DIAMOND DUST Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 Who do you think were the greatest influence's on popular songs in the last 50 years. Lennon/McCartney Bob Dylan Tom Waits Van Morrison Joni Mitchel Leonard Cohen http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george costanza Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 These sort of lists are always subjective (& often wind up being very partisan) but as far as wide influence on popular music you'd have to exclude the last three on your list---remember, we're not talking qualitatively but mass influence! You might consider branching out a bit to earlier composers, too. Many pop tunesmiths from earlier eras might be more influential than any you suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug osborne Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 Leiber/Stoller King/Goffin and others were the source for the next wave. I'd almost include Lennon/McCartney among these. I'd rather listen to Van, Joni, Cohen, Chuck Berry, Bacharach/David, Becker/Fagen, etc., day to day, but they got their jones from the real source. Doug Osborne Music on Bandcamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelance Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 There are way too many great songs and great writers to determine who had the most influence - I'm a big fan of the Brill building writers and the Motown staff writers (who obviously influenced many musicians and writers). However, I can't help but think that Lennon/McCartney may have had the largest influence (at least during the last 40-50 years) -simply because they did perhaps the most to establish writers within bands (vs. use of outside writers), Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hank49 Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 50 years is a long time, but in addittion to and agreement with those already mentioned, here's a few off the top of my head, among them some who are quite recent but whom I think will go down as great songwriters with the passing of time: Paul Simon Bob Dylan Tom Waits Neil Young Steve Earle Becker/Fagen (Steely Dan) Lucinda Williams (uneven and needs work but some real gems in there) Jagger/Richards James McMurtry Thanks to all these guys and more, the world is a wonderful place (sometimes). "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps." - Emo Phillips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
member 30687 Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Hank 49, I've heard of all those you mentioned except James McMurty----who dat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hank49 Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 He's been around a while and has quite a few CD releases in circulation. 'From Leesburg, Va, I think. His most recent release is "St. Mary of the Woods" - really worth a few listens. Also, an earlier work "Too Long In The Wasteland" is great also. His chord progressions are fairly typical but as a lyricist, he's really quite gifted - comes from a literary family - his dad is a more famous author (someone whom I should know more about but, alas, do not). Here's a link for James: http://www.jamesmcmurtry.com/3bio.htm ---------------------------- I'm tempted to add Jackson Browne and Springsteen to the list also. "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps." - Emo Phillips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderbluz Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 I always cast my vote towards Kris Kristofferson and the duo of Lennon / McCartney . And as always...remember...This is just my road weary opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hank49 Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Ooops? Have I not mentioned John Hiatt? For shame..."Crossing Muddy Waters" is a masterpiece. "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps." - Emo Phillips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIAMOND DUST Posted October 22, 2003 Author Share Posted October 22, 2003 I should have mentioned the great WILLIE DIXON. His songs greatly influenced a whole generation of rock and roll song writers. http://b-cordova.dmusic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Originally posted by hank49: 50 years is a long time, but in addittion to and agreement with those already mentioned, here's a few off the top of my head, among them some who are quite recent but whom I think will go down as great songwriters with the passing of time: Paul Simon Bob Dylan Tom Waits Neil Young Steve Earle Becker/Fagen (Steely Dan) Lucinda Williams (uneven and needs work but some real gems in there) Jagger/Richards James McMurtry Thanks to all these guys and more, the world is a wonderful place (sometimes).Man, I like the way you think. Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¾ Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Originally posted by DIAMOND DUST: Who do you think were the greatest influence's on popular songs in the last 50 years.Robert Johnson Irving Berlin Cole Porter George Gershwin - in teams and solo Lennon/McCartney Bob Dylan Tom Waits Holland Dozier Holand Leiber/Stoller Elton John and Bernie Taupin I think there are too many to list. Maybe Cole Porter. He certainly changed what we think about as "pop song" in both lyrical form and impact of music. Cole Porter would be my vote ~ but that could be subject to change depending on what I had just heard. Maybe you should rephrase the question(s): 1. Whom is the most influential writer on you 2. Which writer do you think most influenced other writers? 