Who's written the best songs?

Danielsguitars

For singer songwriters for me it's Gordon lightfoot, Jim croce, Carol King and Joan Armtrading is another one, Boy George wrote some great songs and George Michael was a great one too.
There's just too many to have favourites as it depends on your mood that day, one day it's nice and easy the next Killswitch Engage.

GoFish

I'd add that the so called best songwriters have to do it over and over, differently. There are too many best songs to count, thankfully.

prowla

Tenacious D

robgilmo

Dave Matthews wrote some corkers, his voice, a tight AF band and stage presence help though.

robgilmo

Think its looking like a Dave Matthews band day today!

maltingsaudio

Michael Donald Chapman / Holly Knight they wrote simply the best song!

The rest of this thread , unless we are going qualitive on record sales eg CaroleKing  wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on theBillboard Hot 100 or Yesterday the most covered song ever, is purely personal opinion 

T

imalrightjack

The Beatles. They’re not my favourite band but it has to be. 

Other great writers: Randy Newman, Carole King, Ron Sexsmith, Robbie Fulks, Difford/Tilbrook, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Dave Mustaine (no arguments, sorry!), Mark Lanegan, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, etc. 

robgilmo

JJ Cale?

Paul_C

Rebecca Black

hollywoodrox

Fez said:

Ignoring commercial success and going for just my personal choice it has to be Peter Hammill.

Luke skywalker

robgilmo

I think song writers can write great songs one day then write utter pants the next, Its a personal taste thing I guess but Siamese Dream for me is a prime example, or The Bends, both great, well written albums followed by a long array of utter pants. 

Revolutions

Paul_C said:

Rebecca Black

If only you’d posted that yesterday.

GoFish

In that case Elton John / Bernie Taupin.

Possible Jon Bon Jovi

Definately Robert Smith the rest of the week (Or Craig David?)

scrumhalf

Holland-Dozier-Holland had a ridiculously high hit-rate. I urge everyone to watch the documentary "The Making of Motown" to see what they did.

Willie Dixon came up with more than a few corkers on his time.

Finally, because he has never got the credit he deserves as a writer, musician or producer, all three of which he excelled at, Roy Wood.

Philly_Q

It's not a question I can answer.  I see a majority of the comments here mention people who have long been acknowledged primarily as songwriters, as opposed to being best known for their singing, musicianship, stage presence or whatever. 

But I don't listen to most of those artists.  I don't listen to music thinking how good the songwriting is, or isn't.  I just listen to stuff I like.  And I guess I like it because I like those songs better than I like other people's songs, but that doesn't mean I regard them as the "best" songs.

ICBM

robgilmo said:

I think song writers can write great songs one day then write utter pants the next, Its a personal taste thing I guess but Siamese Dream for me is a prime example, or The Bends, both great, well written albums followed by a long array of utter pants. 

Paul Simon wrote some of the best songs ever in Simon & Garfunkel and on his first few solo albums… but he hasn’t written anything good since Graceland. I’ve really tried with several of his more recent ones, but there’s just nothing.

Lestratcaster

Jeff Lynne never writes a bad song, or not one I've heard.

SteveRobinson

Chinn and Chapman.

(I'll get my coat...)

Philly_Q

SteveRobinson said:

Chinn and Chapman.

(I'll get my coat...)

I'm not sure if that's a lol or a wiz.  I like those songs.

KevS

Fez said:

Ignoring commercial success and going for just my personal choice it has to be Peter Hammill.

All of the above,,can't abide Stock ,Aitken and Waterman though..Hammill has done some of the most daringly different stuff..A song about Red Shift..A Louse is not a Home is an epic..The words and meter of the words..He was the one artist I was compelled to listen to because I was genuinely puzzled whether I loved it or hated it..I had to find out..Everything is so different..I picked up a couple of his records in a charity shop in the late 1990's as an experiment I had no idea what to expect,,I had never heard of him..Godbluff by Van Der Graaf Generator is good..Everybody cites Pawn hearts..Some Hammill is too dark in the wrong mood though...Oh !! It was just so different,I grew to love it,but originality is not familiarity....

Add Ray Davies to the list..Brilliant Lyricist..Nick Lowe could pen a good tune..I think Jake Burns from Stiff Little Fingers was underrated..I can't listen to Abba they are so melancholy somehow..There is a darkness there,,maybe the lack of blues..I acknowledge their songwriting prowess,,those chords are nicely put together..Peter Sinfield was a good lyricist..Shame he ended up writing for Bucks Fizz..There are so many I could never pick 10 never mind one..