Favourite Song-writers

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I'm about half-way through the book "Song-Writers On Song-Writing" by Paul Zollo, and it's amazing how it has influenced me to investigate music by both writers and performers that never interested me in the past.

I'd like to compile a list of favourite song-writers from this community. Whether it's just one, or a list of your top ten, I'd love to hear from you.

― shorty (shorty), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 19:31 (nineteen years ago)

Laura Nyro
Brian Wilson
Paddy McAloon
Grant McLennan
Todd Rundgren

― hank (hank s), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:01 (nineteen years ago)

Chinn/Chapman
Eric Carmen
Spector/Mann/Barry/Greenwhich/Weil/Poncia/Andreoli (in various combos)
Stephen Merritt

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

Best songwriter of the past 25 years is Elvis Costello.

― Dave Bush (davebush), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

Shane McGowan
Stuart Murdoch
Burt Bacharach
Roddy Frame
Edwyn Collins
Kirsty McColl

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

"Best songwriter of the past 25 years is Elvis Costello"

even tho all his best material was pre-1981? what the fuck are you on about...

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

Please, let's not turn this into a "who's the best" competition, I just want to hear who everyone's fav's are. Even if I could somehow understand what criteria one might use to determine who the "winner" might be, it's just not something I care about.

Thanks for all the responses so far. Some of the responses are included in the book I mentioned. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in song-writing.

― shorty (shorty), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:29 (nineteen years ago)

I'm pretty much only considering people who are songWRITERS, ie., not necessarily performers. People who write great songs for themselves to perform are not necessarily that great at the actual craft of songwriting.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison
Neil Finn
Peter Gabriel
Martin Gore
Brian Wilson
Andy Partridge
Colin Moulding
Roddy Frame
Graham Gouldman
Paddy McAloon
Martin Newell

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

AC newman is the best songwriter living today.

― come anti, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

People who write great songs for themselves to perform are not necessarily that great at the actual craft of songwriting.

They are the ones who know best what their own songs are supposed to sound like though.

Mozart and Beethoven wrote down the entire arrangements note by note, and expected all "cover versions" to be performed exactly that way. Today's songwriters use tape, but they should preferrably record their songs themselves to make sure they sound exactly the way they wanted them to sound when they wrote them.

Someone like Phil Spector partly solved this problem through arranging and producing his songs in addition to writing them, but even he couldn't control the exact way Tina Turner, Bill Medley, Darlene Love or Ronnie Bennett chose to sing them.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

oh geir... yr totally wrong about Spector (among other things)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:49 (nineteen years ago)

Plus the singles were credited to other acts than Spector, and people thought they were the work of someone else, when, in reality, they were the work of Phil Spector and Phil Spector alone and noone by Phil Spector. Thus, they should have been credited to him.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:50 (nineteen years ago)

Joni Mitchell

― fandango (fandango), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:53 (nineteen years ago)

even tho all his best material was pre-1981?

A lot of his best material was post-1982. "Imperial Bedroom" and "Brutal Youth" are his two best albums.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

I'm just sayin that removing the ego/personality from songwriting can often reveal a deeper level of true craftsmanship. Performers are not always the best arbiters of quality as to their own material, and may not always be able to perform it as they'd like (take your Beatles example and Lennon's notorious unhappiness with everything, Paul's reported "perfectionism" etc.)

As for Spector, just read stories of his studio sessions - the guy excercised an insane and posessive control, particularly over his singers (making Tina Turner sing with her shirt off, etc.) He's not the sole person responsible - credit it is def. due to the "Wrecking Crew" and his collaborators - but he was smart not to put his own personality out there more than was necessary, as it would not have suited the material. And for the best songwriters, its the MATERIAL that is king, not the egos of the performers or the need for personal expression, etc.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

Bruce Cockburn

― Some Guy, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

"Imperial Bedroom" and "Brutal Youth" are his two best albums."

