Best Songwriter ever
 

I saw the best CURRENT songwriter thread and figured that there might as well be a thread for the best of all-time.

For me, no one even comes close to touching Townes Van Zandt. Some of the "great songwriters" of all time have said that he was the best ever when asked (including bob dylan). He was just simply a master of his craft. Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold is the most amazing song if you ask me, that is an incredible piece of writing. I like Dylan, I like a lot of people, but I don't think they come even close to Townes.

Pete Seeger and Malvina Reynolds are the only people who I think even could lay a finger on Townes. Thom Parrott was pretty decent too. But mostly, he's in a league of his own.

first of all, great thread idea Kdub.

i guess popular picks are going to be Dylan, Lennon and maybe Bacharach (+ Hal David)...

but as for my fav... thats a toughie.

will post later after more thorough research...

It's really tough to say. Dylan could be considered the best, he did win a friggin' Noble peace prize. Lennon was amazing co-wrote just about everything the Beatles did and was a very accomplished writer on his own. My personal favorite was Roger Waters, he wrote some amazing psychodelic lyrics, plus just over all beautiful music. Waters was the master of the concept album, writing Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall.

I have to go with a duo for my favorite songwriters of all time. John Lennon and Paul McCartney completely changed the music world with their lyrics and music.
Out of the two though, my favorite was definitely Lennon. He just saw things differently than everyone else and he wasn't afraid to express himself through his music.

Of all time? Mozart.

My favorite songwriter, even though I think he can be an egotistical bastard, is Don Henley. His words are awesome!

Jimmy Webb.

Robbie Robertson is one of my favorites and would definitely rank up there as one of the best ever, but probably not THE best

Lennon/McCartney
Neil Diamond
Johnny Cash
Roger Waters

Robert Hunter...wrote a ton of Grateful Dead tunes.
Zappa too.

jim croce was really good, but i don't know if i'd call him the best

Steveland Judkins
aka
Stevie Wonder

Elvis Costello
Lennon and McCartney
Tom Waits
Amiee Mann

(in no particular order)

Jim Steinman -- who wrote many of Meatloaf's hits (and i still love)
Bruce Springsteen
Roger Waters/dave Gilmore from Pink Floyd

Lennon and McCartney
Pete Townshend
Eric Clapton
Waters and Gilmour

John Lennon and Paul McCartney they're simply awsome. so many poetics and metephors in all of there songs.

i cant believe Townes hasn't gotten any love from anyone but me yet... :'(

Townes Van Zandt sounds Dutch. Is he?

maybe in his roots but he is (was) born and raised in the USA.

James Taylor
Prince
Leon Russell
Carol King
Lennon and McCartney
Simon and Garfunkel
Gene and Dean Ween
Nick Drake
Billy Joel
Bernie Topin/ Elton John
Tom Waits
Eddie Vedder/ Srone Gossard
Carlie Simon
Marvin Gaye or who ever wrote his songs
Loggins / Messina
Joni Mitchell
Lucinda Williams
Zappa
and for pure music without lyrics Medeski Martin and Wood

These are all great song writeres, but in no particular order.
I'm sure there are many more

Oh and of course
no singer song wirter list would be complete without Slick Rick!

Doh!
how did I forget Bob Dylan

Diane Warren isn't getting any love in this post at all. She's probably not the greatest ever but she has written some really terrific songs in the past and still does.
http://photos.gznet.com/photos/10853...Bj3gn9CBRq.jpg

Asta!!

It's too bad he died so young, can you imagine if he was still alive how many great songs he would have written?

My long, complicated list involves Lennon and McCartney...That's it.

hard to pick one. but my all-time hero is bob dylan

gotta include:

elliot smith
elvis costello
robert hunter
stevie wonder

great thread!

in no particular order:
Woody Guthrie
Billy Bragg
John Wesley Harding
Townes Van Zandt
Johnny Cash
Johnny Mercer

:D :D :D :D :D

I gotta agree with CLEMENTINE on including Elliott Smith, he was a genius. It's unfortunate not a lot of people heard about him before he died. Give him a listen, his last new CD is called From a Basement on the Hill coming out October 19th. Youll be addicted to his music too.

Wow, ever is a long time. I am just going to stick with the rock era, (although no one has mentioned Gershwin) and say that although Lennon & MCCartney are probably the ones all others are measured against, My favorite is Roger Waters. Something about his lyrics touch me, and really, isn't that what music is all about?

Come on people, Bob Seger! Damn fools.
(Oh, and whoever wrote for the group "Yes", amazing stuff.)

Dylan can't sing for shit, but he wrote wonderfully.

Like Roger Waters and Lou Reed.

-Mikey

I couldn't agree more. His catalogue stands up to anyone's, and many of his songs have been covered by artists in genres other than soul/R&B.

lennon/mcartney
adam duritz
johnny cash

roger waters
rachmoninoff
steve howe, rick wakeman, john andreson, chris squirre(i love yes!!!!)
lennon, mcartney
brian wilson

I think Noel Gallagher is the best songwriter to come in a long time. You can argue that he rips his riffs off older bands and that his lyrics don't mean anything but the songs as a whole hold up against anybodys and I believe every Oasis song (95% penned by Noel) that they have written is good.

Lyrically i would have to go with Tupac and Stevie Wonder. Even if you are not a hip-hop and r&b fan you cant deny their talent as songwriters. Both men wrote songs that influenced millions and those songs will continue to do just that.

John Lennon. He could write meaningful lyrics without losing the catchiness, and he cranked out songs pretty damn fast. Especially when you consider all of the time the Beatles spent making every song different than the others.

Oh yeah. Paul is the best songwriter of all time when it comes to actually putting songs together. He just has a ridiculous number of fantastic pop songs. Unfortunately, I don't think he's the best, because every song he ever did was pop. Perfected pop, with all sorts of embellishments, but still pop.

Jackson Browne?

Steve Earle...and many more I can't think of....: )