Tweedy on Paste List

[loraaw]

Just got my Paste Magazine in the mail. 18,000 readers voted and Jeff came in No. 11 of 100 on THE BEST LIVING SONGWRITERS list.

 

It's a pretty respectable list.

 

Here's the Top 15

1. Bob Dylan

2. Neil Young

3. Paul McCartney

4. Bruce Springsteen

5. Paul Simon

6. Elvis Costello

7. Joni Mitchell

8. U2

9. Tom Waits

10. Van Morrison

11. Jeff Tweedy

12. REM

13. Brian Wilson

14. Mick Jagger

15. David Bowe

 

You know who got my vote. Congrats Jeff, if you pay any attention to this silly stuff.

 

- Laura

 

PS I got excited and posted this before I read fully. Above is the readers list. He's 24 on the poll of musicians and journalists.

Edited May 26, 2006 by loraaw

[CalebMac]

I think REM and Jeff should be above U2. It's preety amazing that he's on that list though.

[mpolak21]

Number 11! Ahead of Brian Wilson, wow this is pretty amazing.

 

--Mike

[Kalle]

You know I really have no problem with this list. I usually have a problem with these.

[Gobias Industries]

i think tweedy should be above u2 at least. sure they write some good political tunes but they don't strike at the heart when it matters most.

 

the list is pretty good though.

[suites]

i think tweedy should be above u2 at least. sure they write some good political tunes but they don't strike at the heart when it matters most.

 

the list is pretty good though.

 

 

I think tweedy is an awesome songwriter, but no need to diss U2. They have written some the best songs of the past 25 years, each and every release has many great songs, and they are biggest rock band for the past 10 years. Give them some credit. Go to one of there concert and tell me they dont have some great songs.

[ponch1028]

Considering that Jeff is the youngest artist on that list, I think it speaks volumes to how the readers of Paste view his musical contributions and legacy. I mean, I've always thought Jeff was one of the best songwriters of his generation and was slowly making his mark with the all-time elite club, but to have so many others think the same thing - well, that's comforting. I may switch the order a bit here and there (and maybe add one or two others), but I really have no qualms about the other people on this list. They all deserve to be in the top 25.

 

I'm glad that Paul Simon was high on the list. His last few albums have not been earthshattering, but they've been consistently good and he always amazes me with his lyrics and rhyme schemes. I personally would have put him above Paul McCartney, but how can you argue with putting one of the two Beatles above him? Incidently, I'd only put Paul in the top five with John Lennon. It is their collaborations that rank near the top.

 

BTW, can anyone post the editors' list?

Edited May 26, 2006 by ponch1028

[MattZ]

I personally would have put him above Paul McCartney, but how can you argue with putting one of the two Beatles above him? Incidently, I'd only put Paul in the top five with John Lennon.

 

These lists are so annoying. No one's a bigger Wilco fan than me, but I guarantee that even Jeff would think this list is preposterous. You would put Jeff Tweedy ahead of the guy who wrote Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let it Be, Long and Winding Road, I Saw Her Standing There, etc. etc. etc.? Seriously?

 

Not to mention - Brian Wilson? Mick Jagger? Really?

 

Also, this is a list of living songwriters - so no John Lennon.

[Synthesizer Patel]

Have Richard Thompson, Stevie Wonder, Page & Plant, and fucking Ray Davis! died without me noticing? Never mind, it's only a list. I'm not sure of the point in the "still alive" bit though because if we're talking creatively still alive, that list would (i'd assume) look a lot different.

[mchchef1]

and fucking Ray Davis!

Agreed

[m_thomp]

I know he suffered heart problems, but that doesn't mean died - so why is David Bowie only clocking in at 15?

 

U2 at number 8?

[BolivarBaLues]

I know he suffered heart problems, but that doesn't mean died - so why is David Bowie only clocking in at 15?

 

U2 at number 8?

 

 

No shit. I'd like to see Bono write a song as good as "The Bewlay Brothers."

 

Lou Reed is conspiciously missing. I know he hasn't written any real great songs lately, but his VU and 70s solo work should be enough for lifetime inclusion in all top-ten lists.

[wattsup32]

let's not forget that tweedy was #24 on the paste magazine list, too. that list was compiled by industry people (critics, artists, moguls, etc.) at least i think it was. i was skimming it at lunch. anyway, to me this is a larger accomplishment. to be highly thought of by people who know music is important. as much as we'd like to think of our knowledge of music few of us "readers" are truly musically literate enough to appreciate the intricasies of the music our favorite artists write.

[explodo]

The list is a top 100. Ray Davies is on there (41 on editor's list), Stevie Wonder is on there (14), Richard Thompson is on there (63), and Led Zeppelin is on there (39).

[markosis]

How the hell are REM and U2 above Robbie Robertson?

