Arguably one of the most maudlin songs in pop music history, Barry Manilowâs âI Write the Songsâ has consistently ranked high on criticsâ âTop 10 Songs That Make Us Cringeâ lists. With its melodramatic vocals, orchestrated arrangement, and pretentious lyrics about conspiring with The Muse to make the whole world sing, itâs easy to see why.
Ironically enough, it wasnât Manilow who wrote âI Write the Songs.â The credit for that goes to Bruce Johnston, a longtime member of the Beach Boys. In what turned out to be a win-win situation, Manilow got a No. 1 hit that would go on to sell 3 million copies. Johnston, meanwhile, earned a 1976 Song of the Year Grammy, as well as a steady stream of songwriting royalties generated by Manilow and the countless other artists whoâve covered it since.