Penning down songs is a tough thing to crack. Imagine a song getting recorded which eventually becomes a hit. Have you ever imagined what it would be without the songwriters? Nevertheless, there’s an entire batch who are considered to be songwriters!
The lyrical geniuses are the ones who form the backbone of any blockbuster song. So what exactly makes an incredible songwriter? Well, the answer to that comprises of a lot of things. To start with, a songwriter is always keen to try out various techniques. After all, applying one thing repetitively would make it monotonous, isn’t it? Having an innate inquisitive nature comes next. They are always up to draw inspiration from their surroundings and put their creativity to channel out the various emotions.
And, finally, a great songwriter can put their views and perspectives in ways which the common man could easily understand and decode. Their lyrical depth is beyond ordinary. Over the decades, the music industry worldwide has been graced with several notable songwriters whose writings are being cherished to date. Even though there are many on the list, but there are 5 top songwriters who have imprinted their names in the lineage forever.
Their songwriting has influenced bands, artists, songwriters, and even fans. So, let’s check out the 5 best songwriters of all time!
Bob Dylan:
When discussing Bob Dylan, is it even possible to not sound cliché! The great American songwriter, singer, and artist have been a strong influence in the music industry for over five decades. And, why not! Not every other musician has established themselves as the greatest poet of all time. There’s no one close to him who could write about subjects and ideas, the way he did. What this greatest songwriter wrote was fiercely honest and he made it look immensely beautiful. His songs embodied the emotion of the whole world.
Bob Dylan is one of the most celebrated songwriters of all time whose writing was mainly focused on a wide range of social, political, philosophical, and other literary influences that defied conventional pop music. He didn’t adhere to the traditional norms and Dylan educated himself to create lyrics that challenged society and resonated with the audience through the decades. He started writing as a teenager and was inclined to write rock & roll songs. In 1961 he moved to New York to pen down folk originals that made a lasting impression in the entire music world.
Over the years, Dylan has written over 600 songs. He made his breakthrough with the release of ‘The Freewheelin’. His songs like ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ reached the number 9 spot in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965.
Some of his best songs are:
Bruce Springsteen:
The famous American songwriter, musician, and singer Bruce Springsteen have released over twenty studio albums so far. Achieving critical acclaim over the years, the artist is one of the originators of the rock style of music and combines mainstream rock with other narratives to reflect on the lives of the American working class. His career spans over five decades and the songwriter became famous for his poetic style of writing that was mostly based on energetic stage performances and mindful lyrics. While the popular songwriter huge appreciation for his two albums namely The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, and Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., his folk-rock style soon lost its charm in the scene. Threatened to lose his label, he quickly changed his style and gained worldwide recognition with his third project Born to Run in 1975.
Since then, Bruce Springsteen has gone ahead to become one of the greatest American songwriters of all time. His catalog throughout the 90s has been quite flawless and he maintained his reputation for smashing and long-lasting stage performances.
Some of his best songs are:
- Thunder Road
- Darkness On The Edge of Town
- Badlands
- The River Advertisement
- I’m Going Down
Morrissey:
Gained fame during the 1980s, Stephen Patrick Morrissey who is most commonly referred to as Morrissey is the co-founder and also the front-man of the British rock band Smiths. The songwriter possesses an eccentricity and is most popular for his acid-mixed songwriting pattern. He became quite famous amongst the disaffected youth and after the band split in 1987, he embarked on his successful solo journey. For Morrissey, music was a means to escape from the harsh reality called life and in 1991 he told a popular magazine that Pop music is all he ever had to express his thoughts as it is perfectly intertwined with his image of being a pop star.
Morrissey kicked off his solo musical career with the very well-received record named Viva Hate which climbed up to the 48th rank on the US charts. The album was followed by Kill Uncle in 1991 but sadly it became a disappointment. However, despite all the ups and downs, Morrissey maintained his reputation of being an iconic artist and songwriter in the pop scene. His outspokenness and temper have always made him fall prey to the headlines. His distinctive lyrics that reflected his dark humor, self-hurting thoughts, isolation, and other anti-society instances attracted national recognition.
Some of his best songs are:
- Everyday Is Like Sunday
- The Headmaster Ritual
- How Soon Is Now?
- November Spawned a Monster
- The National Front Disco
John Lennon:
John Winston Ono Lennon aka John Lennon was an English songwriter, singer, musician, and peace activist who gained worldwide success as the co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and co-songwriter of the Beatles. His partnership with Paul McCartney as songwriters remains the most successful collaboration in the history of music. The famous songwriter started his career as a solo artist in 1970 after the Beatles disbanded. As a co-writer, writer, and performer, Lennon had produced over 25 number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100. He was a true lyrical genius whose writings were mostly influenced and adopted then themes of the anti-war movement and the counterculture. Always eager to earn major commercial success, John Lennon explored a more accessible soundscape in his album titled ‘Imagine’ in 1971.
John Lennon’s solo albums titled Plastic Ono Band and Imagine could even compete with the best works of the Beatles. But after a sudden decline during the mid-70s, Lennon took a break of five years before he finally made a comeback with the incredible Double Fantasy, shortly before his assassination in 1980, December.
Some of his best songs are:
- Imagine
- Instant Karma
- Give Peace a Chance
- Watching the Wheels
- Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Leonard Cohen:
Leonard Norman Cohen, a Canadian songwriter, singer, novelist, and poet had a massive influence on the history of music with his work that mainly explored the themes of sexuality, isolation, personal relationships, religion, and politics. His baritone voice was quite popular in the scene distinguished him from the others, and also made a huge impact on the 1970s pop music landscape. During the mid-1960s, Leonard Cohen started taking a deep interest in the Greenwich Village folk scenario and began offering music to his poems. He was a guitarist and a writer from a very young age and always remained in the spotlight for his commercial success. The artist’s life-long interest-women led him to music and he soon started playing Country music in cafes which eventually led him to form a group named the Buckskin Boys.
Two of his most successful projects namely Suzanne and Dress Rehearsal Rag were much liked by the audience and Cohen finally made his debut at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967. His other much notable work includes his next album Songs of Leonard Cohen, which is considered to be one of his softest and sparsely arranged musical productions that were threaded with beautiful melancholic lyrics and his untrained baritone vocals that somehow managed to sound both complexes yet simple. Establishing himself as a distinct in the 1970s pop music culture, Leonard Cohen died in 2016 after imprinting his musical hallmark, intelligence, style, and integrity in history forever.
Some of his best songs are:
- Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
- Sisters of Mercy
- A Thousand Kisses Deep
- First We Take Manhattan
- Dance Me to the End of Love