Site link: https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_lyricists.html
Edited By: Tim, pauldrach, Brian, jfauser
Last Updated: 2019-06-04
- Bob Dylan
- John Lennon (The Beatles)
- Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
- Rakim (Eric B. & Rakim)
- Chuck Berry
- Leonard Cohen
- Joni Mitchell
- Nas
- Smokey Robinson (The Miracles; Motown)
- Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel)
- Pete Townshend (The Who)
- Jerry Leiber (Leiber/Stoller; Brill Building)
- Curtis Mayfield (The Impressions)
- Bruce Springsteen
- Stevie Wonder
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
- Eminem
- Ray Davies (The Kinks)
- Jay-Z
- Elvis Costello
- Tom Waits
- Jackson Browne
- Jim Morrison (The Doors)
- 2Pac
- Bob Marley (The Wailers)
- Big Daddy Kane
- Kool G Rap (Kool G Rap & DJ Polo)
- Lou Reed (The Velvet Underground)
- Van Morrison
- Chuck D (Public Enemy)
- Joe Strummer (The Clash)
- Morrissey (The Smiths)
- Patti Smith
- Gil Scott-Heron
- Ice Cube (N.W.A)
- John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
- Melle Mel (Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five)
- Kendrick Lamar
- Randy Newman
- Warren Zevon
- Eddie Holland (Holland/Dozier/Holland; Motown)
- Laura Nyro
- Nick Cave (The Birthday Party; Grinderman)
- KRS-One (Boogie Down Productions)
- Slick Rick
- Bono (U2)
- Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam)
- André 3000 (OutKast)
- Sly Stone (Sly & the Family Stone)
- Tom Petty
- Thom Yorke (Radiohead)
- Kurt Cobain (Nirvana)
- Common
- Kate Bush
- Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones)
- Paul McCartney (The Beatles; Wings)
- Michael Stipe (R.E.M.)
- Cynthia Weil (Weil/Mann; Brill Building)
- John Hiatt
- Bernie Taupin (Elton John)
- Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys)
- David Bowie
- Frank Zappa
- LL Cool J
- Linton Kwesi Johnson
- Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
- Steve Earle
- Suzanne Vega
- Tracy Chapman
- Robbie Robertson (The Band)
- Elliott Smith
- Doc Pomus (Pomus/Shuman; Brill Building)
- Billy Joel
- Zach de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine)
- Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin)
- Barrett Strong (Strong/Whitfield; Motown)
- Kool Moe Dee (Treacherous Three)
- John Mellencamp
- George Harrison (The Beatles)
- Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins)
- Cat Stevens
- Paul Weller (The Jam; The Style Council)
- Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes)
- Donald Fagen (Steely Dan)
- Black Thought (The Roots)
- Chris Difford (Squeeze)
- Billy Bragg
- Beck
- Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)
- Posdnuos (De La Soul)
- Sting (The Police)
- Don Henley (Eagles)
- Chris Cornell (Soundgarden; Audioslave)
- Lauryn Hill (Fugees)
- Neil Diamond (Brill Building)
- Big L
- PJ Harvey
- Mark E. Smith (The Fall)
- Scarface (Geto Boys)
- John Flansburgh & John Linnell (They Might Be Giants)
- Don McLean
- Maynard James Keenan (Tool; A Perfect Circle)
- Richey James Edwards & Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers)
- Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
- Mos Def (Black Star)
- Pharoahe Monch (Organized Konfusion)
- Richard Hell
- James Brown
- Rod Stewart
- Ghostface Killah (Wu-Tang Clan)
- Robert Smith (The Cure)
- Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy)
- Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)
- Gerry Goffin (Goffin/King; Brill Building)
- James Taylor
- MC Lyte
- Ron Mael (Sparks)
- Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys)
- Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac)
- David Crosby (The Byrds; Crosby, Stills & Nash)
- George Clinton (Parliament/Funkadelic
- Ian Curtis (Joy Division)
- Mike Skinner (The Streets)
- Peter Gabriel (Genesis)
- Nick Lowe
- GZA/Genius (Wu-Tang Clan)
- Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention)
- Rev Run (Run-D.M.C.)
