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Featured Replies

In the "modern era" (so no Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Scott Joplin, et al).

Bob Dylan is probably at the pinnacle, so let's just get that out of the way.

Next? I like Jackson Browne.  Late for the Sky is, well, transcendent. The Pretender isn't too bad, either. But Late for the Sky? The Best.

Neil Diamond. I wish I had a Hall 0' Neil in my house. He is a good Brooklyn jew. I love that guy.

Tom Petty is also up there. 

A friend of mine says James Taylor. I say yeah, he's good, but he's no Jackson Browne.

 

Off the top of my head, in addition to Dylan, Springsteen and Browne:

Guy Clark

Jimmy Webb 

Brian Wilson

First three that come to mind, other than Dylan...

Townes Van Zandt

Guy Clark

Paul Simon

  • Author
17 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Off the top of my head, in addition to Dylan, Springsteen and Browne:

Guy Clark

Jimmy Webb 

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson. Good one.

 

  • Author
3 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Carole King

Yeah, good one.

That reminds me. Patti Smith is way overrated.

1 hour ago, Asithappens said:

Next? I like Jackson Browne.  Late for the Sky is, well, transcendent. The Pretender isn't too bad, either. But Late for the Sky? The Best.

He wrote These Days when he was 16*.

Edited by ztejas

Jeff Tweedy

Just looked at the LA Weekly list, Prince is another good one. 

And I'm just tossing names out there. Obviously the answer is Dylan. 

Edited by ztejas

Paul Simon is in that list along with James Taylor and few already mentioned 

Are we talking all around great lyrics and great music?

Or just really good songs not really caring about lyrical content?

Jason Isbell deserves a mention. Still needs a couple more albums to make his way up the list.

Most likely Top 3 for me:

Tom Petty

Jackson Browne

Billy Joel

Ryan Adams wouldn’t be too far behind them.

49 minutes ago, Rip76 said:

Are we talking all around great lyrics and great music?

Or just really good songs not really caring about lyrical content?

Technically (except in the loosest of definitions) it's not a song without the words . . . I think that kinda puts some emphasis on the lyrics.

Somewhere on the list...

J.J. Cale

Warren Zevon

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Technically (except in the loosest of definitions) it's not a song without the words . . . I think that kinda puts some emphasis on the lyrics.

Yeah "songwriting" has always meant more about the lyrics to me. 

4 hours ago, crash_davis said:

Elliot Smith?  Because he was real real sad, you say, LA Weekly?

Get the fuck out of here.

I guess lists have to include some dumb shit so people will talk about them.  Mission accomplished.  

Patty Griffin and Elton John merit top-20 consideration.  

Willie Fucking Nelson never did shit...but write some badass songs.

Willie Dixon was somewhat influential( rolleyes)

Without overlapping those listed:

You could add Robert Johnson for being about 4-5 decades ahead of the game.  

Charlie and Bruce Robison are both hellacious songwriters.  

 

 

 

Robert Hunter\Jerry Garcia and John Barlow\Bob Weir.

Y'all are slacking.  Paul Westerberg can spin a lyric & melody better than 90% of those who have been named.

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Y'all are slacking.  Paul Westerberg can spin a lyric & melody better than 90% of those who have been named.

Good one

Jim Croce - limited in volume but had some great ones.

Most already listed, but my favorites:

Prine

Zevon

Patty Griffin (though sure of her best recordings aren't things she wrote)

Matt Houck (phosphorescent)

TVZ

Lyle Lovett

Matt Berninger

Tweedy

Gram Parsons

Alejandro Escoveda

Stevie Wonder. 

I think Josh Ritter is one of the great American songwriters.

 

Y'all are gonna be shocked when I say Bruce, right? [emoji38]

Most of the bigs have all been mentioned in some fashion. Carole King's genius needs to recognized again & again.

Guy Clark, Steve Earle & James McMurtry definitely deserve to be in the 'others receiving votes' list.

 

 

Dammit, how did I forget McMurtry?!

And at the base of the barstool, there's a drain in the floor,
You better not go in there, if you don't know what that's for....

Here's a good question: where does rap/hip-hop fall?

Can I list Eminem and Kendrick Lamar as great American "songwriters"?

I mean stuff like this deserves a mention:

 

These should be on any list of great American songwriters:

 

Dolly Parton

Smokey Robinson

Johnny Cash

Roger Miller

Buddy Holly

Woodie Guthrie

Chrissie Hynde

John Fogerty

Aimee Mann

Randy Newman

 

12 hours ago, Bojack said:

Stevie Wonder. 

I think Josh Ritter is one of the great American songwriters.

 

He's great.  My favorite

 

I agree on Jackson Browne

I nominate Jeff Tweedy 

7 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

I agree on Jackson Browne

I nominate Jeff Tweedy 

Ya miss my comment there, guy?

Mike Cooley hasn't been mentioned yet.

Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and Evan Felker are all brilliant but haven't been around long enough for inclusion perhaps.

On 2/1/2019 at 9:01 PM, Paul Wesley said:

Elliot Smith?  Because he was real real sad, you say, LA Weekly?

Get the fuck out of here.

I guess lists have to include some dumb shit so people will talk about them.  Mission accomplished.  

Patty Griffin and Elton John merit top-20 consideration.  

Bernie Taupin says get the fuck out of here.

31 minutes ago, baboso said:

Bernie Taupin says get the fuck out of here.

Is Bernie American ?

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