"I was literally shaking," said Kelly.

Kelly's ascent from talented toddler to writing songs for Akon and Whitney Houston happened quicker than, well, a New York minute.

Growing up, the son of Jamaican immigrants heard lots of reggae, but soaked up the r&b and hip-hop of the ’90s. He sang before he could talk, began playing the piano at 2- and-a-half and by middle school mastered the flute. After high school, Kelly attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and after graduation in 2002 returned to Manhattan.

Through networking and word of mouth, Kelly met as many producers as he could, and by 2002 had written a song that ended up a compilation by the Japanese clothing line A Bathing Ape.

"It was a lucky break," he said. "It boosted my confidence." With more hustling and flowing, Kelly got his second big break: “Daddy's Little Girl" from Frankie J's 2006 album Priceless. Though it didn't chart well, he said, watching his song go from recording to mixing to mastering to music video was the confirmation that he needed to press on.

Kelly’s work so impressed Akon that in late 2007 the Senegalese singer suggested Kelly write to some of his music.

"I wrote the songs and hated them," he said. Apparently he was the only one; all three got placed, one of which was “Forgive Me,” by Leona Lewis. "Hold My Hand," another, will be featured on upcoming albums by Michael Jackson and Akon. At present, he's working with Whitney Houston. "It's incredible," he said. "It's a blessing."

Kelly, who said his specialties are crafting melodies and stories, said he wants to work with rock and country musicians too. "I don't want to just be known for r&b. I want to write songs that anybody of any age, any country can sing along to. Got to think global man!"

The Black Eyed Peas have sold 18 million albums worldwide, won three Grammy awards and have been nominated for ten. On his own, will.i.am has established himself as one of music’s top producers, collaborating on tracks with Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Kelis, Nas, The Game, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Sergio Mendes, Carlos Santana, The Pussycat Dolls, Busta Rhymes and fellow BEP, Fergie.

Billboard senior correspondent, R&B/Hip-Hop, Gail Mitchell; BMI’s Malik Levy; Marsha Ambrosius; and BMI’s Nicole Plantin

Teedra Moses and BMI’s Nicole Plantin

Teedra Moses

Marsha Ambrosius

Photos by Annamaria Disanto

Next came Chosen Few: El Documental II “El Tour”— the sophomore release. In addition to being the project’s executive producer, Boy Wonder contributed as a songwriter/producer/remixer, notably on the track “Revelacion: Chosen Few Remix” with Tempo featuring Getto & Reychesta Secretweapon.

Brooklyn-born Ruiz, the son of a Dominican/Puerto Rican single mother, grew up hearing Michael Jackson and the Beatles along with the traditional “Bachata” from the Dominican Republic. His first production credits were in the late ’90s with underground hip-hop artists and remixes.

As Boy Wonder expands on the reggaetón genre in Chosen Few III: The Movie, he expands on his music and entertainment empire, Chosen Few: Emerald Entertainment. His sensibilities and the ever-inclusive currents he creates are a prime force in uniting Latin and urban hip-hop into a living musical mélange, the cultural blending pot that symbolizes the ongoing evolution of modern music.

This year's selections include such renowned BMI songwriters and composers as Herbie Hancock (Head Hunters), Michael Jackson (Thriller), Roy Orbison ( “Oh Pretty Woman”), Kitty Wells (“ It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”) and Art Tatum (“Sweet Lorraine”). Almost 70% of the PRO-affiliated works on this year’s list are part of the BMI repertoire. View images and and listen to brief clips of these selections.

The National Recording Preservation Board, comprising experts from the music industry and preservation field, culled its list from nominations made by the public for recordings considered "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Recordings must be 10 years old to be considered for preservation and final selections are made by the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington.

The National Recording Registry was created by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, legislation that promotes and supports audio preservation. The registry celebrates the richness and variety of the nation's audio legacy and underscores the responsibility to assure the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations.