- Stuart Murdoch (Belle and Sebastian)
- MF Doom (Madvillain)
- Ian Dury
- Gift of Gab (Blackalicious)
- Matt Berninger (The National)
- Ras Kass
- Nick Drake
- Peter Tosh (The Wailers)
- Masta Ace
- Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff (Philly)
- Robert Hunter (Grateful Dead)
- CL Smooth (Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
- John B. Sebastian (The Lovin' Spoonful)
- Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest)
- Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs; Dr. Octagon)
- Liz Phair
- Prince
- Paul Westerberg (The Replacements)
- Exene Cervenka & John Doe (X)
- Talib Kweli (Black Star)
- Ani DiFranco
- Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie and the Banshees)
- Big Pun
- Michelle Shocked
- Joe Jackson
- Redman (Method Man & Redman)
- Jeff Tweedy (Wilco; Uncle Tupelo)
- Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
- Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie; The Postal Service)
- Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)
- AZ
- Sufjan Stevens
- Paddy McAloon (Prefab Sprout)
- Anne Clark
- Snoop Dogg
- Nicki Minaj
- Burning Spear
- Roland Orzabal (Tears for Fears)
- John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats)
- Lupe Fiasco
- Jarvis Cocker (Pulp)
- Guru (Gang Starr)
- Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys; The Last Shadow Puppets)
- Roy Orbison
- Erykah Badu
- Jeru the Damaja
- Otis Blackwell
- David Byrne (Talking Heads)
- Harry Chapin
- Graham Parker
- Mike Scott (The Waterboys)
- Grand Puba (Brand Nubian)
- Pusha T (Clipse)
- Rivers Cuomo (Weezer)
- Laurie Anderson
- Lil' Kim
- Kanye West
- Jim Carroll
- Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse)
- Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan)
- Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields)
- Julian Cope (The Teardrop Explodes)
- Canibus
- Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)
- Percy Mayfield
- Busta Rhymes
- Stephen Malkmus (Pavement)
- David Sylvian (Japan)
- Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens)
- Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan; Method Man & Redman)
- Jimi Hendrix
- Grandmaster Caz (The Cold Crush Brothers)
- Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks)
- Ice-T
- Country Joe McDonald (Country Joe & the Fish)
- Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices)
- Craig Finn (The Hold Steady)
- Kurtis Blow
- Frank Ocean
- Sam Cooke
- Tori Amos
- Big Boi (OutKast)
- Jerry Dammers (The Specials)
- John Lydon (Sex Pistols; Public Image Ltd)
- Mike D (Beastie Boys)
- Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains)
- Prodigy (Mobb Deep)
- Martin Gore (Depeche Mode)
- Al Stewart
- Andy Partridge (XTC)
- Aceyalone (Freestyle Fellowship)
- James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem)
- Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters; Sun Kil Moon)
- Scott Miller (Game Theory)
- M.I.A.
- St. Vincent
- Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)
- Joanna Newsom
- Dan Bejar (Destroyer; The New Pornographers)
- Jonathan Richman (The Modern Lovers)
- Eddie Cochran
- Courtney Love (Hole)
- Killer Mike (Run the Jewels)
- Fiona Apple
- Karl Hyde (Underworld)
- Robyn Hitchcock (The Soft Boys)
- Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
- Peter Sinfield (King Crimson)
- Damon Albarn (Blur; Gorillaz)
- Jon Anderson (Yes)
- Dan Fogelberg
- Queen Latifah
- Del Shannon
- Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens)
- Hank Ballard (The Midnighters)
- Kurt Wagner (Lambchop)
- Neil Peart (Rush)
- Aesop Rock
- Win Butler (Arcade Fire)
- Lil Wayne
- Donovan
50 Cent
Brett Anderson (Suede)
Courtney Barnett
David Berman (Silver Jews; Purple Mountains)
Black Francis/Frank Black (Pixies)
Marc Bolan (T. Rex)
Danny Brown
Foxy Brown
Carrie Brownstein & Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney)
Captain Beefheart
Chance the Rapper
J. Cole
Jim Croce
Mac DeMarco
The D.O.C.
Gord Downie (The Tragically Hip)
Drake
Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music)
Fish (Marillion)
Serge Gainsbourg
CeeLo Green (Goodie Mob; Gnarls Barkley)
Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü)
Jadakiss (The Lox)
Matt Johnson (The The)
Rickie Lee Jones
Jim Kerr (Simple Minds)
Kurupt (Tha Dogg Pound)
Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees; Queens of the Stone Age)
Arthur Lee (Love)
Roger Miller (Mission of Burma)
Travis Morrison (The Dismemberment Plan)
Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü; Sugar)
Nivek Ogre (Skinny Puppy)
Kele Okereke (Bloc Party)
Louie Pérez (Los Lobos)
Keith Reid (Procol Harum)
Royce da 5'9''
John K. Samson (The Weakerthans)
Steven Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees)
Vince Staples
Will Toledo (Car Seat Headrest)
Tom Verlaine (Television)
Rufus Wainwright
Scott Walker
Mike Watt (Minutemen; fIREHOSE)
Xzibit
"Weird Al" Yankovic