This one was the most fun to do. These are the songwriters that I have listened to and admired the most.
1… Bob Dylan – There was no one else I could remotely place as number 1.
2… Lennon – McCartney – As a team…it was quantity and quality. Their music will live long after we are gone.
3…Chuck Berry – He wrote the blueprint for future rockers.
4…Jagger – Richards – For blues rock it doesn’t get much better than these two.
5…Paul Simon – One of the best craftsman of pop songs there is…
6…Bruce Springsteen – One of the best writers of his generation.
7…Goffin and King – Wrote some of the best known and successful songs of the sixties.
8…Smokey Robinson – Bob Dylan said of Robinson…”America’s greatest living poet”
9…Pete Townshend – Took the “Rock Opera” to new levels.
10…Hank Williams – The country poet.
Honorable Mention
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ray Davis, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt, Leiber and Stoller, Elvis Costello, Randy Newman, Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard, Robbie Robertson, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Tom Petty, Curtis Mayfield, John Prine, George Harrison, Steve Wonder, Warren Zevon, Brian Wilson
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Great picks!! 🙂
Thank you…
Another great list. All you listed I would agree are outstanding. The Top 3- are my Top 3 also. I might have Ray Davies in my Top 10 but you also gave him a mention. As I came across this post I am listening to your #5- Paul Simon- I’d have him up there too!! The Top 5 we may totally agree on now that I think about it. ….. Recommendation- the Springsteen On Broadway- listened to it yesterday it is great- especially the storytelling.
Funny you mention Ray Davies… Him and Brian Wilson I wanted in the top ten…I was going to take Hank Williams and Goffin and King out…but they belong as well…
I love Bruce’s stories… thank you I’ll make sure that happens. I’m looking forward to that.
That must have been a difficult list to pare down. It’s great to see Paul Simon on the list. My additions for the list or honorable mention would be Jimmy Webb, Justin Hayward, Roger Waters and Mary Chapin Carpenter. In fact, I’d put Webb in the King-Goffin spot. That is purely personal preference. I may not have much company in my opinion on Springsteen, but I’ll say it anyway…I’d move him to honorable mention or off the list entirely. I’d move Pete Townsend into his #6 spot; or maybe even bump him up to #5 before Simon.
It was tough. I wanted Ray Davies and Brian Wilson and I was going to bump Goffin and King and Williams…Mary Chapin Carpenter is great. I wanted more women…Joni Mitchell came to mind but I don’t know her stuff that well.
Jimmy Webb would have worked also. What would have solved a lot of it is have a top twenty instead.
Yes, a Top 20 would have made it easier…until you get to 20, and then come the hard decisions, haha.
wouldn’t have thought of Jimmy Webb if I was jotting down a quick list but I tend to agree
All are terrific. I too would put Dylan as number one. Holland and Dozier would have to be on my list as well as Joni Mitchel, Burt Bacharach and Carol Bayer Sager.
I plan to listen to more Joni Mitchell this year. I haven’t listened to much of her music. What I have…i’ve liked.
Dozier is awesome.
Ry Cooder, Dan Hartman, Sarah McLachlan, Sia…
Good list.
I should have made it twenty!
😆
What I’d like to see is what you consider the top 5 songs of each one of your winners 🙂
Consider, decide, and then post them is what I’m getting at 😉
i should have madea top twenty….it was hard hard…
I understand how difficult it must have been. Thank God there are so many wonderful, talented songwriters out there. May it ever be so….
I replaced Hank Williams twice…then I thought…I can’t do that.
Now this is what i would consider…maybe not everyone… with them also is quanity and quality.
Bob – Like a Rolling Stone
Lennon and mcCartney – A Day In The Life
Chuck Berry – oh dear…johnny b goode
Jagger and Richards – Satisfaction
Paul Simon – Sounds of Silence
Good start. 😉
Great list. No one could anyone argue with your choices. May I add: Guy Clark, Richard Thompson, Frank Turner, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, Jackson Browne and Gillian Welch?
All great… I should have make it a top twenty or more. For some reason Joni Mitchell is someone I haven’t been exposed to much…I’m correcting that this year.
Just too many good ones to choose from really! I guess my list would have a lot of carryovers from yours but would also have REM (Stipe,Mills, Buck and Berry officially although it would seem like Stipe did most of lyrics, Mills most of actual tune and Buck the guitars) , Holland/Dozier/Holland, George Harrison , Joe Strummer/Mick Jones …. so many good ones to choose from. Have to admit I’m not very much a fan of Bob Dylan records but he wrote some really great records… from time to time I still get surprised when I hear a good tune and look it up and find it’s a Dylan cover.
I didn’t know who to take off if I wanted to replace a songwriter.
Yep, really have been a lot of great ones in our lifetimes.
One problem with a list like this is there are too many genres for a singular list. Dylan, Cole Porter, the Sherman Brothers and Willie Dixon all belong, but they can’t be compared.
Having said that, I came up with nine in the category we are talking about, and more runner ups than can fit. Those nine are
Dave Alvin
Tom Russell
Guy Clark
Randy Newman
John Hiatt
Richard Thompson
Smokey Robinson
Jesse Winchester
Lowell George
Why not Dylan? Oh, man, he is in his own category.
Another category might start with George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Meredith Willson, Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen…
It would be hard to compose a list in the blues category but top of the list would, in my book at least, have to be Willie Dixon.
I could go on and on and on and on.