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Greatest Songwriter(s) of All- Time?


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Who is the greatest songwriter(s) of all- time?  

28 members have voted

  1. 1. Who is the greatest songwriter(s) of all- time?

    • Bob Dylan
      3
    • Jim Morrison/Ray Manzarek/Bobby Kreiger
      2
    • Elton John
      1
    • Billy Joel
      1
    • Mick Jagger/Keith Richards
      0
    • Paul McCartney/ John Lennon
      12
    • Marvin Gaye
      0
    • Jerry Garcia
      1
    • Paul Simon/ Art Garfunkel
      1
    • Neil Young/CSNY
      0
    • Other
      6


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i was also gonna say don't forget about george harrison...

 

but it seems a little lacking in current songwriters...

 

and even old ones... Elliot Smith and Ian Curtis have always struck me as just phenominal, love will tear us apart is just grrrrreat. Morrissey i've loved as a songwriter

 

BRIAN WILSON...Jerry Garcia was NOT that great of a songwriter...he has his moments, but their music did not rely on their lyrics

 

brian wilson is a definate...

 

also scott walker and billy corgan...

 

 

and a personal favorite but not really gonna be considered...Stephen Malkmus

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QUOTE(bmags @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 12:46 PM)
Jerry Garcia was NOT that great of a songwriter...he has his moments, but their music did not rely on their lyrics

 

He relied heavily on the use of illegal substances both for himself and his fans. That's honestly the only way you can enjoy that garbage. I had a few friends that really liked him, needless to say they were all burn outs.

 

And I agree with almost all of your list. Very nice.

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QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 12:54 PM)
He relied heavily on the use of illegal substances both for himself and his fans.  That's honestly the only way you can enjoy that garbage.  I had a few friends that really liked him, needless to say they were all burn outs.

 

And I agree with almost all of your list.  Very nice.

 

I refuse to believe that whole scene was ever mostly about the music.

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QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 12:56 PM)
I refuse to believe that whole scene was ever mostly about the music.

 

It wasn't. It was about smoking a bong or eating some shrooms. Those friends I referred to tried to make me listen to that garbage more than once, and I felt like ramming my head into the wall because of how terrible it was. They had some songs that were good, but they had like 500 bad ones for every good one. 500 might be low-balling it, too.

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QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 01:02 PM)
It wasn't.  It was about smoking a bong or eating some shrooms.  Those friends I referred to tried to make me listen to that garbage more than once, and I felt like ramming my head into the wall because of how terrible it was.  They had some songs that were good, but they had like 500 bad ones for every good one.  500 might be low-balling it, too.

 

LMAO, you cannot get through it sober, you probably needed more shrooms. ;)

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QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 02:47 PM)
Now McCartney wrote with Wings and Lennon did that Imagine thing...

When did they write together??

:P

When I was little a Wings song came on the radio and I asked my mom, "Was Paul McCartney in a band before Wings?" I was probably about 5, but I still get teased about it.

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QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 12:20 PM)
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

 

f***ing genius. :D

 

:D Milkman...one of your best posts ever

 

Genius is right

 

 

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man too

You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo

What a thing to do

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man too...

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I voted for Bob Dylan. Just to be different. :lol:

 

 

But one overlooked songwriter from the 60s and 70s, hell its a pretty much overlooked band too. Ray Davies from The Kinks. The string of albums from 'Something Else by The Kink's to 'Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround part 1' is pretty darned impressive. The 70's werent so kind to the band. But a lost album I think is 'Low Budget' . An album about being poor (at least what I get out of it)

 

 

I would also throw in the name Elvis Costello

Edited by Benchwarmerjim
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QUOTE(bmags @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 12:46 PM)
BRIAN WILSON...Jerry Garcia was NOT that great of a songwriter...he has his moments, but their music did not rely on their lyrics

Robert Hunter was the Dead's lyricist, very much in the vein of John/Taupin. Mad props to Brian Wilson though.

 

John and Paul get my nod for top dogs in the rock songwriting arena, but honerable mentions must include:

 

– Elvis Costello

– Aimee Mann

– Carole King

– Andy Partridge (xtc.)

– Zappa

– Todd Rundgren

 

I'm thinking primarily of the lyrical content of their songs, but none of these guys are slouches in the musical composition side of things either.

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QUOTE(Controlled Chaos @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 02:35 PM)
:D Milkman...one of your best posts ever

 

Genius is right

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man too

You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo

What a thing to do

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man

Baby you’re a rich man too...

That's Aboz' favorite Beatle track, if I recall correctly.

 

Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9.....

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QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 12:20 PM)
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

 

f***ing genius. :D

 

Now now....they did have 27 number 1 hits...don't know if that is most all time, but pretty impressive...

 

1. Love Me Do

2. From Me to You

3. She Loves You

4. I Want to Hold Your Hand

5. Can't Buy Me Love

6. A Hard Day's Night

7. I Feel Fine

8. Eight Days a Week

9. Ticket to Ride

10. Help!

11. Yesterday

12. Day Tripper

13. We Can Work It Out

14. Paperback Writer

15. Yellow Submarine

16. Eleanor Rigby

17. Penny Lane

18. All You Need Is Love

19. Hello Goodbye

20. Lady Madonna

21. Hey Jude

22. Get Back

23. The Ballad of John & Yoko

24. Something

25. Come Together

26. Let It Be

27. The Long and Winding Road

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Ya want controversy?

 

It's time we quit putting Lennon and McCartney together on the songwriting thing. It is well documented and known that they never wrote together and only split the credits. Paul himself wants to start taking credit alone for the songs he wrote. They were both great, but they did not write together. I prefer Paul though. I have no use at all for solo Lennon, whereas I like quite a bit of the stuff Wings did, and Paul has done solo.

 

How about Amadeus? Bach?

 

Hell, let's finally bow down to the TRUE Father of Rock And Roll: Bill Haley!!!

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QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 07:53 PM)
Robert Hunter was the Dead's lyricist, very much in the vein of John/Taupin.  Mad props to Brian Wilson though.

 

John and Paul get my nod for top dogs in the rock songwriting arena, but honerable mentions must include:

 

– Elvis Costello

– Aimee Mann

– Carole King

– Andy Partridge (xtc.)

– Zappa

– Todd Rundgren

 

I'm thinking primarily of the lyrical content of their songs, but none of these guys are slouches in the musical composition side of things either.

 

i didn't think garcia wrote, but i was thinking it was bob weir who wrote it...good call though...and good call to whoever said the kinks lead singer,

 

and last but not least...I heart Pavement.

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