R.E.M., Queen, Bee Gees and Other Groups in the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame is a major accomplishment in the life of any songwriter, and it’s always nice to share life’s big moments with friends and colleagues. So, it’s bound to be extra meaningful on Thursday June 13 when the four former members of R.E.M. are inducted together at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Another songwriting team – Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan – will also be honored this year, though the celebration will be muted by the fact that Becker is receiving the honor posthumously. He died in 2017 at age 67.

The other inductees at this year’s event are Hillary Lindsey, Dean Pitchford and Timothy Mosley (better known as Timbaland). Diane Warren will receive the night’s top award, the Johnny Mercer Award. SZA will receive the Hal David Starlight Award, which honors a fast-rising songwriter.

R.E.M. will be the ninth collective of three or more songwriters to be inducted into the SHOF on the same night. Seven of them are performing groups. The other two teams worked behind-the-scenes – Holland/Dozier/Holland, the songwriting and production wizards who created some of the most timeless and beloved hits of the 1960s, and Galt MacDermot, James Rado and Gerome Ragni, who wrote the songs for the Broadway musical Hair, which was a sensation in the late 1960s.

Here’s a complete list of the collectives of three or more songwriters that have been (or will soon be) inducted into the SHOF on the same night. They are listed in chronological order.

Paul Grein

Billboard