Paste Magazine's 100 Best Living Songwriters

sonik life · 06.03.2006, 04:27 AM

from stereogum: http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002670.html

http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002670.html
Another list to argue about! But this one should result in a heck of a lot less eye-rolling. Paste Magazine invited fifty journalists and musicians to compile...

100 Best Living Songwriters
1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Waits/Brennan
5. Paul McCartney
6. Leonard Cohen
7. Brian Wilson
8. Elvis Costello
9. Joni Mitchell
10. Prince
11. Randy Newman
12. Jagger/Richards
13. Paul Simon
14. Stevie Wonder
15. Willie Nelson
16. David Bowie
17. Holland/Dozier/Holland
18. U2
19. Patty Griffin
20. Van Morrison
21. Lou Reed
22. Lucinda Williams
23. John/Taupin
24. Jeff Tweedy
25. Chuck Berry
26. R.E.M.
27. Radiohead
28. Robbie Robertson
29. Tom Petty
30. John Prine
31. Carole King
32. Leiber/Stoller
33. Pete Townshend
34. John Fogerty
35. Steve Earle
36. Beck
37. Smokey Robinson
38. Kris Kristofferson
39. Led Zeppelin
40. Bacharach/David
41. Ray Davies
42. Loretta Lynn
43. Ryan Adams
44. Al Green
45. Jackson Browne
46. David Byrne
47. Sufjan Stevens
48. Welch/Rawlings
49. Cat Stevens
50. Public Enemy
51. Penn/Oldham
52. Paul Westerberg
53. James Taylor
54. Aimee Mann
55. Dolly Parton
56. James Brown
57. Morrissey
58. Sly Stone
59. Jack White
60. Jimmy Webb
61. John Hiatt
62. Sting
63. Richard Thompson
64. Andy Partridge
65. Bill Mallonee
66. Charles Thompson
67. Conor Oberst
68. Allen Toussaint
69. Merle Haggard
70. Alex Chilton
71. Vic Chesnutt
72. Michael Jackson
73. Julie Miller
74. Over the Rhine
75. Ron Sexsmith
76. Will Oldham
77. Bruce Cockburn
78. Robert Pollard
79. Stephen Malkmus
80. Pink Floyd
81. The Flaming Lips
82. John Darnielle
83. Fleetwood Mac
84. They Might Be Giants
85. David Bazan
86. Sam Beam
87. Lyle Lovett
88. Parliament
89. Victoria Williams
90. Nick Cave
91. Drive-By Truckers
92. Alejandro Escovedo
93. Joseph Arthur
94. Sam Phillips
95. Patti Smith
96. Jimmy Cliff
97. Josh Ritter
98. Jay Farrar
99. Outkast
100. T. Bone Burnett

Thoughts, quibbles, rants??

Trasher02 · 06.03.2006, 04:33 AM

U2 18 ?!?

krastian · 06.03.2006, 04:41 AM

As much as I love Leonard Cohen....over Brian Wilson? In My Room? Come on B. Jeff Tweedy over REM....ha ha ha.

king_buzzo · 06.03.2006, 04:51 AM

what?? wheres kurt???? hes an amazing songwriter one of the best

krastian · 06.03.2006, 05:06 AM

At least above Kris Kristofferson, but then again he's better than Led Zeppelin. Ok, shouldn't we just let these lame lists end, eh? Party at my place by the way.

Trasher02 · 06.03.2006, 05:14 AM

Lou Reed should have been in the top 5

alyasa · 06.03.2006, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by king_buzzo

what?? wheres kurt???? hes an amazing songwriter one of the best

Jesus christ, he's dead.

krastian · 06.03.2006, 05:25 AM

Not to mention Sly Stone at 58.......pigfuckers.

alyasa · 06.03.2006, 05:25 AM

I personally think Sonic Youth should be at least somewhere around 28 or 27.

