Songwriters whose best songs were written when they were still teenagers

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May be singer/songwriters or just songwriters. Anyway, the most obvious names that come to mind here are Roddy Frame and Isaac Hanson.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:53 (eighteen years ago)

Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes)?

― Ben Boyerrr, Monday, 23 April 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago)

van morrison

― ghost rider, Monday, 23 April 2007 13:28 (eighteen years ago)

Jackson Browne. 16 when he wrote "These Days."

― Mr. Hal Jam, Monday, 23 April 2007 13:34 (eighteen years ago)

Roddy Frame!

What can you do when you're brilliant so early?

― Mark G, Monday, 23 April 2007 13:35 (eighteen years ago)

Jimmy Webb, just 19 when he wrote "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"...

― henry s, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:26 (eighteen years ago)

and though Laura Nyro composed classic stuff throughout her career, her most beloved songs ("And When I Die", "Wedding Bell Blues") were written when she was 18...

― henry s, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:32 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=54418

― Tuomas, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:39 (eighteen years ago)

I think Gaz Coombes was only nineteen when he wrote I Should Coco, still far and away Supergrass' best album.

― chap, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:41 (eighteen years ago)

"Dream On" was written by Steven Tyler at the age of 17, apparently. I think it's far and away the best Aerosmith song.

― Richard Wood Johnson, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:43 (eighteen years ago)

Arlene Smith of the Chantels wrote and sang (and changed pop music forever with) "Maybe" at age 16.

― sw00ds, Monday, 23 April 2007 15:51 (eighteen years ago)

Opinions about Ryan Adams on ILM vary (or, more accurately, don't really vary at all), but I like him a lot (or, more accurately, used to like him a lot). Everything on the first two Whiskeytown albums was written before he turned 20, and some days that's the best stuff he ever did.

At this point, I wouldn't bet a lot of money that Dizzee Rascal is ever going to write anything better than at least half of the tracks on Boy In Da Corner. Same with Alanis Morrisette and Jagged Little Pill.

― Vornado, Monday, 23 April 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago)

Did Alex Chilton actually write "The Letter" and is that better than anything else he did? A thread unto itself, possibly...

― NYCNative, Monday, 23 April 2007 16:30 (eighteen years ago)

No.

― Mark G, Monday, 23 April 2007 16:30 (eighteen years ago)

George Michael
Tim Wheeler

― CharlieNo4, Monday, 23 April 2007 16:41 (eighteen years ago)

Steve Winwood?
:)

― t**t, Monday, 23 April 2007 17:26 (eighteen years ago)

(Will the first person who posts "Paul McCartney" get a medal from Geir?)

― t**t, Monday, 23 April 2007 17:28 (eighteen years ago)

ll cool j

― fact checking cuz, Monday, 23 April 2007 17:30 (eighteen years ago)

MOZARZT

― nickalicious, Monday, 23 April 2007 19:16 (eighteen years ago)

(Will the first person who posts "Paul McCartney" get a medal from Geir?)

I don't think Paul McCartney wrote a lot of great songs in the 50s. :)

I disagree about "Careless Whisper" being George Michael's best song, but a case could be made for that one, no doubt about that. Btw. some may consider "Lucky Man" among Greg Lake's better songs, and he wasn't even a teen yet when he wrote that one.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 23 April 2007 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

I don't know if Debbie Gibson ever wrote a better song than "Foolish Beat", but if she did, nobody ever heard it.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 23 April 2007 20:15 (eighteen years ago)

these guys have everyone on thread beat:

http://www.coquetelmolotov.com.br/pt/entrevistas/20060217014953.jpg

― Curt1s Stephens, Monday, 23 April 2007 20:17 (eighteen years ago)

Apart from the one in the front, they don't look like teenagers to me :)

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 23 April 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

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