The Songwriters Hall of Fame has unveiled its 2024 inductees: R.E.M., Steely Dan, hip-hop and R&B legend Timbaland (hits for Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah and many more), and songwriters Hillary Lindsey (“Jesus Take The Wheel,” “Girl Crush,” “Million Reasons”), and Dean Pitchford (“Footloose,” “Fame,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”).
Shop the best of R.E.M.’s discography on vinyl and more.
R.E.M. was a staple on the alternative rock scene—with hit songs including “Losing My Religion” “Everybody Hurts,” It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “Radio Free Europe” and “The One I Love” and multi-platinum albums such as Out Of Time and Automatic For The People – before they announced an amicable split in 2011. While hope springs eternal for fans, drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and lead vocalist Michael Stipe thus far have stayed true to their word they would not reunite.
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, aka Steely Dan, count “Reelin’ In The Years,” “My Old School,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number and “Black Friday” among the songs that made the multi-Grammy-winning band a rock’ n’ roll sensation for decades.
The Songwriters Hall 2024 induction ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 13 at its longtime home of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
George Clinton, Public Enemy, Tracy Chapman and Bryan Adams are among the nominees who were not inducted this year. You can see the full list of inductees at the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s official website.
Songwriters Hall Of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement, “I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch…nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter.
“We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2024 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and literally enriched music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”
Unlike the Grammys and others, the induction ceremony is the music industry’s best-kept secret — an invite-only, insider combination of a superstar awards show and a family reunion for the tight-knit songwriting and music-publishing community that is in its 53rd year and has never been televised or livestreamed.
Last year, Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony saw memorable performances from ELO’s Jeff Lynne, Post Malone, Gloria Estefan, Keith Sweat (honoring Teddy Riley) Heather Headley (honoring Tim Rice) and more, with songwriter Liz Rose inducted by this year’s inductee Hillary Lindsey with Lori McKenna.