I've seen some rubbish lists in my time but this takes the biscuit

[Barking Spiders]

Of course it would have to be the US-centric, waste of paper / atoms in cyberspace that is Rolling Stone but their list of 100 greatest songwriters has Abba's Benny and Bjorn at 100, below many of whom are unfit to kiss their stacked shoes.  Bacharach & David are at a lowly #32 when anyone knows they should be a shoo-in for top 5. And putting Lennon & MacCartney  - as separate writers - below Dylan at #1!  What?!! Here's the link ..

https://www.rollingstone.com/interactive/lists-100-greatest-songwriters/

 

Edited July 6, 2020 by Barking Spiders

[fretmeister]

Having Lennon & McCartney anywhere in a top 1000000000 list makes it flawed. 

[Nail Soup]

Had a quick look, and what can you do - it's a bunch of well-known decent songwriters in a randomish order. Good for a light read, can't be taken too seriously.

But I have no problem with Dylan being number 1.

I agree (well to a lesser extent!) with fretmeister- Lennon and Mcartney are pioneers, but let's not that let us over estimate their abilities.

[fleabag]

I dont get my panties bunched up over something like a subjective opinion from a stranger over something inifinately trivial

[Count Bassy]

Some very understandable entries there, but equally some really wierd entries and ordering. 'Vive la difference' I guess.

[yorks5stringer]

John Prine below Eminem...blah.blah.blah?

[4000]

2 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

Had a quick look, and what can you do - it's a bunch of well-known decent songwriters in a randomish order. Good for a light read, can't be taken too seriously.

But I have no problem with Dylan being number 1.

I agree (well to a lesser extent!) with fretmeister- Lennon and Mcartney are pioneers, but let's not that let us over estimate their abilities.

Yeah, Lennon & McCartney, right pair of chancers.🙄

I will never get Dylan. I’ve tried and tried and tried. Still, I feel more or less the same about Joni Mitchell. 

Fleabag’s got the right attitude when it comes down to it though. It’s only ever people’s opinions, wherever you stand. And you know what they say about opinions being like chocolate starfish. 😉

 

[skankdelvar]

Whenever I hear the words Rolling Stone I reach for my revolver.

I'm not entirely surprised a magazine whose founder allegedly blocked The Monkees from the Hall of Fame and not once but twice stiffed Dr Hunter S Thompson turns out a list of songwriters with Bjorn and Benny at the bottom.

No single publication has done as much to 'explain' - and in consequence suck the f**king life out of - popular music than that bloated, self-satisfied rag, begotten as it is of a lethal cocktail of filthy old hippies, pencil-necked pseudo-academics and unrepentant fans of Hootie and The Blowfish.

With any luck, next time 'widely respected' Jann Wenner is visiting the Rolling Stone office his frankly colossal haemorrhoids will explode and blow the side off the building, killing everyone who works there in a cataclysm of fire and bloody havoc.

Selah.

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, skankdelvar said:

Whenever I hear the words Rolling Stone I reach for my revolver.

I'm not entirely surprised a magazine whose founder allegedly blocked The Monkees from the Hall of Fame and not once but twice stiffed Dr Hunter S Thompson turns out a list of songwriters with Bjorn and Benny at the bottom.

No single publication has done as much to 'explain' - and in consequence suck the f**king life out of - popular music than that bloated, self-satisfied rag, begotten as it is of a lethal cocktail of filthy old hippies, pencil-necked pseudo-academics and unrepentant fans of Hootie and The Blowfish.

With any luck, next time 'widely respected' Jann Wenner is visiting the Rolling Stone office his frankly colossal haemorrhoids will explode and blow the side off the building, killing everyone who works there in a cataclysm of fire and bloody havoc.

Selah.

So why do you buy it, you stupid old so-and-so..? 

...

[Bill Wy,Aye,Man]

Surprised to see Chuck Berry way down in 4th, "My Ding-a-Ling" is an absolute classic

[Steve Browning]

1 hour ago, Bill Wy,Aye,Man said:

Surprised to see Chuck Berry way down in 4th, "My Ding-a-Ling" is an absolute classic

If only he could randomly suck and blow into a harmonica, he'd have been in with a chance.

[FinnDave]

Has anyone got a link to the top 100 worst lists about music?

[musicbassman]

Rolling Stone know their audience...

[Rich]

Apparently, Kanye West is a 'better' songwriter than Bjorn/Benny AND the Bee Gees. Ooookay then.

7 hours ago, skankdelvar said:

Whenever I hear the words Rolling Stone I reach for my revolver.
 

I see your revolver, and raise you a sniper rifle and a tall building.

[Guest]

Lennon and McCartney is tricky.  From Revolver onwards they didn't  really write together as such like they did before, but one would right the song and the other might later just add a few notes, or a minor suggestion to the wording of the lyrics.  Indeed, they might contribute nothing at all but due to their previous gentleman's agreement on the matter it would still be badged as Lennon-McCartney.  Yesterday and Nowhere Man are excellent examples of this.  Therefore, I'm with Rolling Stone on that part, but having Dylan at number 1 is ridiculous.  It should clearly be Ian Anderson in the top spot

Edited July 7, 2020 by Bassfinger

[Barking Spiders]

According to the RS readership, Taylor Swift, Bjork, R Kelly, Morrissey & Marr, Kanye West and Notorious BIG are greater songsmiths than Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Well, we live and learn eh?

[Bill Wy,Aye,Man]

Didnt read the whole list, is Neil Peart in there, great lyricist, not too bad on the drums either

[thebigyin]

12 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

Had a quick look, and what can you do - it's a bunch of well-known decent songwriters in a randomish order. Good for a light read, can't be taken too seriously.

But I have no problem with Dylan being number 1.

I agree (well to a lesser extent!) with fretmeister- Lennon and Mcartney are pioneers, but let's not that let us over estimate their abilities.

Dylan was a lyrical genious in his early years

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

since when was songwriting a competitive sport?

[Nail Soup]

17 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

since when was songwriting a competitive sport?

Well, the Eurovision song contest started in 1956

[EBS_freak]

Saw who was at 100 and thought, well, if they are at that low spot, then this list is utter drivel.

Lazy journalism. Lists. So lazy.

[wateroftyne]

34 minutes ago, Bill Wy,Aye,Man said:

Didnt read the whole list, is Neil Peart in there, great lyricist, not too bad on the drums either

I’m a HUGE Rush fan, but Neil wouldn’t be anywhere near the top of my favourite lyricists.

[Bill Wy,Aye,Man]

2 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I’m a HUGE Rush fan, but Neil wouldn’t be anywhere near the top of my favourite lyricists.

If hes not in and Taylor Swift, Eminem and Kanye West are then theres something seriously wrong

[ubit]

1 hour ago, Bassfinger said:

having Dylan at number 1 is ridiculous.  It should clearly be Ian Anderson in the top spot

I agree about Ian Anderson but Dylan has proven his pedigree over the years. He is 79 and his new album is superb!

[wateroftyne]

1 minute ago, Bill Wy,Aye,Man said:

If hes not in and Taylor Swift, Eminem and Kanye West are then theres something seriously wrong

We’ve already established that it’s a s**tlist 🙂