|
|
Post by countjohn on Apr 5, 2024 2:58:35 GMT
Talking about songwriters working alone. Fine if they're in a band as long as they're the only credited songwriter. For established duos only give them credit for what they did on their own (i.e Lennon and McCartney). If the whole band was credited that doesn't really count for the purposes of this thread either. Anyway, for me- 1. Ray Davies 2. Elvis Costello 3. PJ Harvey 4. Lou Reed 5. Annie Clark/St. Vincent 6. Marc Bolan 7. Jello Biafra 8. Stevie Wonder 9. Paul Simon 10. George Harrison (gets solo credit for his Beatles songs as well as a long solid solo career) I'm aware there are some omissions here (Dylan, Bowie, Kurt Cobain with Nirvana) but I'm not personally a huge fan of any of them and it's my list. They can all shine Ray Davies and Elvis Costello's shoes as far as I'm concerned  Jimi Hendrix was a very tough cut but ultimately it's too small of a discography so I gave the last spot to Harrison. |
|
|
|
Post by mikediastavrone96 on Apr 5, 2024 3:22:25 GMT
Shooting from the hip and sticking alphabetically:
Nick Cave
Leonard Cohen
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Joni Mitchell
Prince
Lou Reed
Trent Reznor
Bruce Springsteen
Stevie Wonder
With Lennon and McCartney, I know generally which Beatles songs credited to the both of them were actually solo writing efforts (ex. Paul did "Yesterday" and "Hey Jude," John did "Come Together" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," etc.). Was hard to leave out Carole King (a lot of her best work sans Tapestry are collabs with Goffin), Bowie, Cobain, Brian Wilson, Elliott Smith, Freddie Mercury, Fiona Apple, George Harrison, Marvin Gaye.
|
|
|
|
Post by Martin Stett on Apr 5, 2024 3:39:48 GMT
My first thought is Laura Nyro. The woman's music is *always* exciting and shifts so often, keeping the listener engaged.
|
|
|
|
Post by Viced on Apr 5, 2024 13:56:22 GMT
1. Paul Westerberg
No order:
The Freewheelin Bobby Dylan
Townes Van Zandt
Morrissey
Neil Young
Ray Davies
Leonard Cohen
Hope Sandoval
Warren Zevon
Tom Petty
Hm: Jagger/Richards, Stephen Malkmus (for Shady Lane alone), David Berman, Adrianne Lenker, John Prine, Pete Doherty, Julian Casablancas
|
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Apr 5, 2024 14:03:22 GMT
Um, everybody knows the shit I like - so mostly like Viced's list give or take a Pete Townsend in the 60s, Peter Perrett, Costello, Kim Shattuck, Chilton in Big Star (not Bell as much), Lennon (not McCartney as much).......I've said this a lot - CMAT is a contemporary songwriting genius and she started her career with a song about suicide masked as an American Idol Pop Schmaltz.....I'm telling you - a lot of the writers that show up on our lists won't come close to writing it and many couldn't even conceptualize it as an idea
Pfffft
|
|
Archie
Based
Eraserhead son or Inland Empire daughter?
Posts: 3,674 
Likes: 4,370
Member is Online
|
Post by Archie on Apr 5, 2024 23:04:03 GMT
1. Bob Dylan
2. Paul Westerberg
3. Morrissey
4. David Bowie
5. Lou Reed
6. George Harrison
7. John Lennon
8. Bob Mould
9. Grant Hart
10. Alex Chilton
|
|
SZilla
Badass
Posts: 1,464
Likes: 997
|
Post by SZilla on Apr 5, 2024 23:11:43 GMT
I've never thought about ranking songwriters but my immediate thought was indeed Ray Davies.
|
|
|
|
Post by countjohn on Apr 6, 2024 0:16:47 GMT
Although I love John his solo career is too brief for me to put him on here. His prime years with the Beatles all the songs were credited to he and McCartney and they would still help each other with songs in the later days even if one of them originated it on his own. There's a reason neither of them came close to what they did with The Beatles on their own.
Smiths songs were all credited to Morrisey/Marr as well so unless you really love Morrisey's solo career he's not going to be on here either.
Julian Casablancas was one I missed, thought Strokes songs were credited to the band, looked it up and apparently they only started doing that on the last couple albums so he was solo credited on the good early ones. Might put him in Harrison's spot at no. 10.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mattsby on Apr 6, 2024 0:42:59 GMT
1. Paul Westerberg
2. Bob Dylan
3. Townes Van Zandt
4. Tom Waits
Leonard Cohen
Mick Jagger/Keith Richards
Elvis Costello
Chucky Berry
Bo Diddley
Ray Davies
who else - Frank Portman, Ike Reilly, Jack White, Alex Turner
|
|
|
|
Post by The_Cake_of_Roth on Apr 6, 2024 3:29:36 GMT
No order:
Bob Dylan
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
David Bowie
Brian Wilson
Freddie Mercury
Paul Simon
Kurt Cobain
Trent Reznor
HMs: Leonard Cohen, Fiona Apple, Elton John
|
|
|
|
Post by mikediastavrone96 on Apr 6, 2024 3:32:20 GMT
If we were doing songwriting teams, Elton John and Bernie Taupin would be right up there for me. |
|
futuretrunks
Based
Posts: 3,223
Likes: 1,434
Member is Online
|
Post by futuretrunks on Apr 6, 2024 4:24:31 GMT
Bjork
Paul Simon
John Mayer
Fuck Bob Dylan.
|
|
|
|
Post by countjohn on Apr 6, 2024 5:58:34 GMT
Bjork Paul Simon John Mayer Fuck Bob Dylan. Bjork is a good one, would just miss my list. Pretty much agree on Bob Dylan but you're not going to make a lot of friends with that around here  |
|
Nikan
Based
Posts: 3,207
Likes: 1,592
|
Post by Nikan on Apr 6, 2024 18:14:42 GMT
Bjork is a good one, would just miss my list. Pretty much agree on Bob Dylan but you're not going to make a lot of friends with that around here  with him. |
|
futuretrunks
Based
Posts: 3,223
Likes: 1,434
Member is Online
|
Post by futuretrunks on Apr 7, 2024 1:02:38 GMT
Bjork Paul Simon John Mayer Fuck Bob Dylan. Bjork is a good one, would just miss my list. Pretty much agree on Bob Dylan but you're not going to make a lot of friends with that around here I'll sacrifice like Monique in Precious. |
|
|
|
Post by TheAlwaysClassy on Apr 7, 2024 8:17:15 GMT
Any list without Colin Newman is a bad list.
Edit: here's what I came up with, in no particular order.
Colin Newman
MF Doom
Bill Callahan
Bjork
Jeff Tweedy
John Prine
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
Paul Westerberg
Patterson Hood
I'll remember someone that belongs here about a second after I hit send.
|
|
Jimi Hendrix was a very tough cut but ultimately it's too small of a discography so I gave the last spot to Harrison. 
