Singer-Songwriters: The 100 Greatest Songs
Celebrating the 100 greatest songs from singer-songwriters from the last seven decades, including the best from Bob Dylan and Elton John.
In a time long ago – well, sometime before the early 60s – songwriters wrote songs and singers sang them. It was less often that people did both. Of course, there were exceptions; arguably it was the coming of Bob Dylan that signalled a great leap forward for singer-songwriters.
But, cast your mind back, if you can, to March 1962 and the release of Dylan’s self-titled debut album. Of the 13 songs on the album, just two were written by the Bobster. Five were Dylan’s arrangements of traditional songs, two were other people’s arrangements of traditional songs, and there were covers of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Jesse Fuller, Bukka White and Curtis Jones. It wasn’t until a year later, in May 1963, that Bob’s second album revealed his emerging songwriting talents: 11 of its 13 tracks were Dylan originals. Two months earlier and Lennon and McCartney wrote eight of the 14 tracks on The Beatles’ debut album. It was something of a turning point.
Dylan came out of the folk tradition, and it was the acoustic-folk genre that was – and remains – the spiritual home of the singer-songwriter, where performers tend to provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano. The political protest songs of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie are what people thought of as singer-songwriters before Dylan, but by 1963 there was a subtle shift that accelerated as the 60s advanced. Even before that time, however, singers such as Hank Williams were forging a place in musical history where they wrote and performed their own songs, though they were often backed by a group, which causes some to forget that Williams was a true singer-songwriter.
Go back a little further and Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, Son House and others from the Mississippi Delta were doing just the same in the 30s. Add to that list Robert Johnson, who created a canon second to none of songs that have been covered by countless others ever since. But at the same time, never forget that when Johnson was playing juke joints and house rent parties, he would frequently cover the hits of Bing Crosby who was singing songs from the writers that frequented New York’s Tin Pan Alley. He, like so many performers, was trying to entertain and earn a crust… the covers band and covers singer is a proud tradition. Recently someone posted a video online of a guy with a guitar covering Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ on stage at a hotel, somewhere in America; Stevie himself was in the hotel and he went on stage to join the unknown performer to sing his own composition. Somehow it feels like the tradition finally came full circle.
We have tried to come up with the ultimate playlist of the greatest songs performed and written by singer-songwriters. It includes all the usual suspects, From Dylan, Elton and Stevie to Carole King, Joni and Dolly. It also unearths some real gems by singer-songwriters who have crafted superb songs that forced their way into our list.
There’s Scott Walker’s ‘Such A Small Love’, from his debut solo album; one of Canada’s finest songwriter-singers, Gino Vannelli and ‘Gypsy Days’ Nashville’s Gretchen Peters’ ‘Secret Of Life’, Clifford T Ward’s ‘Home Thoughts From Abroad’ and Stephen Bishop’s ‘On and On’. Which is just what we could do with this list… The 70s was the heyday of the singer-songwriter, but they are as meaningful today as they’ve ever been.
So what are the 100 greatest songs?
100. Skin – Rag’n’Bone Man
99. This Masquerade – Leon Russell
98. Perfect Day – Lou Reed
97. Okie From Muskogee – Merle Haggard
96. Fidelity – Regina Spektor
95. Actor Out Of Work – St. Vincent
94. Lonely At The Top – Randy Newman
93. Suedehead – Morrissey
92. Southern Nights – Allen Toussaint
91. Chicago – Sufjan Stevens
90. Drop The Pilot – Joan Armatrading
89. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
88. Luka – Suzanne Vega
87. The Last Living Rose – PJ Harvey
86. Wild World – Yusuf/Cat Stevens
85. Everything Is Everything – Ms. Lauryn Hill
84. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon
83. Cornflake Girl – Tori Amos
82. Land Locked Blues – Bright Eyes
81. Fast As You Can – Fiona Apple
80. Sailing to Philadelphia – Mark Knopfler
79. Fist City – Loretta Lynn
78. Record Year – Eric Church
77. Traveller – Chris Stapelton
76. Merry Go ‘Round – Kasey Musgraves
75. Royals – Lorde
74. Downtown Train – Tom Waits
73. Where I Stood – Missy Higgins
72. Perfect Skin – Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
71. If It Makes You Happy – Sheryl Crow
70. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
69. Going To A Town – Rufus Wainwright
68. Capsized – Andrew Bird
67. American Pie – Don McLean
66. Miss Misery – Elliot Smith
65. For A Change – Chris Difford
64. Maggie May – Rod Stewart
63. On and On – Stephen Bishop
62. Being With You – Smokey Robinson
61. Garden Party – Rick Nelson, The Stone Canyon Band
60. Draw Of The Cards – Kim Carnes
59. The Immigrant – Neil Sedaka
58. Home Thoughts From Abroad – Clifford T. Ward
57. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
56. Life On Mars – David Bowie
55. Song To The Siren – Tim Buckley
54. New Kid In Town – JD Souther
53. The End of Innocence – Don Henley
52. Desperados Waiting For A Train – Guy Clark
51. Boulder To Birmingham – Emmylou Harris
50. She – Gram Parsons
49. Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down – Kris Kristofferson
48. Copperhead Road – Steve Earle
47. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning – Richard Thompson
46. The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot
45. Cat’s In The Cradle – Harry Chaplin
44. Oh My Sweet Carolina – Ryan Adams
43. Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins) – Father John Misty
42. Lost Cause – Beck
41. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
40. Piano Man – Billy Joel
39. On The Road Again – Willie Nelson
38. Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush
37. Rollin’ And Tumblin’ – Muddy Waters
36. Alison – Elvis Costello
35. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
34. Solid Air – John Martyn
33. Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
32. Jolene – Dolly Parton
31. Your Cheatin’ Heart – Hank Williams, Drifting Cowboys
30. Longer – Dan Fogelberg
29. At Seventeen – Janis Ian
28. Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan
27. The Secret of Life – Gretchen Peters
26. We’re All Alone – Boz Scaggs
25. Gypsy Days – Gino Vannelli
24. Running On Empty – Jackson Browne
23. Pink Moon – Nick Drake
22. Lady-O – Judee Sill
21. Traction In The Rain – David Crosby
20. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
19. Yesterday – Paul McCartney
18. On The Border – Al Stewart
17. Into The Mystic – Van Morrison
16. Field of Gold – Sting
15. Suzanne – Leonard Cohen
14. Heart of Gold – Neil Young
13. Such A Small Love – Scott Walker
12. How Can We Hang On To A Dream – Tim Hardin
11. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
10. Late Night Grande Hotel – Nanci Griffith
9. Constant Craving – k.d. lang
8. Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell
7. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
6. Stony End – Laura Nyro
5. You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
4. Imagine – John Lennon
3. It’s Too Late – Carole King
2. Your Song – Elton John
1. Who Knows Where The Time Goes – Sandy Denny
UK English
Bob
January 28, 2017 at 2:43 pm
No Jihn Prine????
Mike
January 28, 2017 at 3:16 pm
Useless list. No Peter Gabriel? You have no cred.
Paul
July 13, 2019 at 2:12 am
No Brian Wilson?!? Really?!?
MáKa
February 25, 2021 at 5:02 am
Agree. Also, here are 10 songs that would knock 10 of these songs off the list: 1.Carinhoso 2.Wave 3.Desafinado 4.As Rosas Nao Falam 5.Aquarela do Brasil 6.Sangue Latino 7.Construcao 8.Asa Branca 9.Felicidade 10.Gita ( I can only imagine what else we find around the world. In terms of Brazilian music I stopped at 10 but could have easily done another 10 songs better than those in that list.
Eric West
January 28, 2017 at 3:17 pm
No Jimmy Buffett? 35 plus albums, 90% of which he wrote, and 50 years in the business and not one tune? Even Dylan said in Rolling Stone that his favorite song written tune is Buffetts “Captain and the Kid.”
uDiscover
January 28, 2017 at 3:21 pm
Eric, we agree, we think we should have had Jimmy!
Ginger_Holt
January 28, 2017 at 10:44 pm
Thank you!! All those years, all those amazing songs. Great oversight. Jimmy Buffett, the song writer’s song writer.
Simon Thomas
January 28, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Beth Hart doesn’t make the list, but James Blunt does. This is how commercial music is I suppose.
Mike
January 28, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Useless list. No Peter Gabriel? You have no cred. And no Sting. Shsme. Shame.
uDiscover
January 28, 2017 at 3:21 pm
Sting is there…
Aydon
January 28, 2017 at 3:20 pm
Jon Bon Jovi?
Mic Jagger?
Freddie Mercury?
Linda Ronstadt?
Gusknows
January 28, 2017 at 3:42 pm
How bout these. The Band, Chicago, Pink Floyd? No offense to Warren, but Werewolves and 25 or 6 to 4 or any one of other Chixago hits arent on the list. The Weight? Money? Your list is seriously flawed.
uDiscover
January 28, 2017 at 3:48 pm
It’s singer-songwriters…not groups!
