Song of the Year at the Grammys the Year You Were Born
January 18, 2018 by John HarringtonThe Grammy Award for Song of the Year is one of the most prestigious awards the music industry can bestow, akin to a movie winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Song of the Year is one of just four Grammy Award categories in which different music genres compete against each other for one prize.
The award has been presented since 1959 and is given only to the composer or composers of the song. This is not to be confused with the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of the song. In the nearly 60-year history of the Grammy Awards, 29 of the winning songs have also been selected as Record of the Year.
For the first time since 2003, the Grammy Awards will be held in New York City at Madison Square Garden on January 28. In recognition of the music industry’s big night, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of every Song of the Year since the award was first presented.
Click here to see Grammy Awards Song of the Year the year you were born.
The history of the Song of the Year reflects the evolution of music culture. Early Song of the Year winners were from motion pictures such as “The Theme from Exodus,” “Moon River” for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and “Hello, Dolly!”, the theme song of the film/musical of the same name. It was only in the mid-60s that Rock ‘n’ roll would get recognized when John Lennon and Paul McCartney would win for the ballad “Michelle.” Other rock composers who would eventually be honored included Bruce Springsteen and Sting.
Singer/songwriters Paul Simon and Carole King would be cited as the 1970s began, indicating a shift in pop-culture music tastes.
African-American composers would not receive Song of the Year kudos until 1985, when Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie would receive the honor for the charity single “We Are the World.”
Multiple Song of the Year winners include Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer, U2 , and Adele. Songs written for Andy Williams, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, and Roberta Flack have received this award twice.
Not surprisingly, American composers have dominated the award. U.S. songwriters have won or shared the award with a composer from another country 42 times. British composers such as Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran have won the last three Song of the Year awards. However, that streak will end this year since no British songwriters have been nominated.
24/7 Wall St. used data from The Recording Academy to identify the Grammy “Song of the Year” winners, artists, and songwriters. Data on the number of weeks each song spent on the Top 40 chart comes from Billboard.
Here are the Grammy Award Song of the Year winners the year you were born.
1959
> Song: Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)
> Artist: Domenico Modugno
> Songwriters: Domenico Modugno
> Weeks on Top 40: 13
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1960
> Song: The Battle of New Orleans
> Artist: Jimmy Driftwood
> Songwriters: Jimmy Driftwood
> Weeks on Top 40: 18
24/7 Wall St.
1961
> Song: Theme of Exodus
> Artist: Ernest Gold
> Songwriters: Ernest Gold
> Weeks on Top 40: N/A
1962
> Song: Moon River
> Artist: Henry Mancini
> Songwriters: Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
> Weeks on Top 40: 16
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1963
> Song: What Kind Of Fool Am I
> Artist: Sammy Davis, Jr.
> Songwriters: Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse
> Weeks on Top 40: 10
1964
> Song: Days Of Wine And Roses
> Artist: Henry Mancini
> Songwriters: Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
> Weeks on Top 40: 10
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1965
> Song: Hello, Dolly!
> Artist: Louis Armstrong
> Songwriters: Jerry Herman
> Weeks on Top 40: 19
1966
> Song: The Shadow Of Your Smile (Love Theme From “The Sandpiper”)
> Artist: Tony Bennett
> Songwriters: Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster
> Weeks on Top 40: N/A
1967
> Song: Michelle
> Artist: The Beatles
> Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
> Weeks on Top 40: N/A
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1968
> Song: Up, Up And Away
> Artist: 5th Dimension
> Songwriters: Jimmy L. Webb
> Weeks on Top 40: 10
1969
> Song: Little Green Apples
> Artist: Roger Miller
> Songwriters: Bobby Russell
> Weeks on Top 40: 6
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1970
> Song: Games People Play
> Artist: Joe South
> Songwriters: Joe South
> Weeks on Top 40: 9
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1971
> Song: Bridge Over Troubled Water
> Artist: Simon And Garfunkel
> Songwriters: Paul Simon
> Weeks on Top 40: 13
1972
> Song: You’ve Got A Friend
> Artist: Carole King
> Songwriters: Carole King
> Weeks on Top 40: N/A
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1973
> Song: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
> Artist: Roberta Flack
> Songwriters: Ewan MacColl
> Weeks on Top 40: 15
1974
> Song: Killing Me Softly With His Song
> Artist: Roberta Flack
> Songwriters: Charles Fox, Norman Gimbel
> Weeks on Top 40: 13
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1975
> Song: The Way We Were
> Artist: Barbra Streisand
> Songwriters: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch
> Weeks on Top 40: 17
1976
> Song: Send In The Clowns
> Artist: Judy Collins
> Songwriters: Stephen Sondheim
> Weeks on Top 40: 11
1977
> Song: I Write The Songs
> Artist: Barry Manilow
> Songwriters: Bruce Johnston
> Weeks on Top 40: 16
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1978 (tie)
> Song: Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)
> Artist: Barbra Streisand
> Songwriters: Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams
> Weeks on Top 40: 18
1978 (tie)
> Song: You Light Up My Life
> Artist: Debby Boone
> Songwriters: Joe Brooks
> Weeks on Top 40: 20
