Steel2Velvet Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 In a recent Paste Magazine poll of the top 100 living songwriters, Young finishes at number 2 behind the man, Bob Dylan. The poll was discussed on the June 29 program that is broadcast for your computer here. Neat discussions and some good music to be heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I love Dylan, but Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen are both better songwriters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulEdwardWagemann Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 Dylan and Young are at the very top. Lou Reed is up there as well... ...with voices like those, you better right good songs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 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 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 A few things I don't agree with: Prince over Rolling Stones?? Wilco before The Who Led Zeppelin @ #39 Til' Tuesday over Pink Floyd 20% of this list, I've never even heard of !! Quite a few living legends seem to be omitted - other than that, they did a good job including a lot of the prime basics & a few off the wall writers, who deserved to be included. [iMO] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 A few things I don't agree with: Prince over Rolling Stones?? And over Paul Simon?? Not no mention Patti Smith, who´s number... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I'm always excited to see Radiohead high on this sort of list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 (edited) R.E.M. and Radiohead are pretty high, and I wouldn't have thought that Beck would be in thisat all, let alone 36... and where's John Lennon? EDIT: nevermind Edited July 9, 2006 by Guest maybe I should read first what's it about.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted July 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 and where's John Lennon? Chatting with Bach, Beethoven and Richard Rogers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 no way lol. bob dylan is a legend. yeah neil young is great..but bob dylan definately deserves his spot at number 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photon Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 These lists are always going to be debated - I think it should be placed by genre so there are multiple #1s. _______________________________________ (((((((((( Photon ))))))))) (((((((((( Listening to : I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At The Disco (((((((((( http://www.napster.com/player/tracks/15697361 )))))))))) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielj Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 McCartney over Lennon? If you enjoy hearing little girls screaming along, then maybe you'd agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted July 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Lennon probably would have been placed alongside McCartney were he still alive, Daniel. This list is made up of only songwriters who are currently alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 And over Paul Simon?? Not no mention Patti Smith, who?s number... I can't believe Patti Smith was only #95!? !!, You're Right edna; she's a strong influence in the Women of Rock movement. McCartney over Lennon? If you enjoy hearing little girls screaming along, then maybe you'd agree.This list is made up of only songwriters who are currently alive. I could've sworn Carole King & Kris Kristofferson were long gone, along with a few other indistinguished writers from the '66-'74 decade generation. no way lol. bob dylan is a legend. yeah neil young is great..but bob dylan definately deserves his spot at number 1 IMO, Seeing as how this is a Poll voted by the notory public, it fails to amaze me, while still agreeing with 2/3 of the lyricists who placed. Personally, I think the People of Songfacts (& a few of the other "real music" sites I erratically visit/post at) could compile a better list if put to the test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 These lists are always going to be debated - I think it should be placed by genre so there are multiple #1s. I totally agree with that statement, a list of proper sound musicians, really should be classified into seperate catagories, & then merged into breakers as one chart. Decades. Genres. Root_Influence. Style. & Mood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 these lists are silly really, because its just a fact that nobody is ever going to be able to agree on things like this as everyone has different opinions and tastes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted July 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 ... its just a fact that nobody is ever going to be able to agree on things like this as everyone has different opinions and tastes If you listen to the entire 20 minute program, linked in the first post, you will hear the editor who compiled this list and the panel discussing these songwriters agreeing with your above assertion, but also explaining very convincingly why these sorts of polling lists have value and are necessary from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadows Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 yes. i do really enjoy these sorts of lists simply because i love music. but a really true one will never be made because its just sooo hard for evrybody to agree on something like that. its interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 They have the Flaming Lips and Parliament on this list! Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 At the risk of being predictable....U2 at #18 is completely ludicrous. For 25 years now I've been in their target demographic, and they've still not conjured up a single song I can relate to. Totally overrated from the word "Go" in my view. I keep hoping that sooner or later the public will notice the emperor's deshabille...it could yet happen. To see them in the "Top 20", while genuine genius Nick Cave lurks at #90 sticks in my craw somewhat. As a lyricist of poetic soul, wit and pathos Shane McGowan (The Pogues) is virtually peerless: I find his exclusion from this list surprising. One can only comment on what one knows: as an admirer of Guided By Voices and Pavement I should give a "thumbs up" to the inclusion of Robert Pollard and Stephen Malkmus respectively. (Likewise, to some extent, the They Might Be Giants fellas) However, I think there's a world of difference between great songwriting and prolific or clever (ie "smartass") songwriting, and I'm not convinced as to the extent that either of these writers manages to shine a light into the human psyche or upon the complexity of human relationships. Similarly, I'm quite a fan of Beck, but I wouldn't say he's such a fine song-writer: much of his lyrical output is obtuse gibberish of obscure value. He certainly doesn't justify a higher placing than Morrissey.......Personally, I would advocate the inclusion of Jarvis Cocker (Pulp), Chris Difford/Glen Tilbrook (Squeeze) and Polly Jean Harvey ahead of the "quirky smartass" school of songwriters... ...but that's just me..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Is lyricism included in songwriting? I always thought songwriting was stuff like instruments and chord structures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 They're seperate, but I suppose one could combine both key elements and consider it songwriting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 Is lyricism included in songwriting? I always thought songwriting was stuff like instruments and chord structures. Hm...that might be a fair point. I guess "the song" exists somewhere at the interface between lyric, melody and musical instrumentation. I may have overestimated the significance of "lyricism" in the equation. Having said that, Morrissey (for example) is primarily a lyricist and tunesmith, but not a musician, yet is obviously deemed worthy of inclusion at a respectable #52. Incidentally, I would contend that Mark Everett (of Eels) is a far superior songsmith to many on this list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted July 12, 2006 Report Share Posted July 12, 2006 ....and that Ron and Russell Mael (Sparks) could teach a few of those jokers a thing or two about songwriting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielj Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Sufjan Stevens cracked the top 50. DAMN STRAIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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