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best songwriters and lyricists of our generation?

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited July 2007 in Other Music
We all know the poet lauretes of our parents generation: Uncle Neil, Dylan, Lennon and Mccartney, Jagger and Richards

But who are the best songwriters and lyricists of the last 10 or 15 years?

I hear Bright Eyes being thrown around in this discussion alot, and in terms of hip hop Aesop Rock seems to be one of the best lyricists in the game
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Comments

  • BlackCatJamBlackCatJam Posts: 16
    Hm, I could name a lot of musicians that could fit as one of the songwriters of our generation. Here are some of mine:

    Eddie Vedder
    Axl Rose
    Kurt Cobain
    Billy Corgan
    Layne Staley/Jerry Cantrell
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Patterson Hood
    Jason Isbell
    Mike Cooley
    Les Claypool
    Peter Gabriel
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • Gary CarterGary Carter Posts: 14,067
    cornell
    the boss
    Ron: I just don't feel like going out tonight
    Sammi: Wanna just break up?

  • DiRtyFranK38DiRtyFranK38 Posts: 3,131
    eddie vedder
    chris cornell
    layne staley
    jerry cantrell
    axl rose
    kurt cobain
    scott weiland
    mark lanegan
    2006: Hartford
    2008: MSG 1, Hartford, Mansfield 2, Ed Solo NYC 1
    2009: London (O2), Philly 1, 2, 3, & 4
    2010: Hartford, Boston, MSG 1 & 2
    2011: Ed Solo Hartford
    2012: Philly (MIA Fest)
    2013: Worcester 2, Brooklyn 1 & 2, Hartford
  • DeadermanDeaderman Posts: 49
    has even mentioned Buckley?
    Power without Perception is virtually useless and therefore of no true value
  • reversedarwinismreversedarwinism Posts: 1,151
    Chris Cornell (anybody here ever heard of him?)
    Thom Yorke
    Billy Corgan
    Eddie Vedder/ Stone Gossard
    And Neil Young gets a nod in this generation too
    bombs, dropping down, please forgive our hometown
  • LONGRDLONGRD Posts: 6,036
    Eddie is the best!

    The Mikes of experimental rock are awesome.
    Mike Patton is a bad-ass! I like Faith No More, so should you.
    Mike Doughty is cool. Soul Coughing was great :)

    Jerry & Layne is a good combo as well.
    PJ- 04/29/2003.06/24,25,27,28,30/2008.10/27,28,30,31/2009
    EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    Cheguevara6 wrote:
    We all know the poet lauretes of our parents generation: Uncle Neil, Dylan, Lennon and Mccartney, Jagger and Richards

    But who are the best songwriters and lyricists of the last 10 or 15 years?

    I hear Bright Eyes being thrown around in this discussion alot, and in terms of hip hop Aesop Rock seems to be one of the best lyricists in the game

    i really dig bright eyes. he definitely has that dylan thing going in that he has a LOT of lyrics and i cant make heads or tails of half of them, but the ones i can are excellent.

    never heard of aesop rock, but im curious. i never really listened to hip hop but i recently make a funk/soul cd and bought the roots and im starting to explore.

    i really like 'brand new.' they dont get enough recognition, but they are a fantastic band.
  • Brain of J.LoBrain of J.Lo Posts: 3,259
    Morrissey
    Colin Meloy
    Bright Eyes
    Rufus Wainwright
    Sujfan Stevens
  • Brain of J.LoBrain of J.Lo Posts: 3,259
    Jeff Tweedy
  • Tek MoneyTek Money Posts: 642
    Jeff Tweedy
    Colin Meloy
    Maynard James Keenan
    Frank Black
    AC Newman
    Dan Bejar
    Neko Case
    Martin Tielli
    Cock Fight.
  • BlackCatJamBlackCatJam Posts: 16
    tybird wrote:
    Patterson Hood
    Jason Isbell
    Mike Cooley
    Les Claypool
    Peter Gabriel

    ooooo Les Claypool. Can't believe I forgot to mention him.

    Trent Reznor is another good one.
  • BlackCatJamBlackCatJam Posts: 16
    Jeez, I'm forgetting all of the good ones! Beck deserves a title as well. He is phenomenal.
  • AbookamongstthemanyAbookamongstthemany Posts: 8,209
    Thom Yorke
    Ani Difranco
    Billy Corgan
    Jack White
    Ed Vedder
    Jeff Tweedy
    Wayne Coyne
    Colin Meloy
    James Maynard Keenan
    Alanis Morissette
    Natalie Merchant
    If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

    Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • South of SeattleSouth of Seattle West Seattle Posts: 10,724
    Vedder
    Meloy
    NaS
    Chuck D
    Maynard
    NERDS!
  • roarroar Posts: 1,116
    it saddens me that no one listed Sir Mix-A-Lot
  • Matty BoyMatty Boy Posts: 421
    Noel Gallagher
    Axl Rose
    Kurt Cobain
    Eddie Vedder
    Richard Ashcroft
    Jerry Cantrell
  • SpacetoadSpacetoad Posts: 78
    Deaderman wrote:
    has even mentioned Buckley?

    I'm with ya - not a huge body of work understandibly but its about quality not quantity.
    This was a very young man that has inspired many others taken at the peak of his creativity.

