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greatest songwriter?


Dylanisgod

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In no particular order:

 

John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Sting

David Bowie

Burt Bachrach/Hal David

Carly Simon

Hank Williams, Sr.

Bob Dylan

Elton John/Bernie Taupin

James Brown

Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff

Bob Marley

 

Can't seem to separate them, in my mind they all form a brilliant sphere.

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In no particular order:


John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Sting

David Bowie

Burt Bachrach/Hal David

Carly Simon

Hank Williams, Sr.

Bob Dylan

Elton John/
Bernie Taupin

James Brown

Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff

Bob Marley


Can't seem to separate them, in my mind they all form a brilliant sphere.

 

Taupin is the man, or at least has to be in the top 10. :thu:

 

Talk about a hell of a lyric... "This song was written by Rory Lee Feek and Jamie Teachener after Rory got a call from his daughter's school. They told Rory his daughter wanted to come home because her friend's boyfriend killed himself, and they found the body that morning."

 

Or Bill Anderson's Whiskey Lullaby

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I think it's a toss up between me? And Jackson Browne?

 

ya think ? :lol:

 

Jackson does write well. Heck, everyone mentioned in the thread does :cool:

 

 

I don't think there is one who stands out over the rest. I think a writer just get's to the level of being as good as it gets, and is in the group of those just separated from one another by their audience.

jmo

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In terms of cross-cultural/multicultural impact, it has to be Bob Marley. His music spread worldwide, even transcending linguistic groups (the influence of all other writers mentioned here is pretty much restricted to the english-speaking world).

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In terms of cross-cultural/multicultural impact, it has to be Bob Marley. His music spread worldwide, even transcending linguistic groups (the influence of all other writers mentioned here is pretty much restricted to the english-speaking world).

 

 

Not all!

 

[YOUTUBE]0_eIzpZzGKo[/YOUTUBE]

 

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To me its Ned Rorem as far as art songs go. And I'm surprised and a little disappointed that Kate Bush is absent from this discussion.

 

In no particular order:

 

Paolo Conte

Jacques Brel

Salif Keita

David Sylvian

Bjork

Jez Lowe

Paddy McAloon

Joe Henry

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What about the Guy Clark of jazzy blues, Mose Allison?

 

It was the mention of Joe Henry above, who produced Mose' new album, that prodded me to think of Mose.

 

Of course, Mose is no Lenny Cohen, but he's written some mighty fine songs, from "Parchman Farm" to "Young Man's Blues" to "Your Mind Is on Vacation (But Your Mouth Is Working Overtime)."

 

Or how about Gene Clark? Or...

 

I'm stopping now or we'll get one of my famous 75+ lists of songwriters...

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What, not a Chuck Berry in the house?
:cool:

Lennon/Macca

 

Chuck Berry. Great unsung poet, I swear. I preach the gospel of Chuck frequently. Good call. He has godlike status in my book just for this:

 

I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back

And started walkin' toward a coffee colored cadillac

I was pushin' through the crowd to get to where she's at

And I was campaign shouting like a southern diplomat

 

Downtown searching for her, looking all around.

Saw her getting in a yellow cab heading up town.

I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab.

With a twenty dollar bill, told him 'catch that yellow cab.'

 

She move around like a wave of summer breeze,

go, driver, go, go, catch her balmy breeze.

Moving thru the traffic like a mounted cavalier.

Leaning out the taxi window trying to make her hear.

 

 

Just speak those words out loud and you dig the genius of Chuck.

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That guy rocked.)

 

 

I know that scene well.

 

Busby Berkley was a genius of the 20th Century. Bollywood still has

nothing on him. I've always thought of BB as an American surrealist.

Some of his production numbers were positively Dali-esque. And I don't

think he'd ever heard of Dali when he was doing them. But the way he could create astonishing

illusions using large numbers of women's legs has taken my breath away more than once.

 

A true genius. A true visionary. And his most commercially successful

sequences were also triumphs of surrealism. He was America's Dali, Bosch or Escher.

And those comparisons don't really do him justice, IMO.

 

3Q59ZncmAtQ

 

RuCG3Rle7qE

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Matximus wrote:

 

I'd say greatest and most influential songwriter living songwriter today is Max Martin. He's a genius - from Hit Me Baby to My Life Would Suck Without You and all of the great hits he's cowritten in the last 15 years or so. He's an unassuming legend. People that really understand songwriting know that he has an extremely rare gift to write and produce music that consistently connects with a lot of people.

 

What a load of old crap!  Legend and Max Martin will NEVER belong in the same sentence!!  He's nothing more than a failed swedish rock singer, who was lucky enough to produce Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys at the beginning of their career. Ever since he's used his "genius" - more like pulling power to monoplize everything. P!nk sold out to him, so did Avril Lavigne, so did Christina Aguilera. As a result all their records suck now. Britney and the Backstreet Boys fans never cared about the crap that they were singing and he's been given a free ride off of their backs, not the other way around.  By the way I understand that you are a total idiot:  I understand more about songwriting that you do and people like Max Martin are ten a penny.  There are geniuses out there that can write better than him. And as long as Paul McCartney, Barry Gibb, Brian Wilson, David Bowie, Diane Warren and RedOne are on the planet Max Martin will never be the greatest, ever. I can't believe you wrote such a moronic talent about someone who is nothing more than an opportunist, not a talented songwriter. I feel ever sorry for you...

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Todzilla wrote:

 

George Gershwin

 

Aaron Copeland

 

Leonard Bernstein

 

Cole Porter

 

Johnny Mercer

 

Thelonious Monk

 

Lennon/McCartney

 

Lamont Dozier

 

Elvis Costello

 

Andy Partridge

 

Todzilla

Nice list. But don't forget Brian Wilson. Or Townes Van Zandt.

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The other room I frequent around here (SSS) is so desolate, I might come over and hang here now and again if that's alright...I do write songs.  Any free drinks?

 

So....oh, this is a nice $2 Chablis!!...about the greatest songwriter....I'm afraid I just don't know who that might be.  

 

I'd rather discuss which note is the greatest note ever played.

 

Any more of that Chablis left?

 

nat whilk ii

 

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nat whilk II wrote:

 

 

The other room I frequent around here (SSS) is so desolate, I might come over and hang here now and again if that's alright...I do write songs.  Any free drinks?

 

 

 

So....oh, this is a nice $2 Chablis!!...about the greatest songwriter....I'm afraid I just don't know who that might be.  

 

 

 

I'd rather discuss which note is the greatest note ever played.

 

 

 

Any more of that Chablis left?

 

 

 

nat whilk ii

 

 

 

Welcome.  Post away.  Make it interesting.  I'll sign you up for the beer of the month club.  I'll just need your credit card info and your social security number.

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