Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song

Gershwin Prize: 2007-2024

The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song was created by the Library of Congress in 2007. As explained on the site, it is given to celebrate “the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding. The styles in which these works are composed reflect myriad contemporary traditions like rock, jazz, country, pop, blues, folk, and gospel. The recipient – whether composer, singer/songwriter, or interpreter – is recognized for entertaining and informing audiences, for drawing upon the acknowledged foundations of popular song, and for inspiring new generations of performers on their own professional journeys.” The Library of Congress selects the recipient in consultation with a board consisting of members which may include music critics, performers, producers, scholars, and songwriters. The award was named after the brother/composer team of George and Ira Gershwin. Here are the recipients: See other lifetime achievement awards. Burt Bacharach (2012) Tony Bennett (2017) Garth Brooks (2020) Hal David (2012) Emilio Estefan (2019) Gloria Estefan (2019) Billy Joel (2014) Elton John (2024) Carole King (2013) Paul McCartney (2010) Joni Mitchell (2023) Willie Nelson (2015) Lionel Richie (2022) Smokey Robinson (2016) Paul Simon (2007) Bernie Taupin (2024) Stevie Wonder (2009) Resources: Library of Congress (loc.gov): Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Wikipedia.org: Gershwin Prize First posted 12/13/2012; last updated 3/20/2024.

Doja Cat “Paint the Town Red” hit #1

Paint the Town Red Doja Cat

Writer(s): Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Isaac Earl Bynum, Jean-Baptiste Kouame, Karl Rubin, Ryan Buendia (see lyrics here) Released: August 4, 2023 First Charted: August 19, 2023 Peak: 13 BB, 11 BA, 12 DG, 11 ST, 31 A40, 18 RB, 15 UK, 16 CN, 110 AU (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.6 UK, 2.68 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 360.10 video, 1202.18 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, better known as Doja Cat, is a rapper and singer born in Los Angeles in 1995. Her 2018 debut, Amala, stalled at #138 on the album chart, but her next two albums were top-ten, double-platinum releases. She also landed a #1 hit in with “Say So” from her Hot Pink album and three more top tens from 2021’s Planet Her. Her fourth album, 2023’s Scarlet, gave Doja Cat her second #1 song with “Paint the Town Red.” In addition to topping the charts in the United States, the song soared to the top of the charts in 18 other charts. It became the fastest song by a solo female rapper to reach 100 million streams on Spotify. WK The song also received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance. The “pop-rap track with a jazz-influenced beat” WK samples Dionne Warwick’s 1964 top-ten hit “Walk on By.” The phrase “paint the town red” means “to go out and celebrate without inhibition by having a noisy and disorderly spree.” SF It was first used in the 1870s as a reference to red-light districts. SF The song has been interpreted as a message to haters – both critics and fans – that she will go out and enjoy herself, living her life the way she wants to. The song may be a specific response to reaction to Doja Cat shaving her head and eyebrows in August 2022. The move spurred negative comments from fans on social media who thought it made her look demonic. In the video, Doja Cat appears to be playing up the image, dressed in red and keeping company with the devil. There’s also a scene in which she peels out her eyeball and it falls into hell. The message is potentially that messing with Doja Cat could get bloody. SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Doja Cat SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 1/7/2024; last updated 10/17/2024.