    I still get chills...
    "oh when I was a kid, oh how magic it seemed"

    Manchester, England (June 04, 2000) £27.50
    Leeds, England (August 25, 2006) £40
    Manchester, England (August 17, 2009) £50 - I think
    Manchester, UK (June 20, 2012) £50 - I think
    American Express presents BST Hyde Park (July 08, 2022) £80
    Manchester, June 2024 - TBC £160!!!

    "Don't sweat the petty things, don't pet the sweaty things"
  • pirlo21pirlo21 Posts: 534
    Elliott Smith?
    Cymru Am Byth

    PJ albums, at the moment!! -
    1,Vs 2,Vitalogy 3,No Code 4,Yield 5,Ten 6,Backspacer, 7Pearl Jam 8,Binaural 9,Riot Act.
  • daryl jamdaryl jam Posts: 104
    Lot of great names so far, but, may i acknowledge a certain canadian? "ladies and gentlemen, mr. gordon downie...."
    angels dance on a pin head, just to make room for you and i....
  • whyteout7791whyteout7791 Posts: 26
    eddie vedder
    ben harper
    bradley fucking nowell
    rob thomas? anyone?
    chris cornell
    layne staley RIP
    jack white
    kurt cobain

    i cant believe no one said ben, brad, or rob thomas...

    with matchbox twenty or by himself hes great, no matter where he goes he makes hits... how bout smooth with santana? song was released in 1999 and was the most played song of the 90s lol go figure
  • say_hisay_hi Posts: 313
    Brain of J.Lo wrote:
    Morrissey

    :)
    4/30/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/8/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03, 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05, 5/4/06 (Letterman Mini-Concert), 5/5/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09, 5/15/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Kevin Coyne. He died in 2004.

    He was asked to be The Doors' original replacement for Jim Morrison, in 1971. He said, fuck off, they were crap. If you ask me, compared with Kev, they were.
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    pirlo21 wrote:
    Elliott Smith?
    oh yes...

    Twilight makes me want to cry.

    "You dont deserve to be lonely
    but those drugs you've got won't make you feel better.
    Pretty soon you'll find its the only
    little part of your life your keeping together"
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • markymark550markymark550 Columbia, SC Posts: 5,178
    Michael Stipe
    Ben Folds
  • OdinOdin Posts: 599
    Eddie Vedder and Nas.
  • JeanieJeanie Posts: 9,446
    whyteout7791 wrote:
    eddie vedder
    ben harper
    bradley fucking nowell
    rob thomas? anyone?
    chris cornell
    layne staley RIP
    jack white
    kurt cobain

    i cant believe no one said ben, brad, or rob thomas...

    with matchbox twenty or by himself hes great, no matter where he goes he makes hits... how bout smooth with santana? song was released in 1999 and was the most played song of the 90s lol go figure

    Yeah, I'd agree about Rob Thomas, the man has written some genius lyrics.
    I guess I could live without all the exposure he's had, but lyrically, some very beautiful stuff. :)
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • Carlos DCarlos D Posts: 638
    Paul Banks
    Stephen Malkmus
    Billy Corgan
    Jim Adkins
    Julian Casablancas
    Bright Eyes

    I don't care too much for his old stuff,Born To Run etc.,but I think Bruce Sprngsteen's stuff in the past decade(Devils and Dust,The Rising,Ghost Of Tom Joad)has been incredible lyrically and musically.His voice too has been better than ever.
    It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
    But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

    www.bebo.com/pearljam06
  • LiftedLifted Posts: 1,836
    top ten

    eddie vedder (for his lyrics) give stone gossard a nod as well for all the classics he's written. and mccready's inside job was just fucking fantastic

    jim james
    conor oberst
    m. ward
    neko case
    billy corgan
    kurt cobain
    noel gallagher
    thom yorke
    jeff tweedy
  • direwolf74direwolf74 Posts: 1,622
    In no particular order:

    Gordon Downie (The Tragically Hip)
    Tom Waits
    John K. Samson (the Weakerthans)
    Jeff Tweedy
    Sarah Harmer
    Ron Hawkins (Lowest of the Low)
    Steve Earle
    Neko Case
    Joe Strummer
    Bono/the Edge
    J. Mascis
    Kurt Cobain
    Elliott Smith
    Ron Sexsmith
    Martin Tielli/Dave Bidini/Tim Vesely (Rheostatics)
    Matt Mays
    Jay Farrar
    A.C. Newman (New Pornographers)
    Joel Plaskett
    Patterson Hood/Mike Cooley/Jason Isbell (Drive-By Truckers)
    Eddie Vedder
    David Hidalgo/Louie Perez (Los Lobos)
    Tom Petty
    Thom Yorke
    Peter Garrett/Jim Moginie/Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil)
    Paul Westerberg
    Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom)
    Dave Grohl
    Michael Stipe
    Ryan Adams
    Aimee Mann
    David Lowery (Cracker)

    ...just to name a few
    "I try my best to chug, stomp, weep, whisper, moan, wheeze, scat, blurt, rage, whine, and seduce. With my voice I can sound like a girl, the boogieman, a Theremin, a cherry bomb, a clown, a doctor, a murderer. I can be tribal. Ironic. Or disturbed. My voice is really my instrument."

    -Tom Waits
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