This year’s selections include (*indicates BMI entry):

1. The first Trans-Atlantic Broadcast, March14, 1925
2. “Allons a Lafayette,” Joseph Falcon*
3. “Casta Diva,” from Bellini’s Norma
4. “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” Thomas A. Dorsey*
5. “Sweet Lorraine,” Art Tatum*
6. Fibber McGee and Molly
7. Wings Over Jordan
8. Fiorello LaGuardia reading the comics
9. “Call it Stormy Monday but Tuesday is Just as Bad,” T-Bone Walker*
10. Harry S. Truman Speech at the 1948 Democratic Convention
11. The Jazz Scene, Various Artists*
12. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” Kitty Wells*
13. My Fair Lady, Original Cast Recording
14. Navajo Shootingway Ceremony Field Recordings
15. ‘Freight Train’ and Other North Carolina Folk Songs, Elizabeth Cotton*
16. “Oh Pretty Woman,” Roy Orbison*
17. “Marine Band Concert Album to Help Benefit the National Cultural Center (1963)
18. “Tracks of My Tears,” Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
19. “You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song,” Ella Jenkins
20. “Music From the Morning of the World,” David Lewiston
21. “For the Roses,” Joni Mitchell
22. Head Hunters, Herbie Hancock*
23. Ronald Reagan Broadcasts
24. “The Sounds of the Earth,” Voyager Spacecraft
25. “Thriller,” Michael Jackson*

As part of the panel, Austin Winkler and Cody Hanson of the multi-platinum rock group Hinder joined Howes to perform “Lips Of An Angel,” which they co-wrote; Hamilton performed his “Charlene” and “Can’t Let Go.” The panel was moderated by Los Angeles Times Chief Music Critic Ann Powers and BMI’s Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Catherine Brewton. Panelists discussed their Grammy-nominated works, the raw ideas and the occasionally idiosyncratic processes pooled into composing songs that resonate with a broad spectrum of listeners.

Front Row: Chris Daughtry; BMI’s Catherine Brewton; LA Times’ Ann Powers; and Anthony Hamilton. Back row: Cody Hanson of Hinder; Rodney Jerkins; Austin Winkler of Hinder; Polow Da Don; Brian Howes, Ben Moody and Fat Joe.

Back row: Rodney Jerkins; Austin Winkler of Hinder; Polow Da Don; Brian Howes; Fat Joe. Front row: Cody Hanson of Hinder; Anthony Hamilton; Chris Daughtry and Brian Howes.

Polow Da Don and Ben Moody

Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Anthony Hamilton, Fat Joe, LA Times Ann Powers

Anthony Hamilton and Fat Joe

Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Anthony Hamilton and Fat Joe

Brian Howes, Austin Winkler and Cody Hanson

Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry and Anthony Hamilton

BMI’s Catherine Brewton; Fat Joe; BMI’s Phil Graham and Byron Wright

BMI’s Barbara Cane; Rodney Jerkins; BMI’s Catherine Brewton; Ben Moody; and BMI’s Myles Lewis

BMI’s Tracie Verlinde and Myles Lewis; Ben Moody; Chris Daughtry; BMI’s Barbara Cane and Phil Graham

BMI’s Ian Holder and Malik Levy; Anthony Hamilton and BMI’s Byron Wright

BMI’s Byron Wright; Polow Da Don; and BMI’s Ian Holder

Front row: BMI’s Myles Lewis and Barbara Cane; Chris Daughtry; BMI’s Catherine Brewton; the LA Timess’ Ann Powers; Anthony Hamilton; BMI’s Tracie Verlinde and Byron Wright; back row: BMI’s Samantha Cox; Hinder’s Cody Hanson; Rodney Jerkins; Hinder’s Austin Winkler; BMI’s Ian Holder; Polow Da Don; Brian Howes; Ben Moody; Fat Joe; BMI’s Phil Graham and Malik Levy.

Photos: Randall Michaelson

“I remember Quincy saying ‘the record business is not what it was a couple of years ago, and if we get six million [in sales], I'm gonna declare that a success',” keyboardist Brian Banks recently told the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

The album Quincy Jones reportedly handicapped was Thriller, Michael Jackson’s future-funk masterpiece that today boasts the distinction of being the best-selling album of all time. To date, Thriller has sold so many units that its worldwide tally is hard to track, with estimates ranging from 67 million to 104 million copies sold. In commemoration of this historic achievement, Sony Music has released Thriller 25, a special anniversary edition featuring a remastered version of Jackson’s classic CD, plus a music video DVD and bonus remixes showcasing contemporary artists like Kanye West, will.i.am, Fergie and Akon.

Just as Off the Wall and Thriller reinvented Jackson, so has the singer’s anniversary disc signaled a rebirth. Within two weeks of its February 2008 release, Thriller 25 had shipped well over 1.3 million units internationally. According to Sony Music, the album was charting Top 10 in virtually every market in the world, with the majority of countries reporting top 3 rankings.

Though Thriller’s groundbreaking achievements have been well examined, the facts bear review. Spending 37 weeks at #1, Thriller ranks among only three albums ever to remain in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart for an entire year. Not only did Thriller help Jackson win a record-breaking eight Grammy Awards in 1984, it was also the first album ever to yield seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles. Radio staples like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller” and “Human Nature” helped bring African-American music back into the mainstream for the first time since disco’s 1970s heyday. Thriller’s music videos set the creative bar so high that many pundits credit the album for transforming MTV into the global phenomenon it is today.

