100 Greatest Living Songwriters

Who's listening to what, what's going on in the music industry....

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Lord Mhoram
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100 Greatest Living Songwriters

Post by Lord Mhoram »

1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Waits/Brennan
5. Paul McCartney
6. Leonard Cohen
7. Brian Wilson
8. Elvis Costello
9. Joni Mitchell
10. Prince
11. Randy Newman
12. Jagger/Richards
13. Paul Simon
14. Stevie Wonder
15. Willie Nelson
16. David Bowie
17. Holland/Dozier/Holland
18. U2
19. Patty Griffin
20. Van Morrison
21. Lou Reed
22. Lucinda Williams
23. John/Taupin
24. Jeff Tweedy
25. Chuck Berry
26. R.E.M.
27. Radiohead
28. Robbie Robertson
29. Tom Petty
30. John Prine
31. Carole King
32. Leiber/Stoller
33. Pete Townshend
34. John Fogerty
35. Steve Earle
36. Beck
37. Smokey Robinson
38. Kris Kristofferson
39. Led Zeppelin
40. Bacharach/David
41. Ray Davies
42. Loretta Lynn
43. Ryan Adams
44. Al Green
45. Jackson Browne
46. David Byrne
47. Sufjan Stevens
48. Welch/Rawlings
49. Cat Stevens
50. Public Enemy
51. Penn/Oldham
52. Paul Westerberg
53. James Taylor
54. Aimee Mann
55. Dolly Parton
56. James Brown
57. Morrissey
58. Sly Stone
59. Jack White
60. Jimmy Webb
61. John Hiatt
62. Sting
63. Richard Thompson
64. Andy Partridge
65. Bill Mallonee
66. Charles Thompson
67. Conor Oberst
68. Allen Toussaint
69. Merle Haggard
70. Alex Chilton
71. Vic Chesnutt
72. Michael Jackson
73. Julie Miller
74. Over the Rhine
75. Ron Sexsmith
76. Will Oldham
77. Bruce Cockburn
78. Robert Pollard
79. Stephen Malkmus
80. Pink Floyd
81. The Flaming Lips
82. John Darnielle
83. Fleetwood Mac
84. They Might Be Giants
85. David Bazan
86. Sam Beam
87. Lyle Lovett
88. Parliament
89. Victoria Williams
90. Nick Cave
91. Drive-By Truckers
92. Alejandro Escovedo
93. Joseph Arthur
94. Sam Phillips
95. Patti Smith
96. Jimmy Cliff
97. Josh Ritter
98. Jay Farrar
99. Outkast
100. T. Bone Burnett


I have mixed feelings about this list. From Paste magazine, btw. Discuss.
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Post by Sunbaneglasses »

Outkast?Better songwriters than say Becker/Fagen of Steely Dan?Is Beck honestly a better songwriter than the collected talents of Fleetwood Mac or Pink Floyd?Springsteen better than Jagger/Richards?
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Post by The Ghost of CHO »

#1 is absolutely correct.
Obviously I am dead.
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Post by Lord Mhoram »

sbg,
Outkast?Better songwriters than say Becker/Fagen of Steely Dan?Is Beck honestly a better songwriter than the collected talents of Fleetwood Mac or Pink Floyd?Springsteen better than Jagger/Richards?
I don't know much about Outkast, but I do know I am no fan of Steely Dan. :P As for Beck, I know that he is extremely talented and the sheer breadth of his songwriting merits him a high place on this list. Pink Floyd is certainly placed too low, in my opinion.

Allow me to add also, that I am thrilled to see Leonard Cohen in the top ten. :thumbsup:
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Post by finn »

Some real classic omissions....No Clapton, his output through Cream, Yardbirds, Derek and solo is extraordinary, can anyone say that the writer of Layla does not warrant a mention? There's no Mark Knopfler and perhaps a little less well known but hugely respected in the pro muso community, John Martyn.

Who wrote Queens material? What about Paul Weller? Billy Joel perhaps? Then what of Neil Diamond, Madness, UB40, not my cup of tea, but wouldn't Madonna have rated a mention? David Gates, David Gray Henly/Frey (Eagles)...wow the list keeps going.....!

These 'best of lists' really are are crap most of the time and seem to be abot starting arguments rather than settling them.
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Post by Worm of Despite »

Yep, best-of lists = pure opinion. They're always going to exclude someone a person thinks should be on there.
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Post by Cail »

No Diamond. No Neil Sedaka. No Don Henley. No Knopfler. No Chinn/Chapman.

But there's room for tripe like Ryan Adams?

This is why lists like these drive me nuts.
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Post by dANdeLION »

Heh, I think Springsteen is slightly better a writer than Jagger, and Joni is better than Dylan. Other than that, and the questionable lack of Peter Gabriele, I agree with you guys.
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.


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Post by Cail »

And where the Hell is Trent Reznor?
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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Post by dANdeLION »

At his house?
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.


