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1950-2000: The Top 25 Singer/Songwriters

1.Bob Dylan: I don’t expect any arguments here

2.Curtis Mayfield: Perhaps he should be #1

3. Paul Weller: Hideously underrated in the US, this whiteboy knows soul

4. Tom Waits: He makes two kinds of records: good ones & great ones

5. Van Morrison: If he ever put out a bad record, I haven’t heard it yet

6. Hank Williams: Some of his songs can even make Christianity sound cool

7. Marc Bolan: The pop genius of the 70’s

8. Toots Hibbert: The man who should have been Jamaica’s International Superstar

9. George Jones: A jug of wine, a George Jones album, another jug of wine, and then another…

10. Lou Reed: I’d put him on this list just for “Pale Blue Eyes”

11. Carole King: More for her songwriting than her singing

12. Elvis Costello: Not half as good as everybody says he is, but what a half!

13. Townes van Zandt: Have you heard him? Good, then you know what I’m talking about

14. Eldon “El Duce” Hoke: Hey, this is MY list. I can put anybody I want on

15. Beck: He’s the new Dylan. Honest

16. James Osterberg: It is frightening: The man has supernatural powers!

17. Leonard Cohen: Of course I’m going to include him

18. Bruce Springsteen: “Nebraska” is enough to earn him a place

19. Nick Drake: Volkswagen, The Estate of Nick Drake wishes to thank you

20. Neil Diamond: What if Elvis was a Jew who wrote his own songs, and never did half-assed karate kicks onstage?

21. Lucinda Williams: Great singer/songwriters cover HER songs!

22. Kurt Cobain: An ear for a great tune, and an eye for a pretty lady! Oh muse, sing!

23. Richard Thompson: Continues to delight

24. David Bowie: Demoted from #11 to #24 for failing to die immediately after "Scary Monsters"

25. Gram Parsons: Dude, love that Nudie suit!
tweakgeek
tweakgeek OP
76 posts
 
1.) If, 100 years from now, any 20th Century pop lyricist is to be recognized as a great poet, it will be Ian Curtis.

2.) The jarring contrast between the sterile, unimaginative recordings of New Order, and the profundity of the extant Joy Division recordings, only serves to heighten my esteem for Ian Curtis. Maybe Ian doesn't deserve all the credit for all the the songs attributed to Joy Divison, but the other three sure the hell couldn't write a decent song without him.

3.) No matter how crappy New Order were, they never ever released a song that was half as lame as "Silly Love Songs" or "Coming Up." The fact that these two songs came from someone as undeniably talented as McCartney makes them all the more inexcusable.
jposs
99 posts
 
I find it difficult to ever call New Order unimaginative. I can understand why some people would not necessarily like New Order, however I have never heard anybody say they weren't good.
Besides, your thread is entitled The Top 25 Singer/Songwriters. Not top 25 pop lyricists.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Tweekgeek, since you can see 100 years into the future I was hoping for some cool stock picks. My portfolio is really bleeding and, at this point, I suppose I have the time to wait.
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
Steve Earl and Joe Ely
cmo
471 posts
 
1.Robert Johnson
2.Muddy waters
3.Chuck Berry
4.Bobby D.
5.John Lennon
6.The Boss
7.Paul Mcartney
8.Buddy Holly
9.Kieth & Mick
10.Townes Van Zandt
11.Randy Newman
12.Hank Williams
13.Lefty Frazell
14.Peter Case
15.Steve Forbert
16.Cole Porter
17.Carol King
18.Merle Haggard
19.Tom Waits
20 Al green
21.Sam Cooke
22.John Fogerty
23.Fat's Waller
24.Willie Dixon
25. I will probably have a different list tomarrow
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