Trasher02 · 06.03.2006, 05:26 AM

What the fuck is Outkast doing in there?

krastian · 06.03.2006, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alyasa

Jesus christ, he's dead.

So is John Lennon.

alyasa · 06.03.2006, 05:49 AM

Paste Magazine's 100 Best Living Songwriters; Christ, I don't know what kind of necromancy exists here, but it can't be holy... :P

P.S And, no, John Lennon is not on the list.

fishmonkey · 06.03.2006, 06:56 AM

i always feel sorry for number 100 on these lists.

LittlePuppetBoy · 06.03.2006, 08:26 AM

where are the Pixies?

Toilet & Bowels · 06.03.2006, 08:42 AM

what kind of a magazine is paste anyway? i've never even heard of it.

SpectralJulianIsNotDead · 06.03.2006, 09:19 AM

Sucky list, David Bowie should be higher than 16, and Tom Waits is missing from the list, as well as Richard Hell, Tom Verlaine, Andy Gill, Sonic Youth, I can go on and on.

johnnywinternoshow · 06.03.2006, 09:28 AM

tom waits is on the list. waits/brennan, number 4. Brennan is his wife and songwriting partner

alyasa · 06.03.2006, 09:34 AM

I just discovered something. It's just an opinion. It doesn't really matter who's on the list or who's not. What matters is you have your own list. Who really cares what a bunch of journalists think anyway?

Toilet & Bowels · 06.03.2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alyasa

I just discovered something. It's just an opinion. It doesn't really matter who's on the list or who's not. What matters is you have your own list. Who really cares what a bunch of journalists think anyway?

ALYASA = someone with sense!

alyasa · 06.03.2006, 09:53 AM

Thanks, but then again about 1 million subscribers to Rolling Stone in the US seem to care.