NO.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

Spector went as far as he could with controlling the voice of his singers (hell, he even pointed a gun towards the head of Leonard Cohen while recording "Death Of a Ladies' Man", although that album did of course consist of Cohen-songs rather than Spector-songs), but he still couldn't tell them exactly how to sing, note for note.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 21:57 (nineteen years ago)

Kurt Cobain. Even people who say he was an awful guitarist say he was a very good songwriter (personally, the distinction is meaningless, but whatever).

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:26 (nineteen years ago)

Randy Newman

― Dominique (dleone), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:27 (nineteen years ago)

people say kurt cobain was an awful guitarist? were they expecting grant green?

― erklie (erklie), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:31 (nineteen years ago)

What hank and Dom said -- though I would replace Grant McLennan (I have no idea who that is) with Burt Bacharach and Lennon/McCartney.

As for the second tier, Pete Ham would have to be in there.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

Von Lmo is good.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:42 (nineteen years ago)

er, JIMMY WEBB!!!!

― timmy tannin (pompous), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:51 (nineteen years ago)

Blag Jesus

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:54 (nineteen years ago)

Nick Cave
Neil Finn
Tom Waits
Johnny Mercer
Hal David
Carole King (with and without Goffin)
Patti Smith
Bruce Springsteen
Billy Joel
Bob Dylan

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:56 (nineteen years ago)

Gene Clark

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 02:00 (nineteen years ago)

Come on - Elliott Smith anyone???

― andrew b (klik99), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 02:06 (nineteen years ago)

Dee Dee Ramone

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 02:10 (nineteen years ago)

Kurt Cobain. Even people who say he was an awful guitarist say he was a very good songwriter (personally, the distinction is meaningless, but whatever).

Of course there is a distinction. The songwriter composes the melody, the guitarist plays the backing track afterwards.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 02:16 (nineteen years ago)

Tommy Moonlight

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 02:22 (nineteen years ago)

Bryan Ferry
Paul Westerberg

― Garfield Odie (garfield), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 02:42 (nineteen years ago)

Damn, I can't believe I forgot Jimmy Webb. I'm almost tempted to add Jim Steinman to my list as well, overblown rock maestro that he is.

(note it is 5 a.m. and I can't sleep, so current judgment may be impaired)

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 03:15 (nineteen years ago)

While many of my long-time and brand new favourites have already been listed, here are a few that I need to mention:

Most of these are much more known for their lyrics than their musical composition, but nevertheless:

Johnny Cash
Kris Kristofferson
Bob Marley
Willie Dixon
Ben Harper
Robbie Robertson
Dolly Parton! Just saw a two hour Biography, and she's one of my new favourites.

― shorty (shorty), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 09:40 (nineteen years ago)

Obviously Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weill, Harry Nilsson, Gene Pitney etc. were just fronts for Spector's composing "genius."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 09:49 (nineteen years ago)

elliot Smith seconded !
thom yorke
bjork
cat power (in recent years )
gillian welch

― grapple (grapple), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)

"Of course there is a distinction. The songwriter composes the melody, the guitarist plays the backing track afterwards."

But if he wrote the songs using the guitar..And it's all melodic and good to listen to, why bother with the distinction? The guitar was his chief mode of expession, regardless of technical skill.

And yeah, some people do argue that Kurt was an awful guitarist. The Rolling Stone guitarists list infuriated them even more.

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:50 (nineteen years ago)

"And Cobain was a terrific guitarist. I said that to a big Joe Satriani fan, and he got really upset with me; he didn't think Cobain had enough chops. You can't say Cobain was a great songwriter but not a great guitarist -- because he couldn't have written those songs without the guitar. You can't separate out his Big Muff guitar playing - it was essential to the music he made, and his altered tunings were incredibly influential. Just like body piercing really took off as a trend after the first Lollapalooza, I think altered, tuned-down guitars were much more prominent in the music after Nirvana."

Vernon Reid, in that awful Rolling Stone issue with tributes to the "legends." I did like his article about Nirvana though.

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

David Sylvian
Nick Drake
Kate Bush
Mark Hollis
Scott Walker
Marco Parente
Franco Battiato
Fabrizio De André
Joyce
Tom Jobim
Tom Zé
Dorival Caymmi
Paul Simon
Sting (first 2-3 solo albums)

as much as I love them, I think Bryan Ferry and Bjork are a bit underwhelming, as sheer songwriting goes (as are David Bowie and Peter Gabriel).