In all, Thriller altered the pop landscape so dramatically that it seemed to separate pop history into two epochs: B.T. (“Before Thriller”) and A.T. (“After Thriller”). The album’s cohesive blend of fizzy pop, hi-tech funk and tart mainstream rock nearly transformed Jackson into a musical genre unto himself. For the MTV generation, Thriller’s impact was nothing short of devastating. The album has been cited as a powerful influence on contemporary artists like Mariah Carey, Usher, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Kanye West and countless more.

“All the brilliance that had been building inside Michael Jackson for 24 years just erupted,” Quincy Jones told Playboy magazine, and many critics agree that Thriller is Jackson’s finest hour. Rolling Stone called the disc, “a zesty LP whose up-tempo workouts don't obscure its harrowing, dark messages.” The New York Times described Thriller in almost messianic terms, hailing the album as a hopeful sign that “the destructive barriers that spring up regularly between white and black music — and between whites and blacks — in this culture may be breached once again.”

In hindsight, almost everything about Thriller seemed to point to the album’s success, from its exciting title to the name of the Sony Music subsidiary label the disc was recorded for. With its world-beating sales, innovative songs and groundbreaking videos, Thriller remains a truly epic recording.

BMI will pair with the Los Angeles Times to present the second annual “How I Wrote the Song” panel Saturday, February 9, from 1p.m. until 3p.m., at the Key Club in L.A. Mirroring the format of 2007’s sold-out forum, another elite cross-section of established hitmakers, including Rodney Jerkins, Chris Daughtry, Mos Def, Ben Moody of Evanescence, Polow Da Don, Anthony Hamilton and Brian Howes will discuss their work, the raw ideas and the occasionally idiosyncratic processes pooled into composing songs that resonate with a broad spectrum of listeners. Moderated by BMI’s Vice President, Writer Publisher Relations Catherine Brewton and Los Angeles Times Music Critic Ann Powers, the event is open to the public. Advance tickets are available now for $10 through Ticketmaster at www.keyclub.com or the Key Club box office; day-of admission at the door will be $20.

Grammy Award-winner Rodney Jerkins’s creative dexterity materializes in distinct but diverse musical triumphs. The pen behind take-charge smashes including Destiny Child’s “Say My Name,” Brandy & Monica’s duet “The Boy is Mine” and Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu,” Jerkins has also produced work by contemporary superstars including Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny’s Child. His unerring ear led to a vice president of a&r position with Island Def Jam, while Janet Jackson’s forthcoming project Discipline features his signature production.

American Idol alum Chris Daughtry has brazenly staked a record-breaking place in contemporary music, confidently fronting the aptly titled rock band Daughtry. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter signed with RCA and management powerhouse 19 Entertainment after his fan-propelled success on American Idol, and his band’s eponymous debut sold more than 1 million copies in only five weeks. The projectile success of the album, featuring songs “It’s Not Over,” “Home” and “Over You,” resulted in the fastest-selling debut in the history of SoundScan.

Rapper, actor, musician and activist, Mos Def’s sheer versatility places him amongst contemporary pop culture’s premier creators. Musically, his work includes blithe collaborations with legendary group De La Soul and artist Talib Kweli. Def’s partnership with Kweli, the duet album Black Star, resulted in underground frenzy and glowing critical praise. His subsequent solo album, Black on Both Sides, produced more of the same. Nominated for two Grammys, Def also boasts Golden Globe, Emmy and Source award nods.

Serial hitmaker Ben Moody first gained recognition as guitarist and co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning group Evanescence. His output during and after the band has further exposed an adroit singer/songwriter capable of powerful hooks and lush layers; songs including Evanescence’s “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal,” along with Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You,” sprang from Moody’s id. Collaborations as a producer with Clarkson, Celine Dion, Bo Bice and Lindsey Lohan further emphasize his seemingly limitless versatility.

Super producer and innovative songwriter Polow Da Don’s quintessential hip factor springs from authentic skill. His innate musical savvy has finessed infectious hits including Fergie’s “Glamorous,” the Pussy Cat Dolls’ “Buttons,” Ciara’s “Promise” and Jamie Foxx’s “DJ Play a Love Song.” Fergie’s enthusiastic shout out, “Polow!” on her smash “London Bridge,” made Da Don’s fluid alias a pop culture catch phrase, adding household recognition to the power player’s growing reputation.

