100 Best Songwriters
according to Rolling Stone Magazine


1 Bob Dylan
2 Paul McCartney
3 John Lennon
4 Chuck Berry
5 Smokey Robinson
6 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
7 Carole King/Carole King and Gerry Goffin
8 Paul Simon
9 Joni Mitchell
10 Stevie Wonder
11 Bob Marley
12 Brian Wilson
13 Hank Williams
14 Bruce Springsteen
15 Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland
16 Leonard Cohen
17 Neil Young
18 Prince
19 Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
20 Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
21 Lou Reed
22 Van Morrison
23 Robert Johnson
24 Elvis Costello
25 Randy Newman
26 James Brown
27 Ray Davies
28 Woody Guthrie
29 Pete Townshend
29 Buddy Holly
30 Dolly Parton
32 Burt Bacharach and Hal David
33 Merle Haggard
34 Michael Jackson
35 Bono and the Edge
36 Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter
37 Jackson Browne
38 Al Green
39 David Bowie
40 John Fogerty
41 Max Martin
42 Sly Stone
43 Johnny Cash
44 Jimmy Webb
45 Robbie Robertson
46 Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
47 Neil Diamond
48 Elton John and Bernie Taupin
49 Don Henley and Glenn Frey
50 Billy Joel
51 Willie Dixon
52 The Notorious B.I.G.
53 Stevie Nicks
54 Kurt Cobain
55 Tom Waits
56 Madonna
57 Joe Strummer and Mick Jones
58 George Clinton
59 Tom Petty
60 Willie Nelson
61 Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
62 Harry Nilsson
63 Chrissie Hynde
64 Bert Berns
65 George Harrison
66 Kenny Gamble and Leon A Huff
67 Morrissey and Marr
68 Jay Z
69 James Taylor
70 Dan Penn
71 Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
72 Fats Domino and Dave Barthomolew
73 Radiohead
74 Patti Smith
75 Isaac Hayes and David Porter
76 Loretta Lynn
77 Allen Toussaint
78 Curtis Mayfield
79 Lucinda Williams
80 R. Kelly
81 Björk
82 Marvin Gaye
83 Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
84 Kanye West
85 R.E.M.
86 Sam Cooke
87 Kris Kristofferson
88 Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill
89 Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
90 Babyface
91 Eminem
92 Paul Westerberg
93 Billie Joe Armstrong
94 John Prine
95 The Bee Gees
96 Timbaland and Missy Elliott
97 Taylor Swift
98 Otis Blackwell
99 Tom T Hall
100 Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson

100 Best Songwriters
missed out by by Rolling Stone according to Martin Chilton, the Telegraph, UK


1 Cole Porter
2 Townes Van Zandt
3 Ewan MacColl
4 Kate Bush
5 Ray Charles
6 Freddie Mercury
7 Louis Jordan
8 Damon Albarn
9 John Hiatt
10 Richard Thompson
11 Irving Berlin
12 Stephen Sondheim
13 George Gershwin
14 Joan Baez
15 Cat Stevens
16 Phil Spector
17 Lefty Frizzell
18 Paul Anka
19 Shane McGowan
20 Gordon Lightfoot
21 Gil Scott-Heron
22 Lead Belly
23 John Denver
24 Jelly Roll Morton
25 Otis Redding
26 Peter Gabriel
27 Guy Clark
28 Jarvis Cocker
29 Loudon Wainwright III
30 Frank Zappa
31 Lyle Lovett
32 Nick Drake
33 Tom Lehrer
34 Tupac Shakur
35 Bob Seger
36 John Lee Hooker
37 Neyo
38 Linda Perry
39 Steve Earle
40 Richard Shindell
41 Patty Griffin
42 Beck
43 Noël Coward
44 Joan Armatrading
45 Harold Arlen
46 Rodney Crowell
47 Chuck D Public Enemy
48 Amy Winehouse
49 Fred Neill
50 Bryan Ferry
51 John Cale
52 Roy Orbison
53 Nick Cave
54 Tracy Chapman
55 Robert Plant
56 Nick Lowe
57 Ryan Adams
58 Jeff Buckley
59 Laura Marling
60 Erykah Badu
61 Tim Hardin
62 Dr John
63 Warren Zevon
64 Ralph McTell
65 Gram Parsons
66 Rickie Lee Jones
67 Squeeze (Chris Difford/Glenn Tilbrook)
68 John Mellencamp
69 Bill Withers
70 Bobby Bland
71 John Martyn
72 Cyndi Lauper
73 Phil Ochs
74 Marc Bolan
75 Nanci Griffith
76 Nina Simone
77 Peter Case
78 Lowell George
79 Donovan
80 WC Handy
81 Ian Drury
82 Ian Curtis
83 A Tribe Called Quest
84 Don McLean
85 Christy Moore
86 Chris Martin
87 Mark Knopfler
88 Colin Meloy
89 Jeff Lynne
90 John Grant
91 Sandy Denny
92 Vic Chesnut
93 Elliott Smith
94 PJ Harvey
95 Jason Isbell
96 Paul Weller
97 Ray Noble
98 Sia
99 Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart
100 Bobby Bradock

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