A few times in recent history, enough talented songwriters have gathered in one place and had sufficient success with a particular set of techniques to become famous as a group or school of writing. Here's a quick look at the “big three”: Tin Pan Alley, Brill Building, and Music Row.

Tin Pan Alley

In the late 1800s, the Tin Pan Alley area of New York City became the songwriting capital of the world, and it held on to that status for nearly seventy years. In the early days, publishing revenues mostly came from the sale of sheet music. Traveling performers exposed the public to new songs and people then bought sheet music for the song, so they could play it at home.

Most of these touring acts were based in or booked out of New York, making it the perfect place to start a publishing business. Eventually, royalties from record sales outstripped those from sheet music, and the more record-oriented Brill Building empire eclipsed the sales from Tin Pan Alley.

Brill Building

The second New York City based songwriting empire centered around the Brill Building on Broadway. As record sales outstripped sheet music and rock and soul became the dominant genres, a new generation of songwriters rose to prominence. By applying Tin Pan Alley's successful strategies to newer forms of music, Brill Building songwriters ruled the charts for many years.

Music Row

Music Row became a major player in the music business in the 1950s. RCA Records, in need of a regional office in the Southeast, set up shop near downtown Nashville. Already in the process of becoming a music hub, Nashville quickly blossomed as other record companies and music publishers from both coasts followed suit. Today, Music Row is home to hundreds of publishers and record labels, the nearby Berry Hill district boasts hundreds of recording studios, and Nashville is home to more than 20,000 songwriters by some estimates.

The Music of Today

Today, music draws influences from an increasingly diverse genre pool. Songwriters such as David Byrne and Paul Simon combine pop with African and world music. Nashville songwriters like Anthony Smith and Chris Wallin add elements of modern rock, funk, and alt (alternative) to country, while continuing to develop its rich storytelling tradition. Rock keeps changing, fusing with newer styles like hip-hop and recombining with its own sub-genres. The critics who said rock-n-roll wouldn't last have grown silent, while their successors say the same about rap and hip-hop.