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best singer songwiters .(1970s and foward).(more or less)

Criteria leans more towards mainstream than minority interest. More towards long periods of good output than occasional one off flashes of brilliance. And this list is more lyrically oriented than musically oriented.(& rap is a whole other list. so no rappers on this one). Only English songwriters too.

1. . Bob Dylan -Solo- USA
listen to : ("Like A Rolling Stone", "Blowin' In The Wind", "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", “Positively Fourth Street”)

2. John Lennon & Paul McCartney - The Beatles, Solo, - England
Listen to: ("A Day In The Life", "Hey Jude", "Yesterday", "Let It Be", "Imagine")

3. Bob Marley - The wailers- Jamaica

listen to: ("No Woman No Cry", "One Love/People Get Ready", "Redemption Song", "Exodus", "Johnny was a good man")

4. Bruce Springsteen -E street Band- USA

Listen to: ("Born To Run", "Thunder Road", "Born In The USA", Streets of Philadelphia)

5. Paul Simon - Simon & Garfunkel, Solo, - USA

Listen to: ("Bridge Over Troubled Water'", "The Sounds Of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson")

6. Pete Townshend - The Who - England
listen to: ("My Generation", "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Baba O'Riley")

7. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones - Led Zeppelin- England
listen to: ("Stairway To Heaven", "Whole Lotta Love", "Kashmir", "Black Dog")

8. .Kurt Cobain - Nirvana -USA

listen to: ("Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Come As You Are", "Heart-Shaped Box", "Lithium")

9. Tom Waits -solo- USA
listen to: ("Downtown Train", "Jersey Girl", "Ol' 55")

10. Cat Stevens - solo- England

listen to:( "Wild World", Father and Son", "the First Cut is the Deepest" ,"How Can I Tell You")

11. Sam Cooke -Solo - USA
Listen to: ("A Change Is Gonna Come", "You Send Me", "Chain Gang")

12. Mick Jagger & Keith Richards - The Rolling Stones- England
Listen to: ("(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Paint It, Black", "Ruby Tuesday")

13. Van Morrison - Them, Solo, - Ireland

listen to: ("Brown Eyed Girl", "Gloria", "Have I Told You Lately")

14. David Bowie - solo- England

listen to: ("Life On Mars", "Space Oddity", "Ziggy Stardust", "The Man Who Sold The World")

15. Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Rick Wright & Nick Mason - Pink Floyd- England

listen to:("Another Brick In The Wall Part 2", "Comfortably Numb", "Wish you were here")

16. Marvin Gaye - solo- USA

listen to: ("What's Going On", "Let's Get It On", "Dancing In The Street")

17. Elton John & Bernie Taupin - Solo - England

Listen to: ("Candle In The Wind", "Your Song", "Tiny Dancer", "Rocket Man", )

18. . Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon & Roger Taylor - Queen,- England

listen to:("Bohemian Rhapsody", "We Are The Champions", "We Will Rock You")

19. Joni Mitchell -Solo- Canada
listen to: ("A Case Of You", "Both Sides Now", "Chelsea Morning", "Big Yellow Taxi")

20. Stevie Wonder - Solo- USA

Listen to: ("Superstition", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Living for the City")

21. . Neil Young -Solo-Canada

listen to: ("Heart of Gold", "Rockin' In The Free World", "Southern Man")

22. John Fogerty - Creedence Clearwater Revival, Solo- USA
listen to: ("Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "Fortunate Son", )


23. Thom Yorke & Johnny Greenwood - Radiohead- England

listen to: ("Karma Police", "Creep", "Paranoid Android")

24. Bill Withers - solo- USA
listen to: ("Ain't No Sunshine", "Lean On Me", "Use Me")

25. Don McLean -solo -USA
listen to: ("American Pie", "Vincent", "Castles in the Air", "Wonderful Baby")

26. Curtis Mayfield - The Impressions, Solo,- USA

Listen to: ("People Get Ready", "Superfly")


27. . Roy Orbison -solo- USa
listen to: ("Oh, Pretty Woman", "Crying", "Only The Lonely")

28. Noel Gallagher - Oasis - England

listen to: ("Wonderwall", "Dont look back in ANger" ,"All around the world",
"The Importance of Being Idle"")


29. James Brown -Solo- USA

:Listen to: ("Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud")

30. . Otis Redding & Steve Cropper - solo- USA
listen to: ("Respect", "Sitting On The Dock Of A Bay", "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)")

31. Geezer Butler & Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath - England

listen to: ("Black Sabbath", "War Pigs", "Paranoid", "NIB", "Children of the Grave")

32. . George Harrison - The Beatles, Solo, - England

listen to:("Something", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "My Sweet Lord")

33. Smokey Robinson - The Miracles, Solo, - USA

Listen to: ("Tracks Of My Tears", "My Girl", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Shop Around")

34. Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger - The Doors- USA
listen to: ("Light My Fire", "Break On Through")

35. . Sting - The Police, Solo - England

listen to: ("Every Breath You Take", "Roxanne", "Fields Of Gold", "message in a bottle")

36. . Barry White -USA

listen to: ("Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe", "You're The First, The Last, My Everything")


37. Frank Zappa - solo -USA

listen to: ("Dancin' Fool", "Valley Girl", "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow", "Who Are The Brain Police?")

