Reply To: NYT List of 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters is Trolling Us

[MagicRuss]

Too many people whose songs I don’t know and a lot of people I disagree with.  But whether you agree or disagree with the songwriting choices, sometimes their choices of representative songs didn’t make the case.

They listed OutKast as a songwriter but their 5 best don’t include “Roses” or “Hey Ya”?

Mariah Carey – They listed “Fantasy”, which is just her singing over “Genius of Love”.  Not exactly my idea of great songwriting.

I agree with most of what Beato said, but I really dislike Ryan Tedder.  He’s definitely part of the Axis of Axis Progression Abusers.  The other thing I disagree with him on is I don’t think all the bands he mentioned were great songwriting bands.  For example I would have listed Styx as a great songwriting band before AIC or GNR.  The same could be said for Grand Funk.

Bob Seger wrote more than a few great songs, as did Henley/Frey.  Jack Antonoff is no stranger to today’s pop charts, neither is Dan Wilson.  Jeff Tweedy wrote songs that created a subgenre.  Paul Westerberg wrote some great songs and was also hugely influential.

Finally any list of great American songwriters that includes Lana Del Rey but leaves out John Fogerty just sucks.