Paste Magazine's "100 Best Living Songwriters"

[elevation2u]

here's another list to dissect

100 T-Bone Burnett
99 Outkast
98 Jay Farrar
97 Josh Ritter
96 Jimmy Cliff
95 Patti Smith
94 Sam Phillips
93 Joseph Arthur
92 Alejandro Escovedo
91 Drive By Truckers
90 Nick Cave
89 Victoria Williams
88 Parliment
87 Lyle Lovett
86 Sam Beam (Iron & Wine)
85 David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones)
84 They Might Be Giants
83 Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham, Nicks, McVie)
82 John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats)
81 The Flaming Lips
80 Pink Floyd
79 Stephen Malkmus
78 Robert Pollard
77 Bruce Cockburn
76 Will Oldham
75 Ron Sexsmith
74 Over The Rhine
73 Julie Miller
72 Michael Jackson
71 Vic Chestnut
70 Alex Chilton
69 Merle Haggard
68 Allen Toussaint
67 Connor Oberst
66 Charles Thompson (aka Frank Black)
65 Bill Mallonee (Vigilantes of Love)
64 Andy Partridge
63 Richard Thompson
62 Sting
61 John Hiatt
60 Jimmy Webb
59 Jack White
58 Sly Stone
57 Morrissey
56 James Brown
55 Dolly Parton
54 Aimee Mann
53 James Taylor
52 Paul Westerberg
51 Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
50 Public Enemy
49 Cat Stevens
48 Gillian Welch / David Rawlings
47 Sufjan Stevens
46 David Byrne
45 Jackson Browne
44 Al Green
43 Ryan Adams
42 Loretta Lynn
41 Ray Davies
40 Burt Bacharach & Hal David
39 Led Zeppelin
38 Kris Kristofferson
37 Smokey Robinson
36 Beck
35 Steve Earle
34 John Forgerty
33 Pete Townshend
32 Lieber & Stoller
31 Carole King
30 John Prine
29 Tom Petty
28 Robbie Robertson
27 Radiohead
26 REM
25 Chuck Berry
24 Jeff Tweedy
23 Elton John / Bernie Taupin
22 Lucinda Williams
21 Lou Reed
20 Van Morrison
19 Patty Griffin
18 U2
17 Holland - Dozier- Holland
16 David Bowie
15 Willie Nelson
14 Stevie Wonder
13 Paul Simon
12 The Rolling Stones
11 Randy Newman
10 Prince
9 Joni Mitchell
8 Elvis Costello
7 Brian Wilson
6 Leonard Cohen
5 Paul McCartney
4 Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan
3 Bruce Springsteen
2 Neil Young
1 BOB DYLAN

 

[Jack In The Box]

#1 is pretty obvious

Sting over Sam Beam is hilarious

anyway, is just a list

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Can't wait for the usual responses.

#1 Where the HELL is Led Zeppelin?
#2 NO WAY Dylan is 1
#3 That list is too indie
#4 That list isn't indie enough

etc. etc. etc.

 

[beegee]

led zeppelin is #39, yerts.

but clearly, they did forget someone.

 

[hiphop]

Can't wait for the usual responses.

#1 Where the HELL is Led Zeppelin?
#2 NO WAY Dylan is 1
#3 That list is too indie
#4 That list isn't indie enough

etc. etc. etc.

the top nine are white.

 

[namkcuR]

Public Enemy over James Taylor.

Interesting.

 

[jimmmm]

Bowie 16, U2 18, Radiohead 27, Morrissey 57, Fecking bollix!!!

 

[vaz02]

bob dylan deserves his crown.

 

[elevation2u]

true

 

[gareth brown]

Radiohead and Bowie aren't high enough, DEVO aren't on it...
Paul Mcartney at no. 5 =

 

[phanan]

Surely they must have meant Lennon/McCartney at #5, right?

 

[namkcuR]

Surely they must have meant Lennon/McCartney at #5, right?

It says "100 Best Living Songwriters".

 

[phanan]

Ah, well that explains that.

Although technically by listing groups like Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones, you're including dead members, but I digress...

 

[mediaman44]

Mostly artist songwriters

I am not saying they should be number one, cuz i'm not big into pop music but Max Martin wrote a ton of successful pop songs for Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys and Diane Warren wrote countless hits for everyone from Celene Dion to Faith Hill.

But Dylan deserves to be #1.

What about that guy who wrote Elvis' songs. I heard that he was still alive, cuz he was at one of the RIAA court trials