Brainstorm with me, Please

[HodgdonExtreme]

I'd start with:

I-V-vi-IV

It's got a proven track record...

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I think the quality of "good" and/or commercial songs changes with the generations.
The OP mentions the wonderful time of the American song book ('20s to '50s) with names like George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, and Richard Rodgers, among others - many of whom were tin-pan alley writers/composers who were churning out songs for films and shows.

The essence of these songs were romance and melody, and then the swing.
Although popular music had been around for some time before, the advent of recording and radio enable d the music of that era to bloom in in the US spreading widely.
Similar creativity was emerging in Europe but a couple of world wars limited matters more than somewhat with so much talent killed off and facilities destroyed.

'50s ? Rock 'n' roll. Largely responsible for the destruction of melodic big bands and fine singers, but small band jazz endured.
In Europe at least - Latin American music became very popular.

'60s ? something of a new beginning with the advent of more ready access to electric amps, p.a. and guitars. the rise of the British pop and R&B music scene was also exported into the continent and the USA although effectively reselling American style music back to the source.

'70s ? US and UK singer-songwriters, rock and alt country become bug business. Lots of creative music and lyrics.

'80s ? a definite move toward commercialised banality

'90s ? I had totally lost interest in pop music - more banality.

'00s ? I had to look these up - recognised hardly anything - disappearance of musicians, rise of "boy" & "girl" bands -all very much about sexy looks, 2/4 beats, videos etc.

Last 20 years ? Max Martin formula. sigh.

Last 20 years is no different than the previous 30 years... you just need to look around. Your parents were saying the same thing about the music in the 60's and 70's compared to the 40's.

[J Patrick]

...performance is the straightest path.......I have met dozens of successful songwriters....but they have all been touring musicians that are amazingly dedicated to their music and are willing and able to put up with the rigors of the road....I have also known quite a few great songwriters that will never make a living from it because they are not willing or able to dedicate themselves to the road....

.....if you reside in a sizable urban location you may get your songs out there....make some dough...and sleep in you own bed...probably not as paying venues that book performing songwriters are usually looking for touring acts...it’s often hard to get paid in your home town...

.....competition is stiff....and as always..talent is a big plus..

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by HodgdonExtreme

I'd start with:

I-V-vi-IV

It's got a proven track record...

Get the word "love" in there, too.

[TJE"]

Originally Posted by k_russell

I have been playing at some original material open mics and house concerts lately. Quite a few talented songwriters show up at these gatherings. These people are writing and performing as a hobby and know that making a living as a song writer today is close to impossible.

Would Smokey Robinson, Sam Cook, Bob Dylan, Laura Nyro and other writers survive today? A generation earlier gave us Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Hoagie Carmichael and others. Would we even recognize these talents if they were working today?

So here is the exercise. How would a songwriter make a living in 2020 writing songs? By songs, I don't mean the cookie cutter commercial tunes that flood the air waves.

No wrong answers, Just ideas, please.

This may be the wrong answer but it seems there is still a great deal of money in producing and soundtracking advertisements(commercials), many of them obviously use old classic tunes, but maybe if a songwriter was willing to bend themselves to writing a jingle about the product -then maybe they could make money. NB Id don't actually know this for sure.

[k_russell]

Originally Posted by TJE"

This may be the wrong answer but it seems there is still a great deal of money in producing and soundtracking advertisements(commercials), many of them obviously use old classic tunes, but maybe if a songwriter was willing to bend themselves to writing a jingle about the product -then maybe they could make money. NB Id don't actually know this for sure.

spotify:track:17cTNFzODwZMOzcTl8bhb1

This guy did that back in the early to mid 80's. He wrote songs for a band that he co-fronted in Pittsburgh.