Burt Bacharach's Top 50 Songs

Burt Bacharach Top 50 Songs

Burt Bacharach is a pianist, composer, and producer born May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, MO. He died on 2/8/2023. Frequently partnered with lyricist Hal David. Through 2006, Bacharach had written 70 Top 40 hits in the U.S. and 52 Top 40 hits in the U.K. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists. Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode Remembering Burt Bacharach: His Top 10 Songs, based on this list. Debut: February 10, 2023, at 7pm CST. New episodes based on Dave’s Music Database lists are posted every Tuesday at 7pm CST.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to charts.) DMDB Top 1%: 1. That's What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick with Elton John, Gladys Knight, & Stevie Wonder, 1985) #1 US, AC, RB, CN, AU 2. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (B.J. Thomas, 1969) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN 3. They Long to Be Close to You (Carpenters, 1970) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN, AU DMDB Top 2%: 4. Walk on By (Dionne Warwick, 1964) 5. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (Christopher Cross, 1981) #1 US, CB, HR, RR, AC 6. I Say a Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin, 1968) 7. This Guy’s in Love with You (Herb Alpert, 1968) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN, AU DMDB Top 5%: 8. On My Own (Patti LaBelle with Michael McDonald, 1986) #1 US, CB, RR, RB, CN 9. Always Something There to Remind Me (Naked Eyes, 1983) 10. What the World Needs Now Is Love (Jackie DeShannon, 1965) #1 CN DMDB Top 10%: 11. Baby It’s You (The Shirelles, 1961) 12. The Look of Love (Dusty Springfield, 1967) 13. Heartlight (Neil Diamond, 1982) 31 AC 14. Magic Moments (Perry Como, 1957) #1 UK DMDB Top 20%: 15. I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (Dionne Warwick, 1969) #1 AC 16. Wishin’ and Hopin’ (Dusty Springfield, 1964) 17. I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself (The White Stripes, 2003) 18. Any Day Now (Ronnie Milsap, 1982) #1 AC, CW 19. What’s New Pussycat? (Tom Jones, 1965) #1 CN 20. One Less Bell to Answer (The 5th Dimension, 1970) #1 AC 21. Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa (Gene Pitney, 1963) 22. Only Love Can Break a Heart (Gene Pitney, 1962) #1 AC 23. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (Dionne Warwick, 1968) 24. Wives and Lovers (Jack Jones, 1963) 25. Blue on Blue (Bobby Vinton, 1963) #1 HR 26. I Say a Little Prayer (Diana King, 1997) 27. Trains and Boats and Planes (Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, 1965) 28. Baby It’s You (The Beatles, 1963) 29. Don’t Make Me Over (Dionne Warwick, 1962) 30. Love Power (Dionne Warwick with Jeffrey Osborne, 1987) #1 AC 31. Anyone Who Had a Heart (Dionne Warwick, 1963) 32. I Say a Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick, 1967) 33. Always Something There to Remind Me (Sandie Shaw, 1964) 34. Make It Easy on You (Jerry Butler, 1962) 35. What the World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin and John (Tom Clay, 1971) 36. The Look of Love (Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66, 1968) 37. A House Is Not a Home (Brook Benton, 1964) DMDB Beyond the Top 20%: 38. Walk on By (The Stranglers, 1978) 39. Casino Royale (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, 1967) #1 AC 40. Alfie (Stevie Wonder as Eivets Rednow, 1968) 41. I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself (Gary Puckett, 1970) 42. Don’t Make Me Over (Sybil, 1989) 43. I Say a Little Prayer/By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Glen Campbell & Anne Murray, 1971) 44. Anyone Who Had a Heart (Cilla Black, 1964) 45. My Little Red Book (Love, 1966) 46. Blue Guitar (Richard Chamberlina, 1963) 47. Making Love (Roberta Flack, 1982) 48. Walk on By (Average White Band, 1979) 49. Love Always (El DeBarge, 1986) 50. Walk on By (Isaac Hayes, 1969) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Burt Bacharach DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Hal David DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Dionne Warwick Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 12/15/2019; updated 2/10/2023.

In Memory of Hal David: His Top 40 Songs

First posted 12/15/2019.

Hal David with Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach, image from haldavid.movie.com

R.I.P. songwriter Hal David. He was born Harold Lane David on 5/25/1921 in New York, NY. He died 9/1/2012. Frequently worked with Burt Bacharach. They were one of the songwriting teams who worked out of the legendary Brill Building.For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

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Top 40 Songs

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Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. In the event of songs which have been recorded more than once, only the top-ranked song is included in the list. Songs which hit #1 on the following charts have been noted: Billboard Hot 100 pop charts (US), Cashbox (CB), Hit Records (HR), Radio & Records (RR), Billboard R&B chart (RB), Billboard country chart (CW), United Kingdom pop chart (UK), Canadian pop chart (CN), and Australian pop chart (AU).

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (B.J. Thomas, 1969) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN
2. They Long to Be Close to You (Carpenters, 1970) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN, AU

DMDB Top 5%:

3. Walk on By (Dionne Warwick, 1964)
4. I Say a Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin, 1968)
5. This Guy’s in Love with You (Herb Alpert, 1968) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN, AU
6. Always Something There to Remind Me (Naked Eyes, 1983)

DMDB Top 10%:

7. What the World Needs Now Is Love (Jackie DeShannon, 1965) #1 CN
8. Magic Moments (Perry Como, 1957) #1 UK

DMDB Top 20%:

9. I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (Dionne Warwick, 1969) #1 AC
10. Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa (Gene Pitney, 1963)

11. Wives and Lovers (Jack Jones, 1963)
12. Only Love Can Break a Heart (Gene Pitney, 1962) #1 AC
13. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
14. One Less Bell to Answer (The 5th Dimension, 1970) #1 AC
15. Trains and Boats and Planes (Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, 1965)
16. The Look of Love (Dusty Springfield, 1967)
17. Don’t Make Me Over (Dionne Warwick, 1962)
18. Anyone Who Had a Heart (Dionne Warwick, 1963)
19. Wishin’ and Hopin’ (Dusty Springfield, 1964)
20. Blue on Blue (Bobby Vinton, 1963) #1 HR

21. A House Is Not a Home (Brook Benton, 1964)
22. Make It Easy on You (Jerry Butler, 1962)
23. I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself (Gary Puckett, 1970

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

24. My Little Red Book (Love, 1966)
25. Alfie (Stevie Wonder as Eivets Rednow, 1968)
26. What’s New Pussycat? (Tom Jones, 1965) #1 CN
27. American Beauty Rose (Eddy Howard, 1950)
28. To Wait for Love (Herb Alpert, 1968)
29. You’ll Never Get to Heaven if You Break My Heart (Dionne Warwick, 1964)
30. The Story of My Life (Marty Robbins, 1957) #1 CW