― Max Kitaj (kitaj), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:56 (nineteen years ago)

oh yes, I forgot Joni Mitchell.

― Max Blazevic (kitaj), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 10:57 (nineteen years ago)

Grant McLennan is half of the Go-Betweens...

Jimmy Webb: yes, of course...

also:

Lee Hazlewood
Terry Callier
Scott Walker

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

can i put a word in for vic godard? he can be hit and miss, but certain songs of his are so astonishing he can't be ignored.
In particular: Stop that Girl, Make Me Sad, Spring is Grey, Parallel Lines

― dr x o'skeleton, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

"Stop That Girl" = a song so good it stops conversation when it gets played...

oh!

how 'bout some love for Jarvis Cocker?

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

Blackmore-Gillan-Lord-Paice-Glover

― Bill Magill, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

joni mitchell
bob dylan
morrissey (in the smiths)
leonard cohen
nick drake
neil young (in the seventies)
mary margaret o'hara
john lennon
chan marshall
patti and elliott smith

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

"Obviously Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weill, Harry Nilsson, Gene Pitney etc. were just fronts for Spector's composing "genius."

I said: "Spector/Mann/Barry/Greenwhich/Weil/Poncia/Andreoli (in various combos)" (and I would def. add Nilsson and Nietzsche in there as well)

Pay attention Marcello.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 15:42 (nineteen years ago)

Smokie Robinson
Lee H
Elliott Smith fifted, he was astonishing sometimes. His mum Patti ain't bad either.
Lou Reed ( no love for Lou? I'm surprised at you all)
bob + the beatles + brian w + arthur lee + scott w etc etc
Bert Jansch
Stuart M fourthed + laurence denim, Sufjan S
Joanna N , Chan M
Tom Verlaine

This could become a very long list if I go on...

― spring testing, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

not to forget:

Eugene McDaniels
Donnie Hathaway
Chip Taylor
Bobby Bare
Isaac Hayes
Josh Rouse

― hank (hank s), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

as much as I love them, I think Bryan Ferry and Bjork are a bit underwhelming, as sheer songwriting goes (as are David Bowie and Peter Gabriel).

Peter Gabriel wrote "Supper's Ready" and "Firth Of Fifth". Nuff said.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 17:08 (nineteen years ago)

Caetano Veloso
Gilberto Gil
Stew
Lieber / Stoller
Chuck Berry
Matraca Berg
Hank Williams
Sly Stone
T.I.
E.Y. Harburg
Billy Strayhorn
Johnny Mercer
George Gershwin
Fran Landesman
Jacques Brel
George Clinton
Yasaharu Konishi
Erykah Badu
Lionel Belasco

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 17:37 (nineteen years ago)

Bruce Robison
Charlie Robison
Max Martin
Vinicius de Moraes
Allison Moorer
Martin Carr
Sam Cooke
Stevie Wonder
Richard Thompson
Jorge Ben

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

Peter Gabriel wrote "Supper's Ready" and "Firth Of Fifth". Nuff said.
I'm not familiar with Genesis.
I do like Us and love Passion, but PG's songs generally (few exceptions aside) don't do much for me.

other overrated songwriters in my view (= boring songs):
U2
R.E.M.
Robert Smith

(sorry for hijacking thread for a moment.)

― 40 A chords and a mule (kitaj), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

Iommi-Butler-Osbourne-Ward

― Bill Magill, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 18:58 (nineteen years ago)

Gibbons-Hill-Beard

― Bill Magill, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 18:59 (nineteen years ago)

Neil Tennant/Chris Lowe
Stew (The Negro Problem)
Jimmy Webb
Paddy McAloon
Kirsty Maccoll
Boo Hewerdine
Stephin Merritt
Danielle Brisebois

― Gary Shipes, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 19:43 (nineteen years ago)

Young/Young/Scott
Smith/Scanlon/Hanley
Schmidt/Karoli/Czukay/Leibezeit
Curtis/Albrecht/Hook/Morris
Tyler/Perry

