I see so many songs with 3-5 or more listed in the credits. I always thought sometimes one person wrote music, and another wrote lyrics. Why can it take around 5 people to write a song?
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A lot interesting responses here. Some good, but I haven’t seen anyone suggest what I think is really going on. More people are being credited, correctly, for their work. All those old records you have with one or two songwriters listed are deceptive. Most music is a collaborative process. Sting is listed as the sole songwriter on “I’ll Be Watching You,” but Andy Summers wrote the guitar lick that Puffy sampled for “I’ll Be Missing You.” Sting gets all the money. Andy Summers get none. Producers never used to get songwriting credit, even if their contributions made songs hits. Arrangers never used to get writing credits, even if they transformed three dinky chords into a masterpiece. Drummers and bass players write parts that become major hooks and never see a penny for it. Pop music artists work with different teams when making their records. Those teams work with different artists. This has lead to a more professional attitude toward songwriting credits. If your work contributes to the songs, you get a piece. You don’t let yourself become Sting’s Andy Summers.
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