31. Blue Guitar (Richard Chamberlina, 1963)
32. Who Is Gonna Love Me? (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
33. True Love Never Runs Smooth (Gene Pitney, 1963)
34. Saturday Sunshine (Burt Bacharach, 1963)
35. Reach Out for Me (Dionne Warwick, 1964) #1 RB
36. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Gene Pitney, 1962)
37. Promises, Promises (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
38. The Windows of the World (Dionne Warwick, 1967)
39. I’m a Better Man for Having Loved You (Engelbert Humperdinck, 1969)
40. The April Fools (Dionne Warwick, 1969)

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Awards:

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Carpenters hit #1 with “They Long to Be Close to You”

They Long to Be Close to You Carpenters

Writer(s): Burt Bacharach (music), Hal David (lyics) (see lyrics here) Released: May 14, 1970 First Charted: June 5, 1970 Peak: 14 US, 12 CB, 14 GR, 12 HR, 16 AC, 6 UK, 12 CN, 13 AU, 3 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.2 UK, 1.24 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 99.02 video, 134.19 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “The Carpenters didn’t invent easy listening music…But the Carpenters took that music, with all its lush and syrupy orchestration, and fused it with the starry-eyed sensibilities of late-’60s rock. In doing so, they became a commercial juggernaut and helped to invent the somnambulant sound of ’70s studio-pop. It’s not hard to figure out why a lot of people might resent them.” SG The brother and sister duo of Richard and Karen Carpenter were born in Connecticut, but the family moved to Los Angeles in 1963 when their parents realized the sibilings’ musical ambitions. After failed efforts with a jazz trio called the Carpenter Trio FB and a band named Spectrum, Richard and Karen signed to A&M as a duo. Their 1969 debut went nowhere, but their cover of the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” caught the attention of songwriter Burt Bacharach. FB Herb Alpert, who co-owned A&M and had hits of his own, suggested the Carpenters record “They Long to Be Close to You,” FB an obscure song Bacharach wrote with Hal David for TV star Richard Chamberlain. It was released as a B-side to “Blue Guitar,” which reached #42 in 1963. Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, and Alpert all recorded versions, but they were all “big, traditional showstopping ’60s orchestral-pop ballads.” SG Richard didn’t listen to any of them, instead coming up with his own piano arrangement. The Carpenters’ recording included members of the famed Wrecking Crew group of session musicians who served as the de facto house band for famous producer Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound in the 1960s. The “lyrics are exaggerated to the point of absurdity…Birds and stars and all the girls in town are hovering around this mythical beloved figure. The day this person was born, angels sprinkled gold dust in this person’s hair and starlight in his eyes of blue.” SG THe recording is “toothache-sweet and impeccable to the point of being antiseptic” SG but Karen’s “warm, controlled delivery…manages to get across both sadness and silliness.” SG When Albert asked Richard how he though the song would do, Carpenter said “it would either be number one of the biggest stiff the label had ever released.” FB It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and earned the Carpenters a Grammy for Best Contemporary Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Carpenters FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 278. SG Stereogum (1/8/2019). “The Number Ones” by Tom Breihan WK Wikipedia First posted 11/28/2022.

“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” hit #1

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head B.J. Thomas

Writer(s): Burt Bacharach, Hal David (see lyrics here) Released: October 1969 First Charted: November 1, 1969 Peak: 14 US, 12 CB, 13 HR, 17 AC, 38 UK, 13 CN, 20 AU (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.1 UK, 3.0 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 53.63 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The night before B.J. Thomas was scheduled to record “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” his doctor told him he couldn’t use his voice for two weeks because of laryngitis. Thomas pleaded that he was supposed to work on a song for the Paul Newman movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the doctor gave him some medicine to keep his throat lubricated. Thomas recorded five takes of the song before Burt Bachrach, one of the song’s writers and the producer, was satisfied. Thomas says his throat couldn’t have handled one more take. An executive from the movie company congratulated Thomas on the decision to use a raspy singing voice that made him sound like Paul Newman. FB The version released as a single, however, was recorded eight weeks later and featured a horn solo at the end. SF Rumor suggests Bob Dylan was originally asked to record the song, but Bachrach denies that. He did, however, ask Ray Stevens, who was best known for novelty songs and decided against it. He reportedly didn’t like the movie. ST Dionne Warwick, who’d worked extensively with Bachrach and co-songwriter Hal David, was the one who suggested Thomas. They were signed to the same label. FB The song was used during a scene when Paul Newman is riding a bicycle to entertain his girlfriend. Bacharach convinced director George Roy Hill that the scene needed a pop song with a vocal. ST Lyrically, the song “describes somebody who overcomes his troubles and worries by realizing that ‘it won’t be long ‘till happiness steps up to greet me.’” WK As the first #1 song of the 1970s, “Raindrops” set a tone with its “unhurred, carefully orchestrated soft-rock amble” ST which would dominated the charts through the first half of the ‘70s. ST When “Raindrops” won the Oscar for Best Original Song, it was only the second time in the rock era that a song which topped the Billboard Hot 100 won an Oscar. FB The other was the Four Aces’ “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” in 1955. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for B.J. Thomas FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 266. SF Songfacts ST Stereogum “The Number Ones” by Tom Breihan WK Wikipedia First posted 3/30/2022.