From the archives: Neil Sedaka on writing a hit song
#Neil Sedaka#Hit Songwriting#Sunday Morning#David Pogue#Music History#2020 Interview#Breaking Up is Hard to Do
📌 Key Takeaways
Neil Sedaka died at age 86 on February 27, 2026
The 2020 'Sunday Morning' interview explored the elements of writing hit songs
Sedaka had a remarkable career spanning decades with numerous chart-topping hits
The interview featured insights from multiple music industry professionals including Valerie Simpson and John Seabrook
📖 Full Retelling
Neil Sedaka, the legendary singer and songwriter behind hits like 'Breaking Up is Hard to Do,' 'Calendar Girl,' and 'Love Will Keep Us Together,' who died on February 27, 2026 at age 86, was featured in a 2020 'Sunday Morning' segment where host David Pogue discussed the art of writing hit songs with Sedaka and fellow music experts Valerie Simpson, John Seabrook, and producer Oak Felder. The original interview, now being revisited by CBS News following Sedaka's passing, offered unique insights into the creative process behind crafting chart-topping music that resonates across generations. Sedaka's remarkable career spanned decades, with his distinctive piano-driven pop sound dominating the charts in the 1950s and 1960s before experiencing a significant resurgence in the 1970s when he penned numerous hits for other artists including 'Love Will Keep Us Together' for Captain & Tennille. The 2020 conversation delved into the mysterious alchemy that transforms simple melodies and lyrics into cultural touchstones, exploring whether hit songwriting is a teachable skill or an innate talent, with Sedaka sharing personal anecdotes about his own creative journey and the challenges of staying relevant in an ever-changing music industry.
🏷️ Themes
Music Legacy, Songwriting Craft, Artist Remembrance
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is a highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies music from a historical point of view. In theory, "music history" could refer to the study of the history of any type or genre of music (e.g., the history of Niger...
Neil Sedaka (; March 13, 1939 – February 27, 2026) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard "H...
Technology writer, journalist and commentator (born 1963)
David Welch Pogue (born March 9, 1963) is an American technology and science writer and TV presenter, and correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning.
He has hosted 18 Nova specials on PBS, including Nova ScienceNow, the Making Stuff series in 2011 and 2013, and Hunting the Elements in 2012. Pogue has...
