Listen to 6 Huge Tracks Written by a Hit Songwriter Who Just Left Us

But there is another entertainment world legend who died this week, who was not a household name but more behind the scene, and he may be in danger of getting overshadowed without people making a solid effort. And I have a feeling many Gen Xers will regret not getting a chance to mourn all that this songwriter - who just left us - gave to our era.

READ MORE: Expansive Actor Robert Duvall, Dead at 95

Billy Steinberg helped write many hit songs from the 1980s and '90s. Steinberg co-wrote an impressive 10 Billboard hits, half of them number ones, with writing partner Tom Kelly and sometimes with the input of another musician, as you'll see as we get to the songs below. Here's that list:

• "Like a Virgin" (the first of many number ones for Madonna)
•  "True Colors" (Cyndi Lauper)
•  "Alone" (covered by Heart)
•  "Eternal Flame" (co-written with Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles)
•  "So Emotional" (Whitney Houston)

[Billy Steinberg] has died [at age 75], his attorney confirmed to Billboard. Steinberg, who was 10 days away from his 76th birthday, died of cancer in Los Angeles.

...

The lyricist, who landed chart hits for more than 30 years, also penned such tunes as the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You,” the Bangles’ “In Your Room” and the Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself.” Taylor Dayne, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, Bette Midler, Cheap Trick, Belinda Carlisle and many other artists also recorded his songs.

People on my generation will also recognize another hit by the writing duo for Lauper, "I Drove All Night."

Before we dive in, here's some of Steinberg's biography:

A 2011 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Fresno, California, native grew up in Palm Springs, California. After attending Bard College in New York’s Hudson Valley, he pursued a career as an artist with his band Billy Thermal. While they may not have flourished, Steinberg’s career took off after the group’s guitarist played “How Do I Make You,” penned solely by Steinberg, for Linda Rondstadt, who recorded it for her Mad Love album in 1980. The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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After Kelly retired as a songwriter, Steinberg continued to write, often with Rick Nowels, including penning Dion’s “Falling Into You,” the title track for Dion’s 1996 album, which won album of the year for the 39th Grammy Awards and for which both Steinberg and Nowels took home a Grammy.

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More recently, in the 2010s, Steinberg’s songs were cut by Nicole Scherzinger, Miranda Cosgrove and Demi Lovato, who took “Give Your Heart A Break” (co-written with Josh Alexander) to No. 16 on the Hot 100 in 2012.

Co-writer Kelly spoke about their musical collaborations in a new interview with Billboard, as well:

After Billy Steinberg’s Death, Co-Writer Tom Kelly Visits Their Five Hot 100 No. 1s Including Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’: ‘Nobody Wanted to Touch It’https://t.co/oUNMoUo5BD

— billboard (@billboard) February 17, 2026

Steinberg is survived by his beloved wife, Trina; his sons, Ezra and Max; his sisters, Barbara and Mary; and his stepchildren, Raul and Carolina, according to the publication. 

Now, let's listen to six of my faves from his work. 

Cyndi Lauper mourns the loss of her friend:

“I'm so sorry to hear that my friend Billy Steinberg has passed away. He was such a nice guy and very supportive. My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and Tom during this sad time.” pic.twitter.com/5iHoxDfszN

— MR. POP (@MrPopOfficial) February 17, 2026

Cyndi Lauper gave a statement to Billboard about the graceful way Steinberg dealt with her putting her personal touch on "True Colors":

...Lauper called Steinberg “great lyricist and a wonderful collaborator. He and Tom had such a way of capturing the range within an emotion, from the subtlety to urgency…For ‘True Colors,’ there was a lot of back and forth which I know was hard for him. In the end, he said that I had really invented my own ‘very exquisitely beautiful version’ of the song. That really meant a lot to me. It is a special song.”

Yes, it is.

I love "I Drove All Night," too. Just now, I was reminded while researching this that it was originally recorded by the great Roy Orbison in 1987 (although released posthumously in 1992). Cyndi's version became a hit after being released in 1989.

Madonna's "Like A Virgin," as Billboard noted in its story linked above, was her longest charting number one, for six weeks. She would never have a bigger smash hit.

Next, we have The Bangles' "Eternal Flame," which, as was pointed out earlier, is a collaboration between Hoffs and Steinberg/Kelly. Smooth Radio blog shared that the song's title was inspired by Elvis Presley:

Having been invited to Graceland on an official private tour, Susanna Hoffs recalls the moment the song title came to her:

"The day we were there we were taken out to the Garden of Memories, and there was this little box which was supposed to have a lit flame in it, an eternal flame."

"That led to Billy saying, "Oh, eternal flame is a good title for a song."

Heart's "Alone" is one of those harder rock songs that even pop mavens like me can enjoy. I mean, who hasn't wailed along with the Wilson sisters and their guitars on this one a few times? But where did the song come from? It was originally recorded by Steinberg and Kelly under the name "i-Ten," but it was Heart that released their cover version in 1987.

Last on my list is probably my favorite '80s singer ever, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, whom some of you might know is an excellent songwriter herself. Well, she co-wrote this power ballad with Steinberg/Kelly, to mix in her unique flavor, and it was released in 1994.

Notice something as you made your way through this rewind? It was in writing for female singers that Steinberg excelled. I think that says something about him and his talents to tap into emotions. Rest in peace, Billy.