High priest of THOOOTP

:hobbes: *

* This post carries Jay's seal of approval
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Post by lucimay »

what kinda stupid list has McCartney and no Lennon. :roll:
you're more advanced than a cockroach,
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies



i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio



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the fold - searching for our
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gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
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Post by Lord Mhoram »

Lucimay wrote:what kinda stupid list has McCartney and no Lennon. :roll:
Pssst. It's living songwriters. ;-)

I'm disappointed by Billy Corgan's omission.
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Post by lucimay »

oh. :oops:

so it is. :lol:

right then.
you're more advanced than a cockroach,
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies



i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio



a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
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Lord Mhoram
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Post by Lord Mhoram »

I read a blog site that discussed this list (discussions got pretty heated) and lots of people were disappointed by: No Lennon, Cobain, Marley, George Harrison, etc. :P
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Post by Marv »

I think Ben Folds is a great song writer.

And Regina Spektor.
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Post by Warmark »

Marvin The Magnificent wrote:I think Ben Folds is a great song writer.
:thumbsup:
But if you're all about the destination, then take a fucking flight.
We're going nowhere slowly, but we're seeing all the sights.
And we're definitely going to hell, but we'll have all the best stories to tell.


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Post by danlo »

Can't agrue with #2 :wink: . Yea! Lucinda Williams made the top 25-and rightfully so. Becker/Fagen not in the top 25? :screwy: (and I would have placed Cat Stevens much higher).

"Where in the hell is Trent Reznor?" A better question to ask is, "Where in the hell is Maynard from TOOL?" 8O
fall far and well Pilots!
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Post by Cail »

danlo wrote:"Where in the hell is Trent Reznor?" A better question to ask is, "Where in the hell is Maynard from TOOL?" 8O
Can't argue with that.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." - PJ O'Rourke
_____________
"Men and women range themselves into three classes or orders of intelligence; you can tell the lowest class by their habit of always talking about persons; the next by the fact that their habit is always to converse about things; the highest by their preference for the discussion of ideas." - Charles Stewart
_____________
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison
_____________
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Re: 100 Greatest Living Songwriters

Post by Loredoctor »

Lord Mhoram wrote:1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Waits/Brennan
5. Paul McCartney
6. Leonard Cohen
7. Brian Wilson
8. Elvis Costello
9. Joni Mitchell
10. Prince
11. Randy Newman
12. Jagger/Richards
13. Paul Simon
14. Stevie Wonder
15. Willie Nelson
16. David Bowie
17. Holland/Dozier/Holland
18. U2
19. Patty Griffin
20. Van Morrison
21. Lou Reed
22. Lucinda Williams
23. John/Taupin
24. Jeff Tweedy
25. Chuck Berry
26. R.E.M.
27. Radiohead
28. Robbie Robertson
29. Tom Petty
30. John Prine
31. Carole King
32. Leiber/Stoller
33. Pete Townshend
34. John Fogerty
35. Steve Earle
36. Beck
37. Smokey Robinson
38. Kris Kristofferson
39. Led Zeppelin
40. Bacharach/David
41. Ray Davies
42. Loretta Lynn
43. Ryan Adams
44. Al Green
45. Jackson Browne
46. David Byrne
47. Sufjan Stevens
48. Welch/Rawlings
49. Cat Stevens
50. Public Enemy
51. Penn/Oldham
52. Paul Westerberg
53. James Taylor
54. Aimee Mann
55. Dolly Parton
56. James Brown
57. Morrissey
58. Sly Stone
59. Jack White
60. Jimmy Webb
61. John Hiatt
62. Sting
63. Richard Thompson
64. Andy Partridge
65. Bill Mallonee
66. Charles Thompson
67. Conor Oberst
68. Allen Toussaint
69. Merle Haggard
70. Alex Chilton
71. Vic Chesnutt
72. Michael Jackson
73. Julie Miller
74. Over the Rhine
75. Ron Sexsmith
76. Will Oldham
77. Bruce Cockburn
78. Robert Pollard
79. Stephen Malkmus
80. Pink Floyd
81. The Flaming Lips
82. John Darnielle
83. Fleetwood Mac
84. They Might Be Giants
85. David Bazan
86. Sam Beam
87. Lyle Lovett
88. Parliament
89. Victoria Williams
90. Nick Cave
91. Drive-By Truckers
92. Alejandro Escovedo
93. Joseph Arthur
94. Sam Phillips
95. Patti Smith
96. Jimmy Cliff
97. Josh Ritter
98. Jay Farrar
99. Outkast
100. T. Bone Burnett


I have mixed feelings about this list. From Paste magazine, btw. Discuss.
I can't believe Martin Gore was not listed. They list Nick Cave, however . . . :roll: :lol:
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Post by Lord Mhoram »

Stephen Malkmus and Conor Oberst need to go, IMO. Malkmus is just a lame hipster and Oberst I don't think has really proved himself yet (although he's got the potential). Ray Davies should be in the top ten, IMO.
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