Who is the best Singer Songwriter living or dead?

[Quixote1818]

Name one in each category if you like.

Here are mine:

Hard Rock: Robert Plant

Rock/Pop: Tie between Elton John and Don Henley

Folk: Tie between Gordon Lightfoot and Dan Fogelberg

Disco: The Beegees

Easy Listening: Neil Diamond

Blues: John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters


Best Ever: Dan Fogelberg

I know this will raise some eyebrows but the guy wrote his first song at like age 9 and put out his first Album (Home Free) at 19. He plays like ten different instruments and can compose, rock, folk, blues, jazz and pop. He mixes Classical into many of his songs as well. His songs have extremely complicated mixes of instruments and they all sound very different. His lyrics are truly poetic and have a rare depth. His best songs are his old ones like "As The Raven Flies" and "Dancing Shoes" from his Netherlands album http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002570/ref=pd_sim_music_2/002-6212166-5836007?v=glance&s=music

[nini]

1. Carole King is up there

she's awesome.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

2. Rock: Jim Morrison

Had an IQ of 160, his lyrics were great...his singing inspired.

[ronnykmarshall]

3. Cindy Alexander

[prankster]

4. my two favs:

Steve Earle (check out his new album and listen to his new radio show on Air America Sundays at 10pm -- and if you haven't heard it, pick up his bluegrass album The Mountain)

John Denver -- always manages to lift me out of a funk, plus growing up on a country road in West Virginia kind of requires me to dig him

Cheers,

Prankster

[Quixote1818]

6. I agree, John Denver is up their near the top

[LWolf]

35. I don't rate "bests,"

since there are so many great to choose from,

but those two are also favorites of mine!

[DenverDem]

5. Currently: Jerry Joseph

Courageous, poetic, melodic, powerful

<http://www.jerryjoseph.com/>

His current project is the jam supergroup, Stockholm Syndrome.

<http://www.stockholmsyndromeband.com>

[Sufi Marmot]

7. That guy with the beard and turban...

No turban, these days though, just a balmoral...

-SM

[amerikat]

11. formerly know as Cat Stevens?

[Bridget Burke]

18. No! Richard Thompson.

Founding member of Fairport Convention, English with Scottish roots. Partner for several fine albums with his wife at the time, Linda Thompson. Afterward, a varied solo career. He's an excellent songwriter & guitar player; a riveting solo performer, but even better with a band.

Apparently, his current show is "1000 Years of Popular Music"--is he coming through your town?

www.richardthompson-music.com/1000yrs.asp

[Sufi Marmot]

23. He hasn't made it to Vancouver with "1000 Years" yet...

:-( I saw him on the "Old Kit Bag" tour with the full band - as always, magnificent.

-SM

[Poiuyt]

8. Harry Chapin

[Lancer]

9. Elvis Costello

n/t

[alvis]

12. Second that!

Very witty, both lyrically and musically.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

20. Costello is second. Frank Zappa was a genius musically and politically.

Zappa's compositions are revered and performed by orchestras around the world.

He sang about Nazi America ever since 1965. The evangelical born-again Taliban/fascist/military industrial complex alliance was in his crosshairs from the get-go.

No one even comes close to Frank Zappa for lyrics or music.

[alvis]

32. Your personal preference duly noted

as is mine.

[pbg]

10. Songwriters who perform (mediocre voice OK)

Jimmy Webb
Randy Newman
Steve Goodman
Leonard Cohen
Ray Davies
John Hiatt
Nanci Griffith

[Snow]

41. Adding Eric Bogle to that list....

so-so voice, although I enjoy listening to him. And tremendous poetry, especially his anti-war songs.

[amerikat]

13. I'm gonna go with Tom Waits on this one....every style but disco

[Warren DeMontague]

14. Robert Hunter n/t

[bagimin]

15. The late great.....

Fred Neil
Lightfoot
Dylan
Rod MacDonald

[lpbk2713]

16. Lennon & McCartney of course.

Also, Kris Kristofferson and EmmyLou Harris.

[OneBlueSky]

17. Joni Mitchell . . .

at least the greatest woman singer/songwriter . . . possibly the best overall . . .

