Yes, we’ve all whistled, hummed, and sung along with the popular songs we know and love. But over the years, most listeners of American popular music—from the 1930s to today—have had little sense of how these songs were created or who was behind them. Who was actually writing these hits?

We may recognize legendary names like the Gershwins or Cole Porter, but the craft of songwriting itself was rarely discussed. For decades, most songs were created by songwriting teams, with one person composing the music and another writing the lyrics. Famous examples include Burt Bacharach & Hal David and Carole King & Gerry Goffin.

However, there are numerous instances where the English lyrics were written by American songwriters, but the melodies originated elsewhere. Over time, these traditional teams faded in prominence, giving way to a new type of creator: the singer-songwriter—artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, ABBA, and Taylor Swift—who write and perform their own hits.

In this course, we’ll take a deep dive into the surprising origins of many beloved melodies and explore whether these borrowed tunes offered advantages over “homegrown” ones. Did these similarities lead to lawsuits? Did songwriters borrow—or steal—from classical composers?

Join us as we unravel this nostalgic musical mystery!

This course can be attended virtually via Zoom.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.