That’s How You Write A Song

When you hear the word songwriting, what comes to mind? A lone artist scribbling lyrics in a notebook? A pop star humming melodies into their iPhone? A studio filled with producers tweaking tracks for the perfect drop?

All of that is songwriting — and it’s evolved dramatically over time.

The Tin Pan Alley Era: When the Song Was the Star

Long before the days of Spotify playlists and viral hits, songs were consumed through sheet music. In the early 20th century, Tin Pan Alley in New York was at the center of this music economy — a buzzing hive of songwriting offices where composers plunked out melodies with their windows open to the street, called Tin Pan Alley.

Back then, a song existed before any one singer touched it. Melody, chords, lyrics — that was the product. The performance? That came later, and it varied with the singer, the orchestra, or even a parlor piano player.

This made the songs incredibly resilient. They weren’t tailored to one voice or performance style. Think of it like “actor-proofing” in musical theater — a song had to stand on its own, no matter who sang it.

The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter and the Personal Voice

Rock and folk music in the 1950s and '60s flipped this model on its head. With artists like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, the artist became the message. Their songs weren’t interchangeable. They were deeply personal, political, quirky — and their impact depended on the voice delivering them.

This era brought us the idea that a song could be autobiographical. It wasn’t just words set to music. It was storytelling through sound, where the writer and the performer were often the same.

Producers Take the Lead

The next big shift? The producer. Originally technical overseers, producers gradually became creative visionaries. As recording technology evolved — from tape to multi-track to digital — so did the power of the producer.

Today, many pop hits are born on a laptop. Songs can be built start-to-finish without a single live instrument. A “topliner” might freestyle melodies over a beat, catching lyrical fragments that become the foundation of the final lyric. Sometimes, the original demo vocal even stays in the final mix.

The line between songwriter, producer, and performer has blurred. Think of Max Martin or Kygo — not front-and-center artists, but architects of the modern pop sound.

How Eurovision Reflects Every Era of Songwriting

And then there’s Eurovision — a dazzling, high-stakes stage where all these songwriting models collide.

Eurovision is unique in that it demands original songs. It’s not a singing contest with covers — it’s a songwriting contest, first and foremost. Yet, the songs must also account for visuals, choreography, staging, and international appeal.

Some entries follow the Tin Pan Alley model: simple, sturdy melodies crafted at a piano. Others are deeply personal, singer-songwriter moments. And still others are producer-driven pop spectacles with layers of digital wizardry and studio perfectionism.

Every songwriting pathway — from retro to hyper-modern — still has a place at Eurovision. Sometimes they even overlap in a single song. And perhaps that’s the most exciting thing about songwriting today: there’s no single way to do it. Whether you’re channeling your inner Joni, hammering chords like an Alley cat, or building beats in your bedroom — it’s all songwriting.

As Eurovision 2025 approaches, we’ll continue to see this vibrant, evolving mix of songwriting traditions take center stage. From dentist-drill samples to lush ballads built for the theater, every approach has a shot.

Because in the end, a great song — however it’s made — will always find its way into hearts, homes, and hopefully, Eurovision glory.