Monday, October 22, 2007

Great songwriters

Lyn and I have been having an ongoing discussion lately about the great songwriters of the ages. It all started with a discussion about Bruce Springsteen's latest album and how much it sounds like his album of the 80's - Born in the U.S.A. Our conversation expanded out to his contribution to songwriting over the years.

If you had to name your top five songwriters, who would they be? I insisted that you have to have the likes of James Taylor on that list. How about Bob Dylan, Carole King or Melissa Etheridge? If you stop to think about it, it could be longer than a list of five. I also think that it is a sentimental thing with each one of us. Perhaps the right Jackson Browne or Kenny Loggins tune would cause one of them to be on your list of five.

Who are those songwriters who have really had a message and shared that message well? It does pause you to think a little bit. There are so many. I even reached back to the days of Roger and Hammerstein just for fun.

Here is my top five in no particular order:

1) James Taylor
2) Bruce Springsteen
3) John Lennon/Paul McCartney
4) Carole Bayer Sager
5) Stevie Wonder

Five is really too short of a list and is a huge injustice to those other songwriters I have been humming along with for years!

3 comments:

Me. Here. Right now. said...

I love your entire list. Bruce before the album Nebraska though...god, I thought that Nebraska album was gonna' torture me it was so painful.

Anonymous said...

nebraska stripped down and painful. absolutely beautiful. i'm finishing my list and will share soon. still determined to add more women. and/or lesbians. but rita doesn't appreciate amy ray quite the same way i do.

Me. Here. Right now. said...

oh, yeah, Amy Ray...just tell Rita it's all about me!