CD the Rock
January 28, 2017 at 4:34 pm
No Hotel California??? Really?? Really??? Like Really Really??
uDiscover
January 28, 2017 at 4:40 pm
It’;s by a group, not a solo singer…
.m
January 28, 2017 at 5:10 pm
No Jeff Buckley? Or did I miss it? Bjork?
tom
January 28, 2017 at 5:54 pm
No Garth Brooks?, no Buck Owens, where is Dwight Yoakam? Adele? Did I miss Chuck Berry on that list? the fact that you put some guy named Scott Walker on this list shows pretty much that you don;t know what you’re talking about, and honestly if I truly gave it some real thought, I’m sure you’re missing a ton of credible songwriters. Where is Joe Jackson? El Paso by Marty Robbins. . not on the list?
dBay920
January 28, 2017 at 6:06 pm
I normally don’t complain about lists but Bob Marley needs to be on here.
Roddyra
January 28, 2017 at 6:15 pm
No Jimi Hendrix, these list are unreal x
Bridog
January 28, 2017 at 6:27 pm
Did I miss Bruce Springsteen on the list?
Last time I checked he told pretty good stories in his songs.
Rb3mergie
January 28, 2017 at 6:40 pm
No townes van Zandt?
Scott_Bell2
January 29, 2017 at 3:54 pm
I 2nd that question!
clubredken
January 28, 2017 at 8:33 pm
No Taylor Swift? She’s the Springsteen of our generation
Jon
January 28, 2017 at 8:40 pm
This would have been a much more interesting list if you’d treated “singer-songwriter” as the genre it is, as opposed to considering every solo artist that ever wrote one of their own tracks. Your definition is overly broad, and as a result not really helpful.
To me the genre is about lyrics over melody, sparse orchestration, a light touch at the mixing board, and personal themes.
I love Elton John, but I don’t think of him as a singer-songwriter as the term is commonly understood. Ditto Rod Stewart, Hendrix, or Stevie Wonder.
Paul
January 28, 2017 at 9:28 pm
No Paul Simon, Prince, Stephen Stills or Peter Gabriel.
What was the criteria for selection?
Ron
January 28, 2017 at 11:02 pm
Bernie Taupin writes Elton John songs
Josh feller
January 28, 2017 at 11:15 pm
No Billy joel. . . Serious?
Jim taggert
January 28, 2017 at 11:49 pm
Nothing from The New Holsteins??
Paul Castle
January 29, 2017 at 12:15 am
I would have found space for Jimmy Webb, Bruce Cockburn, Jackson C. Frank, Ry Cooder, and Shawn Colvin
Deborah
January 29, 2017 at 12:35 am
Royals is on this list, but not Bohemian Rhapsody? Queen should have been on this list. It’s pretty good. I agree with many of these songs, but I feel there were a few artist who’s impact was too profound to be over looked.
Donald Sutherland
January 29, 2017 at 3:06 am
I took the time to read this drival. Such a waste of everything. You did try however. Sort of.
Vanessa
January 29, 2017 at 3:08 am
What no John Denver, he was definitely a singer-song writer.
Mike
April 20, 2020 at 9:28 pm
John Denver and Don McLean should be in the top 5 singer songwriters. Carole King should be somewhere on the list.
Stephanie
January 29, 2017 at 3:15 am
Harry Chapin and John Denver
Glenn Henderson
January 29, 2017 at 3:26 am
Kristoffersonn (Me and Maggie McGee (covered by another 40+ Artists, For the Good Times, Monday Morning coming down). Chuck Berry!!! The King of guitar rock and roll. Wilson Pickett ( don’t know if he wrote but his renditions changed the songs), Mustang Sally must have been covered at least 50 times. More recently Darius Rucker (both as Hootie and under his own full name). There are a lot missing.
Bill
January 29, 2017 at 3:28 am
Harry Nilsson? Lennon/McCartney? Simon & Garfunkel? Jimmy Webb? Phil and Don Everly? Buddy Holly?
Danny Holmes
January 29, 2017 at 4:28 am
No Neil Finn songs? The best songwriter apres Lennon & McCartney!
metal rocks!!!!!!!!
January 29, 2017 at 4:45 am
No twisted sister, def leppard, guns n roses, ozzy Osbourne/black sabbath ?
More 80’s metal!!!!!
metal rocks!!!!!!!!
