Debbie Gibson Gets Songwriting Distinction

Billboard Names Top Solo Songwriters

Songwriters Who Penned Their Tunes Alone Are Getting Noticed

Years ago, many songwriters put together their musical melodies by themselves. More recently, as Billboard points out, songs are written by multiple people.

In honor of artists that penned their big hits all by their lonesome, Billboard compiled a list of songwriters who wrote more #1 songs by themselves than other artists in Billboard tracking history (starting in 1958).

Hey, it can’t be easy staring at your keyboard, on your 10th cup of coffee, trying to rhyme “love” with something (that’s what I think songwriting is like). And let’s be clear, many people wrote songs by themselves. The distinction here is that the song went to #1.

What Does This Have to Do With Debbie Gibson?

Diane Warren wrote eight #1 hit songs by herself (she is tied with Lionel Richie), making her the most successful female in this category. There are three female writers who have penned two #1 songs: Gloria Estefan, Dolly Parton and Debbie Gibson.

Think about that. Debbie Gibson is in the same songwriting category as Dolly Parton. That is an amazing achievement.

Trivia: Can You Guess Which Debbie Gibson Songs Were Tops?

Debbie Gibson had several huge hits in the ‘80s: “Only in My Dreams,” “Shake Your Love,” “Out of the Blue,” “Electric Youth” but it was “Foolish Beat” and “Lost in Your Eyes” that went to #1.

With “Foolish Beat” she was the youngest person to produce, write and sing a #1 song. According to Wikipedia, Gibson was the first female to be #1 with her album and single at the same time. She wrote all of her songs that made it to the Top 20.