Brill & Broadway

Pop music is said to have started with the Beatles, who broke the 'Tin Pan Alley' mould of artists recording songs written by professional tunesmiths and lyricists. But that is to discount the Brill Building, the office block on Broadway where, for a few golden years, the cream of young US songwriting talent created a conveyor belt of perfect songs for their pop-star peers to deliver. The Brill Building and the era in which it operated has left a wonderful musical legacy, and the songs included here represent a cross section of that treasure trove. Enjoy 75 timeless classics that emerged from 1619 Broadway and its neighbourhood.