Idaho singer-songwriter Josh Ritter's amazing concert got me to thinking this past weekend. (Generally a risky scenario.) While interviewing him earlier in the week, I'd flipped poor ol' Josh — a truly good sport — some, uh, manure about being ranked No. 97 last year in Paste magazine's list of the 100 Best Living Songwriters. A day or two after that, I reviewed Neil Young's truly excellent but but not quite perfect show at the Morrison Center and referred to Young as "the second most influential songwriter alive." Afterward, I received a polite, funny reader e-mail about that assertion essentially arguing: What about Paul McCartney? (While I try to answer all reader e-mails, I simply thanked the guy for reading and decided to tackle this one via blog.)
First of all, let's be Captain Obvious here: Ranking art is ridiculous. It's subjective and, possibly, belittling. Yet, like all critics (and many human beings), I have this undying urge to rank EVERYTHING. Which is probably why I made that statement about Young in the first place. To me, Young is so huge. No, he hasn't been a titanic influence on pop hit makers. But who cares about Top 40 schlock? Second only to Robert Zimmerman, Young has deeply influenced countless modern rock/Americana/indie/grunge/folk songwriters. To name just a few: Lucinda Williams, Nirvana, Wilco or — right here in Boise — Built To Spill. Doug Martsch is massively influenced by Neil Young. (Here's a funny old "Pancake Mountain" vid for you BTS fans.)
I've never loved or written a word for Paste. It has an unacceptable aversion to rocking. But looking back at the magazine's list of songwriting royalty, I've got to offer some props. The list, aside from somehow overlooking Nick Lowe, ain't bad. And I totally agree that you've got to go No. 1 Bob Dylan, No. 2 Neil Young, then ... maybe McCartney. But I'm more likely to agree with Paste that McCartney comes in at about No. 5. Maybe I give too much credit to John Lennon? Nah. Ultimately, this entire conversation is best held over drinks and framed in the context of a bar debate. (Meet me at Pengilly's.) And remember, these are actually separate arguments. One argument is who the most INFLUENTIAL songwriters are, while the other is based on the BEST. Those aren't the same thing.
For those of you too lazy to click on the Paste link, here's how the Top 10 Best Living Songwriters went. P.S. Prince needs to be bumped, and Randy Newman — No. 11 in their list — should have been ranked about No. 9:
10. Prince
9. Joni Mitchell
8. Elvis Costello
7. Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)
6. Leonard Cohen
5. Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings)
4. Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan
3. Bruce Springsteen
2. Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
1. Bob Dylan
Delicious
Digg
Yahoo
Paul McCartney
I would have placed Steve Earl in there somewhere.
As for Paul McCartney, I can't really give him credit for most of the good stuff from the Beatles. His Wings and solo career just hasn't done it for me. Including his latest nod to every thing he has done before. I wouldn't have him in the top 10. Another guy left off the list is Stevie Wonder.
I'm glad Cohen is on the list. The guy is incredible.
best?
"Commentforhire" must be one of those people who's "too lazy to click on the paste link" - Steve Earle is #35.
What's "Paste Magazine"? I never heard of it before today. Is it the authority on living songwriters?
Ranking the "best" songwriters is a ridiculous exercise. Ask 100 experts; you'll get 100 opinions.
Ranking the "most influential" songwriters is almost as futile; Deeds already marginalized his list by suggesting it's "rock/Americana/indie/grunge/folk songwriters" and dismissing the writers of "Top 40 schlock." As if no other genre is of consequence.
Sniffing Paste
Nah, Paste isn't much of an authority on anything aside from Wilco, IMHO. What music magazine really is?
Golly gee whiz, I was just being snarky: Of COURSE Top 40 music (even the schlock) is of consequence. It's music of the masses. I'd just argue that Dylan and Young tend to influence songwriters who are championed more by serious music fans than the 14-year-old girls who help drive pop music sales at Sam Goody. (I was referring to several forms of music, not one, when I wrote "rock/Americana/indie/grunge/folk." Although that is a pretty hot gene-spliced genre, now that you mention it.) So, please, throw Top 40 into the mix. Heck, throw Muzak into the mix. Throw Hannah Montana into the mix! It's all about the ridiculous discussion, baby! (And that tall pour of Sierra Nevada you have to buy me when you get tired and give in that I win.)
Que HUH?
Is you sniff PASTE, you won't get anything but really hard boogers. Come on now.
Your right. I didn't read the list
But what I was saying is that I would have put Steve Earl and Stevie Wonder in the top 10. Stevie was at 14 so I guess I can take that.
What I always find disappointing about these lists is the new commers that have one or two great records (yes I said records) and nothing else being included with artists that have years of solid work. It seems like for some of these guys, you will look back in ten years and think, "Gosh, I can't believe people liked this trash."
The other thing that is funny about the list is all the blues writers that influenced a bunch of the artist on the list are nowhere to be seen.
I liked Young MC...
he was on Delicious Vinyl.
Not sure...
I would say Lennon & McCartney as a duo were great but McCartney's solo stuff does not do much for me. Oh, and Randy Newman sucks... Short people my A**.
'Newman sucks'? What, are you Jerry Seinfeld?
No offense, but Randy Newman is a sardonic genius! "Short People" is a terrific tune about human ignorance. (Tell me you're not one of those folks who mistakenly thinks it's a song insulting vertically challenged Americans.) My favorite memory of that track -- besides learning to play it on piano as a kid -- was watching quite-short Sara Watkins sing it at a Nickel Creek concert two years ago. She brought a tear to your eye, it was so delicate and sweet.
Hmm...
I learned how to play "The Young and the Restless".
It's NOT supposed to be MELLOW and SWEET...Pah!
Influential songwriter
Dylan for sure, but, for those people too dismissive of McCartney, his influence extends way beyond just song writing. Even Dylan acknowledges how effortless 'everything' is for him: singer, bass player, guitar player,piano player, drummer, producer, composer, musical visionary, oh, and yes songwriter(rock n' roll, pop, folk, jazz, blues, R&B, country, bluegrass(skiffle), acoustic rock, classical, avante-guarde), not to mention a melodic gift superior to everyone on the list and a rhythmic sense and gift as good as you want. I'm gonna keep going here, because their is so much that needs to be said, apparently. Do you seriously think for one minute, Neil Young could 'compose' a guitar part like the one Macca did for "Blackbird'? Or, the bass parts for 99% of all Beatle songs, not to mention everything following? And don't tell me guitar parts , bass parts, what have you are not endemic to the final result. i. e. song, Dylan comes closest with "Buckets Of Rain" , but still...And why limit it to living songwriters? You think John Lennon doesn't have profound influence now because he's dead? Or Hank Williams, Sr.,? Ask Dylan and Neil Young about them. Anyway, here's my list, and I can't go with just living songwriters, to not include John Lennon is ridiculous, same for Hank Williams, Sr. As John Lennon once said,"You're not really dead until the last person who knew you dies": 1a: Bob Dylan, 1b: Paul McCartney, 1c: John Lennon, 4. Hank Williams, Sr., 5)Joni Mitchell, 6)Gordon Lightfoot, 7)Leonard Cohen, 8)Merle Haggard, 9)John Prine, 10) James Taylor
I believe Pete Seeger is still here and you can all go sit down.
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat
PS Who took the Shovel and dug this taproot up?
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Like a midair collision with a tugboat