January 29, 2017 at 4:46 am
Oh ya and jimi hendrix!
Peter McLean
January 29, 2017 at 6:36 am
No Prince!!! WTF???
David O'Donnell
January 29, 2017 at 10:04 am
Never heard of John Stewart? Mother Country alone is better than three quarters of the stuff on that list.
Dr Rich
January 29, 2017 at 12:59 pm
Please commenters – at least try to understand what a singer/songwriter is. I don’t agree with many of these either, and could name a bunch of artists who should be on the list, but if you are going to comment, please try to stick the singer/songwriter criteria. OTOH, a good argument could be made that those who are most famous for being in bands (McCartney, Knopfler. etc..) should not be represented.
John Eskola
January 29, 2017 at 1:00 pm
Gino Vannelli, not Gino Vanilla
Scott_Bell2
January 29, 2017 at 3:55 pm
Dax Riggs should be on this list
Steve
January 29, 2017 at 6:50 pm
No Layla? Born To Run? Shine On You Crazy Diamond? This list blows
Glenn
January 29, 2017 at 10:53 pm
Really. JJ Cale not here. RUNNING ON EMPTY hardly Jackson Brownes best. PORTABELLO BELLE Dire Straights. NO Bruce Springsteen! No Night Moves Bob Seeger. ERIC! JIMMY BUFFET! You need a new job. Your list blows. LYLE LOVETT! JOHN Mellencamp. ROLLING STONES come on. Led Zep! Eurythmics! BUFFALO Springfield!! DOOBIES!
Frank
January 29, 2017 at 11:25 pm
Clapton ???
Danny
January 30, 2017 at 11:12 am
No….jimi Hendrix. No…Jim Morrison…..no Kurt Cobain….no blowing in the wind or times a changing by Bob Dylan….bad list
John Herzog
January 30, 2017 at 10:29 pm
Where is Neil Young,John Prine,Bob Seeger,Waylon Jennings,Hoyt Axton,Jimmy Buffet and Neil Diamond
Babs
January 31, 2017 at 3:25 pm
No John Prine?
mike
January 31, 2017 at 4:38 pm
This list will never please everybody, but still of the artist included often its not evan their best work. Okie from Muskogee for Mr. Haggard? I can list 10 of his songs as good or better, same for Warren Zevon and Heart of Gold for Neil Youngs only entry? Have you heard any other Neil Young. And finally did I miss Johnny Cash on this list? How about Jim Croce, or Rodney Crowell, or Roger Miller, and the list goes on.The list shows a bias toward more commercial songs and the is seldom the best work of an artist. Nice try though.
Jerry
January 31, 2017 at 9:33 pm
Isn’t even close to being the 100 best!!
Rich Curtis
February 1, 2017 at 6:42 am
This is an absolutely terrible list. There were some songs I wouldn’t include in a list of the Top 500 songs, let alone the Top 100. Who came up with this terrible list – the Three Stooges? Barney Fife? Britney Spears? The Little Rascals? The Marx Brothers?
Total garbage!
Juan C.
February 6, 2017 at 10:43 pm
Not Peter Hammil ? and yes Tom Petty, this list is a real shit.
allen
February 12, 2017 at 1:15 pm
No muddy waters, or any of the blues greats whose foundation of pop and r&b hinges on? No temptations? I mean out of 100, please, I could go on no need. Somebody done bumped their head.
tom
June 24, 2017 at 1:32 pm
thankless task doing a list like this. it does open up some artists you aren’t aware of i suppose. now my moan at a couple of omissions lol Albert Hammond and Bobby Goldsboro?
CarolL
October 9, 2017 at 8:38 pm
How could Dave Cousin’s (Strawbs) masterpiece, “Blue Angel” not make this list? Whole lot of people missing on this list. Neil Diamond? Carole King? John Denver? Jimi Hendrix? Prince? Michael Jackson? Meh…
Firannion
October 9, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Steve Goodman should definitely be on here – for ‘City of New Orleans’ if nothing else.
Still, I’m delighted to see Sandy Denny in the top spot, and Richard Thompson making the list at all (though I’d argue that ‘1952 Vincent Black Lightning’ belongs higher up).
Arthur
October 10, 2017 at 8:07 am
Rubbish list , no Buddy Holly, Eric Carmen , Ian Dury, Shane MacGowan,Robert Plant, Ian Anderson , Otis Redding, Muddy Waters ,Howlin Wolf & Bruce Springsteen. On top of that people like Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney & John Lennon should have dominated on the list
Carole
January 16, 2018 at 8:08 pm
What about I Will Always Love You? by Dolly Parton?
