Barry Manilow Sang The 1976 Grammys' Song Of The Year (& It Was A Cover)

Having celebrated his 82nd birthday in 2025, veteran entertainer Barry Manilow remains a popular concert draw with fans. What makes that achievement so impressive is that Manilow's success peaked back in the 1970s, with an incredible string of hits that blasted from radios during the latter part of the decade. Among his many hits, one has emerged over the years as his signature song: "I Write the Songs," which went on to win song of the year honors at the 1976 Grammy Awards (held in early 1977), where Manilow performed it live. However, those who watched him sing what had become a ubiquitous radio hit likely had no idea that the guy declaring that he writes the songs was actually performing a cover.

"I Write the Songs" was released in late 1975 and quickly climbed the charts, hitting No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100, where the song spent an impressive 20 weeks. The track has remained a favorite, inextricably associated with Manilow. That's not surprising, given the sheer number of songs he's written, a lengthy list that includes not only his chart-topping hits, but also the jingles he's written for TV commercials, including "Stuck on Band-Aid," "You Deserve a Break Today" for McDonald's, and State Farm's "Like a Good Neighbor," a jingle he wrote in 1971 that everyone still sings today. But "I Write the Songs," for all that Manilow achieved by performing it, was actually written by a Beach Boy alumnus.

In addition to being beloved as a performer, Barry Manilow is famed for the many hit songs he's written; over the course of a career that's spanned multiple decades, he's penned more than 400. These include "Weekend in New England," "Could It Be Magic," and "Copacabana (At the Copa)," a song that he actually had serious doubts about before it became a monster hit. Not surprisingly for such a prolific songwriter, the lyrics of "I Write the Songs" certainly seem uniquely suited to him. "I write the songs that make the whole world sing," Manilow famously sings in the chorus. "I write the songs of love and special things/ I write the songs that make the young girls cry/ I write the songs, I write the songs."

Yet "I Write the Songs" was written by Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys. "But it's true. I didn't write 'I Write the Songs,'" Manilow said in an interview with NPR's "Fresh Air." In fact, Manilow concedes that he's come to realize how confusing that can be for many. "Most people actually thought that I was singing about myself," he explained.

So how did a Beach Boy's song end up being a Barry Manilow classic? Despite Manilow's talents as a songwriter, Arista Records head Clive Davis, who'd signed Manilow to the label, pushed him to record songs written by others that he felt would complement his style as a singer. When Bruce Johnston's demo wound up in the hands of Davis, he immediately felt it could take Manilow to the top of the charts. 

Manilow, however, resisted; finally, he and Davis reached a compromise, agreeing that Manilow would record two songs on each of his albums by other composers. "And those two songs were the hits," Manilow recalled when interviewed by The New York Times. "Clive pushed my career into Top 40 radio, and everything went haywire."

Manilow may not have written "I Write the Songs," but there is no question he is innately connected with it. "[Johnston] was saying the spirit of music is really the creator of everything, you know, of all composers' work. And I believe that, too," Manilow told "Fresh Air." And while he may have initially had misgivings, Manilow has no regrets that what's now considered his signature song was written by a Beach Boy. "Oh, no, no, no," he said. "I think — over the years, I think people really get a big pleasure out of it."