Steven Tyler, Joe Perry join Songwriters Hall of Fame
Aerosmith rockers' hits include Sweet Emotion, Dream On and Livin' on the Edge
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is saluting 1970s and 80s rock 'n' roll with its 2013 induction class.
Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner will join the hall of fame this year along with the writers of iconic rock hits Love Is a Battlefield and Heartache Tonight. The ceremony will be held June 13 in New York.
Aerosmith and Foreigner will get the attention here, but inductees Holly Knight, JD Souther and Tony Hatch also have distinguished careers that helped define the sound of rock 'n' roll.
Knight wrote anthemic hits Love Is a Battlefield and Invincible for Pat Benatar and The Warrior for Patty Smyth. She also wrote several songs for Tina Turner, including The Best and Better Be Good to Me, that became standards for the star.
Souther, who has a role on the music-inspired television show Nashville, had a partnership with The Eagles that spawned several hits, including Heartache Tonight, Victim of Love, New Kid in Town and Best of My Love.
Hatch made his mark during the British invasion, teaming with Petula Clark on hits like Downtown and My Love that helped shaped the future of pop music.
Perry and Tyler have survived a sometimes contentious relationship to become one of rock's most successful songwriting teams over the last 40 years. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, staples of classic rock radio and pop culture icons, are known for hits like Sweet Emotion, Dream On and Livin' on the Edge, and released their 15th studio album last year.
Jones and Gramm are contemporaries of Perry and Tyler who also ruled radio for a time, but they sometimes came at it from a different angle. They could lay down a straight-up rocker like Jukebox Hero or Feels Like the First Time. But they also could slow it down with hits like I Wanna Know What Love Is and Cold as Ice that helped foreshadow the ballad-driven rock of the late 80s.
Canadian music legend Gordon Lightfoot, whose repetoire includes the songs Early Morning Rain, Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind, Carefree Highway, and Beautiful, was among last year's inductees.