Singer-songwriter

The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material.

North America

The first recognition of the singer-songwriter as a musical genre in North America occurred in the 1960s and early 1970s when a series of folk- and country-influenced musicians rose to prominence and popularity. These early singer-songwriters included Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, David Blue, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, and James Taylor. People who had been primarily songwriters, notably Carole King, also began releasing work as performers. In contrast to the storytelling approach of most prior country and folk music, these performers typically wrote songs from a highly personal (often first-person), introspective point of view. The adjectives "confessional" and "sensitive" were often used (sometimes derisively) to describe this early singer-songwriter style.

Related Topics:
Musical genre - 1960s - 1970s - Country - Bob Dylan - Neil Young - Jackson Browne - Joni Mitchell - Leonard Cohen - Gordon Lightfoot - David Blue - Carly Simon - Cat Stevens - Van Morrison - James Taylor - Carole King

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By the late 1970s and early 1980s the original wave of singer-songwriters had largely been absorbed into a more general pop or soft rock format, but some new artists in the singer-songwriter tradition (including Lucinda Williams and Patti Smith) continued to emerge, and in other cases rock and even punk rock artists such as Peter Case and Paul Westerberg transitioned to careers as solo singer-songwriters.

Related Topics:
Soft rock - Lucinda Williams - Patti Smith - Punk rock - Peter Case - Paul Westerberg

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In the late 1980s, the term was re-applied to a group of (predominantly female) artists, beginning with Suzanne Vega with her first album selling unexpectedly well, followed by the likes of Tracy Chapman, k.d. lang and P.J. Harvey. By the mid-1990s, the term was revived with the success of Canada's Alanis Morissette and her breakthrough album Jagged Little Pill. It had grown to encompass fellow-Canadian Sarah McLachlan, American artists Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Lisa Loeb, Joan Osborne and Tori Amos, and other performers associated with the Lilith Fair. In the 1990s artists such as Dave Matthews and Elliott Smith borrowed from the singer-songwriter tradition to create new acoustic-based rock styles. Buffalo-based Ani DiFranco is another well-known singer-songwriter.

Related Topics:
1980s - Suzanne Vega - Tracy Chapman - K.d. lang - P.J. Harvey - 1990s - Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill - Sarah McLachlan - Sheryl Crow - Jewel - Lisa Loeb - Joan Osborne - Tori Amos - Lilith Fair - Dave Matthews - Elliott Smith - Ani DiFranco

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