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

George Gershwin
Irving Berlin
Brian Wilson
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Stuart Murdoch
Jeff Mangum
Stephin Merritt
John Darnielle
John Vanderslice
Colin Meloy

― Steve Goldberg, Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:41 (nineteen years ago)

Victoria Williams

― fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 22:46 (nineteen years ago)

A really boring "Rock & Soul"-centric list from me (in no order):

Dylan
Chuck Berry
John Prine
HDH
Willie Dixon
Costello
Smokey Robinson (+ Marv Tarplin)
Whitfield/Strong (+others)
Jagger/Richards
Lennon/McCartney
Stuart Murdoch
Leonard Cohen
Tom T. Hall
Bacharach/David/Hilliard/David/Bayer-Sagar
Billy Joe Shaver
Kris Kristofferson
Allen Toussaint
Randy Newman
Ray Davies
Pete Townsend
Jimmy Webb
Goffin/King
Greenwich/Barry (+Morton)
Mann/Weil
Leiber/Stoller
Schuman/Pomus
Gene Clark
Grant Hart
Hayes/Porter
Evelyn Pope/William Cowie
Neil Diamond*

*Diamond is good example of how I became aware of songwriting as a lad, via the avenue of "This guy is supposed to suck, but his songs are pretty good and really catchy"

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 23:56 (nineteen years ago)

A few not mentioned above:
Holland/Dozier/Holland
Serge Gainsbourg
Michel Legrand
Clint Conley

― davelus (davelus), Thursday, 4 May 2006 03:51 (nineteen years ago)

Steve Harris

― Bill Magill, Thursday, 4 May 2006 14:35 (nineteen years ago)

I forgot to mention Stephen Stills in my last post.

― shorty (shorty), Thursday, 4 May 2006 20:50 (nineteen years ago)

Prince

Although his quantity over quality ratio has knocked him down a few points...

― Robert McFender, Thursday, 4 May 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

I think altered, tuned-down guitars were much more prominent in the music after Nirvana.

http://www.billycorgan.it/images/related/iommi1.jpg
HI DERE

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 5 May 2006 00:20 (nineteen years ago)

That's a great picture of the Man. Cobain doesn't even belong in the same area code with that guy.

― Bill Magill, Friday, 5 May 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

Don Van Vliet

― Vitbe... *pause*... Is Good Bread (Dada), Friday, 5 May 2006 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

david scott

― keyth (keyth), Saturday, 6 May 2006 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

necro, tupac and pendulum
haha

― MC QUARTZ, Saturday, 6 May 2006 07:38 (nineteen years ago)

Difford and Tilbrook
Elvis Costello
Paddy McAloon
Roddy Frame
Neil Finn
Donald Fagen
Trash Can Sinatras
Sting
Rufus Wainwright

― Conrad Ello, Tuesday, 16 May 2006 01:51 (nineteen years ago)

No one's said Roger Waters so I'll mention him.
Although, I love his work and hate his work. THAT IS,

I love Dark Side of the Moon for being completely unpretentious,

and i hate The Wall for being so pretentious.

He really fluctuated, IMO. Yes, this is just my opinion. Some interesting other opinions, BTW - I dont agree with spector though. He's a love him or hate him guy anyway.

― lovethefrench (lovethefrench), Tuesday, 16 May 2006 05:52 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Spector/Mann/Barry/Greenwhich/Weil/Poncia/Andreoli (in various combos)
Couldn't figure out where exactly to post this odd little bit of trivia...just noticed that Peter Andreoli/Anders is the co-writer of a (recent) unofficial jingle for True Lemon:

http://www.truelemon.com/superfan_jack.htm

― dlp9001 (dlp9001), Monday, 3 July 2006 15:33 (eighteen years ago)

I can't believe I forgot about Ian Hunter when I did my list.

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Monday, 3 July 2006 15:38 (eighteen years ago)

I will second Victoria Williams. Also, Loudon Wainwright III.

― that liz kid (that liz kid), Monday, 3 July 2006 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

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