Burt Bacharach: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy

Burt Freeman Bacharach ( BAK-ə-rak; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist, widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. A significant figure in orchestral pop and easy listening, he composed hundreds of songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David, and arranged, conducted, and produced much of his recorded output. His music often contained atypical chord progressions and time signature changes, influenced by his background in jazz, and uncommon selections of instruments for small orchestras.

Bacharach and David formed their partnership in 1956 and had their first major hits with Marty Robbins' "The Story of My Life" (1957) and Perry Como's "Magic Moments" (1958). Most of their songs were tailored for Dionne Warwick from 1961 to 1972. Beginning with Jerry Butler's "Make It Easy on Yourself" (1962), Bacharach fully directed the recordings of his songs and, following the success of these collaborations, co-authored hits for singers such as Gene Pitney, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and B. J. Thomas. He expanded into film and stage work with songs and scores for What's New Pussycat? (1965), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1968), and the Broadway musical Promises, Promises (1968). After the commercial failure of Lost Horizon (1973), his partnership with David ended, and his collaboration with Warwick was interrupted by lawsuits. He later returned to prominence through work with Carole Bayer Sager and Elvis Costello.

Over 1,000 artists have recorded Bacharach's songs and their recordings have featured in the soundtracks of numerous major feature films. He received six Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and one Emmy Award, and his work informed the development of later music styles such as sunshine pop/soft rock, chamber pop, and Shibuya-kei. In total, he composed fifty-two U.S. Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1987, including six chart-toppers: "This Guy's in Love with You" (Herb Alpert, 1968), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (Thomas, 1969), "(They Long to Be) Close to You" (the Carpenters, 1970), "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross, 1981), "That's What Friends Are For" (Warwick, 1986), and "On My Own" (Bayer Sager, 1986). In 2012, Bacharach and David were the first songwriting team to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. They were ranked at number 32 on Rolling Stone's 2015 list of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time".