Your favorite songwriter ever?

[Nico]

Originally Posted by markolas

Hard to say. Joni Mitchell would be close to the top, even though she's crazy now.

Laura Nyro would be up there, too. Jackson Browne is a good one, but his songs depress me more often than not - he's hard for me to listen to. Dolly Parton doesn't get enough credit as a songwriter, but she's another great one. I wouldn't put Stevie in the upper echelons of singer-songwriters, but when she's good, she's really good.

When I was 11 I discovered Jackson Browne through one of my dad's many great albums. I believe it was a soundtrack to a film, can't remember which one, but I fell in love. I developed some sort of crush on him as well because he was sorta hot for a long time. Anyway, fast-forward to now and I believe he is one of the best songwriters to emerge in the late-60s/early 70s and definitely a legend.

Obviously, he wrote some fantastic stuff for other people- one fierce female in particular, Nico, is one of my all-time favorite musical artists. Her cover of his song These Days is one of the most gorgeous things you'll ever hear. He has his depressing moments, but I can't listen to For A Dancer without marveling at the beauty of his words and the way his singing wraps around the melody.

Jackson Browne is a great songwriter and I agree with your mention.