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1979
> Song: Just The Way You Are
> Artist: Billy Joel
> Songwriters: Billy Joel
> Weeks on Top 40: 17
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1980
> Song: What A Fool Believes
> Artist: The Doobie Brothers
> Songwriters: Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald
> Weeks on Top 40: 14
1981
> Song: Sailing
> Artist: Christopher Cross
> Songwriters: Christopher Cross
> Weeks on Top 40: 13
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1982
> Song: Bette Davis Eyes
> Artist: Kim Carnes
> Songwriters: Donna Weiss, Jackie DeShannon
> Weeks on Top 40: 20
1983
> Song: Always On My Mind
> Artist: Willie Nelson
> Songwriters: Johnny Christopher, Mark James, Wayne Carson
> Weeks on Top 40: 15
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1984
> Song: Every Breath You Take
> Artist: The Police
> Songwriters: Sting
> Weeks on Top 40: 20
1985
> Song: What’s Love Got To Do With It
> Artist: Tina Turner
> Songwriters: Graham Lyle, Terry Britten
> Weeks on Top 40: 18
1986
> Song: We Are The World
> Artist: USA For Africa – Various Artists
> Songwriters: Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson
> Weeks on Top 40: 12
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1987
> Song: That’s What Friends Are For
> Artist: Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder
> Songwriters: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager
> Weeks on Top 40: 16
1988
> Song: Somewhere Out There
> Artist: Linda Ronstadt, James Ingram
> Songwriters: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, James Horner
> Weeks on Top 40: 12
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1989
> Song: Don’t Worry Be Happy
> Artist: Bobby McFerrin
> Songwriters: Bobby McFerrin
> Weeks on Top 40: 13
1990
> Song: Wind Beneath My Wings
> Artist: Bette Midler
> Songwriters: Jeff Silbar, Larry Henley
> Weeks on Top 40: 15
1991
> Song: From A Distance
> Artist: Bette Midler
> Songwriters: Julie Gold
> Weeks on Top 40: 18
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1992
> Song: Unforgettable
> Artist: Natalie Cole [With Nat “King” Cole]
> Songwriters: Irving Gordon
> Weeks on Top 40: 10
1993
> Song: Tears In Heaven
> Artist: Eric Clapton
> Songwriters: Eric Clapton, Will Jennings
> Weeks on Top 40: 23
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1994
> Song: A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme)
> Artist: Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle
> Songwriters: Alan Menken, Tim Rice
> Weeks on Top 40: 18
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1995
> Song: Streets Of Philadelphia
> Artist: Bruce Springsteen
> Songwriters: Bruce Springsteen
> Weeks on Top 40: 15
1996
> Song: Kiss From A Rose
> Artist: Seal
> Songwriters: Seal
> Weeks on Top 40: 32
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1997
> Song: Change The World
> Artist: Eric Clapton
> Songwriters: Gordon Kennedy, Tommy Sims, Wayne Kirkpatrick
> Weeks on Top 40: 36
1998
> Song: Sunny Came Home
> Artist: Shawn Colvin
> Songwriters: John Leventhal, Shawn Colvin
> Weeks on Top 40: 23
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1999
> Song: My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic)
> Artist: Celine Dion
> Songwriters: James Horner, Will Jennings
> Weeks on Top 40: 16
2000
> Song: Smooth
> Artist: Santana Featuring Rob Thomas
> Songwriters: Itaal Shur, Rob Thomas
> Weeks on Top 40: 50
2001
> Song: Beautiful Day
> Artist: U2
> Songwriters: U2
> Weeks on Top 40: 15
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2002
> Song: Fallin’
> Artist: Alicia Keys
> Songwriters: Alicia Keys
> Weeks on Top 40: 29
2003
> Song: Don’t Know Why
> Artist: Norah Jones
> Songwriters: Jesse Harris
> Weeks on Top 40: 6
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2004
> Song: Dance With My Father
> Artist: Luther Vandross
> Songwriters: Luther Vandross, Richard Marx
> Weeks on Top 40: 4
24/7 Wall St.
2005
> Song: Daughters
> Artist: John Mayer
> Songwriters: John Mayer
> Weeks on Top 40: 17
2006
> Song: Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
> Artist: U2
> Songwriters: U2
> Weeks on Top 40: N/A
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2007
> Song: Not Ready To Make Nice
> Artist: Dixie Chicks
> Songwriters: Dan Wilson, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines
> Weeks on Top 40: 7
2008
> Song: Rehab
> Artist: Amy Winehouse
> Songwriters: Amy Winehouse
> Weeks on Top 40: 9
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2009
> Song: Viva La Vida
> Artist: Coldplay
> Songwriters: Coldplay
> Weeks on Top 40: 46
2010
> Song: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
> Artist: Beyoncé
> Songwriters: Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart
> Weeks on Top 40: 22
2011
> Song: Need You Now
> Artist: Lady Antebellum
> Songwriters: Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott
> Weeks on Top 40: 50
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2012
> Song: Rolling In The Deep
> Artist: Adele
> Songwriters: Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth
> Weeks on Top 40: 53
2013
> Song: We Are Young
> Artist: Fun. Featuring Janelle Monáe
> Songwriters: Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost, Nate Ruess
> Weeks on Top 40: 33
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2014
> Song: Royals
> Artist: Lorde
> Songwriters: Joel Little, Ella Yelich O’Connor
> Weeks on Top 40: 37
24/7 Wall St.
2015
> Song: Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)
> Artist: Sam Smith
> Songwriters: James Napier, William Phillips, Sam Smith
> Weeks on Top 40: 45
2016
> Song: Thinking Out Loud
> Artist: Ed Sheeran
> Songwriters: Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge
> Weeks on Top 40: 50
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2017
> Song: Hello
> Artist: Adele
> Songwriters: Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin
> Weeks on Top 40: 26
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