[Lindsey]

19. Lennon/McCartney

...and that's not an opinion, THAT'S A FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!okay, okay, I'm about to turn 47 years old and in my mind there has never been a band and probably never will be that equals the Beatles. :-)

[GCP]

47. Thank you, I was beginning to feel like an old fart!

I haven't heard of some of the ones on this thread. Lennon-McCartney's stuff will still be around in the next century IMHO, they're the equivalent of Mozart or Beethoven.

[Snow]

42. Pshaw! Hildegard, no contest

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/hildegarde.html

I've got several cd's of her stuff. Not her singing it, unfortunately.

[OneBlueSky]

43. pshaw, yerself . . . Hildy never did an album with Mingus . . .

her work was amazing, though . . . didn't know anyone else had ever heard of her . . . but I'm stickin' with Joni . . . :)

[Beaverhausen]

45. Joni IS the best

male, female or inbetween.

No contest.

Ask anyone else listed here and they would say the same thing.

[rucky]

21. Good God, it's Bob Dylan

that is all.

[LWolf]

36. Well,

There are way too many great songwriters for me to crown anyone as "best," but I think I can honestly say that nobody's better than Dylan!

[Spider Jerusalem]

22. Four-way tie.

Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Cave.

[LosinIt]

24. He speaks to my soul, John Denver of course

This is chilling after 911:

So you speak to me of sadness
And the coming of the winter
Fear that is within you now
It seems to never end
And the dreams that have escaped you
And the hope that you’ve forgotten
You tell me that you need me now
You want to be my friend

And you wonder where we’re going
Where’s the rhyme and where’s the reason
And it’s you cannot accept
It is here we must begin
To seek the wisdom of the children
And the graceful way of flowers in the wind

For the children and the flowers
Are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness
Could clear a cloudy day

Like the music of the mountains
And the colours of the rainbow
They’re a promise of the future
And a blessing for today
Though the cities start to crumble
And the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading
And it’s colder than the sea

It is written from the desert
To the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart
They will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting
They will teach us to be free

For the children and the flowers
Are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness
Could clear a cloudy day

And the song that I am singing
Is a prayer to non believers
Come and stand beside us
We can find a better way

Words and music by john denver

[enigmatic]

25. Mark Eitzel, Richard Buckner, Jay Farrar, Willy Vlautin

All brilliant singers as well as songwriters..

[Mr.Green93]

26. Tonio K

[Dees]

27. Brian Wilson...n/t

[NashVegas]

28. No Cole Porter?

I may have to resign from DU.

[Ron Green]

49. Cole Porter wasn't really a singer-songwriter,

but anyone who could write both "Night and Day" and "Don't Fence Me In" has to be at the top of a bunch of lists.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

29. Aimee Mann.

Obviously.

Close second Costello.

[terrya]

37. I'll second Aimee Mann.

Anyone who listens to the "Magnolia" soundtrack will attest to her amazing songwriting talent.

[GOPisEvil]

30. Townes Van Zandt

[timtom]

46. Townes played at a club I managed

in Austin, called Spellman's. 1978-1980

[Ron Green]

48. DING DING DING

...you are correct, Sir!

[HughBeaumont]

31. Can't believe no one mentioned

Nick Drake. This guy smacks Tlersp Cobain's "tortured artist" crown off his dirty head. Depressing but really awesome music.

Others -

Brian Wilson
Jim Croce
Elton John
Isaac Hayes
James Taylor
Billy Joel (pre-"Uptown Girl")

[johnnie]

33. Here are some of mine

Pete Townshend (Can't believe no one mentioned him)
Lennon/McCartney (together)
Leonard Cohen
Ian Hunter
Dion Dimucci (He wrote some great folk songs in his day)

Not in any order.......

[TrustingDog]

38. Yes for Leonard Cohen!

[Bog Frog]

34. Dolly Parton. Carole King. Carly Simon. John Prine. eom

[MuseRider]

39. No one mentioned Paul Simon???

He has such a rich repertoire using many different cultural influences. Other than Paul Simon I can't disagree with any of the choices mentioned above.

[mac56]

40. I loved Fogelberg's first two albums.

Then he turned into...well...Dan Fogelberg.

See also: Loggins, Kenny

On the other hand: like who you like.

[Mrs. Venation]

44. Two Words

John Prine