ASCAP Celebrates 100th Birthday With Top Songs Lists; NYC and Tennessee Proclaim February 13th "ASCAP Day"

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Feb 13, 2014) - In honor of ASCAP's 100th birthday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam have proclaimed February 13th, 2014 "ASCAP Day." To mark its centennial and these momentous announcements, ASCAP has unveiled its top songs of all-time. On February 13th, 1914, a group of visionary songwriters, composers and publishers gathered at the Hotel Claridge in New York City with one shared purpose in mind: to shape the future of the music landscape in a way that protects the rights of creators. One hundred years later, the world's leading performing rights organization is celebrating a century of helping songwriters and composers thrive. ASCAP's birthday festivities are a multi-platform celebration and include a short film, a song with accompanying music video, two books, a social media campaign, a special Billboard tribute, as well as numerous live events around the country, including a Library of Congress exhibit. Its birthday website, ASCAP100.com, unveils two separate lists of the top ASCAP songs of all time -- Top 100 ASCAP Songs and Top ASCAP Songs by Year -- and a special birthday video, featuring birthday wishes from Katy Perry, T.I., Jennifer Nettles, Garth Brooks, Randy Newman, Arturo Sandoval, Aerosmith and many more.

"We've spent 100 years building a sustainable world for music creators," ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said. "This centennial is the start of the next chapter, as we continue shaping a future in which everyone wins -- consumers, music delivery platforms and the songwriters and composers who are the backbone of the music ecosystem."

The celebration continues with today's debut of the Top 100 ASCAP Songs and Top ASCAP Songs by Year lists, spanning a century of ASCAP music. Songs were ranked based upon ASCAP's historical data from radio, television and internet performances. Only an organization like ASCAP can connect the dots between modern hits and timeless songs like "Happy Birthday to You," the #1 song of all-time. The top 10 overall songs also include "My Girl," "White Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Wind Beneath My Wings," "Dancing in the Street," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "What's Love Got to Do With It," "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "I Can See Clearly Now." Here's how they'll celebrate the rest of the year:

• ASCAP's 100th Birthday Celebration at Brooklyn Bowl / Brooklyn, NY / February 13, 2014: An invite-only celebration of ASCAP's 100th birthday featuring ASCAP songwriters, music industry leaders and special guest DJ Questlove (The Roots drummer; bandleader of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
• Proclamation of "ASCAP Day" / New York, NY and Tennessee / February 13, 2014: In official proclamations by the City of New York (signed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio) and the State of Tennessee (signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam), February 13th, 2014 will be named "ASCAP Day" in the both jurisdictions
• Library of Congress Exhibit / Washington, DC / February 13 - July 26, 2014: An exhibit showcasing 100 years of ASCAP history officially launching on February 25th, 2014, with a concert featuring legendary songwriters ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams and ASCAP Board Vice Chair Jimmy Webb
• "Happy 100th Birthday ASCAP" Messages / Online / February 13, 2014: ASCAP's social "Thunderclap" will deploy, collectively releasing a Happy Birthday message with a social reach of nearly 8 million impressions
• Paley Center Discussion / Beverly Hills, CA / February, April & October 2014: A discussion series spotlighting some of ASCAP's film & TV, musical theatre and pop members
• Celebration of ASCAP Film & TV Music / Pasadena, CA / August 16, 2014: The Pasadena Pops, under the Direction of Michael Feinstein, performs prominent ASCAP film & TV themes
• Library of Congress Exhibit / Los Angeles, CA / August 23, 2014 - February 14, 2015: The exhibit from Washington, DC will move to Los Angeles for the second half of the year
• ASCAP Foundation Fundraiser / New York, NY / November 19, 2014: First-ever fundraiser benefiting The ASCAP Foundation where five members will be honored with one-time ASCAP Foundation Centennial Awards

The two full lists -- Top 100 ASCAP Songs and Top ASCAP Songs by Year, which include the ASCAP writer(s) who penned each song -- and Spotify playlists are available at ASCAP100.com now.

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business -- from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With 500,000 members representing more than 9 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com