2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee playlist

Bill Anderson wrote "City Lights" at only 19-years-old. Country legend Ray Price recorded the song in 1958, and it spent 13 weeks at the top of the charts. The song became Anderson's blueprint as a prime songwriter in the industry. Other artists have also covered the track including Rick Trevino, Johnny Bush and Dottie West. 

Singer Kenny Chesney is one of the most notable artists across country music. Songwriter Bill Anderson co-wrote "A Lot of Things Different"  — highlighting life lessons and regrets. Chesney was nearly into the 10-year mark of his career at the time, and the song was a top 10 hit on the country charts.

Country singer Steve Wariner is no stranger to seeing his name on the charts. He worked with songwriter Bill Anderson on his 1999 single "Two Teardrops." The smooth guitar-driven track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. 

The ‘70s era was all about disco ruling the music scene, and Kool & The Gang was a band at the center of it all. The group's signature funky sound set them apart from other bands and inspired future artists. Robert "Kool" Bell co-wrote "Ladies' Night," which was an anthem for women everywhere. Rapper Lil' Kim sampled the track nearly two decades later on her hit song "Not Tonight" alongside Angie Martinez, Da Brat, Missy Elliott and the late Lisa 'Left-Eye' Lopes.

In 1974, Kool & The Gang earned their first No. 1 single on the R&B charts with “Hollywood Swinging.” The heavy horn section mixed with a jazz base was the blueprint to a hit during their reign. A couple decades later, the song was largely sampled by hip-hop artists including Mack 10, Too Short and Mase.

Guitar riffs were always pretty notable in any Kool & The Gang song. “Get Down On It” was no different as it was a supreme dance track, perfect for a Soul Train line. “Get Down On It” was another track that had other artists crafting covers to it, including Australian singer Peter Andre and British pop band Blue.

Kool & The Gang group member Ronald Bell was also a primary songwriter for some of the band's biggest hits. Although “Celebration” was quite the smash in 1981, the song is still the ultimate winning track today, being played everywhere from birthday parties to wedding receptions and sporting events.

Although fans were used to Kool & The Gang's dance-heavy disco sound, group member George Brown co-wrote "Too Hot" with a smoother vibe in mind. The mid-tempo groove reached top five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980. The song was later sampled by rapper Coolio on his hit album "Gangsta's Paradise." 

Former Kool & The Gang singer James "JT" Taylor was also a master of the pen. In addition to helping the band craft some of their big disco hits, he also co-wrote the 1985 ballad "Cherish." The song spent six weeks at the top of the Adult Contemporary chart, becoming the list's highest charting track in the '80s. 

Country music legend Kenny Rogers released “Through The Years” in the early ‘80s. The piano-driven track written by Steve Dorff was the fourth single from Rogers' eleventh studio album “Share Your Love.” The song remained in the Top 40 for nearly three months and spawned covers from singers like Stevie Woods and The Osmonds.

Steve Dorff was essential for penning a number of country hits, including George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart.” The song, which is also the title to a western film starring Strait, went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts — helping to earn the singer one of his best selling albums to date.

Steve Dorff co-wrote “Every Which Way But Loose” for country singer Eddie Rabbitt. The slow tempo single was released on the soundtrack for the 1978 film with the same name and spent three weeks on top of the country charts.

Back in 2005, Mariah Carey was on the hunt for a comeback record. After her previous albums "Glitter" and "Charmbracelet" failed to reach high-charting success, she recruited her longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri for her 10th album "The Emancipation of Mimi." Dupri co-wrote and co-produced the album’s second single “We Belong Together,” hitting the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a number of Grammys.

R&B crooner Usher has been heating up the airwaves for over two decades now, and he owes some of his best songs to Jermaine Dupri. In 2004, Usher released his fourth studio album "Confessions," which became his best-selling album to date. The second single “Burn” spent a number of weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 before being knocked out by his next single “Confessions Part II” (another Dupri-penned hit).

Besides being a music genius behind the board, Dupri is a master at spotting new talent. One of the groups he founded back in the '90s was Jagged Edge. Dupri was a staple behind many of their hits, but their best-selling record was the 2001 song “Where The Party At" featuring rapper Nelly.

Country singer Alan Jackson has been singing his honky tonk tunes since the late '80s. On his third studio album, he co-wrote "Chattahoochee," a song that awarded him a couple Country Music Awards for Single of the Year and Song of the Year.

Jackson released his fifth studio album in 1994, “Livin' on Love” was his second single. The song became his ninth No. 1 hit on the country music charts and perhaps a hit love song at all square dancing clubs.

Alan Jackson chose to create a darker sound on "Midnight in Montgomery." The somber tune was an ode to late singer Hank Williams, who was buried in Montogomery. It's a chiling tune that tells the story of Jackson being visited by Williams' spirit while stopping by his grave. 

John Mellencamp has a rockstar career that many artists look up to. When he released his eighth album "Scarecrow," this single almost didn’t make the cut since it sounded so different from the rest of his project. The song ended up being a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and rock charts.

Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane" was originally inspired by seeing love beween interracial couples. However, when Mellencamp turned the song in, his record label advised him to change the context of the song. Due to the label's demands, he changed the song to be about teenage love. The song stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and became the biggest hit of his career. Millennials might be more familiar with the song as Jessica Simpson sampled it on her 2000 smash hit “I Think I’m In Love With You.”  

At the time, Mellencamp was performing under the name John Cougar. “Hurts So Good” stayed in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 for nearly four months. It earned him Best Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammys.

Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the most celebrated bands in the disco age as a band that blended falsetto with a smooth baritone. Group members Maurice White and Al McKay worked with songwriter Allee Willis on their hit song “September” in 1978. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and quickly became a smash on popular shows like "Soul Train." Pop singer Taylor Swift recently released a cover to it, to mixed reviews from critics. 

Allee Willis penned another Earth, Wind & Fire hit, “Boogie Wonderland.” The smash disco tune featured soulful group The Emotions and peaked at No. 14 on the disco charts. “Boogie Wonderland” was covered by a number of singers decades later, including one from Brittany Murphy in the 2006 animated film "Happy Feet."

The TV sitcom "Friends" is easily one of the most popular shows in entertainment history, and the theme music for shows in the '90s was always a standout. Allee Willis co-wrote the "Friends" theme song “I’ll Be There For You,” performed by duo The Rembrandts. The catchy guitar riff helped peak the song on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.