Reaction: Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters

In a culture that now focuses more on a catchy beat and hook than the pesky words in between, Rolling Stone continues their rock 'n' roll historical tradition with their latest ranking of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. It arrives at a perfect time as the younger generation of listeners continues to reel over the recent non-revelation of ghostwriting in rap -- thanks to the Drake/Meek Mill beef. The final decisions are comparatively more diverse in their public notoriety due to the amount of songwriting factories that existed during the time when many pop standards were created (ahem, Motown). However, some selections, even in the Top 10, fall into the same pattern as previous lists with obligatory choices that feel like quota fillers or artists that are undeniably talented artists but not due to their songwriting abilities. The article succeeds by putting the spotlight on not only a wide range of artists, but the writing process and the many views of songwriting as an art form. 

The Honorable Mentions (#100-#51)

The first fifty entries are like acknowledgements at the end of movie credits: if we really care about you personally, we're just happy to see your name on the screen. These artists had to be acknowledged for some contribution to the form of songwriting, but the number are pretty much arbitrary at this point. That being said, I won’t gripe about order that much. Instead I’ll celebrate that some singer-songwriters are getting some much-deserved recognition (hey there, Harry Nilsson!) and focus on some of the more interesting choices.

Hey, I know these ones! 

Based on the way mainstream music is consumed these days, I wasn’t expecting many current high profile acts. Sure enough the biggest of them all, Ms. Taylor Swift, falls at #97. I understand that this list would not feel holistic without some new blood, and also if she’s selling records like nobody’s business clearly she has to be doing something right, but does Taylor really deserve to be included just because she’s one of the last pop stars to actually write her own material? With a catalogue consisting of little variation in subject matter and some of her biggest hits sharing writing credits with commercial writing juggernauts (shout-out to #41 Max Martin!), the choice of her inclusion seems more edgy than artistic. However, because her image is based on that of an authentic songwriter, this choice is more understandable than aggravating. Not so much for another pop star…

There is no denying Kanye is a prolific and innovative artist, but any songwriter who repeatedly rhymes words with the same words, makes historically inaccurate metaphors (yes, I'm still not over "I keep it 300, like the Romans"), and confines the writing process to a few days with hit-or-miss results should not be regarded as one of the greatest songwriters. West has made a career in saying what most people won’t, but this has more to do with how he delivers it than what is said. Part of his fame is built around his tendency to speak his mind in only so many words, but as a musician his words are usually not the most impressive part of the mix.

Where the order matters….

How can you justify putting the Bee Gees anywhere near the bottom of this list, especially as far down as #95? It’s Barry F’in Gibb! I mean who else could pen a song that would eventually underscore the delightfully ironic introduction for Jared Leto as the Joker? All memes aside, this band has way more contributions than their infamous foray into disco; even the explanation shows their influence on some of the highest-ranked songwriters. The Gibbs deserve better.

Marvin Gaye (#82) after R. Kelly (#80) just seems wrong. One wrote a landmark album about social change, spirituality, and humanity’s responsibility to Earth, while the other had a string of sexually-charged hits and a magnum opus revolving around an ill-fated game of hide-and-seek in the most obvious hiding spot. Although Kels may have been able to finally verbalize what it was like to be Michael Jordan, Gaye spoke for a generation about timeless struggles that continue to ring true today.

Sure, Lennon and McCartney are the main wordsmiths of the group, but is George Harrison (#63) really that much of an inferior writer? With his smaller catalogue it’s hard to see where he’d fit further up on the list, but it’s also hard to imagine how many writers could conceive of a song as remarkably perfect as “Something.”

Billie Joe

No matter what number he was placed at, thank you Rolling Stone for thinking to include Billie Joe Armstrong (#93). The singer-songwriter of Green Day has shown astronomical growth throughout his career, going from an angsty punk to serious social commentator while continuously challenging himself creatively. His ability to harness the simultaneous raw power of punk and accessibility of pop on the statement album “American Idiot” provided much-needed catharsis to a jaded country. The fact that he succeeded so well while also composing a modern rock opera is proof of a master.

The In-betweeners (#49 - #50)

Alright, so the decision to put Billy Joel (#50) and Don Henley and Glenn Frey (#49) square in the middle is brilliant. As members of two of the most divisive acts in rock history (responsible for 80’s Joel and The Eagles, respectively), they deserve to be on this list for their creative peaks but not far enough to upset those who stand adamantly against them. It's a very diplomatic move on Rolling Stone's part. 

