Rolling Stone Magazine, alongside Apple Music, have just released their list of the ‘100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time’, covering a huge variety of genres across tonnes of decades. There aren’t too many surprises, but there’s no doubt it’s going to cause a fair bit of controversy and debate.
According to the list, American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is the greatest of all time, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s familiar with his work. Paul McCartney followed up at #2, with fellow Beatle John Lennon taking #3. Spanning multiple decades, the list has a lot to cover, and so there isn’t too much contemporary representation. Vocalists weren’t restricted to the traditional categories like folk, rock and pop – we were happy to see a hefty inclusion of hip hop and alternative artists in there too. In ascending order, there were the likes of Taylor Swift at #97, Eminem #91, Kanye West #84, Bjork #81 and Jay Z at #68. Before looking at the list and getting into debate and conversation about it, it’s important to remember that this list is ranking songwriters, it’s all about the craft.
Top 10:
10. Stevie Wonder
9. Joni Mitchell
8. Paul Simon
7. Carole King and Gerry Goffin
6. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
5. Smokey Robinson
4. Chuck Berry
3. John Lennon
2. Paul McCartney
1. Bob Dylan
Check out the full list here and be sure to drop a comment on what you think.