Most Powerful Lyricist

The Top Ten

1 Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana and passed away on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 300,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael is also known as The King of Pop (a title given to him by Elizabeth Taylor) or under ...read more.

Hi music always has a powerful message behind it. Which always made sence and he was very pationate about the way sang it. He could sing the same song a hundred times and it would still sound as good as when he first sang it... love himmm... xoxo MJ - love4mjj

They don't really care about us makes me think alot. I use to get bullied real bad, then I started listening to this song and the lyrics got stuck in my head. And, it was because of this song that I don't get so depressed about is anymore. Thank you mike.. xoxo - _JahLove

Michaels lyrics held powerful messages to the listeners. He was trying to teach his fans and change the world. He made a powerful impact on the world and saved the lives of children with his contributions with his lyrics and the money he donated from writing his powerful lyrics. - love4mjj

He always put something more his songs than the rest. That's maybe why he was (and will be) one of the best singers in the history of music, if not the best. He actually wrote his own songs, so a little part of his magnificence and power we saw in his dancig is in his lyrics too.

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2 Ville Valo Ville Valo

Ville is not just a singer/lyricist... He is a true poet. He is a magnet for all the influences, being painfully aware of them all, good and bad, and sensitive to them so much as to become a powerful conduit for them, sharing his own perceptions with the world passionately. Beauty, ugliness, love, fear, hope, despair... The entire rainbow of every emotion, sensation, deepest darkest places upon which humanity in all its loveliness, ugliness, fearfulness, instincts... Strivings to better itself resides is painted, smudged, redrawn, brought to its bare bone structure in the wild love and war of lyrics and brought to pulse like beats of raw reality and nightmare always holding hands with our desires and dreams trough the eyes of the man, the poet, the traveler trough life in all its aspects we fear and covet to learn and be a part of.. The eyes of this unique soul incarnate in the lyricist and so much more that is Ville Valo, the poet who will take you to the simple truth, to your ...more

His lyrics are always heart warming, the best thing about Ville is that he writes from his heart and does not need others to write songs for him the way these commercial artists like Rihanna and Neyo depend on other song writers. Ville is the 21st century Edgar Allan Poe

His songs are made not from hatred, but from love. He never says "I hate love", but "Yes, it's painful, but this is the best thing, that may happen with you"

Just listen to Acoustic Funeral!

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3 Serj Tankian Serj Tankian Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet, and political activist.

Serj is not just a songwriter he is a messenger and protestor of the us not recognizing armenian genocide through his lyrics

in 16? I realize some people don't know what a REAL lyricist is - rock2metal

The best! Why'dyouleavethekeysuponthetable? Hereyougocreateamotherfable! (more of Chop Suey! ) - moose4life19

4 Antim Grahan

Listen to "Forever Winter"--- best lyrics I've heard in a long long time!

5 James Hetfield James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963. He is an American musician, singer and songwriter known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica.

Have you heard Fade to Black!? Once you hear that, you'll understand why he's the best... Not to mention countless other songs like Ride the Lightning, Creeping Death, Sad But True, One,... And Justice for All, etc.

This man wrote amazing lyrics like One, Sanitarium, Master of Puppets, etc. - RamiroRosas

James is an inspiration to me for his incredible vocals

YES, james deserves a place in the top 10, at least in front of mercury, his lyrics are perfect for the guitar and the bass and the drum, which makes him a ledgend of rock

6 Ann Wilson Ann Wilson Ann Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the hard rock band Heart.
7 Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is a hard rock band formed in 1983, which had a streak of successful albums in the late 1980s. The band originally consisted of lead vocalist Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Ritchie Sambora (left in 2013), bassist Alec John Such (left in 1994), keyboard David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres. The band's ...read more.

You can listen to Bon Jovi when you are happy and when you are down!
They have a song to every feeling in your life - richie4life

so much emotions in their songs - richie4life

8 Yoshiki Hayashi Yoshiki Hayashi Yoshiki Hayashi is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. Better known by his stage name Yoshiki, he is best known as the leader and a co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan, for which he is the drummer, pianist and main songwriter. The band achieved breakthrough success ...read more.

His lyrics are powerful, beautiful, poetic, and even cryptic. Art of Life is one of his masterpiece - kurenai_tenshi

The lyrics of Amethyst are just so beautiful. And "whith out you" I think it's so soulful.

9 Billie Joe Armstrong Billie Joe Armstrong Billie Joe Armstrong is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and guitarist of the punk rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt.

