100 Greatest Lyricists Of Rock 'n' Roll

Tim · **Joined:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:47 pm **Posts:** 11198

I can discuss your list if it makes you feel better.
For starters, I would like to see Highway 61 Revisited as #1 because it usually considered to be Dylan's magnum opus plus it includes Desolation Row. I would also say that Blue > Late for the Sky.
And Neil Young probably need at least as many albums in top 20 as Stevie Wonder but I have problems determining what his next album should be. Ray Davies and Chuck Berry can each claim at least one album in this range.
Not really constructive comments but they should start discussion going.

jfauser · **Posted:** Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:00 pm

I could probably put Blue in the top 5 and Rust Never Sleeps in the top 15.

Negative Creep · **Joined:** Tue Oct 12, 2010 6:21 pm **Posts:** 13572

pave wrote:

how i would rank the rap lyricists (which is different that how i would rank them as "emcees" on that particular list, because there is a performance aspect to that whereas this is purely for pen-on-paper).

1. Rakim... the father of modern rap lyrics
2. Nas... the standard bearer for modern rap lyrics
3. Big Daddy Kane... the major influence on multisyllable rhymes
4. Melle Mel... the first true great rap lyricist
5. Kool G Rap... another major influence on multis and internal rhymes
6. Chuck D... rap's most socially aware and important lyrical voice
7. Notorious B.I.G.... great storyteller with excellent complex rhymes
8. KRS-One... the lyrical foundation of gangsta rap, and then later socially conscious lyricist in the Chuck D style
9. Slick Rick... all-time greatest storyteller in rap history
10. 2Pac... rap's "poet", an introspective storyteller
11. Eminem... Nas-like complexity with a mix of humor, horror, introspection and major themes about the relationship between artists and media
12. Jay-Z... brilliant lyricist turned brilliant businessman who simplified his lyrical approach for good reasons but will always have those early albums as proof of his talent

^ranked by "greatness". if this were a personal assessment, you could bet your ass Mos Def would be high as shit.

Hard to argue with this overall.

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:21 pm **Posts:** 824

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyw3GIayapk[/youtube]

What, no lyrical love for Don Van Vliet, the writer of this gem.

Taupin-Cetera · **Posted:** Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:16 am

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=484&start=60

Taupin-Cetera wrote:

I don't understand what the whole fascination is with Bob Dylan. I find him to be very annoying. I can't stand his music, his voice or his looks. His lyrics are too plain and simple. There is nothing there! Bob Dylan is overrated. Bob Dylan sucks!

If we are talking about lyrics that make you think and laugh, lyrics that are flawless, witty and very well written, then that title belongs to Leonard Cohen.

Leonard Cohen is the greatest lyricist of the Rock era.

Avery_Island wrote:

I agree Cohen is too low, but disagree that Dylan is too simplistic. Desolation Row too simplistic? Bloody hell! I'd like to know what non-simplistic is.

The lyrics from the I'm Your Man album
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/album9.html

The lyrics from The Future album
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/album10.html

The Leonard Cohen Files
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com

Brian wrote:

Yeah, Dylan at his most complex is about as far from simple as you can get.

Okay, Desolation Row is awesome, but everything else sucks!

lobones · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2015 1:57 pm

Pave i like your rap lyricist top 12 list u should take it too 50 guys like guru, talib, dmx, az, redman, jada, cube, busta, gza, common, andre 3000 black thought, big L, pun, prodigy, chino xl, aesop rock, mos deff, and a few more all had great lyrical quality especially dmx n cube.

lobones · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:00 pm

And i know u posted it 2 years ago lol

Apostrophe · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:05 pm

I have heard everything Elliott Smith ever released and I have to say that he is a huge oversight on this list. I would put him around 14.

His best lyrics:
1. Rose Parade
2. Needle in the Hay
3. Between the Bars
4. Son of Sam
5. 2:45 am
6. Southern Belle
7. Waltz #1

His self-titled and Either/Or albums feature his best lyrics.

I would also put Ric Ocasek of The Cars within the top 100, maybe at about 100. "My Best Friend's Girl" is one of his best lyric sets.

Apostrophe · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:10 pm

Cobain > Smokey Robinson
Smokey is a brilliant lyricist most of the time, but anyone who uses "fe fi fo fum" automatically loses some credibility.

Bowie > Jagger
Taupin > Jagger
David Byrne is kinda low, I mean he's at least greater than Hendrix. Jimi has two brilliant performances in Castles Made of Sand and The Wind Cries Mary, and not much else that really stands out.

Apostrophe · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:11 pm

Bowie's lyrics on Hunky Dory > anything Jagger has done, even Beggars Banquet

Apostrophe · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:19 pm

You're joking about Lennon, right? This is meant to be a greatest list with objective criteria? He crushes everyone in influence and popularity not named Dylan.

Tim · **Joined:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:47 pm **Posts:** 11198

Yeah but it's lyricists list not music. No way Lennon is second greatest lyricist in rock. And Smokey is leagues ahead of Cobain, greatness wise. He's far too low on this list.

Tim · **Joined:** Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:47 pm **Posts:** 11198

And I don't think Jagger, Bowie or Taupin should be particularly high here.

Apostrophe · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2015 5:08 pm

Tiny Tim wrote:

And I don't think Jagger, Bowie or Taupin should be particularly high here.

They're not.

Apostrophe · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2015 5:16 pm

Tiny Tim wrote:

Yeah but it's lyricists list not music. No way Lennon is second greatest lyricist in rock. And Smokey is leagues ahead of Cobain, greatness wise. He's far too low on this list.

He's currently fourth behind Dylan, Young and Waters. I'm talking about Lennon's lyrics. Some of them are social commentary. They had cultural impact. Why is Vedder so high if not for this reason? Revolution? Give Peace a Chance? Working Class Hero? Lennon probably still has the most popular lyrics on the planet. More lyricists are influenced by Lennon's lyrics than anyone else's lyrics except Bob Dylan's.

I'm not really aware of who Smokey has influenced. However, I'm pretty sure that Cobain has the better and more popular lyrics. I don't recall Smokey writing lyrics to the anthem of a generation.

100 Greatest Lyricists Of Rock 'n' Roll

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