The Scene: Tuesday night’s annual BMI Pop...

The Scene: Tuesday night’s annual BMI Pop Awards Dinner at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, honoring “the 66 songs most performed on radio and television during the past year.” Some of them seemed destined to become classics, while others were the sort of tunes that get stuck in your head after you go to the gym.

The Buzz: At the reception beforehand, songwriters discussed (what else?) the music business. Several people were heard murmuring about Rob Lowe and that revealing videotape aired on Monday night’s edition of “A Current Affair”--the one that allegedly showed how the actor spent his time off from last year’s Democratic National Convention.

Who Was There: BMI President/CEO Frances W. Preston, who served as the evening’s emcee; songwriters and performers Patrick Swayze; Belinda Carlisle; Taylor Hackford; David Cassidy; Don Was; Lisa Hartman; Barbara (Mrs. Roy) Orbison; Siedah Garrett; Michael Bolton; Stephen Bishop; Eric Carmen; Lamont Dozier; Otis Blackwell; Eddie Holand; Allee Willis; Pebbles and BMI songwriter of the year Gloria Estefan with husband Emilio Estefan and members of the Miami Sound Machine.

Dress Code: Invitations specified black-tie, and most guests dressed conservatively--by music industry standards, that is.

Entertainment: BMI kept the evening moving fast by eliminating performances in favor of quick video clips flashed on monitors. With 66 awards to be given out, it was a good idea.

Chow: Veal and cheesecake for dinner, though most guests surveyed preferred the shish kebab and shrimp scampi that was being served at the reception beforehand.

Triumphs: Barbara Orbison, who accepted an award for her late husband’s duet of “Crying” with country singer k.d. lang, made a powerful and moving speech.

Glitches: Despite lights fading in and out like a New York City brownout, guests had to be exhorted (and then begged) to leave the reception and go sit down to eat dinner.

Quoted: Gloria Estefan, whose award as songwriter of the year came as a surprise to her, mentioned that she finally felt successful “when I heard one of my songs being played on Muzak.”