from the page to performance welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for the top ten
classic songwriters for this list we’re
focusing on singer songwriters that have
seen critical and commercial success
over the years and are known primarily
for writing their own music as much as
we love Elton John’s powerful piano
ballads he will not be making the list
as most of his songs are written with
the help of Bernie Taupin number 10
Freddie Mercury
originally born as Ferrell Kabul saara
this singer-songwriter spent the first
17 years of his life in Zanzibar and
India before moving to England for
safety reasons by 1970 however the Shai
graphic artist transformed into the
frontman of Queen and went on by the
name of Freddie Mercury with already a
lifetime of material to write about
along with new personal inspirations
mercury composed perhaps one of the most
popular rock songs of all time Bohemian
Rhapsody utilising his impressive vocals
to his advantage mercury has crafted
some of the biggest stadium pleasing
hits of all time
number nine Van Morrison we were morning
while the doors were tearing up the
psychedelic scene in the late 1960s this
Northern Irish musician was releasing
some of the most acclaimed albums of all
time and unless you’re a die-hard fan
you probably don’t know that Van
Morrison was responsible for writing the
1964 British Invasion classic Gloria as
a member of the band to them
George Ivan Morrison more commonly known
as Van Morrison left the group them and
went on to become one of the most
prolific singer songwriters the world
has ever seen and he’s showing no sign
of slowing down
number eight David Bowie pushing through
the market square so many mothers cry
like any injuring rock star this poetic
performer has continuously reinvented
himself over the decades and his musical
emergence can be directly connected to a
true space oddity in the summer of 1969
the first humans reached the moon and
just a few days before the career of
David Bowie was launched with his
composition entitled that Space Oddity
with the dawn of a new decade Ziggy
Stardust was introduced to the world and
the singer wrote a collection of songs
that would not only inspire future
musicians but also offer a new approach
to the arts of songwriting
you
number seven Elvis Costello after taking
on a moniker in honor of Elvis Presley
and his own father
Declan Patrick McNamara came a leading
figure of the 70s British New Wave
through an eclectic sound and
intellectual wordplay his first few
albums are filled with pub rock classics
and highly regarded for their lyrical
death as Casella took a layered approach
to an evolving genre known for
repetitive phrases
the average music fan may not be able to
name five Elvis Costello songs off the
top of their head but it’s the vast
discography that makes them so important
within the spectrum of rock music
number six Joni Mitchell paradise you
put up a parking lot
she’ll stimulate your brain with lyrics
about social change and pierce your
hearts with poetic musings on love this
Canadian arrived on the scene at a
crucial moment in music history when
young people were coming to grips with
the realities of war while reflecting on
the natural beauty of life God he was
walking on as a result Joni Mitchell
served as the soundtrack for millions
with her poignant lyrics and equally
remarkable voice songs like big yellow
taxi and Woodstock spoke to a generation
along with her acclaimed a 1971 album
blue everybody saying hell the hippest
way to go well I don’t think Joni gives
us everything we want out of folk music
and your vocal tone is a fascinating
instrument in itself don’t always seem
to go you don’t know what you got till
it’s gone the pain that I parking lot
number five Bruce Springsteen he goin
you
he’s the blue-collar boss of rich
American music with numerous album
titles referencing geographical
locations and evocative imagery Bruce
Springsteen penned most of his classics
based on his experiences of hustling for
the American dream
his 1975 album Born to Run included the
self written smash Thunder Road and his
1984 album born in the USA is
undoubtedly essential to any rock fad
more importantly however is that
Springsteen’s lyrics convey a grittiness
that can only be felt by anyone working
hard for their money damn here it’s just
winners and losers and don’t get caught
on the wrong side of that line won’t get
tired of coming out
number four John Lennon imagine there’s
no heaven speaking of working class
heroes this rock legend played thousands
of shows with his Liverpool bandmates
before they invaded America and his
first solo album touched on the artists
personal state of mind at that point in
his career a working class hero is
something to be John Lennon co-wrote the
majority of Beatles classics with Paul
McCartney however had a number of solo
writing credits including across the
universe and dear Prudence and had a
successful solo career until his
unfortunate death in 1980
although Lennon wouldn’t live beyond the
age of 40 his short career cemented his
place in history as both a pop culture
icon and one of rock’s most influential
voices
and the word