06.03.2006, 04:27 AM	#1
sonik life empty page Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: UK Posts: 23	from stereogum: http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002670.html http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002670.html Another list to argue about! But this one should result in a heck of a lot less eye-rolling. Paste Magazine invited fifty journalists and musicians to compile... 100 Best Living Songwriters 1. Bob Dylan 2. Neil Young 3. Bruce Springsteen 4. Waits/Brennan 5. Paul McCartney 6. Leonard Cohen 7. Brian Wilson 8. Elvis Costello 9. Joni Mitchell 10. Prince 11. Randy Newman 12. Jagger/Richards 13. Paul Simon 14. Stevie Wonder 15. Willie Nelson 16. David Bowie 17. Holland/Dozier/Holland 18. U2 19. Patty Griffin 20. Van Morrison 21. Lou Reed 22. Lucinda Williams 23. John/Taupin 24. Jeff Tweedy 25. Chuck Berry 26. R.E.M. 27. Radiohead 28. Robbie Robertson 29. Tom Petty 30. John Prine 31. Carole King 32. Leiber/Stoller 33. Pete Townshend 34. John Fogerty 35. Steve Earle 36. Beck 37. Smokey Robinson 38. Kris Kristofferson 39. Led Zeppelin 40. Bacharach/David 41. Ray Davies 42. Loretta Lynn 43. Ryan Adams 44. Al Green 45. Jackson Browne 46. David Byrne 47. Sufjan Stevens 48. Welch/Rawlings 49. Cat Stevens 50. Public Enemy 51. Penn/Oldham 52. Paul Westerberg 53. James Taylor 54. Aimee Mann 55. Dolly Parton 56. James Brown 57. Morrissey 58. Sly Stone 59. Jack White 60. Jimmy Webb 61. John Hiatt 62. Sting 63. Richard Thompson 64. Andy Partridge 65. Bill Mallonee 66. Charles Thompson 67. Conor Oberst 68. Allen Toussaint 69. Merle Haggard 70. Alex Chilton 71. Vic Chesnutt 72. Michael Jackson 73. Julie Miller 74. Over the Rhine 75. Ron Sexsmith 76. Will Oldham 77. Bruce Cockburn 78. Robert Pollard 79. Stephen Malkmus 80. Pink Floyd 81. The Flaming Lips 82. John Darnielle 83. Fleetwood Mac 84. They Might Be Giants 85. David Bazan 86. Sam Beam 87. Lyle Lovett 88. Parliament 89. Victoria Williams 90. Nick Cave 91. Drive-By Truckers 92. Alejandro Escovedo 93. Joseph Arthur 94. Sam Phillips 95. Patti Smith 96. Jimmy Cliff 97. Josh Ritter 98. Jay Farrar 99. Outkast 100. T. Bone Burnett Thoughts, quibbles, rants?? __________________ Goodbye saxophone player I don't know. Now I know why your music is so sad.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 04:33 AM	#2
Trasher02 invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6,356	U2 18 ?!? __________________ 666
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 04:41 AM	#3
krastian invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Baltimore Posts: 7,808	As much as I love Leonard Cohen....over Brian Wilson? In My Room? Come on B. Jeff Tweedy over REM....ha ha ha. __________________ Confusion is next and next after that is the Truth.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 04:51 AM	#4
king_buzzo invito al cielo Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 11,110	what?? wheres kurt???? hes an amazing songwriter one of the best
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 05:06 AM	#5
krastian invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Baltimore Posts: 7,808	At least above Kris Kristofferson, but then again he's better than Led Zeppelin. Ok, shouldn't we just let these lame lists end, eh? Party at my place by the way. __________________ Confusion is next and next after that is the Truth.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 05:14 AM	#6
Trasher02 invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6,356	Lou Reed should have been in the top 5 __________________ 666
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 05:25 AM	#8
krastian invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Baltimore Posts: 7,808	Not to mention Sly Stone at 58.......pigfuckers. __________________ Confusion is next and next after that is the Truth.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 05:25 AM	#9
alyasa invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,791	I personally think Sonic Youth should be at least somewhere around 28 or 27. __________________ Sab Kuch Tick Tock Hai
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 05:26 AM	#10
Trasher02 invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6,356	What the fuck is Outkast doing in there? __________________ 666
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 05:49 AM	#12
alyasa invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,791	Paste Magazine's 100 Best Living Songwriters; Christ, I don't know what kind of necromancy exists here, but it can't be holy... :P P.S And, no, John Lennon is not on the list. __________________ Sab Kuch Tick Tock Hai
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 06:56 AM	#13
fishmonkey invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 2,670	i always feel sorry for number 100 on these lists. __________________ "Pescescimmia ha grandi bulbi oculari blu, ognuno attaccato su un lato della sua testa, in modo tale da risucire a guardare indietro senza girare la sua testa pesciosa"
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 08:26 AM	#14
LittlePuppetBoy expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Aylmer(now Gatineau), Quebec Posts: 1,756	where are the Pixies?
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 08:42 AM	#15
Toilet & Bowels invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Europe Posts: 12,273	what kind of a magazine is paste anyway? i've never even heard of it.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 09:19 AM	#16
SpectralJulianIsNotDead invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7,409	Sucky list, David Bowie should be higher than 16, and Tom Waits is missing from the list, as well as Richard Hell, Tom Verlaine, Andy Gill, Sonic Youth, I can go on and on.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 09:28 AM	#17
johnnywinternoshow the end of the ugly Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Belfast Posts: 1,006	tom waits is on the list. waits/brennan, number 4. Brennan is his wife and songwriting partner
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 09:34 AM	#18
alyasa invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,791	I just discovered something. It's just an opinion. It doesn't really matter who's on the list or who's not. What matters is you have your own list. Who really cares what a bunch of journalists think anyway? __________________ Sab Kuch Tick Tock Hai
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

06.03.2006, 09:53 AM	#20
alyasa invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,791	Thanks, but then again about 1 million subscribers to Rolling Stone in the US seem to care. __________________ Sab Kuch Tick Tock Hai
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|