Margaret
January 16, 2018 at 8:13 pm
I can’t believe Tom T. Hall didn’t make this list.
Robert Ohlemeyer
January 19, 2018 at 4:45 am
Roger Miller “King of the Road”
JIM
January 21, 2018 at 7:11 pm
BEE GEES
Jim Figgerty
January 22, 2018 at 2:50 am
Del Shannon
Greer
July 30, 2018 at 2:13 pm
Sia should have made the list.
Carol L
October 25, 2018 at 4:08 pm
Someone mentioned Dave Cousins “Blue Angel”. Carole King, John Denver, Neil Diamond, Prince, Jewell. Loreena McKennitt (amazing Canadian artist), Sarah McLachlan, Roger Whittaker. No Arlo Guthrie? “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree”? Where is David Bowie??? And I agree that Sia should be here as well.
Catowner
January 16, 2019 at 11:35 pm
Pleased to see Zevon, but WEREWOLVES??? Really???
Tim Ingram
January 17, 2019 at 2:28 am
John Prine, Randy Newman, Lyle Lovett. C’mon, you’ve got to do better.
Hesh Meister
January 17, 2019 at 6:26 pm
Does Elton John count if he only writes the music? His most famous lyrics came largely from Bernie Taupin, as is well known.
Hesh Meister
January 17, 2019 at 6:28 pm
as for “Superstition,” it’s a Jeff Beck song, covered and made famous by Stevie Wonder.
Andrew Duncan
October 30, 2020 at 11:16 am
Afraid not, check the facts before making assertions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition_(song)
Mitchell
January 17, 2019 at 7:17 pm
George Michael!? Hello?!
Jim Figgerty
January 18, 2019 at 12:42 am
Del Shannon. Del Shannon.
Juan
January 20, 2019 at 3:45 am
No Prince ?? No Todd Rundgren ?? You must be joking !!
Ivan Morais
January 25, 2019 at 2:03 pm
O problema de vocês americanos, europeus, é acharem que estão sozinhos no mundo.Na música brasileira existem centenas de grandes cantores-compositores iguais ou melhores do que a maioria desses aí listados. Uma pena que vocês ignorem.
Fernandoramos196@yahoo.es
January 28, 2019 at 12:21 am
Me interesó el titulo de esa relación
Cree conocer la música contemporánea y los 600 géneros, son cientos de cantantes y grupos que han aportado al música no necesaria mente tienen que ser cantante solo hicieron una canción porque es difícil tener un éxito todos tocan, interpretan es un un minúsculo grupo el brilla
Pero me %su trabajo, la broma de que vía hizo la lista es la peor
Me gustaría aportar a la buena musica que quieren esa élite de buenos y exigentes conocedores,satisfacerlos
Muy pronto lanzate un trabajo y como aporte a conocer y mejor la buena musica
Gracias x permitirme participar es de disco
La buena música es hermosa algunismpositor y cantante son excepciónes elvis Presley, Beatles, Santana, machael Jackson,, Bee gees, Eric clapton, algunos
Linda
November 13, 2019 at 9:56 am
Bohemian Rhapsody should be No 1 on this list. Most people would agree with this. Most famous song in the world. Also written by Freddie Mercury. Much as I love Elton John, he didn’t write his lyrics.
Nancy Garreaud
November 22, 2019 at 6:21 am
Give me an effing break. Half of these songs suck.
Christopher Nowak BFA MLIS
July 29, 2020 at 2:21 pm
AFRICA (TOTO)
DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE? (HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS)
STACY’S MOM (THE FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE)
DREAM COME TRUE (FROZEN GHOST
TURN THE BEAT AROUND (GLORIA ESTEFAN)
MANDY (BARRY MANILOW)
Christopher Nowak BFA MLIS
September 12, 2020 at 4:23 pm
I change my mind about MANDY.
Replace that song with SWEET HOME ALABAMA.
Christopher Nowak BFA MLIS
November 8, 2022 at 11:01 pm
DOLLY PARTON:
I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!!
Don Baker
December 27, 2023 at 8:08 pm
Half of these, I wouldn’t classify half of these as Singer-Songwriter Genre, but honestly if Billy Joel isn’t included somewhere on this list, then the list is useless. Joel actually kept the genre from disappearing.
Diane
March 2, 2024 at 10:53 am
Chris Isaac, Cat Stevens