Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time

[Magnetized]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-songwriters

 

There are some interesting and surprising choices here, but also some completely insane omissions. (No Townes Van Zandt??) And even though we could all question some of those included as well as the relative rankings, some of the inclusions are just objectively nuts.

 

Have at it...

[lost highway]

So they found room for Eminem, but not Nick Drake?

[Blackberry Rust]

Ugh, Rolling Stone. I really shouldn't expect that much, but really...

 

Notable ommisions in bold:

 

BECK

DAVID BYRNE

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III

RICHARD THOMPSON

SCOTT WALKER

JOE STRUMMER/MICK JONES

SONIC YOUTH

 

also:

 

Townes Van Zandt (totally agree as per above)

Jason Molina (aka Songs: Ohia)

Rodney Crowell

Cat Power

Rufus Wainwright

Martha Wainwright

Robyn Hitchcock

Gene Clarke

Syd Barrett

Gil Scott-Heron - could be argued this is beat-poetry, but the DNA of modern hip-hop is here along with The Last Poets.

Coner Oberst (aka Bright Eyes)

Bill Callaghan (aka Smog)

I'd also wager that Jeff Tweedy is totally deserving of inclusion. Look no further than the 1999-2002 stretch.

[Atticus]

I knew I shouldn't have clicked the link

[mountain bed]

Tweedy is worthy, fer Chrissakes.

 

NO GIL SCOTT HERON. Fucking blasphemy.

 

No DONOVAN? The Pied Piper pf Peace? Really? RS should be beat senseless with a crowbar.

 

Roger Waters/David Gilmour, anyone? I guess 800 fucking weeks on the Billboard charts (DSOTM) isn't worthy.

 

Warren Zevon?

 

I guess Page & Plant never wrote any tunes.

 

Man, I need to calm the fuck down. LOL

[Blackberry Rust]

Tweedy is worthy, fer Chrissakes.

 

NO GIL SCOTT HERON. Fucking blasphemy.

 

No DONOVAN? The Pied Piper pf Peace? Really? RS should be beat senseless with a crowbar.

 

Roger Waters/David Gilmour, anyone? I guess 800 fucking weeks on the Billboard charts (DSOTM) isn't worthy.

 

Warren Zevon?

 

I guess Page & Plant never wrote any tunes.

 

Man, I need to calm the fuck down. LOL

 

Such rage. I totally feel this.

[suites]

I thought the list was decent and diverse except no Page Plant. I thought RS was over the Zeppelin bashing. I guess old habits die hard.

[PopTodd]

They have John and Paul, but no

GEORGE HARRISON?

 

Also, a notable omission, as long as they did include several non-rock songwriters, maybe the greatest songwriter of the 20th century:
Cole Porter.

 

Other omissions:
Robert Pollard

Stephen Merritt

Gene Clark

[remphish1]

They have John and Paul, but no

GEORGE HARRISON?

 

Also, a notable omission, as long as they did include several non-rock songwriters, maybe the greatest songwriter of the 20th century:

Cole Porter.

 

Other omissions:

Robert Pollard

Stephen Merritt

Gene Clark

Harrison was #65

[brownie]

George Harrison is #65.

 

And in response to Blackberry Rust, Strummer/Jones are #57.

 

Frankly, I was more put off by the overwhelming number of ads for Apple Music embeded on that page than I was by the list itself.

 

I also thought the list was decent. They obviously included overall impact of the songwriter when they were making their choices of who to include. Although many of the "notable omissions" you all have cited are among my favorite artists, many of them are not well-known to the mainstream and did not have great impact on the mainstream. Most, if not all, of the artists they chose have done high quality work AND had a big impact. I thought that list was one of Rollilng Stone's better lists.

[PopTodd]

George Harrison is #65.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE6EP3Z0PSU

[tinnitus photography]

this just goes to show how insanely stupid this list is:
 

Buddy Holly was something like #29.

 

he put out 2 LPs, and co-wrote 8 of the 23 songs on those records. he had sole writing credit for just one song ("Words Of Love").

 

 

 

yeah, that seems about right.

[Winston Legthigh]

I'm just worried about the riots when Taylor Swifts fans find out how low she is.

[Winston Legthigh]

Damon Albarn

 

Rogers & Hammerstein?

 

Patty Hill / Mildred J. Hill

[John Smith]

I didn't read it, but did they do it the way they normally do these lists? Don't hey normally have a panel of musicians and critics put together lists and come up with some sort of concensus?

[Winston Legthigh]

I didn't read it, but did they do it the way they normally do these lists? Don't hey normally have a panel of musicians and critics put together lists and come up with some sort of concendus?

This time it was done completely by Apple, complete with links after each listing which will connect you directly with an opportunity to sign up for Apple Music.

[LouieB]

Don't read this shit people!!!!

 

LouieB

[tinnitus photography]

Don't read this shit people!!!!

 

LouieB

[BobDylan'sBeard]

It's been amusing to watch RS fade into complete musical obscurity. What are they going to do in 20 years when all the acts they cover have passed away? Start covering bands from the '80s?

[winterland121072]

where was Robert Hunter?

[tinnitus photography]

he was lumped in w/ Jerry Garcia.

[worldrecordplayer]

So, is Tweedy on this list? I am trying not to have to wade through it and get all pissed off by their selections.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[LouieB]

Finally decided to look at this list and honestly there is not much to complain about here.  This is really a post WWII list in general and ignores the great songwriters (like Cole Porter, the Gershwin brothers, etc) of the the great American songbook era.  

 

As usual it is just a Rolling Stone click bait kind of thing and nothing to get to upset about.

 

LouieB

[Vacant Horizon]

Fun list.

 

Not sure about Lou being above Bowie.

 

Glad to Kris on there.

 

Dylan #1 is not surprising.

 

I'm surprised they didn't put Lennon and McCartney together.

 

Henley/Frey?  Although I like the Eagles, Henley and Frey were masters at making it seem like they wrote good songs…when in reality, most of their hits were written by other people, co-written with other people or were Joe Walsh songs.  The ones they did write were made awesome by the other band members, especially Felder, Walsh and Meisner.  Felder's solo on One of These Nights!  Hell, Felder wrote their most famous riff, Hotel California.  Walsh wrote the second most famous, Life in the Fast Lane.  Not too mention their albums were fairly strong because of the additions of Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit.  The non-hit Frey/Henley songs were mostly terrible.  Like most great bands, collaboration was the key to success.  This has been played out many times, an example being Frey's solo output.  Some of the worst songs ever recorded…Sexy Girl…ugh.

 

 

[uncool2pillow]

Not sure about Lou being above Bowie.

 

Performer? Bowie > Lou

Songwriter? Bowie

 

Lou's solo output is uneven at best, but still lots of stellar stuff, the same could be said for Bowie. Lou could hardly do any wrong for the Velvets.