I think John Lennon is really overrated. We;re forgetting a good deal of great country songwriters as well here. Townes Van Zandt Billy Joe Shaver Wille Nelson Waylon Jennings Hank Williams sr John Hartford Ralph Stanley Krist Kristoferson
i think Led Zepplin is overrated (of course i do i cant even spell it ) ya but id have to agree The Beatles are overrated. John Lennon writes good music. But some people think hes like a geineous god or something. I liked him until he lost his mind and left rock n roll behind all for a girl named Yoko. im sure yoko was a nice girl, but the way he just left and abandoned everything.... wow love sure is blinding.... "I dont believe in elvis. And I dont believe in Dylan. And I don't believe in ... Beatles. I believe in me. Me and Yoko. " I think the song goes like that. its such a sad one. but ya okay i forget where i was going .... so i nominate Pete Townshend a second time. rock on ..... the end. beautiful friend. this is the end. my only friend, the end...........
God yes, Townes! And Hartford. I saw his last show. Wouldn't call 'em country. Americana maybe.How about Kate Wolf? or Emily Kaitz?
wait..... who died.... surely not Pete Townshend.... oh wait you probobly dont mean him.... ok sorry ..... my mind left me to go to Vegas. That was a year ago. im still waiting for it to return....... ......
Lennon/McCartney George Harrison Pete Townshend Jim Morrison Lou Reed John Cale Syd Barrett Roger Waters Page/Plant Arthur Lee Nick Drake Roky Erickson Jack Bruce The Yardbirds
I take back when I said Zeppelin/Lennon were over-rated. Forgive me I was young and stupid. ... yes I'm ashamed isn't that punishment enough!
Elton John? Doesn't Bernie Taupin write all his stuff? It's a bit hazy since I was very young at the time, but I remember a documentary about him where someone said that Elton John figured out music for a song, then played it for Bernie and let him come up with lyrics
I agree with a lot of the names posted in this thread. I'm surprised nobody mentioned: Robert Fripp (on the hard side) Stevie Nicks (on the soft side) Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams (on the country side) and above all: Miles Davis and Frank Zappa (on the genius side)
Some of My favorite songwriters are.... Billy Joel...Lennon/McCartney...King/Goffin....Ira/George Gershwin...Joni Mitchell...Zappa....Costello/Baccharat....Springsteen...Marley...Fagen....Dylan...Water...etc.
Nobody posted somone who really should make the list: Willie Dixon Dixon wrote tons of classic blues tunes including Howlin' Wolf's, and later the Doors' classic "Back Door Man."
Good call Sam - He wrote lots of blues songs performed by rock musicians including: Little Red Rooster - Stones, Grateful Dead and others You Shook Me - Led Zep I Can't Quit You Baby - Led Zep Spoonful - Cream There are others that I can't recall at this moment.
Yeah, he also originally wrote "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin). Actually, the song was titled "You Need Love," but Zeppelin changed the title to "Whole Lotta Love" and didn't credit Dixon for writing it. They were sued for it. The same thing happened with "You Shook Me." For some reason they didn't credit him. He also wrote a ton of very popular blues songs like "Hidden Charms," "Hoochie Coohie Man," "My Babe," "Seventh Son," and "Wang Dang Doodle."
willie dixon didn't write all those songs, bluesmen have been sharing licks and songs since the beginning of time...he's just a bastard. hmm...lyrically, roger waters, musically, robert johnson, and overall...SYD BARRETT. "I'm only a person with Eskimo chain I tattered my brain all the way... Won't you miss me? Wouldn't you miss me at all?"