number three Paul Simon
this New Jersey native was once honored
by Time magazine as one of the 100
people who shaped the world and it
wasn’t because of his unbelievable style
and touched the sound of silence
with a knack for the folk and world beat
music Paul Simon first conquered the
charts with bandmates Art Garfunkel and
produced classics like the sound of
silence and mrs. Robinson although Simon
and Garfunkel would split by 1970 the
former embarked on a solo career that
would rattle listeners to the core with
his soul piercing lyrics decades later
were still crazy about mr. Simon
number two paul mccartney blackbird
singing in the dead of night take these
broken wings burn blood some artists
fade into obscurity when their Rockstar
days are over and some continue to
create day after day year after year and
decade after decade Paul McCartney
forever changed music through his
collaborations with bandmate John Lennon
however his insatiable love for music
resulted in eight albums with wings and
a long career as a solo artist
he wrote the masterpiece that is Hey
Jude for the Beatles in the late 60s and
composed freedom over 30 years later in
response to the September 11th attacks
in one way or another the words of Paul
McCartney have touched all of our lives
and there’s not another
singer-songwriter that has reached all
corners of the earth like Sir Paul
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions realize
you know it’s
the way
I just to say I love you we know that
she will find you for she’s touched your
perfect body
with your number one Bob Dylan what
sparked I’m mystified
born and raised in Minnesota Robert
Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan walked to the
beat of his own drum in the early 60s
even if his vocal style or deeply
insightful lyrics weren’t necessarily
everyone’s cup of tea
it’s okay
but much to his surprise Dillon became
the unwilling spokesperson for a
generation upon his arrival in New York
City and proceeded to abandon his
acoustic sound for electric riffs while
continuously reworking his sound from
album to album all the faces we used to
know they’re an illusion coming down
some mathematicians somewhat took jabs
revs always the innovator filling
remains one of the most prolific
performers of modern times and certainly
the most culturally significant
songwriter of American history how many
times must me
before he can really see the sky so do
you agree with our selections who is
your favorite classic singer-songwriter
yeah
for more mind-blowing top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
watchmojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for the top ten
classic songwriters for this list we’re
focusing on singer songwriters that have
seen critical and commercial success
over the years and are known primarily
for writing their own music as much as
we love Elton John’s powerful piano
ballads he will not be making the list
as most of his songs are written with
the help of Bernie Taupin number 10
Freddie Mercury
originally born as Ferrell Kabul saara
this singer-songwriter spent the first
17 years of his life in Zanzibar and
India before moving to England for
safety reasons by 1970 however the Shai
graphic artist transformed into the
frontman of Queen and went on by the
name of Freddie Mercury with already a
lifetime of material to write about
along with new personal inspirations
mercury composed perhaps one of the most
popular rock songs of all time Bohemian
Rhapsody utilising his impressive vocals
to his advantage mercury has crafted
some of the biggest stadium pleasing
hits of all time
number nine Van Morrison we were morning
while the doors were tearing up the
psychedelic scene in the late 1960s this
Northern Irish musician was releasing
some of the most acclaimed albums of all
time and unless you’re a die-hard fan
you probably don’t know that Van
Morrison was responsible for writing the
1964 British Invasion classic Gloria as
a member of the band to them
George Ivan Morrison more commonly known
as Van Morrison left the group them and
went on to become one of the most
prolific singer songwriters the world
has ever seen and he’s showing no sign
of slowing down
number eight David Bowie pushing through
the market square so many mothers cry
like any injuring rock star this poetic
performer has continuously reinvented
himself over the decades and his musical
emergence can be directly connected to a
true space oddity in the summer of 1969
the first humans reached the moon and
just a few days before the career of
David Bowie was launched with his
composition entitled that Space Oddity
with the dawn of a new decade Ziggy
Stardust was introduced to the world and
the singer wrote a collection of songs
that would not only inspire future
musicians but also offer a new approach
to the arts of songwriting
you
number seven Elvis Costello after taking
on a moniker in honor of Elvis Presley
and his own father
Declan Patrick McNamara came a leading
figure of the 70s British New Wave
through an eclectic sound and
intellectual wordplay his first few
albums are filled with pub rock classics
and highly regarded for their lyrical
