Bacharach died of natural causes at his home in the Los Angeles area on Wednesday with his family by his side.

His songs, many written in a 16-year collaboration with lyricist Hal David, were neither rock nor strictly pop. They filled American radio and were featured in major movies, making them as frequently heard in the 1960s and early 1970s as works by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan.

Bacharach wrote more than 500 songs, many featuring a tinkling piano and subtly seductive horn hooks, which were hits for singers ranging from Dionne Warwick to the Carpenters.

More than 1,200 artists performed his songs, which won six Grammys and three Oscars. Bacharach and David had 30 Top-40 hits in the ’60s alone.

“He was just different,” David once told an interviewer. “Innovative, original. His music spoke to me. I’d hear his melodies and I’d hear lyrics. I’d hear rhymes, I’d hear thoughts, and I’d hear it almost immediately.”

For Bacharach, his talent was simple: “I’m a person that always tries to deal with melody.”

With suave good looks and a cool demeanour, Bacharach was described by songwriter Sammy Cahn as “the only songwriter who doesn’t look like a dentist”.

Married four times, his wives included fellow songwriter Carole Bayer Sager and actress Angie Dickinson.

Bacharach’s songs were recorded by an A-to-Z of artists, literally, from Aretha Franklin to Zoot Sims.