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From Brill Building tunesmiths to punk poets, from Woody Guthrie to Max Martin, the visionaries who defined music history.
The list presented was compiled based on the magazine's music critics, and unlike previous lists the votes came entirely from the magazine's staff. It predominantly features American and English songwriters of the rock era.
RankNameLifetimeFirst Single Written1May 24, 1941 – present"Mixed-Up Confusion" (1962), performed by ...2June 18, 1942 – present"Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You" (1962), ...3October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980"Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You" (1962), ...4October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017"Maybellene" (1955), performed by ...- Neil Diamond. Top Songs: "Sweet Caroline," "Cracklin' Rose," "Forever In Blue Jeans" In a career that spans nearly five decades and countless adoring fans, Neil Diamond is one of the most acclaimed songwriters of all time.
- John Lennon (The Beatles) Top Songs: "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," "Imagine," "Woman" John Lennon was an iconic figure in the music world, with his incredible songwriting ability and unique sound.
- Jackson Browne. Top Songs: "Running On Empty," "Doctor My Eyes," "Stay" When it comes to songwriting, few can rival the creativity and musical genius of Jackson Browne.
- Johnny Cash. Top Songs: "Hurt," "Ring of Fire," "Highwayman" Country music fans around the world still marvel at the timeless songs created by Johnny Cash.
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins MBE (/ ə ˈ d ɛ l /; [5] born 5 May 1988), known mononymously as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting.
- Brett Milano
- 5 min
- Lucinda Williams. There are a few good reasons to put Lucinda Williams atop this list of the best female songwriters. Not only is she one of the sharpest melodists in modern music (country or otherwise), she writes lyrics that are equally at home being sung off a jukebox or pondered as poetry.
- Patti Smith. Let’s face it, the idea of a poet, playwright, and occasional music critic embracing rock’n’roll doesn’t sound that great on paper. But what Smith did on 1976’s Horses was pretty much unprecedented, finding the common ground between punk, transcendental poetry, post-bop jazz, and 50s sock-hop rock.
- Laura Nyro. History has largely forgotten how visionary Laura Nyro’s first stretch of albums was, but their mix of pop, soul, and jazz is still ahead of its time.
- Carole King. Even if Tapestry had never happened, Carole King would deserve immortality for her 60s catalogue, and everybody’s going to name a different favorite song.
Mar 21, 2024 · It helps all great pop and rock acts to have a unique sound and a memorable image, but ultimately it’s the quality of their songs that rewards them with longevity. Here we pay tribute to those who have flipped music’s script, and countdown the 50 best songwriters of all time.
Listen to the The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time playlist by Rolling Stone on Apple Music. 94 Songs. Duration: 5 hours, 49 minutes.
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