John Simkin Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Some great candidates for this title. Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein, Bob Dylan, John Lennon & Paul McCartney and Stephen Sondheim. However, my vote goes to George and Ira Gershwin. I say that because I think they were the first to transcended the limits of the popular song: I Got Rhythm (1924), The Man I Love (1924), Someone to Watch Over Me (1926), Embraceable You (1927), Funny Face (1927), Wonderful (1930), Summertime (1935), Bess, You Is My Woman Now (1935), It Ain’t Necessarily So (1935), I Loves You Porgy (1935), Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off (1937), They All Laughed (1937), and They Can’t Take That Away From Me (1937). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cruttenden Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I think we need three categories. One for greatest lyrics, one for greatest score and one for the people who write both. It is interesting that most of the people you list were in fact partnerships. My nominations would include:Simon & Garfunkel, The Bee Gees, Phil Collins, Mark Knoffler and Pink Floyd. Just to be different! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic Martin Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I've got to throw in a vote for David Bowie, and Eric Clapton. :] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 I've got to throw in a vote for David Bowie, and Eric Clapton. :] Bob Dylan for me on both musical and lyrical grounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Koene Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 What about John Lennon? He sure made his mark in the world of music and politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Blake Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 We definitely need a category for greatest writers of most hilarious bits of lyrics. My votes go to the following: Warren Zevon for Werewolves of London and sheer audaciousness! "I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's Going to get himself a big dish of beef chow mein Ah-oo, Werewolves of London" John Prine for Speed of the Sound of Loneliness and coming home curly! "You come home late and you come home early You come on big when you're feeling small You come home straight and you come home curly Sometimes you don't come home at all" Kirsty MacColl for managing to get chip shops and Elvis into the same line "There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis Just like you swore to me that you'd be true There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis But he's a xxxx and I'm not sure about you" Now that is true greatness! E-Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andrew Moore Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Dylan, certainly, and Lennon and McCartney. But for lyrics, I think Leonard Cohen is especially excellent - The Sisters of Mercy is as good as anything gets. Mick Jagger is pretty damn good, too. Joni Mitchell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Blake Posted December 15, 2004 Share Posted December 15, 2004 Ah, the splendid Leonard Cohen, though I'd nominate Bird On A Wire myself. Hmm, now I'm thinking of a category, into which LC clearly belongs, of songwriters you can only listen to while lying on the floor with a bottle of Jack Daniels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanet Clark Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 greatest song MACARTHUR PARK by JIMMY WEBB songwriter of all time BOB DYLAN interpreter of own material JIM MORRISON blues JIMMY REED 20th Century JOHNNY MERCER Piano songs NAT KING COLE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Ritchson Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 I would like to add Hoyt Axton to the list of the great ones as well as nominating Beetoven's 9th symphony as the greatest single piece of music ever written. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 Ah, the splendid Leonard Cohen, though I'd nominate Bird On A Wire myself. Hmm, now I'm thinking of a category, into which LC clearly belongs, of songwriters you can only listen to while lying on the floor with a bottle of Jack Daniels... He seems to have cheered up a bit in his old age Leonard Cohen has been ruining my life since adolescence. Though I did find his advice in the lyrics below invaluable "I was born in a beauty salon My father was a dresser of hair My mother was a girl you could call on When you called she was always there When you called she was always there When you called she was always there When you called she was always there When you called she was always there Ah but don't go home with your hard-on It will only drive you insane You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain I've looked behind all of the faces That smile you down to you knees And the lips that say, Come on, taste us And when you try to they make you say Please When you try to they make you say Please When you try to they make you say Please When you try to they make you say Please When you try to they make you say Please Ah but don't go home with your hard-on ... Here come's your bride with her veil on Approach her, you wretch, if you dare Approach her, you ape with your tail on Once you have her she'll always be there Once you have her she'll always be there Once you have her she'll always be there Once you have her she'll always be there Once you have her she'll always be there Ah but don't go home with your hard-on ... So I work in that same beauty salon I'm chained to the old masquerade The lipstick, the shadow, the silicone I follow my father's trade I follow my father's trade Yes I follow my father's trade Yes I follow my father's trade Yes I follow my father's trade Ah but don't go home with your hard-on It will only drive you insane You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain You can't melt it down in the rain" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert E. Cox Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 I would like to add Hoyt Axton to the list of the great ones Well, at least you're getting down to the nitty gritty, John. I'd think that with all the country-lovin' Brits on this wire, somebody would have come up with my nominee -- at least in the Dylan class -- and that would be Rhodes Scholar Kris Kristofferson. I could start a list of his great stuff, but that would use up the bandwidth. I'd also nominate Gary P. Nunn, who wrote, in "London Homesick Blues" that he could "substantiate the rumor/ that the English sense of humor/ is drier than the Texas sand", but I'd probably be run off this forum in a flash. Happy holidays to all, Bob Cox (next door to Texis in the New Mexico sand...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Hall Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 I have so many - Definitely John Lennon and Paul McCartney, I think one of the best creative partnerships in History! Bobby Darin - amazing artist and songwriter (go see Beyond the Sea its the best!) All the Tin Pan Alley writers such as Neil Sedaka and Carole King - they created music so distinctive to that period of music history. David Bowie - songs like heroes and Life on Mars - Amazing! There are just a few because there are so many! Caroline Hall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Richards Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 John Lennon Paul McCartney Bob Dylan Van Morrison Bruce Springsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Dieu Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 My choice in English: Leonard Cohen Bob Dylan Johnny Cash in French: Jacques Brel Leo Ferré Georges Brassens in Portuguese: Chico Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto Gil Caetano Veloso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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