsson