Brill Building Pop: A Timeline

The Brill Building, located on Broadway in New York City, begins to emerge as a hotbed of songwriting talent.

Late 1950s:

• Young songwriters, including Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, and Neil Sedaka, begin collaborating and creating a new pop sound that breaks away from the ballads and crooners of the past.

Early 1960s:

• The Brill Building sound explodes in popularity. Hit songs like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "Be My Baby," "He's So Fine," and "Leader of the Pack," all penned by Goffin and King, dominate the charts and capture the hearts of teenagers across the world.

• The sophisticated pop of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, with songs like "Walk On By," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?", and "Close to You," also finds immense success, often performed by iconic vocalists like Dionne Warwick and The Carpenters.

• Other timeless hits like Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and the Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Phil Spector collaboration "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," cement The Brill Building's status as a pop music powerhouse.

Mid-1960s:

• The Brill Building era begins to fade as the music industry shifts towards a more individualistic and experimental sound.

• However, the impact of The Brill Building remains undeniable, with its songs continuing to be covered, performed, and cherished by generations.

Cast of Characters

Carole King: A prolific songwriter, known for co-writing numerous hits with Gerry Goffin, including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Locomotion." She later achieved solo success with her iconic album "Tapestry."

Gerry Goffin: King's songwriting partner and husband during the Brill Building era. Together they created some of the most enduring pop songs of the 1960s.

Burt Bacharach: A composer, songwriter, and pianist, celebrated for his sophisticated pop sound and collaborations with lyricist Hal David. His intricate melodies and David's poignant lyrics produced countless classics like "Walk on By" and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."

Hal David: Bacharach's long-time songwriting partner. David's witty and relatable lyrics perfectly complemented Bacharach's sophisticated melodies.

Neil Sedaka: A singer-songwriter known for his catchy pop tunes and early rock and roll hits like "Calendar Girl" and "Oh! Carol." His enduring classic "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" exemplifies the Brill Building sound.

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil: A successful songwriting duo responsible for hits like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "On Broadway." They were known for their ability to capture raw emotions and relatable experiences in their lyrics.

Phil Spector: A record producer who developed the "Wall of Sound" production technique, which became a signature element of many Brill Building hits. He co-wrote and produced "Be My Baby" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," among others.

Dionne Warwick: A legendary vocalist whose soulful renditions of Bacharach and David songs, such as "Walk On By" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?," helped solidify their success and define the sophisticated pop sound of the era.

The Carpenters: The brother-sister duo consisting of Karen and Richard Carpenter, known for their smooth harmonies and gentle interpretations of pop songs. Their rendition of Bacharach and David's "Close to You" became a defining hit of their career.

The Righteous Brothers: A vocal duo, known for their powerful blue-eyed soul sound. Their emotionally charged recording of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" became a major hit.

The Angels: An all-female vocal group popular in the early 1960s. Their playful rendition of "My Boyfriend's Back" is a quintessential example of the girl group sound that flourished during the Brill Building era.