Singer-Songwriters

A basic guide to the singer-songwriter genre, its best and most popular artists, singers, and songs, and a history of how the style fits into other areas of popular music. From the Oldies music guide at About.com.

Carole King began her illustrious career writing hits, mainly for girl-groups, at New York's famous Brill Building before launching the singer-songwriter movement in the 70s with her megahit "Tapestry" album and songs like "It's Too Late" and "I Feel The Earth Move." This Carole King profile is the latest in a series on music's most popular artists of the rock and roll oldies era, written and com…

Cat Stevens enjoyed brief success as a folky teen idol in Swinging Britain, reinvented himself as a singer-songwriter with smashes like "Wild World" and "Peace Train," then converted to Islam and left the business for nearly three decades. This Cat Stevens profile is the latest in a series on music's most popular artists of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, written and compiled by your oldies Guide here at About.com.

James Taylor practically defined the sensitive singer-songwriter of the Seventies with hits such as "Fire and Rain" and "You've Got a Friend," not to mention his covers of early rock standards like "Handy Man" and "Mockingbird." This James Taylor profile is the latest in a series on music's most popular artists of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, written and compiled by your oldies Guide here at About.com.

A profile of Jim Croce, the Seventies folk-pop troubadour who revitalized the story song with "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and touched hearts with ballads like "Operator" and "Time In A Bottle," only to be tragically taken away in a plane crash at the height of his popularity. This Jim Croce profile is one of a series on music's most popular artists of the rock and roll oldies era, written and compiled by your oldies Guide here at About.com.