He has an uncanny ability to write excellent lyrics about any topic; be it the death of his father, teenage boredom, love, mental illness, politics... His lyrics can be silly, they can be poetic, they can be profound- and they are all extremely clever.

Best lyricist from band Green Day, he's the founder and the lead vocalist of the band. His lyrics are as powerful and meaningful as Jesus of Suburbia but his sound are better.

Intelligent lyrics written by a highly intelligent man

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10 M. Shadows M. Shadows Matthew Charles Sanders, better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter and founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.

His lyrics are just superb
His best song is so far away the pain of losing a friend
He's just superb a7x rocks

M shadows is a great songwriter but so far away was actually written by syn.
Also I don't see axl rose on this list

The Contenders

11 Bruce Dickinson Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson, known professionally as Bruce Dickinson, is an English musician, airline pilot, and broadcaster. He is most well known for being the lead singer in heavy metal band Iron Maiden and his solo career.

I believe the majority of the credit should go to Steve Harris since he wrote the majority of Maiden's lyrics. But Bruce is still a great lyricist in his own right

12 Jarvis Cocker
13 Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991) was a Tanzanian-born British singer, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Before he became a singer ...read more.

Okay... I don't know about you guys but Freddie had THE BEST lyrics you could find. Sure, some songs didn't exactly make any sense but if you looked deeper into it, you'd find much poetry and figured that Freddie was a damn genius.

No, no. He made the most meaningful songs ever, guy with the other comment. But listen: I have found the meaning of Seven Seas of Rhye!
It was a fantasy land Freddie used to dream of as a kid.

14 Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1988, he started the grunge band Nirvana. He was a talented yet troubled grunge performer. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend in the 1990s with his band. He committed suicide at his Seattle home in 1994.

Kurt is a God... He was a depressed soul who didn't care about the world... His lyrics remain morbid and will always be a mystery... She'll come back with fire... And burn all the liars.. Leave a blanket of ash on the ground...
All hail.. Kurt Cobain..

Pennyroyal Tea made m cry

15 Chester Bennington Chester Bennington Chester Charles Bennington (March 20th, 1976 - July 20th, 2017) was an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known for being the lead singer of Linkin Park. He also has a few side projects like Julien K and Dead By Sunrise. He committed suicide in 2017 due to depression.

The meanings of his songs are unbearably amazing and really touch your soul cz they're about Chester's past. LP 4ever. - lukestheman4

His lyrics pierce the heart and touch the soul! No that's call lyrics writing!

16 Eminem Eminem Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce ...read more.

My passion is more into metal scene, but when it come to lyricist.. Eminem is the best while James from Metallica came close. This dude should be place at least in top 3.. Seeing him below those band's lyricist makes me sick... Their lyric are nothing compared to Em's which is so real, full of feelings and so close to the listener. - Pyansickness

What they are doing here. EMINEM is the best lyricist, rapper and songwriter of all time. I guess they all are paid by respective singers to vote for them. Eminem is the greatest selling artist of the decade and definitely top selling artist of all time after michael jackson. The way I am, till I collapse, beautiful, not afraid are classics. I think stan is the best written lyrics in human history.

Its seems to be a crime comitted on this list Eminem should be in top3 he is genius lyricist just listen to stan, mockingbird, lose yourself, not afraid ahh let it be just listen his all stuffs and then vote any other else

Marshall? Is... Is that you? Why are you so low on the list?

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17 hyde
18 Tupac Shakur Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac, was an American rapper and actor born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York. Tupac sold over 75 million records worldwide and has been referred to in multiple major publications such as Rolling Stone as one of the greatest music artists of all time. 2Pac was ...read more.

Just listen to ghetto gospel and wonder why you didn't vote for Tupac Shakur R.I. P :') - Mushroom99

It took Tupac only 5 years in the spotlight to build such a legacy. He is the best lyricist ever. - mmasviba

Best forever alive in he's words

RIP - Nigel17

19 Jared Leto Jared Leto

His lyrics is something special. If you heard his songs once-there's no way back. - Alejandro-Bantik

20 Bob Dylan Bob Dylan Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer . he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016 .

Why Bob Dylan is not at the top of this list is beyond me. He deserves to be at the top with his powerful lyrics. In 2008, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded Dylan a special citation for... "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power. " - ybothermatt

you can kill l7972 kids and eat 5614 ice-creams, Bob Dylan would still be able to kick your ass... - Overdose

Bob Dylan is one of the best songwriters of all time. When he writes a song it means somthing, not some of these young bloods who are just getting there feet wet.

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