Top 100 LIVING Songwriters list, From Paste Magazine...

[lennonisgod]

Here is the list of the top 100 living songwriters, according to Paste Magazine.  I got this off of the internet, so I'm sure Paste has their own website if you want to check it out there.  I would like to hear some opinions on this list.  There are a lot of people on here that I think deserve to be listed here and so many others that have no business being on this list.  Also, a lot of great songwriters were left off.  The one person that deserves to be here more than a lot of these people in Noel Gallagher and I also think Billy Corgan should have made this list. REMEMBER this is just the best living songwriters.  Axl or Izzy or Slash for his guitar work should have been on this list, even if they were listed together or they could have put everyone from the band together.  Does Eric Clapton not deserve to be on this list??  The VERY top songwriters on this list, seems to be the most accurate to me, at least the top 5. I don't know if this magazine was basing their list on how great of a songwriter the person is now, or how great overall they have been based on their history of the songs they've written?? If it was based on past history to present, I would think Sir Paul would be at number one or at least number 2 behind Dylan.  Fuck, I mean you could even put Hetfield and Ulrich on here. There are songwriters from all era's and all different kinds of music here, so I don't know why some of the more OBVIOUS guys were left off.  It's like when Slash didn't make the top 100 guitar players of all time in Rolling Stone a couple years back.  Who else should have made this list that didn't??  Who should have been left off?? What changes would you make to the top 10 songwriters??

100. T Bone Burnett
99. Andre Benjamin & Antwan Patton (Outkast)
98. Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo)
97. Josh Ritter
96. Jimmy Cliff
95. Patti Smith
94. Sam Phillips
93. Joseph Arthur
92. Alejandro Escovedo
91. Drive By Truckers (Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Jason Isbell)

90. Nick Cave
89. Victoria Williams
88. Parliament (George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell)
87. Lyle Lovett
86. Sam Beam (Iron & Wine)
85. David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones)
84. John Linnel & John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants)
83. Fleetwood Mac (Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie)
82. John Darnielle (Mountain Goats)
81. Wayne Coyne & Steven Drozd (Flaming Lips)

80. Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Nick Mason)
79. Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, Silver Jews)
78. Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices)
77. Bruce Cockburn
76. Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Palace Music, etc.)
75. Ron Sexsmith
74. Linford Detweiler & Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine)
73. Julie Miller
72. Michael Jackson
71. Vic Chesnutt

70. Alex Chilton (Big Star, The Box Tops)
69. Merle Haggard
68. Allen Tousaint
67. Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
66. Charles Thompson (aka Frank Black, Black Francis) (Pixies)
65. Bill Mallonee (Vigilantes of Love)
64. Andy Partridge (XTC, Dukes of Stratosphear)
63. Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention)
62. Sting (The Police)
61. John Hiatt

60. Jimmy Webb
59. Jack White (White Stripes, Raconteurs)
58. Sly Stone (Sly & the Family Stone)
57. Morrissey (The Smiths)
56. James Brown
55. Dolly Parton
54. Aimee Mann
53. James Taylor
52. Paul Westerberg (The Replacements)
51. Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham

50. Public Enemy (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler, et al)
49. Cat Stevens
48. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
47. Sufjan Stevens
46. David Byrne (Talking Heads)
45. Jackson Browne
44. Al Green
43. Ryan Adams (Whiskeytown)
42. Loretta Lynn
41. Ray Davies (The Kinks)

40. Burt Bacharach & Hal David 39. Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham)
38. Kris Kristofferson
37. Smokey Robinson
36. Beck Hansen
35. Steve Earle
34. John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
33. Pete Townshend (The Who)
32. Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
31. Carole King

30. John Prine
29. Tom Petty
28. Robbie Robertson (The Band)
27. Radiohead (Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway)
26. R.E.M. (Peter Buck, Bill Berry, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe)
25. Chuck Berry
24. Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Golden Smog, Loose Fur, etc.)
23. Elton John & Bernie Taupin
22. Lucinda Williams
21. Lou Reed (Velvet Underground)

20. Van Morrison
19. Patty Griffin
18. U2 (Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton)
17. Holland-Dozier-Holland
16. David Bowie
15. Willie Nelson
14. Stevie Wonder
13. Paul Simon
12. Mick Jagger & Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)
11. Randy Newman

The Top 10

10. Prince
9. Joni Mitchell
8. Elvis Costello
7. Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)
6. Leonard Cohen
5. Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings)
4. Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan
3. Bruce Springsteen
2. Neil Young (Buffalo Sprinfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
1. Bob Dylan

[Bill 213]

Damn they ranked Lucinda Williams really low and John Hiatt way back in the 60's.  Not too sure about that one.  Martha Wainright owns Lucinda Williams.