38. Bono & The Edge - U2- Ireland
listen to:("With Or Without You", "One", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Stuck in a Moment")

39. Sly Stone - Sly And The Family Stone - USA
listen to: ("Everyday People", "Family Affair", "Dance To The Music")

40. Isaac Hayes & David Porter -solo-USA
listen to: ("When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Soul Man", "Hold On, I'm Coming")

41. Billy Joel - solo - USA
listen to: ("Piano Man", "Just The Way You Are", "New York State of Mind", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me")

42. .Elvis Costello -solo - England

listen to: ("Alison", "Oliver's Army", "Everyday I Write the Book", )

43. Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb - The Bee Gees, Solo,- Australia
listen to: ("To Love Somebody", "Stayin' Alive", "Grease")

44. Jim Croce -solo- USA

listen to: ( "bad, bad, Leroy Brown; "Time in a Bottle;You Don't Mess Around with Jim
")


45. Al Green - solo- USA

listen to: ("Let's Stay Together", "Tired Of Being Alone", "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)")

46. Ronnie Van Zant - Lynyrd Skynyrd- USA
Listen to: ("Sweet Home Alabama", "Free Bird", "What's Your Name")

47. Jimi Hendrix - solo - USA

listen to ("Purple Haze", "Little Wing", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Machine Gun")


48. Morrissey - The Smiths, Solo - England

listen to:("This Charming Man", "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get", "Irish Blood, English Heart")

49. Lars Ulrich & James Hetfield - Metallica - USA
listen to: ("Master of Puppets", "Enter Sandman", "One")


50. Neil Diamond -solo- USA

listen to: ("I'm A Believer", "Sweet Caroline", "Red Red Wine",, "Solitary Man")

51. .Steve Tyler & Joe Perry - Aerosmith - USA
listen to: ("Dream On", "Walk This Way", "Sweet Emotion")

52. Eric Clapton -Cream, Derek and The Dominoes, Solo- England

listen to: ("Layla", "Tears In Heaven", "Wonderful Tonight", )

53. Trent Reznor - Nine Inch Nails- USA

listen to: ("Hurt", "Closer", "Head Like A Hole")

54. . Lionel Richie - The Commodores, Solo- USA
listen to: ("We Are The World", "Brickhouse", "Endless Love", "All Night Long (All Night)", "Lady")

55. Maurice White - Earth, Wind & Fire- USA

listen to: ("Shining Star", "September", "Boogie Wonderland")

56. Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament & Stone Gossard - Pearl Jam - USA

listen to: ("Alive", "Jeremy", "Better Man", "Black")

57. Guy Berryman, Johnny Buckland, Will Champion& Chris Martin – C0ldplay - England

listen to : ( "Shiver" , "The Scientist"," A rush of Blood to the head", "Fix you")

58. . Ian Gillan & Ritchie Blackmore - Deep Purple- England
listen to:("Smoke On The Water", "Child In Time", "Highway Star")

59. Robert Smith - The Cure - England

listen to: ("Just Like Heaven", "Pictures Of You", "Lovesong")

60. Steve Harris & Adrian Harris & Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden - England

listen to: ("The Number Of The Beast", "Run To The Hills", "Hallowed Be Thy Name")

61. John Denver - solo -USA
listen to:("Leaving On A Jet Plane", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Calypso")

62. Axl Rose, Izzy Straidlin & Slash-Guns N Roses - USA

listen to: ("Sweet Child O' Mine", "Welcome To The Jungle", "November Rain")

63. George Michael - Wham, Solo, - England
listen to:("Faith", "Father Figure", "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go",''Last Christmas")

64. Ray Charles -solo - USA
listen to: ("Hallelujah I Love Her So", "I Got A Woman", "This Little Girl of Mine",
"What'd I Say")

65. Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott & Brian Johnson - AC/DC- Australia

listen to: ("Back In Black", "Highway To Hell", "You Shook Me All Night Long")

66. Grace Slick - Jefferson Airplane / Starship - USA
listen to: ("White Rabbit", "Somebody to Love", "Rejoyce",)

67. Deborah Harry, Chris Stein & Jimmy Destri - Blondie-USA
listen to: ("Heart Of Glass", "Call Me", "One way or another)

68. John Mellencamp - solo - USA

listen to( "small town", " Jack and Diane", )

69. Kerry KIng, Tom Araya & Jeff Hanneman - Slayer -USA

listen to: (Raining Blood","Seasons in the abyss","In the name of god")

70. Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Tommy Ramone & Johnny Ramone - The Ramones- USA
listen to: ("Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker")

71. Ian Curtis - Joy Division - England

listen to: ("Love Will Tear Us Apart")

72. Neil Peart - Rush - Canada

listen to ( "2112",
"the Spirit of Radio", "Tom Sawyer" , "New World Man")

73. Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull - England

listen to: ("Aqualung", "Thick As A Brick", "Locomotive Breath", "Bungle in the Jungle")


74. Billy Corgan - Smashing Pumpkins - USA
listen to: ("Tonight, Tonight", "Bullet With Butterfly Wings", "Cherub Rock")

75. Justin Hayward - The Moody Blues, solo - England
listen to: ("Nights In White Satin", "Tuesday Afternoon", "Question", "The Story In Your Eyes")


p.s. 1-15 are more or less solid & unchangeable. 15-75 are sorta more dependent on mood.
















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