Most Influential Songwriters of All Time
The musicians who, by the force of their writing, have changed the way we view music and, quite often, life.
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 - 8 December 1980), was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and political activist. He rose to worldwide fame as the co-founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in... read more John's lyrics are the most poignant, unflinchingly self-reflective, otherworldly, and cutting-edge. He is my favorite of all time, closely rivaled by Paul Simon, who also writes otherworldly songs. My two choices: "Across the Universe" and "The Only Living Boy in New York."
Unparalleled in his brilliance. He's the best there ever was, and the Beatles were so lucky to have him! Actually, it's us who were so lucky to have him. Miss him so much!
His most influential song is certainly Imagine. Others include In My Life and Strawberry Fields Forever.
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and artist who has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Again, I'm not a big fan of his music, but he's still going after over fifty years, which is something not many musicians can claim.
John Lennon above Bob Dylan? What is this nonsense? Bob Dylan taught John Lennon and Paul McCartney! What's not to understand?
Actually, after getting past his voice, I am now a big fan of his music. He should have been placed higher.
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame with the rock band the Beatles, one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of pop and rock... read more In terms of success, how could you not choose Paul? Also, you have to remember he has written some of the most recorded songs in history, including the number one recorded song in history with Yesterday. His appeal rivals Dylan's, although Dylan was and is a great songwriter and should be in the top 10. You can surely argue that Paul deserves the number one spot.
It was a toss-up between Lennon and McCartney for the top spot. But Paul holds the first two slots on the TheTopTens Best Beatles Songs list with Hey Jude and Let It Be, not to mention the most covered song of all time, Yesterday.
Paul Frederic Simon is an American musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Simon's fame, influence, and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel. As a duo with Art Garfunkel, he crafted masterpieces such as The Sound of Silence and Bridge Over Troubled Water. After they split, Simon had a successful solo career.
Beyond brilliant. A true cutting-edge pioneer. The most beautiful lyrics and music of all time!
Insecure, neurotic genius. Hardly a bad song in his repertoire.
David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an English singer born in London, the son of a fundraiser and a waitress. He is credited for his experimental and creative musical discography which has won praise and accolades for many critics and fans... read more I'm more of a Queen fan, in fact, but in songwriting, I think Bowie would beat them anyway.
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for being the multi-tasking leader and co-founder of the Beach Boys. The album Pet Sounds is Brian's greatest contribution to popular music. It includes the beautiful God Only Knows. But his most famous and influential song is, without a doubt, Good Vibrations, slated for release on the canceled SMiLE project.
Progressive genius - greatest producer of all time, greatest pop songwriter of all time. He could ignore all the rules of songwriting and still come up with incredibly catchy tunes.
The one songwriter whom Lennon and McCartney thought they had to try extra hard to keep up with.
Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional film actor, best known as the frontman of the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Cave's music is generally characterized by emotional intensity, a wide variety... read more Australia's prince of darkness. He has written some of the most beautiful but dark songs ever!
He has produced tons of music able to influence people and men.
More than 40 years of creativity!
Neil Percival Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, producer, director and screenwriter. He's Canadian, so I've gotta go with my countryman!
Roberta Joan Mitchell, professionally known as Joni Mitchell, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Drawing from folk, pop, rock, and jazz, Mitchell's songs often reflect social and environmental ideals as well as her feelings about romance, confusion, disillusionment, and joy. Totally underrated... Should be top 5!
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead guitarist and songwriter for the rock band The Who. Nobody captured teenage angst like Pete Townshend. He could communicate it succinctly in songs like "The Kids Are Alright" or "I Can't Explain," or delve deeply into the teenage psyche as he did in the double album Who masterpiece "Quadrophenia." A lyrical and musical genius. Ask anybody!
He wrote songs like you wouldn't believe.
The Newcomers
Peter Lennodo is a British musician. He is also a composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band The Arcana.
Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959) was an American musician and singer-songwriter who was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was a rising star when a tragic plane crash struck him down at age 22... read more The Beatles are one of the many groups he influenced, and The Crickets were one of the first true bands in rock 'n' roll. He was with us for far too short a time.
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara, 5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991) was a Zanzibari-born British singer of Indian descent, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the British rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave... read more Love, love me do
You know I love you
I'll always be true
So please, love me do
Whoa, love me do.
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see.
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
A little high, little low.
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me...
Is there any question?
He was much more creative and experimental than Paul McCartney and John Lennon combined. He created a lot of amazing and timeless songs in many genres, not just pop/rock like McCartney and Lennon.
Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, actor, activist and humanitarian, whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer, starting in the 1970s. John Denver was very underrated. If you don't believe me, listen to Take Me Home, Country Roads or Sunshine on My Shoulders. Both are really calming and happy songs.
His songs never fail to lift the spirit. Put him on when you're down. He'll raise you up.
Highly underrated. His songs are so poetic and inspirational.
George Roger Waters is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He is mostly known for being the secondary lead vocalist and bassist of Pink Floyd. There is absolutely no way that the lyrics he wrote from Meddle to The Final Cut will ever be topped by another lyricist in the history of popular music. Especially the lyrics from The Dark Side of the Moon, which are in large part responsible for the album still selling five thousand copies every week in the US alone.
18? I don't know what life is without him.
Listen to the entire The Wall and try to tell me this man isn't the best songwriter of all time.
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. He died on 18 March 2017. With songs such as Johnny B. Goode, Sweet Little Sixteen, and Rock and Roll Music, he paved the way for rock 'n' roll to grow even bigger.
Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian, and education philanthropist.
Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson, August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication, which was ruled as homicide. Michael is widely regarded as one of the most significant... read more Can't say I'm a fan, but there's no denying his influence.
He has definitely changed people's lives!
George Harrison (25 February 1943 - 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle," Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his... read more He's definitely as great and talented as Lennon and McCartney! An underrated talent that deserves to be higher than 28!
One of the greatest musicians and songwriters of all time. Unfortunately, he was only the third best in his own band.
Carole King is an American composer and singer-songwriter. She is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the USA, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1955 and 1999. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making... read more
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb is a British singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to worldwide fame as a co-founder of the group Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed groups in the history of popular music. Barry Gibb has been an amazing songwriter for decades! He is a musical genius who people overlook because of hits written during the disco era. Immortality and Too Much Heaven are top-notch songs!
Only Lennon-McCartney have produced more number ones in history.
He is so awesome with just the lyrics he has written for others.
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time, and he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1987, he started the grunge band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands ever. 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... read more
John Joseph Lydon, also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Not only did he pen many of the songs that brought the Sex Pistols to stardom, but he also completely turned music and the basic structure of songwriting on its head with Public Image Limited, multiple times. With each new release, even up to 2015's What the World Needs Now, there's always something new and innovative. His evolution of songwriting from the Pistols to where he is now is a transformation that very few musicians have accomplished.
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, pianist and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has... read more Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics, handed them to Elton, and within half an hour, Elton had composed the whole song from start to finish - all the arrangements, everything. Plus, he plays them on the piano and sings them. I heard Elton say in one interview that he composed the music to one of his songs in 10 minutes.
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Velvet Underground, and his solo career spanned five decades... read more