Adult Contemporary
Neil Sedaka
Singer, songwriter, and pianist Neil Sedaka enjoyed two distinct periods of commercial success in two slightly different styles of pop music: first, as a teen pop star in the late 1950s and early '60s, then as a singer of more mature pop/rock in the 1970s. In both phases, Sedaka, a classically-trained pianist, composed the music for his hits, which he sang in a boyish tenor. And throughout, he served as a songwriter for other artists, resulting in a string of hits year in and year out, whether by him or someone else. For himself, he wrote eight U.S. Top Ten pop hits, including the chart-toppers "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Laughter in the Rain," and "Bad Blood." The most successful cover of one of his compositions was Captain & Tennille's recording of "Love Will Keep Us Together," another number one. And over the years, his songs were recorded by a wide range of performers including: ABBA, Frankie Avalon, Glen Campbell, the Carpenters, Nick Carter, David Cassidy, Cher, Petula Clark, Sheryl Crow, Bobby Darin, Diamond, Gloria Estefan, the Fifth Dimension, the Four Seasons, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Carole King, Mandy Moore and Elvis Presley, among many others. Sedaka continues to tour the world.