Paste Magazine's Top 100 Living Songwriters (TMBG??? BRIGHT EYES??? WHAT???)

Paste Lists “The 100 Best Living Songwriters”

Paste Magazine just listed their top 100 living songwriters in their June/July issue. Paste editor-in-chief Josh Jackson said “we hope the list inspires some heated debates, new discoveries, and lots of listening.”

I think it’s probably as close to a great list as I’ve seen any magazine put out in a while. If nothing else, it reminds me that NME is still a joke. After my first glance at the list, the only one I might add is Jeff Mangum, and I can understand if they’re counting him as not living. I’d also bump Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd up about two dozen spaces.

Paste Magazine’s Top 100 Living Songwriters

1. Bob Dylan

2. Neil Young

3. Bruce Springsteen

4. Waits/Brennan

5. Paul McCartney

6. Leonard Cohen

7. Brian Wilson

8. Elvis Costello

9. Joni Mitchell

10. Prince

11. Randy Newman

12. Jagger/Richards

13. Paul Simon

14. Stevie Wonder

15. Willie Nelson

16. David Bowie

17. Holland/Dozier/Holland

18. U2

19. Patty Griffin

20. Van Morrison

21. Lou Reed

22. Lucinda Williams

23. John/Taupin

24. Jeff Tweedy

25. Chuck Berry

26. R.E.M.

27. Radiohead

28. Robbie Robertson

29. Tom Petty

30. John Prine

31. Carole King

32. Leiber/Stoller

33. Pete Townshend

34. John Fogerty

35. Steve Earle

36. Beck

37. Smokey Robinson

38. Kris Kristofferson

39. Led Zeppelin

40. Bacharach/David

41. Ray Davies

42. Loretta Lynn

43. Ryan Adams

44. Al Green

45. Jackson Browne

46. David Byrne

47. Sufjan Stevens

48. Welch/Rawlings

49. Cat Stevens

50. Public Enemy

51. Penn/Oldham

52. Paul Westerberg

53. James Taylor

54. Aimee Mann

55. Dolly Parton

56. James Brown

57. Morrissey

58. Sly Stone

59. Jack White

60. Jimmy Webb

61. John Hiatt

62. Sting

63. Richard Thompson

64. Andy Partridge

65. Bill Mallonee

66. Charles Thompson

67. Conor Oberst

68. Allen Toussaint

69. Merle Haggard

70. Alex Chilton

71. Vic Chesnutt

72. Michael Jackson

73. Julie Miller

74. Over the Rhine

75. Ron Sexsmith

76. Will Oldham

77. Bruce Cockburn

78. Robert Pollard

79. Stephen Malkmus

80. Pink Floyd

81. The Flaming Lips

82. John Darnielle

83. Fleetwood Mac

84. They Might Be Giants

85. David Bazan

86. Sam Beam

87. Lyle Lovett

88. Parliament

89. Victoria Williams

90. Nick Cave

91. Drive-By Truckers

92. Alejandro Escovedo

93. Joseph Arthur

94. Sam Phillips

95. Patti Smith

96. Jimmy Cliff

97. Josh Ritter

98. Jay Farrar

99. Outkast 100 T Bone Burnett http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2006/06/02/paste-lists-the-100-best-living-songwriters/

should i care about paste magazine and why?

Dylan= Overrated hippy nonsense.

Needs to get a zimmer frame and nice Cardigan.

No JOHN OTWAY - Pathetic

not a bad pun there Lian.

You could bump Nick Cave up about 80 places, and I see no sign of Shane McGowan(is he still alive?)

joke list again OUTKAST?? what theee fuck is goin on there then??

Uncle Liam wrote: Dylan= Overrated hippy nonsense.

Needs to get a zimmer frame and nice Cardigan.

:D Too true. Just don't tell my father I said that!

Just another stupid poll by some magazine trying to appear intelligent and erudite.

I like Dylan, but it has to be said, we don't have our own version of Clinton Heylin here kissing Dylan's ass and trying to force him on everyone.

I think it'd make him a bit easier to swallow.

Wll, T Bone Burnett devserves a better place than "100", but he's likely only up there becuse of recent soundtrack work and not truly the breadth of his skills.. and I can see why TMBG gets a menion.. but Patti Smith is too far down the list and the last half of the thing looks like it was thrown together.

i adore prince, but i dont think he's worthy of number 10. No cobain? I dont really think he's worthy, but the press usually regard him as ST. Cobain.

Bright Eyes= whiny bullshit

NO BARNEY!!!

EDIT: cobain aint living. So tired!!!!

For a lot of those on the list: You have to be kidding me!

How did David Hasselhoff not make that list?

Oh, right...he sucks

My bad

In my opinion, that list is absolute bollocks. Too many people that don't deserve to be on there are in the list.

J.A.K wrote: OUTKAST??

Yes, OutKast. Some of the best songs of the past decade.

Taboo # 7 wrote: How did David Hasselhoff not make that list?

Oh, right...he sucks

My bad

or at least Falco

why the anti oberst posts? he's done some great stuff.

because he's a wanker, and can't write a decent tune.

Jackson Browne should top 10.Don't remember seeing Paul Welleron the list either.

Its a very american list. I remember reading somewhere that Paul Weller is the 3rd most successful British singer / song writer. Some scouse twats are above him unfortunately.