Name your favourite top 6 songwriters

[Xhavenjoe]

I was brought up listening to Loudon Wainwright, my dad loves him. My first gig was him at the Half Moon in Putney , I was only 7 or 8. I can remember him singing Rufus is a Tit Man like it was yesterday.

Rufus is no longer a tit man and hasn't been for quite a while.
Some musical family mind you.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Fish
Springstein
Steinman
Ian Anderson
Peart
Townshend

 

[Saxmundham Blue]

Mick Head is a great songwriter as is Roddy, only one there I've never really listened to much is Steve Mason weirdly.
Of a similar genre I would also add Ron Sexsmith and Robert Forster/ Grant Mclennan.

I was going to put The GoBetweens!

 

[mancity1]

My takeaway is that apparently there have only been about 20 artists in music history, and the last ones who ever wrote anything were Rivers Cuomo and J Mascis :)

JK. For me:

Neil Young
Walter Becker/Donald Fagan (that I am the first to mention these guys is sad)
Neil Tennant/Chris Lowe
Adam Schlesinger/Chris Collingwood
Corin Tucker/Carrie Brownstein
Eric Bachman

I would have Becker and Fagan in my list but I only came across this thread today (LOL). IMO there are some good songs on Gaucho , not too many bad ones.

My takeaway is that apparently there have only been about 20 artists in music history, and the last ones who ever wrote anything were Rivers Cuomo and J Mascis :)

JK. For me:

Neil Young
Walter Becker/Donald Fagan (that I am the first to mention these guys is sad)
Neil Tennant/Chris Lowe
Adam Schlesinger/Chris Collingwood
Corin Tucker/Carrie Brownstein
Eric Bachmann

AJA is as good as its gets for production perfection , if I could play only one album it would hard to go past it IMO.

 

[mancity1]

Albert Hammond
Prince
Jimmy McCarthy
Carole King
Jimmy Webb
Lennon & McCartney

Albert Hammond is an interesting choice. A who's who of artists have sung and covered his songs but because much of his work involved collaboration I couldn't have him on his own on any list.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I would have Becker and Fagan in my list but I only came across this thread today (LOL). IMO there are some good songs on Gaucho , not too many bad ones.

AJA is as good as its gets for production perfection , if I could play only one album it would hard to go past it IMO.

I like Gaucho too — not so sure about the stuff they did after. Don’t know it that well. While Aja is the one I play most and enjoy the most, I really like them all. Katy Lied is another favo(u)rite. And the first one.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Albert Hammond is an interesting choice. A who's who of artists have sung and covered his songs but because much of his work involved collaboration I couldn't have him on his own on any list.

Thats a good observation.
It was just the diversity of the songs that he was involved in

Don't Turn around -Aswad
All the girls I've loved before- Willie and Julio
Nothings gonna stop us now- Starship
When I need you-Leo Sayer
Air that I breathe - Hollies
One moment in time (for the Olympics )

I actually misunderstood the thread title and was only thinking of people who have produced hits for others artists.
Thats why the likes of Prince, Steinman, Jimmy McCarthy were in my head.

 

[OB1]

Page /Plant
Jagger / Richards
Lee / Lifeson / Peart
Bruce Springsteen
Pete Townshend
Phi Lynott

several other contenders...

 

[Protein Junkie]

Fish
Springstein
Steinman
Ian Anderson
Peart
Townshend

Unlikely writing duo would be Fish and Seal.
Also Adam LambertRick Buckler and Carrie Underwood/Phil Oakley.