death as Casella took a layered approach
to an evolving genre known for
repetitive phrases
the average music fan may not be able to
name five Elvis Costello songs off the
top of their head but it’s the vast
discography that makes them so important
within the spectrum of rock music
number six Joni Mitchell paradise you
put up a parking lot
she’ll stimulate your brain with lyrics
about social change and pierce your
hearts with poetic musings on love this
Canadian arrived on the scene at a
crucial moment in music history when
young people were coming to grips with
the realities of war while reflecting on
the natural beauty of life God he was
walking on as a result Joni Mitchell
served as the soundtrack for millions
with her poignant lyrics and equally
remarkable voice songs like big yellow
taxi and Woodstock spoke to a generation
along with her acclaimed a 1971 album
blue everybody saying hell the hippest
way to go well I don’t think Joni gives
us everything we want out of folk music
and your vocal tone is a fascinating
instrument in itself don’t always seem
to go you don’t know what you got till
it’s gone the pain that I parking lot
number five Bruce Springsteen he goin
you
he’s the blue-collar boss of rich
American music with numerous album
titles referencing geographical
locations and evocative imagery Bruce
Springsteen penned most of his classics
based on his experiences of hustling for
the American dream
his 1975 album Born to Run included the
self written smash Thunder Road and his
1984 album born in the USA is
undoubtedly essential to any rock fad
more importantly however is that
Springsteen’s lyrics convey a grittiness
that can only be felt by anyone working
hard for their money damn here it’s just
winners and losers and don’t get caught
on the wrong side of that line won’t get
tired of coming out
number four John Lennon imagine there’s
no heaven speaking of working class
heroes this rock legend played thousands
of shows with his Liverpool bandmates
before they invaded America and his
first solo album touched on the artists
personal state of mind at that point in
his career a working class hero is
something to be John Lennon co-wrote the
majority of Beatles classics with Paul
McCartney however had a number of solo
writing credits including across the
universe and dear Prudence and had a
successful solo career until his
unfortunate death in 1980
although Lennon wouldn’t live beyond the
age of 40 his short career cemented his
place in history as both a pop culture
icon and one of rock’s most influential
voices
and the word
number three Paul Simon
this New Jersey native was once honored
by Time magazine as one of the 100
people who shaped the world and it
wasn’t because of his unbelievable style
and touched the sound of silence
with a knack for the folk and world beat
music Paul Simon first conquered the
charts with bandmates Art Garfunkel and
produced classics like the sound of
silence and mrs. Robinson although Simon
and Garfunkel would split by 1970 the
former embarked on a solo career that
would rattle listeners to the core with
his soul piercing lyrics decades later
were still crazy about mr. Simon
number two paul mccartney blackbird
singing in the dead of night take these
broken wings burn blood some artists
fade into obscurity when their Rockstar
days are over and some continue to
create day after day year after year and
decade after decade Paul McCartney
forever changed music through his
collaborations with bandmate John Lennon
however his insatiable love for music
resulted in eight albums with wings and
a long career as a solo artist
he wrote the masterpiece that is Hey
Jude for the Beatles in the late 60s and
composed freedom over 30 years later in
response to the September 11th attacks
in one way or another the words of Paul
McCartney have touched all of our lives
and there’s not another
singer-songwriter that has reached all
corners of the earth like Sir Paul
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions realize
you know it’s
the way
I just to say I love you we know that
she will find you for she’s touched your
perfect body
with your number one Bob Dylan what
sparked I’m mystified
born and raised in Minnesota Robert
Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan walked to the
beat of his own drum in the early 60s
even if his vocal style or deeply
insightful lyrics weren’t necessarily
everyone’s cup of tea
it’s okay
but much to his surprise Dillon became
the unwilling spokesperson for a
generation upon his arrival in New York
City and proceeded to abandon his
acoustic sound for electric riffs while
continuously reworking his sound from
album to album all the faces we used to
know they’re an illusion coming down
some mathematicians somewhat took jabs
revs always the innovator filling
remains one of the most prolific
performers of modern times and certainly
the most culturally significant
songwriter of American history how many
times must me
before he can really see the sky so do
you agree with our selections who is
your favorite classic singer-songwriter
yeah
for more mind-blowing top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
Please follow and like us: