The latest issue of Paste Magazine (a really fine music and film rag) includes a list of the Paste music critics top one hundred living songwriters. There are some surprises of both commission and omission. Before I get to those, though, let me give you the top twenty, in count-down order:
20. Van Morrison
19. Patty Griffin
18. U2
17. Holland-Dozier-Holland [writers of many 60s r&b hits]
16. David Bowie
15. Willie Nelson
14. Stevie Wonder
13. Paul Simon
12. Jagger/Richards
11. Randy Newman
10. Prince
9. Joni Mitchell
8. Elvis Costello
7. Brian Wilson
6. Leonard Cohen
5. Paul McCartney
4. Tom Waits
3. Bruce Springsteen
2. Neil Young
1. Bob Dylan
Keep in mind that this is not a "best songwriters of the past 50 years" list, but rather the best of those still alive. (This strikes me as a curious restriction, but then it's not my magazine.) In addition to the critics poll, there was also a readers' poll, the top twenty of which is:
20. Carole King
19. Ryan Adams
18. James Taylor
17. John Prine
16. Willie Nelson
15. David Bowie
14. Jagger/Richards
13. Brian Wilson
12. R.E.M.
11. Jeff Tweedy
10. Van Morrison
9. Tom Waits
8. U2
7. Joni Mitchell
6. Elvis Costello
5. Paul Simon
4. Bruce Springsteen
3. Paul McCartney
2. Neil Young
1. Bob Dylan
One problem I had when I tried to contribute to the readers' poll is that I couldn't decide whether I was supposed to list the living songwriters who have the best body of work or those who are currently writing the best songs. These would be very different lists. Dylan is a no-brainer top five (at least) pick for the first kind of list, but he'd be nowhere near the top twenty of the latter kind.
Okay, so I guess my biggest complaint is that Paul Simon ends up so low on the critics poll. Can we really take seriously the thought that Prince is a better songwriter than Mr. Bridge Over Troubled Water? No, I don't think we can. I also want to complain about the derth of folk songwriters on the list. Bill Morrissey is a wonderful songwriter who doesn't even make the top 100. Ditto Pierce Pettis and Ellis Paul. And one of the best pop songwriters working, Michael Penn, is also given the shaft.
Who else should have made the list?
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3 comments:
I'm so annoyed that Michael didn't make the list, but maybe if he had better marketing that would help because that's how you get on these lists.
I've never been a Paul Simon fan other than Graceland, so I have no problem with Prince being higher. Prince is probably one of the best pop-song writers around. He may have a crappy CD, but guaranteed it will have 2-3 gems on it.
Who is missing? How about Jon Brion? He can replace Randy Newman.
Spencer:
Sorry it has taken me a while to respond. I think you're the first person who's read my fledgling blog.
Yeah, I think Michael Penn should have been on the list--I think that he's no where to be found even in the top 50.
I also think there are some really fine songwriters in the folk/acoustic tradition that are not represented (I'm thinking of Bill Morrissey and Pierce Pettis, in particular). Also, I'd have Todd Snider somewhere in the top 30 or so too.
Another huge miss is Shawn Colvin. That they have Patty Griffin and not her is a crime. Patty so obviously is a fan, but Colvin's music always seems more full and has more depth.
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