Oh well, best not to get too upset.

Edited May 26, 2006 by markosis

[ponch1028]

These lists are so annoying. No one's a bigger Wilco fan than me, but I guarantee that even Jeff would think this list is preposterous. You would put Jeff Tweedy ahead of the guy who wrote Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let it Be, Long and Winding Road, I Saw Her Standing There, etc. etc. etc.? Seriously?

 

Not to mention - Brian Wilson? Mick Jagger? Really?

 

Also, this is a list of living songwriters - so no John Lennon.

 

 

If you reread my post, you may catch that I was talking about putting Paul Simon above Paul McCartney, not Jeff Tweedy. My intentions more than anything was a shout-out to Paul Simon, not to elevate Jeff or diminish Paul McCartney. And, I'm no expert on the Beatles, but how many lyrics are undisputably (or is it indisputably?) only Paul McCartney's words. I tend to put them together for the Beatles catalog. Consequently, I would have difficulty putting Paul McCartney in the top five unless it was alongside his Beatles writing partner. That's all I was saying.

 

Once again, in terms of chart position, I was talking about Paul Simon, not Jeff Tweedy. I personally can't argue the reputations of either Brian Wilson or Mick Jagger or their place in history. With that, however, I've always thought of Brian Wilson in terms of music genius, not strictly songwriting. Mick, I'm not that big of a Rolling Stones fan, so I couldn't give a balanced opinion of his merits. Needless to say, the Stones' place in history assures him a place in front of Jeff at this point no matter how much I love Jeff or how little I listen to the Stones.

 

And you are right about the living songwriters part - I was going by the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law.

Edited May 26, 2006 by ponch1028

[hank snow]

As much as I love Wilco and have since day one, I would say that it is more than a bit out of line to put Tweedy as high as he was on either list.

[uncle wilco]

just out of curiosity, what does your inclusion on this list get you anyway?

 

seriously, does it really matter if you are included or overlooked? i think paste does better than most, but there's always going to be some points of contention no matter who's compiling it.

 

i always take these with a grain of salt and we always have rolling stone's lists for comic relief. don't take these too seriously.

[Gobias Industries]

I think tweedy is an awesome songwriter, but no need to diss U2. They have written some the best songs of the past 25 years, each and every release has many great songs, and they are biggest rock band for the past 10 years. Give them some credit. Go to one of there concert and tell me they dont have some great songs.

 

it's not that i'm dissing u2. its that i'm stating the obvious, that tweedy writes better songs in general.

[LouieB]

Number 11! Ahead of Brian Wilson, wow this is pretty amazing.

Brian is only half alive and rarely writes anything...

 

LouieB

[Synthesizer Patel]

The list is a top 100. Ray Davies is on there (41 on editor's list), Stevie Wonder is on there (14), Richard Thompson is on there (63), and Led Zeppelin is on there (39).

 

Cheers for that. Although I'm still not happy they aren't higher, well, above U2 and REM anyway, and Jeff Tweedy (although he's the only one of those three that I think is likely to make better music in the future to secure his place or rise)

[BolivarBaLues]

The list is a top 100. Ray Davies is on there (41 on editor's list), Stevie Wonder is on there (14), Richard Thompson is on there (63), and Led Zeppelin is on there (39).

 

 

Led Zepplin? What in the hell did they ever write? They stole everything they ever did and didn't even bother to credit the original songwriter. I grew up loving Zepplin, but I've only recently come to terms with the fact that they're worst than second-rate hacks. Thieves. Plain and simple.

Edited May 26, 2006 by BolivarBaLues

[wattsup32]

Led Zepplin? What in the hell did they ever write? They stole everything they ever did and didn't even bother to credit the original songwriter. I grew up loving Zepplin, but I've only recently come to terms with the fact that they're worst than second-rate hacks. Thieves. Plain and simple.

 

 

elaborate with specifics?

[hank snow]

Led Zepplin? What in the hell did they ever write? They stole everything they ever did and didn't even bother to credit the original songwriter. I grew up loving Zepplin, but I've only recently come to terms with the fact that they're worst than second-rate hacks. Thieves. Plain and simple.

 

They did steal a lot (certainly not everything) but everything they did steal was far better than the original, and ultimately, Willie Dixon became a very rich man out of the deal. At the time of them lifting a lot of blues stuff EVERYONE else was too, though i never understood why LZ didn't give credit. Even so it doesn't remotely diminish their talent, or their place in history as one of best, most influential, and most important rock bands. They are hardly second rate hacks.

[myboyblue]

I'm not sure what hippies put Joni Mitchell so damn high on the list. What the hell has she done in the last 2 decades? The rest of the list isn't too bad. Jeff does rank a bit higher on my own personal list but that it pretty impressive company. Let me go check my mailbox for Paste.