[Skeletor]

They seem to have totally dismissed the prog genius of people like Neal Morse and Steven Wilson. Damn lists...

[Grouse]

funny how they just list Pink Floyd as a group

[makane]

Wheres Tyler/Perry?

[Eduardo]

Roger Waters should be in the top 5

His lyrycs are awesome. The Top 3 is good for me!

[Mr. Dick Purple]

Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon? Hello??

Oooops it says living, but still those deserve to be on that list

[Walk]

Why is Public Enemy and other rappers on this list? It's clearly a list for rock musicians, since there are no metal musicians there. Rap shouldn't be part of it.

[Walapino]

Roger Waters should be #1.

[DEAD HORSE]

Freddie MErcury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon? Hello??

 

[Tonrey]

Neil Young deserves top spot.

Fucking brilliant and my favorite artist ever.

Edit: And why is that retard Paul McCartney so high? I want some John Lennon and George Harrison in the top 10 now!

Edit 2: I just noticed it said "living" my bad. But still, get rid of Paul.

[Izzy]

Pink Floyd at 80 - 70 places below Prince?

Damn, do i love these lists

[stinson4ever]

Why is Public Enemy and other rappers on this list? It's clearly a list for rock musicians, since there are no metal musicians there. Rap shouldn't be part of it.

what r u talkin about dude, a good songwriter is a good songwriter. Plus Publi Enemy had awesome lyrics. Oviosly u have been living in a closet if u think rock artist can only make good lyrics

[LeftToDecay]

If there is someone in the world who actually spends his time listening to/loving the artists of that top 10(with exception of Prince) he is officially too boring to listen music.

[Izzy]

If there is someone in the world who actually spends his time listening to/loving the artists of that top 10(with exception of Prince) he is officially too boring to listen music.

Indeed - some rather dreary music there

[Walk]

what r u talkin about dude, a good songwriter is a good songwriter. Plus Publi Enemy had awesome lyrics. Oviosly u have been living in a closet if u think rock artist can only make good lyrics

Actually, heavy metal tends to have better lyrics than rock. I was pointing out that rap was included, but metal wasn't, which is asinine.

[ClintroN]

Towns Van Zandt - i dont care if he's dead, he was the best!!

[makane]

Neil Young deserves top spot.

Fucking brilliant and my favorite artist ever.

GNR can jump off a cliff compared to him, and I fucking love GNR to death.

Agreed. Though not a too high cliff 
Neil really is the greatest songwriter of our time. Dylan comes way back.

[Danny Top Hat]

Neil Young should have won, David Bowie should be second.

There should be more rap artists in there.

And yes, the Pink Floyd thing is stupid.  I figured it was cause they havent written a new album in so long - but then neither has McCartney, Springsteen or Prince.

Fuck Bob Dylan.

[lennonisgod]

Neil Young should have won, David Bowie should be second.

There should be more rap artists in there.

And yes, the Pink Floyd thing is stupid.  I figured it was cause they havent written a new album in so long - but then neither has McCartney, Springsteen or Prince.

Fuck Bob Dylan.

What are you talking about?  The 3 you mentioned (Prince, McCartney and Springsteen) all have recent albums THAT THEY HAVE WRITTEN. Prince has one this year and Springsteen had one last year. I can't remember if Pauls newest album came out last year or 2004, but it doesn't matter.  It sounds like you have a personal issue with Bob Dylan or that he's hurt your feelings in the past, is that true?? AND I can't believe someone above actually said that if anyone here listens to anyone in the top 10, other than Prince, then we are "way too boring to listen to music."  You're an idiot. You're basically saying that almost every person in this forum is boring because I GUARANTEE you that most of us can pick out something in the top 10 that we do listen to.  I listen to the Beatles and Paul is in the Beatles, so am I too boring to listen to music or just not as dumb as you??  Neil Young is in the top 10, so is everyone that listens to Neil Young boring??  I have every Neil Young album and love his music, so I guess I'm just a boring son of a bitch.  I do like Prince but after hearing your comment, I feel bad he has you for a fan.