Would you still be willing to “stick by the charts” as a measure of who’s a good songwriter? Have you seen the charts today?
Have you heard the music that doesn’t make the charts?
Yes I would. I have been a musician and writer for 35 years. People not in the business don’t look at song writing as a craft but that is exactly what it is. There are reasons songs are hits and others are not and yes there are always exceptions. But for the most part pro songwriters stick to their craft and go about business as usual just like any other business. It’s not romantic but that’s the way it is.