Over the past four decades, the SHOF has come to represent the legacy of the great popular song in all of its richness and variety. The honor roll of inductees spans distinctions of gender, race, and musical genre, and includes music creators as diverse as Dorothy Fields, Hank Williams, Henry Mancini, Otis Redding, Victor Herbert, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Diane Warren, Buddy Holly, and many other greats.
Each year, a Nominating Committee selects candidates for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Only writers who have been engaged in the profession for a minimum of 20 years and who have written an extensive catalog of hits are eligible. Once the candidates are determined, ballots are dispatched to the dues-current members of the Academy for their vote.
The results of this process have yielded an impressive roster of candidates for induction in 2008. We have posted brief bios for each of them, and you are invited to have a look at history in the making!
See below the 2008 nominees list.
If you are not yet a member, there has never been a better time to join and have a voice and a vote for next year!
Non-Performer Songwriters
Tommy Boyce (d)/Bobby Hart ‑ * Last Train To Clarksville * Come A Little Bit Closer * Hey, Hey We're The Monkees * I Wanna Be Free * I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight * Valleri * I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
Desmond Child -* Livin' La Vida Loca * Dude Looks Like A Lady * Livin' On A Prayer * You Give Love A Bad Name * I Hate Myself For Lovin' You * How Can We Be Lovers * I Was Made For Lovin' You
Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway - * Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress * You've Got Your Troubles * I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing * Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling * Doctor’s Orders * I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman * Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
Graham Gouldman – * Bus Stop * I'm Not In Love * For Your Love * The Things We Do For Love * No Milk Today * Look Through Any Window * Heart Full Of Soul
Albert Hammond – * It Never Rains In Southern California * To All The Girls I've Loved Before * The Air That I Breathe * Nothing's Going To Stop Us Now * When I Need You * 99 Miles from L.A. * Moonlight Lady
Mark James ‑ * Suspicious Minds * (You Were) Always On My Mind * Hooked on a Feeling * Eyes of a New York Woman * Moody Blue * Sunday Sunrise * Everybody Loves a Rain Song
Sandy Linzer & Denny Randell - * A Lover's Concerto * Workin' My Way Back to You * Let 's Hang On To What We've Got * Native New Yorker * Opus 17 (Don't Worry 'bout Me) * Keep the Ball Rollin’* Dawn
Galt MacDermot/ James Rado/ Gerome Ragni (d) – * Aquarius * Easy To Be Hard * Good Morning Starshine * Hair * Let The Sunshine In * Where Do I Go * Frank Mills
Alan Menken - * A Whole New World * Under the Sea * Be Our Guest * Colors of the Wind * Go the Distance * Here in My Neighborhood * Seize the Day
Billy Sherrill – * Stand By Your Man * The Most Beautiful Girl In The World * Almost Persuaded * My Elusive Dreams * Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High) * Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad * ‘Til I Can Make It on My Own
Chip Taylor – * Wild Thing * Angel of the Morning * I Can't Let Go * Storybook Children * I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face * Papa Come Quick * Cry
Paul Vance & Lee Pockriss - * Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini * Catch a Falling Star * Playground in My Mind * Dommage Dommage * Leader of the Laundromat * She Lets Her Hair Down * Tracy
Performer/Songwriters
Jon Bon Jovi/Richie Sambora – * Livin' On A Prayer * It's My Life * You Give Love A Bad Name * Wanted Dead Or Alive * Bad Medicine * I'll Be There For You * I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Robert Lamm/James Pankow - * 25 or 6 to 4 * Color My World * Saturday in the Park * Make Me Smile * Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? * Wake Up Sunshine * Old Days
Elvis Costello - * Alison * Oliver’s Army * Radio, Radio * Watching the Detectives * Pump It Up * Red Shoes (The Angels Wanna Wear) * Accidents Will Happen
John Densmore/Robby Krieger/Ray Manzarek/Jim Morrison (d) – * Light My Fire * Touch Me * Break On Through (To The Other Side) * Hello, I Love You * LA Woman * Riders On The Storm * People Are Strange
Peter Gabriel – * Sledgehammer * Solsbury Hill * Biko * Red Rain * Shock The Monkey * Games Without Frontiers * Don't Give Up
David Gates ‑ * Make It With You * Baby I'm-a Want You * Everything I Own * If * It Don’t Matter to Me * Diary * Lost Without Your Love
Mick Jones/Lou Gramm - * Cold as Ice * Dirty White Boy * Double Vision * Head Games * Hot Blooded * Juke Box Hero * Waiting For A Girl Like You
Loretta Lynn - * Coalminer's Daughter * Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind) * Your Squaw Is on the Warpath * I'm a Honky-Tonk Girl * You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man * You're Lookin' at Country * Rated X
Tom Petty – * I Won't Back Down * Breakdown * Free Fallin’* Refugee * Runnin' Down A Dream * Don't Do Me Like That * The Waiting
John Sebastian ‑ * Do You Believe In Magic * Welcome Back * (What A Day For A) Daydream * Darling Be Home Soon * Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind* Summer In The City * You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) - * Moonshadow * Morning Has Broken * Peace Train * The First Cut Is the Deepest * Wild World * Oh, Very Young * On the Road to Find Out
Steve Winwood ‑ * Gimme Some Lovin' * Back In The High Life Again * Dear Mr. Fantasy * Can't Find My Way Home * Higher Love * Finer Things * While You See A Chance