R.E.M., Queen, Bee Gees and Other Groups in the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2024)

• Holland/Dozier/Holland

  

  Inducted members: Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland

  Induction date: Jan. 24, 1988

  Notes: HDH wrote and produced some of the biggest and best hits in Motown history, including The Supremes’ “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “You Can’t Hurry Love” and Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” – all of which reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1965-66.

• Bee Gees

  Inducted members: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb

  Induction date: June 1, 1994

  Notes: The brothers co-wrote all 15 of their top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, which stretched from “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” in 1968 to “One” in 1989. Nine of those songs reached No. 1, including such all-timers as “How Deep Is Your Love” and “Stayin’ Alive” (the latter, a Grammy song of the year nominee). The brothers also wrote hits for a long list of other performers, including Yvonne Elliman, Andy Gibb, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick and Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton.

• Queen

  

  Inducted members: John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor

  Induction date: June 12, 2003

  Notes: Queen was inducted about midway between Mercury’s death in 1991 and the 2018 release of the band biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. The members of Queen wrote the group’s biggest hits individually: Mercury wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” May contributed “We Will Rock You.” Deacon wrote “Another One Bites the Dust.”

• Crosby, Stills & Nash

  Inducted members: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash

  Induction date: June 18, 2009

  Notes: Nash wrote both of the trio’s top 10 hits, “Just a Song Before I Go” and the philosophical “Wasted on the Way,” by himself. Stills wrote The Buffalo Springfield’s 1967 classic “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound)” by himself. Neil Young, who joined CSN in 1970 to make it a foursome, is not in the SHOF. The writer of “Heart of Gold” (and many other classics) needs to be there.

• MacDermot, Rado & Ragni

  Inducted members: Galt MacDermot, James Rado, Gerome Ragni

  Induction date: June 18, 2009

  Notes: The songwriters’ names may not ring a bell, but their songs sure do. The three creatives wrote the songs for the Broadway musical Hair, including four that reached the top five on the Hot 100: “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (by The 5th Dimension), “Hair” (by The Cowsills), “Good Morning Starshine” (by Oliver) and “Easy to Be Hard” (by Three Dog Night). The Hair cast album topped the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks. Ragni’s SHOF induction was posthumous; he had died in 1991 at age 55.

• Earth, Wind & Fire

  Inducted members: Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn, Al McKay

  Induction date: June 17, 2010

  Notes: Group leader Maurice White co-wrote four of the group’s seven top 10 hits: “Shining Star” (with Bailey), “Sing a Song” (with McKay), “September” (with McKay and Allee Willis, who was voted into the SHOF in 2018, the year before her death) and “Let’s Groove” (with Wayne Vaughn). “Shining Star” was the band’s sole No. 1 on the Hot 100, but the irresistible “September” is probably its most popular song today.

• Kool & the Gang

  Inducted members: Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown, James “JT” Taylor

  Induction date: June 25, 2018

  Notes: The band members wrote all 12 of their top 10 hits, including their sole No. 1, “Celebration,” which has become as much a fixture at wedding receptions as a big, frosted cake. Group member George Brown co-wrote “Too Hot,” the mid-tempo ballad that underscored the group’s broad appeal.

• The Isley Brothers

  Inducted members: Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley, O’Kelly Isley, Chris Jasper

  Induction date: June 13, 2022

  Notes: The Isleys are the largest collective to be honored to date – six members were inducted in 2022. O’Kelly, Ronald and Rudolph co-wrote the band’s first two top 10 hits on the Hot 100 – “It’s Your Thing” and “That Lady (Part 1).” Ernie, Marvin and Chris joined them to write the band’s third top 10 hit, “Fight the Power (Part 1).” O’Kelly’s induction was posthumous. He had died in 1986 at age 48.

• R.E.M.

  Inducted members: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe

  Induction date: June 13, 2024

  Notes: The four members of R.E.M. co-wrote all four of the band’s top 10 hits on the Hot 100: “The One I Love,” “Stand,” “Losing My Religion” and “Shiny Happy People.” The masterful “Losing My Religion” received a Grammy nod for song of the year and probably would have won if the Grammys hadn’t inexplicably let a 40-year-old standard (“Unforgettable”) compete that year.

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