Kevin's Watch

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.

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?

#1 is absolutely correct.

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. 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

And where the Hell is Trent Reznor?

At his house?

what kinda stupid list has McCartney and no Lennon.

Lucimay wrote:what kinda stupid list has McCartney and no Lennon.

Pssst. It's living songwriters.

I'm disappointed by Billy Corgan's omission.

oh.

so it is.

right then.

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.

I think Ben Folds is a great song writer.

And Regina Spektor.

Marvin The Magnificent wrote:I think Ben Folds is a great song writer.

Can't agrue with #2 . Yea! Lucinda Williams made the top 25-and rightfully so. Becker/Fagen not in the top 25? (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?"

danlo wrote:"Where in the hell is Trent Reznor?" A better question to ask is, "Where in the hell is Maynard from TOOL?"

Can't argue with that.

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 . . .

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.