The essential playlist for the Songwriters Hall of Fame class of 2019

Best known for his work alongside Glenn Frey and the Eagles, Jack Tempchin is the writer behind some of the band's most iconic songs. In addition to his work with Frey, Tempchin also penned tracks recorded by George Jones, Glen Campbell, and Tanya Tucker. 

When the Eagles were broken up in the 1980s and early 1990s, Tempchin teamed up with frontman Glenn Frey (pictured) for a series of solo successes like “The One You Love.” A top 20 hit in 1982, the song appears on Frey’s debut solo album No Fun Aloud. 

Even though it was never a top-ten hit, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” has a special place in the hearts of Eagles fans everywhere. Inspired by the laid-back vibes of San Diego, Glenn Frey added his own twist to the song after hearing Tempchin’s rough draft. 

Also a collaboration with Glenn Frey during his solo career, “Smuggler’s Blues” actually inspired an episode of Miami Vice that starred the Eagles frontman. Its video, where Frey plays a drug smuggler, also won a MTV Video Music Award in 1985. 

Tempchin continued to shape Frey’s solo work throughout the ‘80s, and “You Belong to the City” appears on the Miami Vice soundtrack. Which makes sense considering that it was specifically written for one of the show’s episodes.  

Released by the Eagles in 1974, “Already Gone” appears on the band’s third full-length album On The Border. It wasn’t exactly a chart success, but remains a favorite of diehard Eagles fans. 

Now known as Yusuf Islam, Cat Stevens became folk royalty in the 1970s thanks to catchy, socially-conscious songs like "Peace Train" and "Father and Son." Stevens has inspired his share of controversy throughout the years, but remains one of folk's most influential songwriters. 

“Wild World” appears on Cat Stevens’s fourth studio album, and was inspired by his relationship with actress Patti D’Arbanville. Since its release, the song’s been covered by a number of artists, including Garth Brooks, John Waite, and Bette Midler. 

Nearly four decades after its original release in 1967, pop-folk artist Sheryl Crow made “The First Cut Is the Deepest” her own smash hit in 2003. Before that, Rod Stewart and Dawn Penn (among other artists) also found success with the laid-back, lonesome tune. 

Since its debut in the 1971 film Harold & Maude, “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” has since become an anthem for anyone that’s looking to build a better life. “You can do what you want, the opportunity's on,” Stevens sings. “And if you can find a new way, you can do it today.” Wise words. 

Actually written while Stevens was riding on a train, “Peace Train” is the artist’s encouragement for all of us to get on board with building a better world. The song got a second life in 1996, when Dolly Parton covered “Peace Train” for her album Treasures alongside Ladysmith Black Mambazo. 

Born and raised in Georgia, Dallas Austin's impact on R&B in the '90s and 2000s cannot be understated. Responsible for some of pop music's biggest hits of the era, including TLC's "Creep" and "Don't Let Me Get Me" by P!nk, Austin also helped launch the career of Boyz II Men. 

Appearing on Boyz II Men’s 1991 debut Cooleyhighharmony, “Motownphilly” would eventually come to symbolize the harmony-oriented quartet’s signature sound while paying homage to the unique musical histories of the two cities — Detroit and Philadelphia — that inspired it. Co-writer Dallas Austin teamed up with Boyz II Men’s Michael Bivins to pen the enduring track that thrust new jack swing into the spotlight. 

Written by Austin and released on TLC’s debut album CrazySexyCool in 1994, “Creep” was the R&B trio’s first #1 song, and has since become one of its most iconic. 

Bringing together three musical titans from vastly different decades, Dallas Austin penned “FourFiveSeconds,” which features Rihanna and Kanye West teaming up with rock icon Paul McCartney, in 2016. Fun fact: McCartney's voice never actually appears on the song, but he does contribute a killer bassline. 

Dallas Austin had a string of major hits in the 90s and early 2000s, including P!nk’s “Just Like A Pill.” Released on P!nk’s 2002 debut, the song was a co-write with the artist, and explores her personal struggles with drug addiction. 

This Dallas Austin-penned track shot R&B sensation Monica to the top of the Billboard charts in 1995. In the years since its release, it’s become a popular anthem for anyone having a seriously bad day. 

