For those who don’t follow music but want to seem educated, Billboard has come to the rescue with its new weekly Top Songwriters and Top Producers charts. A quick look at these lists will definitely score some points in a conversation. The charts will debut in the Billboard issue that comes June 15th and in a June 13th email blast delivered to Billboard subscribers. This addition seems like a smart move by Billboard, perfectly complimenting their weekly Billboard song rankings.
The charts will be calculated quantitatively: based on total points accrued by a songwriter or producer for each attributed song that appears on the respective charts. I like this move because if the Top Songwriters and Producers charts were ordered subjectively, that would ruffle many feathers, no matter the order.
According to Billboard.com, “We’re extremely excited to acknowledge the top creative forces behind music’s biggest hits on a weekly basis,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard SVP of charts and data development. “A songwriter or producer’s influence and importance within the industry and beyond certainly merits recognition beyond our yearly rankings.”
“Anytime a light is shone upon the songwriters and producers who are the backbone of the industry, it’s a very good thing,” Atlas Music founder and CEO Richard Stumpf tells Billboard. “What Billboard is doing ties together with the digital services starting to show songwriter credits, so all of this is going the right way in helping the music fans become aware of the songwriters and the role they play.”