3. Which song writer most influenced the general public (in 20th century pop culture)? the only good signature is the one on a cheque or a confession Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anifa Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 I don't the actual writers for the groups, BUT... The writers for the following groups: "Eagles"(Don Henley & Glenn Frey), "Pink Floyd" , "Heart" , "Led Zepplin" , "Stevie Nicks" (Belledonna), Bad Company (Paul Rodgers) You can take the man away from his music, but you can't take the music out of the man. Books by Craig Anderton through Amazon Sweetwater: Bruce Swedien\'s "Make Mine Music" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylver Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 HDH all they way. I really don't know what to put here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D_dup3 Posted October 23, 2003 Share Posted October 23, 2003 Originally posted by The Dragon Reborn: HDH all they way.The Dragon "Don't forget the Motor City"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Well, if you DON'T forget the Motor City, then you'll HAVE to add Holland, Dozier & Holland to that list. Should have been there from the start! And Smokey Robinson, too. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanfc Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Can we explore the whats & whys for these writers' greatness? I'm sure there is much that is unexplainable. But is there a way to zero in on what turns us on about these people? Perhaps, with which songwriting devices do they strike a nerve in you personally, what makes you revere them and/or love them...do any of them have a specialty ? I realize this may be impossible to put into words. I'm not trying to make a science out of this. But even a couple examples would enlighten me. thanks Rivera + Fender Strat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¾ Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Originally posted by alanfc: Can we explore the whats & whys for these writers' greatness?Mostly, in the olden days, people did not start out as songwriters. Being a songwriter was worse than being a ditch-digger. Not something anyone from a respectable family did. So you lived you life and you had something to write about. I'm sure there is much that is unexplainable.You mean that whole nature/nurture argument? Some songwriters were just DNA-wired genetically to have a gift of writing. Others learned the craft so that what they had to say made sense. Mostly it has always come down to: Writers write But is there a way to zero in on what turns us on about these people? The best songwriters have always been able to a) synthesize all sorts of styles together to make something new and fresh b) write a succinct little song that touches us deeply ~ whether in the form of some detail about tying the shoelace of the little child that gets run over in traffic and never, ever gets a chance to make it in the big league baseball team; or how somewhere over the rainbow lies a better life Depends on the specific writer or the specific song. Usually though they have (for the most part) lived and experienced something we all have ~ or maybe they just are supreme artists that can paint a picture in words. Perhaps, with which songwriting devices do they strike a nerve in you personally, what makes you revere them and/or love them...do any of them have a specialty ? Good question. Cole Porter is one of my favorite lyric writers because the older I get, the more I realize that he lived a pretty interesting life that in part he had to hide from society. A lot of his best known songs are actually about gay love affairs gone wrong. And yet they so relate to all of us ~ straight or gay. So that common thread of tiny detail so eloquently put . . seems to have cut across everyone's life. On the other hand, a writer like (as an example) McCartney was simply very very good at merging the right word to the right melody note. His ability with prosody was staggering. Not all of his songs actually make any sense in the bigger lyical aspect ~ but the lyrics perfectly serve their purpose and support the melody without question. I also like the work of Tom Waits. Mr. Waits works really in about five styles of song. But somehow he is able to take a cliche and stand it on its ear. the only good signature is the one on a cheque or a confession Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hound Dog Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Some of my favorites: Rodgers & Hammerstein Elton John Paul Williams Carly Simon Pete Townsend Yum, Yum! Eat em up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jflush Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 Roger Waters, Ray Davies, David Bowie, Pete Townshend, Frank Zappa... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrix Posted November 18, 2003 Share Posted November 18, 2003 I agree with many posted thusfar. I'd add: Elvis costello - quality, quantity, diversity Billy Joel (yeah really - even tho his style isnt my fav) Diane Warren ( how can you not list her if we are talkin writers? Just look at the track record) Lamont Dozier ( if ya like Motown he's it) TBD: I forget the name of the guy who wrote many of Sinatra's lyrics - if we are talking a 50 year list he needs to be considered. Perhaps E. John./B. Taupin- Hes doing showtunes , scores and has a huge catalog of hits that cant be denied ( even tho I find some of it way too trite/poppy - its not all that way). BTW- to me a band that has a couple of really strong records cant possibly be on this list. It takes more than that. Check out some tunes here: http://www.garageband.com/artist/KenFava Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted November 19, 2003 Share Posted November 19, 2003 and add Glen Tillbrook, Bob Marley, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Johnny Horton, Keith Richards/Mick Jagger, Ray Davies, Pete Townsend, David Crosby, Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Lester Flatt, Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, Billy Joe Shaver, Hank Sr., Hank Jr., Rick Wakeman, Andreas Vollenweider, Mark Isham, John Fogerty, Billy Gibbons/Dusty Hill, BB King, Muddy Waters, JJ Cale, Bruce Cockburn, Bonnie Raitt, Nanci Griffith, Laura Nyro, John Prine, Dan Fogelberg............... This is hard!!!!!!!!!!! Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skytouch Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Definitely a tough question! Some are pop, some raw emotion, others pure poetry. I'll add a few names: Lennon / McCartney / Harrison Fagen / Becker Taupin / John Simon & Garfunkel Lowell George Joni Mitchell Kenny Loggins Lyle Lovett Jackson Browne Glenn Frey / Don Henley Billy Joel Tom Petty Ani DiFranco Steve Miller Peter Gabriel These are just a few of the great contemporary writers. And, I've not done justice to all the great songwriters who came before... Sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magpel Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 Most of my favorites have already been mentioned...which makes it all the more surprising that I'm the first one to invoke the holy name of Randy Newman. Some others that havent made the collective list yet: Andy Partridge, Robyn Hitchcock, and their granfather Syd Barrett... Brian Wilson! Garcia/Hunter So many, too many. Check out the Sweet Clementines CD at bandcamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipotle Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 There's so many great ones already recognized. Thank you to the person who added Peter Gabriel! I think the writers from the Band had some great material (Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, etc. with help from Bob at times). I love a lot of Procol Harum songs, which I think are often overlooked. A lot were collaborative efforts. U2 have a lot of great songs under their belts. Sting, too, has done a lot of great songs. If I were to do the special award to the greatest but least recognized songwriter of perhaps the last 10 years or so, I would give it to Chris Whitley. His music has a tremendous amount of conviction and imagination. "Living with the Law" his first album and "Dirt Floor" his acoustic album are simply stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Since this thread seems to have left the initial track I'll throw out a few names I don't think I've seen on any above posts; Shel Silverstein Mickey Newbury Fred Eaglesmith All have had tremendous influence on me and my music. I probably cover more of their songs than I should, along with John Prine. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george costanza Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Originally posted by Chipotle: ...I think the writers from the Band had some great material (Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, etc. with help from Bob at times). While Robertson was undoubtedly the premier writer & driving force in the Band, to leave out Richard Manuel (or reduce him to "etc.") is shameful. In many ways he was the most soulful & heartfelt performer & writer in that group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ren. Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Cat Stevens. (and all everybody else said). Who Put The ' M ' In MySpace? don\'t_click | day_job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corner Pocket Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Diane Warren. According to Primetime Monday on ABC last night, she's got songs on records that have sold more than Elvis, The Stones and The Beatles combined. Her published song catalogue has an estimated value of $500 000 000. Both lyrically and musically she has a knack for creating a memorable hook, and her songs work well for whatever artist chooses to cover it. Aerosmith or the country act that did "Don't Want to Miss a Thing", doesn't matter.... it's a great song. And all of her stuff is like that. Her stuff sounds so easy to write that I beat myself up wondering why I never thought of the songs she had. That's my grist for the rumour mill. Paul Peace, Paul ---------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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