Who Are Your Top 10 Songwriters?

Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and the other Seven.

 

Stephen Sondheim
Elvis Costello
Tom Waits
Paul Simon
Frank Zappa
George & Ira Gershwin
Paul McCartney
Randy Newman
Bob Dylan
David Bowie

 

Tori Amos
Aretha Franklin
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Jagger/Richards
Billy Joel
Elton John/Bernie Taupin
Joni Mitchell
Stevie Nicks
Prince
Stevie Wonder

 

Yes!!

 

Do duos count as one?

If so, and in no particular order:

Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Joni Mitchell
Richard Thompson
Jimmy Webb
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Paul Simon
Al Stewart
Laura Nyro
Sandy Denny

 

#1 -- Bob Dylan

Runners-Up, in alphabetical order:

Ian Anderson
Chuck Berry
Bobby Braddock
Elvis Costello
Ray Davies
Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter
John Lennon (post-Dylan influence)
Shane MacGowan
Joni Mitchell
Jim Morrison / Robby Krieger
Doc Pomus
Paul Simon (though “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” has some of the lamest lyrics ever recorded!)
Bruce Springsteen
Pete Townshend
Hank Williams
Neil Young

.

 

In no particular order...

Don and Phil Everly (together or seperately)
Brian Wilson
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Gerry Goffin and Carole King
Michael Nesmith
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
John Phillips
Merle Haggard
Paul Simon
Boudleaux and Felice Bryant

 

Bob Dylan
Tom Waits
Pete Townshend
Bob Marley
James Brown
Prince
Willie Dixon
Bruce Springsteen
Isaac Hayes/David Porter
Allen Toussaint

 

Paul Westerberg
Elvis Costello
Lennon/McCartney
Lou Reed
Bob Dylan
Ray Davies
Pete Townshend
John/Taupin
Ronnie Van Zant
Buddy Holly
Chuck Berry

my list goes to 11

 

Love the Shane MacGowan pick.

 

1. Paul McCartney
2. John Lennon
3. Ray Davies
4. Bob Dylan
5. Pete Townshend
6. Paul Simon
7. Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe (REM)
8. Neil Young
9. Brian Wilson (& collaborators)
10. Jonathan Richman
HM: Eric Carmen, Bono/The Edge, Billy Joel, Jeff Lynne, Jagger/Richard, Tom Petty, Chrissie Hynde, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder
And a few who were great, but had a smaller body of work:
1. Syd Barrett
2. Sixto Rodriguez
3. Rod Argent/Chris White (Zombies)
4. Mike Brown (Left Banke)
5. Ron Elliot (Beau Brummels)
6. Dennis Pash/Kevin Sanders (The Leopards)

 

1. John Lennon
2. Paul McCartney
3. Pete Ham
4. Jagger/Richards
5. Pete Townsend
6. Paul Simon
7. Ian Hunter
8. Robert Johnson
9. J.D. Cronise
10. Dave Wyndorf

 

Ray Davies
Lou Reed
Tom Waits
Mark E. Smith
Robert Wyatt
Don Van Vliet
Françoise Hardy
Brian Eno
Richard Thompson
Peter Hammill
HM: Gustav Mahler

 

1. Warren Zevon

Then the "Richard Trilogy"
2. Richard Buckner
3. Richard Thompson
4. Richard Shindell

5. Aimee Mann
6. Eric Bachmann
7. Paul Simon
8. John Darnielle
9. Joe Jackson
10. Mary Gauthier

 

No particular order.........

Dylan
Leonard Cohen
Graham Parker
Richard Thompson
Jonathan Richman
Elliot Murphy
Bruce Springsteen
Tom Petty
Lou Reed
Al Stewart

 

Haven't we done this before?

Bob Dylan
Eilen Jewell
Paul Simon
Joni Mitchell
Lennon/McCartney
Becker/Fagan
Marvin Gaye
John Mellencamp
Rosanne Cash
Lucinda Williams
Bruce Cockburn

 

Freddie Mercury / Brian May
Kurt Cobain
David Bowie
Steven Wilson
Lennon/McCartney
Carole King

That'll do for now.

 

Bob Dylan
Neil Young
Paul Westerberg
David Bowie
Joni Mitchell
McCartney/Lennon
Elvis Costello
Ryan Adams
Noel Gallagher
Page/Plant

 

Not sure about who I'd narrow down my top ten to, but my top 5 are probably:

McCartney
Lennon
Townshend
Cobain
Jack White

 

I'm amazed at how little respect there has been for Burt Bacharach thus far.

 

John Prine
Kris Kristofferson
Stevie Wonder
Neil Young
Dylan
Lennon/McCartney
John Cash
Sly Stone
Fagan/Becker
Waters/Gilmour/Wright/Mason

 

Just off top of my head:

Pete Townshend
Phil Lynott
Tim Christensen
Steven Wilson
Neil Young
Ian Hunter
Ian Anderson
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser
Rob Lamothe
Joe Walsh

 

Burt Bacharach
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Paul Simon
James Taylor
Bruce Cockburn
Lennon/McCartney
Andy Partridge
Henri Mancini
Lee/Lifeson/Peart
Pete Townshend

 

Joni Mitchell
Laura Nyro
Dolly Parton
Tom T. Hall
Bob Dylan
Burt Bacharach/Hal David
Cole Porter
Stephen Sondheim
Kris Kristofferson
Holland-Dozier-Holland

 

Elvis Costello
Paul McCartney
Bacharach and David
Serge Gainsbourg
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Brian Wilson
Goffin and King
Tom Jobim
Difford and Tilbrook
David Bowie