Your favorite songwriter ever?

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by 76sparky

Stevie Nicks
Siouxsie Sioux / Steven Severin

Hell yeah.

[Fleetwoodmark]

Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham obviously. They speak to me as writers like no one else can.

Why else would I be on this forum

[Kena]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Of all the artists I love, I think Joseph Arthur is probably the best songwriter. But Stevie Nicks is easily my favorite.

I think it's so cute how much you plug Joseph Arthur...I bought two of his CD's last year because of you...bet you didn't know that! Anyways, I always put Honey and the Moon on any CD I burn for a friend and always get asked who sings it. I guess I'm paying it foward!

[Kena]

Originally Posted by Nico

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.

I think he's still sorta hot...as long as I don't start thinking about the whole beating up Daryl Hannah bit. How could you beat up a mermaid?

[Nico]

Originally Posted by Kena

I think he's still sorta hot...as long as I don't start thinking about the whole beating up Daryl Hannah bit. How could you beat up a mermaid?

I read somewhere that those allegations were unfounded but I don't know much more than that.

[Nico]

Originally Posted by Kena

I think it's so cute how much you plug Joseph Arthur...I bought two of his CD's last year because of you...bet you didn't know that! Anyways, I always put Honey and the Moon on any CD I burn for a friend and always get asked who sings it. I guess I'm paying it foward!

I'm probably going to buy his music just based on Louie's posts as well.

[vivfox]

Stevie Nicks
John Lennon
Paul McCartney

[Nico]

Originally Posted by vivfox

Stevie Nicks
John Lennon
Paul McCartney

Nice.

I have so many artists that I love and whose music has touched me. It's really difficult to make a list, really, but I know for a matter of fact that my all-time favorite songwriter will always be John Lennon. No one else even comes close in my books. He's been gone for 30 years and still...no one has touched him. It's the passion, the humor, the honesty, the romanticism, his envelope-pushing, raw yet melodic style that stays with me, in my heart and mind, forever. As a little girl, despite either observing them with indifference or then deciding George was my favorite, it was always John's songs and John's voice that mattered to me. I always came back to him. His music is really the soundtrack to my life.

Drew Barrymore (beacon of wisdom, I know ) did say something that I agreed wholeheartedly with: "Anything in life, whatever your question is for the universe, if you put on a John Lennon song, he will answer you."

Absolutely.

[SteveMacD]

Robert Pollard

[Dodfather]

Anyone here know Judee Sill? She had 2 album, self titled in 1971 and Heart Food in 1973. She was actually the first artists ever signed to Asylum. Her music is beautiful I think and she belongs right up there with Joni Mitchell et al.

It's hard to categorize her stuff though. It's a bit of ringer-songwriter, choral, orchestral, folk rock country cult baroque (Judee herself uses the last 3 terms, haha!) The sonfg everyone may know is Jesus Was A Crossmaker, which as been covered a few times. Then there's LAady 0, which she gave to The Turtles and then released herself. Others include The Phantom Cowboy, There's A Rugged Road, The Pearl, Crayon Angels (which Fleet Foxes have resurrected in their live shows).

2 albums of absolutely stellar material, incredible lyrics, but she died of a heroin and cocaine overdose in 1978 after fading from the scene. She's recently been rediscovered as an huge point of reference for the Laurel Canyon scene.

Please tell me someone here knows who she is!

[wheart]

Joni Mitchell...nobody else does it for me like Joni!

[Nico]

Originally Posted by wheart

Joni Mitchell...nobody else does it for me like Joni!

I love her SO much. Along with PJ Harvey, my top female songwriter of all time. There are not enough words for her greatness.

[sara1998]

Stevie
Lindsey
Dave Matthews
Tom Petty
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison

[TrueFaith77]

Morrissey

obvs

[jeffd8382]

REALLY tough to pick even just a few... since the thread says "songwriter", I will avoid people who are classified or who I think of as composers (that really would be a whole different list):

- Benny Andersson (would also make my composer list)
- The Gibb Brothers (particularly Maurice & Barry Gibb)
- Burt Bacharach
- Stevie Nicks
- Lisa Dalbello (one of the MOST under-rated singer/songwriters that I know... I even made a fan-page for her: dalbello.4x2.net. I have always heard she was a big inspiration for singer/songwriters like Alanis Morissette)
- Christine McVie
- Per Gessle (the guy has an incredible penchant for writing simple pop songs, but somehow always with never-ending originality.. check out his solo stuff outside of Roxette!)

These are just the first to come to mind... there are so many excellent songwriters.