Holly Knight

A vital force behind the sound of some of rock’s most powerful female artists, Holly Knight’s iconic musical imprint is woven into the very fabric of the MTV generation. Throughout the 1980s, singer/songwriter Holly Knight composed anthems that became the soundtrack for millions of people’s lives, and also created and crafted empowering odes to independence, liberation, and equality. These universal themes have never been more relevant than they are today which is why we still hear her music every day. On television, films, and commercials, Knight’s work has become not just ubiquitous – but also generation-defining.

For all of the dozens of recognizable songs she has written, however, working with legends including Rod Stewart, Kiss, and Aerosmith, it was her collaborations with female artists that truly broke through, giving a new voice to women all over the world. Defiant, purposeful, and ultimately triumphant, her work with Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, and the band Heart among others also helped pave the way for the next generation of defining female musical masters including Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Lady Gaga. It was the music and words she wrote. But it was also the visual representations on MTV that helped define Holly’s work for the masses. “Love is a Battlefield.” “Better Be Good to Me.” “The Best.” “Never.” My Obsession.” “Rag Doll.”

Her songs have appeared in movies as varied as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Thelma and Louise, Thirteen Going On Thirty, Anchorman ll, Dallas Buyers Club, The Other Woman, and have featured on TV shows including Schitts Creek, GLOW, Stranger Things, The Masked Singer, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, American Idol, The Voice, The Simpsons, South Park and Family Guy. Not one to sit back on her laurels, Knight is still as passionate and driven about music as she was in her late teens. Thriving on diversity, it’s her ability to move from one genre to the next that has given her this 40-year career in music.

 The list goes on for this 2013 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, just as the legacy does, and will, forever.