Singer/songwriter Anthony Hamilton’s blend of old-school soul and cool contemporary grit is artist’s art in the best sense of the phrase: Members of the neo-soul and poetic hip hop elite including D’Angelo, Tupac Shakur and Eve have looked to Hamilton for backup harmonies, while the North Carolina native’s critically-acclaimed solo work has landed on arguably avant-garde projects including the American Gangster film soundtrack. His 2007 effort, Southern Comfort, features eleven new songs all written by Hamilton.

Brian Howes' life in music did not come as a surprise with a great-great grandfather who was a baritone opera singer, a grandmother who was a songwriter, and a grandfather who played alto sax for swing band greats Benny Goodman and Louis Prima, his career choice was practically predetermined. As part of punk-ska-rap band DDT early on in his career, Brian toured with bands such as Public Enemy, Kid Rock, Alice Cooper, The Scorpion and DOA. Post DDT, he penned hits and earned placements in several movies all while maintaining number 1 and top 10 international hits. Brian then added production to is arsenal and has had success by writing and producing with Grammy-nominated Atlantic band Skillet amongst others. Brian’s recent success has included collaborations with Kara Dioguardi, Shelly Piken, Chad Kroeger, Hinder and Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame for his RCA Records Album.

George S. Clinton began his professional musical career as a songwriter, arranger, and session musician in Nashville, while earning degrees in music and drama at Middle Tennessee State University. Clinton became a staff writer for Warner Brothers Music, with songs recorded by such artists as Michael Jackson, Joe Cocker, and Three Dog Night; continued arranging and session work; and, as a recording artist, did albums for MCA, Elektra, ABC, and Arista. The critically acclaimed George Clinton Band attracted the attention of Cheech and Chong, giving George the opportunity to score his first film, Cheech and Chong's Still Smokin.'

Clinton has since gone on to score cable’s The Red Shoe Diaries, feature films including the Austin Powers series, John Waters's A Dirty Shame; Disney's holiday hits The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3; and The Astronaut's Wife. Most recent projects the Emmy Award-winning Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and the upcoming Harold and Kumar 2. In addition, Clinton has written several concert works, three musicals and serves as an advisor at the Sundance Composers Lab. Awards include a Grammy and Emmy nominations, and eight BMI Film Music Awards, including the Richard Kirk Career Achievement Award.

In 2004, Mario saw his breakthrough with “Let Me Love You,” a sultry Ne-Yo penned track that remained at the No. 1 Billboard spot for nine weeks. Mario might have seemed like an overnight star, yet his coup was far from sudden. Like many stars, Mario had been grooming himself for the big time since he was a child.

Growing up in and around Baltimore, Mario dreamed of being a recording artist as early as four. His mother bought him a karaoke machine. He learned piano. At 11, Mario got discovered; he sang Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” at a talent show held at a local college. By 14, Mario had signed a deal with Clive Davis’ J Records. He contributed “Tameeka,” with rapper Fabolous, to the Dr. Dolittle 2 soundtrack in 2001. Not long after, he sang Stevie Wonder’s “You and I” at Clive Davis’s coveted Grammy party — a rendition guests at the event still call captivating. He got to work on a debut album.

Mario, his first album, introduced his arrival. Lead single “Just a Friend 2002,” an up-tempo, teen-pop jam, used elements from the Biz Markie classic. Naturally, the single struck a chord with young adults. By his 16th birthday, Mario was on the road, wooing young ladies (and likely some of their adult parents) as part of the Scream III Tour. His debut album went gold.

Mario’s overall debut — the single, the album sales, the tour — was certainly impressive, but his follow-up was even better. Turning Point, his second album, was aptly titled, considering “Let Me Love You” broke Mario out of the teen-pop ghetto and into the adult big time. Some reviewers compared the song to vintage Michael Jackson, and it became a chart-topper in Europe as well as the States. Although “Let Me Love You” was the album’s shimmering diamond, the compilation featured more well-received songs and production from studio stars including Scott Storch and Lil Jon. Nevertheless, the point had been made: Turning Point went platinum. Mario had become one to watch both metaphorically and literally; movie roles in Step Up and Freedom Writers followed.

In October, Mario will release his third album, Go!, with an A-list roster of contributors. Jermaine Dupri, Ne-Yo, Alicia Keys, The Neptunes and Akon are just a few of the big names on board, all but guaranteeing that the much-anticipated project will be a blockbuster. It could in fact be the project that completes Mario’s career trajectory: from child phenom to teen sensation; bona fide star to household name.