Linda Moran, President of the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters Hall of Fame, announced that the Towering Song honored at this year's Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards
was "What The World Needs Now is Love", written by the legendary songwriting team of Hal David and Burt Bacharach. Dionne Warwick, the preeminent interpreter of the music of Bacharach & David, performed The Towering Song at the Awards dinner June 10, 2004.
The Towering Song Award is presented each year to the creators of an individual song that has influenced the culture in a unique way over many years. Previous Towering Songs have included "Let me Call you Sweetheart", Yankee Doodle Dandy", and "Fly Me to the Moon". Commenting on the selection of "What the World Needs Now is Love", Linda Moran said: "This song swept the nation when it was a hit for Jackie DeShannon almost 40 years ago. It remains a beautiful plea for peace and understanding that continues to resonate in a world torn by strife".
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
Performed in over 224 film and TV shows, such as:
Austin Powers
Forrest Gump
Sesame Street
Late Show With David Letterman
Every year it is performed in over 40 countries around the
world, such as:
Australia
Malaysia
Poland
Switzerland
Denmark
Japan
Israel
ASCAP estimates that "What The World Needs Now Is
Love" has been played on the radio more than two million times!