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is one of the most creative minds in rap music, and she's earned icon status in her 25+ year career. Responsible for some of the most creative tracks of the late '90s and early '00s, Elliott continues to put her unique stamp on pop music in collaborations with artists like Ariana Grande and Pharrell Williams. 

Ciara and Fatman Scoop make appearances on this 2005 Missy Elliott classic, which has since been certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It also took home the Grammy Award that year for Best Music Video. 

Fans had a hard time figuring out exactly what Missy Elliott was rapping on her 2002 track “Work It.” (Hint: it’s “I put my thing down, flip it, and reverse it” backwards) Featuring samples from rap icons Run D.M.C., it’s an homage from Elliott to the old-school hip hop that influenced her sound. 

The title track from Elliott’s 1997 debut album, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” helped put one of rap music’s most prominent voices on the map. ‘90s kids will also undoubtedly remember the song’s music video featuring Elliott in a slick, blown-up plastic suit that dominated MTV’s airwaves. 

Even though most of her biggest hits were scored more than a decade ago, Missy Elliott’s enduring influence on R&B and pop music cannot be understated. Fledgling pop diva Ariana Grande tapped Elliott for “Borderline,” a track on her most recent album co-written by Elliott and Pharrell Williams. 

Arguably Missy Elliott’s most notable track, “Get Ur Freak On” won the rapper a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2001. It’s equal parts critically acclaimed and catchy, and continues to be a fixture on ‘00s rap playlists. 

One of the most prominent voices in Americana music, John Prine is the definition of an elder statesman. Since the 1970s, he's contributed some of country music's most progressive and poignant work while earning a reputation as one of the world's finest songwriters. 

Even though he isn’t the artist that made it famous, John Prine is responsible for folk classic “Angel From Montgomery.” Covered by Bonnie Raitt and Tanya Tucker in the 1970s, it remains Prine’s most popular track. 

Never afraid to tackle hot-button political issues, Prine’s pointed criticism of the Vietnam War on “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” pulls no punches. Appearing on Prine’s 1971 self-titled debut, its message is timeless. 

Also an anti-war ballad, Prine examines what happens when traumatized soldiers come home from war on “Sam Stone.” On the intensely emotional track, Prine details the story of a drug-addicted ex-soldier through the eyes of his child, and it’s heavy stuff. 

Prine turned his perennially-sharp pen toward the coal industry in his home state of Kentucky on “Paradise,” a 1971 track named for a town in Muhlenberg County, where he grew up. “Then the coal company came with the world's largest shovel / And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land,” Prine sings. “Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken / Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man.” 

No song better exemplifies Prine’s beautifully poetic lyrical style than “Lake Marie,” which is essentially a novel told in six minutes. The song’s title serves as the setting where its protagonist falls in love, and it all sort of goes off the rails from there — divorce, loneliness, and even a murder are involved. 

A writer in every sense of the word, Tom T. Hall has spent the last five decades cultivating a reputation as one of country and bluegrass music's most prominent songwriters. Alongside his wife Dixie, Hall has won Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year twelve non-consecutive times, and continues to serve as an inspiration for up-and-coming country songwriters. 

Made famous by country artist Jeannie C. Riley, Tom T. Hall’s “Harper Valley PTA” is a country classic. The song was so popular that it was turned into a 1978 feature film starring I Dream of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden. 

This endlessly catchy ode to the simple life, written by Hall, scored Alan Jackson a #1 hit on the Billboard country chart in 1996. 

Arguably the catchiest tribute to a cold one in country music, “I Love Beer” is a straightforward love song to this magic-in-a-can that’s made with barley, hops, and water. Released in 1973, the song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. 

Even though Hall released the song himself first in 1968, Bobby Bare made “How I Got To Memphis” a top-ten hit in 1970. A testament to the song’s enduring appeal, Texan Deryl Dodd also found chart success in 1996 with his own take on the classic tune. 

Like many of the songwriters of his era, Tom T. Hall bucked peacenik sentiment in the 1960s with “Hello Vietnam,” an explicitly pro-war track. Released by Johnnie Wright in 1965, the song was  #1 hit and was featured in the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick's film 'Full Metal Jacket.'