In a recent interview, Elton John voiced strong criticism of the modern pop music landscape, particularly taking aim at artists who do not write their own material. Speaking with BBC Radio 6 Music and reported in The Independent, he asserted, “You look at most of the records in the charts, they’re not real songs. They’re bits and pieces and it’s nice to hear someone write a proper song.”
John made a point of highlighting the value he places on authenticity in songwriting. On artists who craft their own work he said, “I like people who write songs … plenty of people that do but a lot of them don’t get played on the radio because they’re too sophisticated and we get songs made by a computer all the time and I’m not interested in that.”
In his reference to the contemporary charts, John singled out younger artists such as Conan Gray as rare exceptions, people doing their own writing without large teams. He said: “Conan’s from America and he’s the only person in the American Spotify Top 50 to actually write the song without anybody else.”
The broader thrust of John’s remarks is that many current chart-toppers are manufactured by committee, heavily reliant on multiple writers and production teams, and perhaps lacking the personal imprint of the artist. He voiced concern that songs “made by a computer” dominate radio and streaming, pushing aside more “real” songcraft that comes from individual writers.
John’s critique invites reflection on how the music industry prioritizes hits and commercial formulas over individuality and songwriting integrity. The piece suggests that despite his enduring status in the music world, John is deeply concerned with preserving the songwriter’s voice in pop music and sees it as increasingly under threat.
And that’s not even taking into account music developed solely or mostly using artificial intelligence.
IMAGE: swimfinfan from Chicago, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
