Ballad of the Singer-Songwriters

The cable music series “All Access” charts the past, present and future prospects of the “Struggling Singer-Songwriter” tonight at 10 on VH1.

Rebecca Rankin hosts the hour, which offers face time with the likes of Melissa Etheridge, James Taylor, Dave Matthews and Billy Joel, who says, “It’s a visual era. We want the eye candy. There’s a formula right now with pop aimed at a teenage demographic. Some of it is fabricated.”

A historical overview opens with the early 1960s, when gifted, introspective recording artists wrote their own songs inspired by their experiences--music with a deep meaning triggered by dissatisfaction.

Four decades later, the spotlight now shines on boy bands and teen queens whose popularity hinges on image and marketing as much as music.

Lou Pearlman, the driving force behind ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, weighs in with a cynical observation: “The goal is to become famous. Because if you’re not famous, then nobody is going to buy your records.”

Two other segments go beyond the sound bite, profiling Diane Warren and David Gray. Warren has written No. 1 hits for Toni Braxton (“Unbreak My Heart”), Celine Dion (“Because You Loved Me”) and Cher (“If I Could Turn Back Time”). Gray is the Welsh performer who has found mainstream success after being dropped by three labels.

“It’s a bit of a mind-melter,” he says, referring to the nonstop publicity campaigns mounted to build and maintain momentum on the pop charts.

Passionate, personal songs are still being written by Dave Matthews and others, says Rankin, but will they find a wide audience?

Back to Joel, the seasoned veteran who concludes: “I think there are a lot of people who are really hungry for something else. They don’t just want Lucky Charms. They want something substantial for breakfast.”

Something, he might have quipped, that is magically delicious.