Heavy Competition (#10 - #48)

It gets harder to argue about undeserving placements at this point, but what is most astonishing is how many combinations of ten you could make from this group that could rival the actual Top 10. Bowie is #39. U2 and Michael Jackson are neighbors at #35 and #34 respectively. The original folk singer-songwriter hero Woody Guthrie (#28) didn’t even crack the Top 20!  Looking down the list, my mind began to scramble wondering who could be left for the final spots. I mean they even kept their Golden Boy Bruce (#14) out of the top group! Seriously, they love The Boss. My biggest question is if Neil Young (#17) isn’t one of the 10 greatest songwriters of all-time, why do we put up with his singing? The fact that he's managed to have such a legendary career is surely worthy of those top 10 spots. Then they really start to break hearts. The last two in this group, Brian Wilson (#12) and Bob Marley (#11) could easily fit into the first and second overall spots without much argument, but yet, there are still ten more to go…

The Top 10

Looking at this group, it’s not surprising to see whom Rolling Stone deemed the most worthy. Aside from the fact that they used quotes from Bob Dylan for several other artists’ blurbs, it was obvious he would be #1. Dylan will always be the most definitive, recognizable singer-songwriter. It had to be him from the second the idea for this list was conceived.

And yes, Paul (#2) should come before John (#3). However, do Chuck Barry lyrics really have the same emotional weight as some of the others in this group? I can understand wanting to honor rock 'n' roll tradition with the one who started it all, but just because he was first doesn’t make him the best. In a contentious competition like this, the Top 10 should really be reserved for the best at what they do and this remains largely true; Smokey Robinson could write the purest, soulful love songs, Simon could bend genres every album like no other, Stevie could evoke every corner of the heart and soul, Lennon and McCartney comprised the greatest songwriting duo, and the Stones could rock harder than anyone on here. The problem I have with the only two females to crack the top group is that comparatively, Carole King is light-years ahead of Joni Mitchell, yet only separated by two spots on this list. It makes me wonder if there was any pressure to have more than one woman in the top 10 for diversity’s sake. Women in general seem underrepresented here with Dolly Parton being the next solo female act at #30, and there's hardly anyone to represent the many strides female songwriters have made more recently (but more on that later). Regardless, Mitchell warranted her spot for fulfilling a fundamental role of a songwriter: to capture a movement with words that many people needed and defined a moment 

Missing Pieces

There really isn’t a pick on here that is outright heinous, but the exclusion of some makes the certain inclusion of others seem questionable. When I first saw this list posted, my millennial mind went right to Conor Oberst, the brains behind Bright Eyes. Not only was he a songwriting prodigy of sorts (he recorded his first album at age 13), but Oberst has consistently captured intimate moods and feelings with lines so brutally honest they’ll never fail to devastate you. He’s a spiritual descendent of Dylan without trying too hard to follow his path. In the same argument, Elliott Smith was curiously not present.

There were also some areas where this list was truly lacking, especially rappers and women. How about throwing in Lauryn Hill to cover both? Whether she was eviscerating lines with the Fugees or digging into her sensual, spiritual side on her classic The Miseducation…, Lauryn Hill redefined the female image in music. She showed incredible range transitioning from rapper to neo-soul superstar, and despite her short time at the top, made a huge impact on female songwriters. As for other women, why not Alanis? Maybe I’m on too much of a kick from The End of the Tour, but Alanis Morissette could simultaneously write seething grunge jams while also fitting the traditional female singer-songwriter role like a hand in her pocket.

In terms of rappers, the list does well to pick four of the all-time best (Eminem, Kanye, Jay-Z, and Notorious B.I.G.), but they hardly cover the depth of rap and hip-hop. Tupac has just as much right to be on this list as his competitors, and in some cases makes more sense; after all, he was the well-read, outspoken social activist foil to Biggie’s mafioso persona. The most glaring omission has to be Outkast though. With Big Boi’s mile-per-minute flow and Andre 3000’s ability to fit the most unique lines in any beat, these two had an inimitable streak of classic albums and had quite a lot to say.

From the classic rock pantheon, no omission could be more glaring than Hendrix and the writing duo of Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Perhaps Rolling Stone just decided that not enough lyrics made sense to qualify, but those three wrote some of the most fundamental rock songs. This same rule might've been what kept Anthony Kiedis out. His lyrics have sometimes created more confusion than cohesion, but the band certainly gains additional depth due to his poetic approach to songs…once you figure out what he’s talking about.

What will the next list be? Perhaps they’ll pick a category that doesn’t have at least one Beatle in the Top 20? If they continue this trend of behind-the-scenes and lesser known names in the business, my vote would be 100 Greatest Producers. After all, George Martin needs some love too.