3 Songwriters Who Co-Wrote the Careers of Legends

How a songwriter goes about writing a song is all personal preference. Some musicians like to do it alone, in a room, slaving over every single word until it is complete. On the contrary, some musicians take a less intense approach and also have a partner. If you are a creative, then you know just how important partnership is in the creative process.

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As a matter of fact, some of the most prolific careers in music history have been a product of a songwriting partnership. You might not know that, because the songwriters in question take a back seat in terms of the spotlight. With that in mind, here are three songwriters who co-wrote the careers of legends.

Robert Hunter

Robert Hunter was The Grateful Dead’s lyrical sounding board and songwriting partner from the mid-60s up until Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. He was a member of The Grateful Dead who never took the stage, and as a consequence, many people don’t realize how valuable he was to Garcia and the group.

During his 30 or so years with The Grateful Dead, Robert Hunter helped pen “Ripple”, “Truckin’”, “Uncle John’s Band”, “China Cat Sunflower”, “Friend Of The Devil”, “Scarlet Begonias,” “Dark Star,” Touch of Grey”, and many, many more.

Bernie Taupin

Most people know that Elton John was not the solo songwriter behind his greatest hits. However, some people don’t know that, and that is because John’s partner, Bernie Taupin, prefers to stay out of the spotlight. In other words, he writes music because he loves to write music. It is seemingly about nothing else for the guy.

During his partnership with John, Taupin has co-written staple tracks such as “Your Song”, “Tiny Dancer”, “Rocket Man”, “Candle In The Wind”, “Bennie And The Jets”, “I’m Still Standing”, and many more. In music history, there are only a few pairs more successful than Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Desmond Child

Desmond Child‘s career as both a songwriter and record producer is one of the most decorated in music history. His contributions to music do not reside with just one musician, but with numerous musicians. Consequently, he was and still is a highly sought-after songwriter.

In his career, Child has penned hits for Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cher, Katy Perry, Kiss, and several others. Some of his most notable tracks include “Livin’ On A Prayer”, “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)”, and “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”.

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