Writers

[cronker]

Hey

I think it is an art to be able to write great songs, no matter the genre.
People often laugh at me for liking Bacharach, or Peter Allen, but I point out to them that I'm not listening to the cheesy pop recording, but the craft of writing a good pop song.

Who can you point at and say, "that person can really write?"

Desmond Child? Dianne Warren? Etc.

 

[jbybj]

Andy Partridge

 

[Gorn]

Paul McCartney
John Lennon
George Harrison

 

[Richland123]

Gerry Goffin (who recently passed away) and Carole King

 

[JimK]

Hey
I think it is an art to be able to write great songs, no matter the genre.
People often laugh at me for liking Bacharach, or Peter Allen, but I point out to them that I'm not listening to the cheesy pop recording, but the craft of writing a good pop song.

Who can you point at and say, "that person can really write?"

Desmond Child? Dianne Warren? Etc.

I think you nailed it-
"...I'm not listening to the cheesy pop recording, but the craft of writing a good pop song".

I look at Bacharach as a 'composer'. It may be Pop but, IMO, it sounds composed vs. a cookie-cutter, cut/paste hack job.
Way back, I recall listening to the Stylistics' 1st album with a drummer/friend...two tunes, in particular-
"Betcha By Golly Wow"
"People Make The World Go Round"
...IMO, sounded very much like Bacharach...turned out to be Thom Bell/Linda Creed. So, kudos to them for all those Philly Soul hits.

Another Pop team worth mentioning-
Leon Ware/Pam Sawyer

 

[Richland123]

Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry

P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri

 

[Mystic Michael]

Who can you point at and say, "that person can really write?"

Off the top of my head? Billy Joel.

MM

 

[tangentmusic]

Lee/Lifeson/Peart
Butler/Iommi/Ward/Osborne
Squire/Howe/Anderson

 

[Richland123]

All the members of Queen - May, Deacon, Taylor, Mercury

 

[Arvin]

Richard Thompson
Peter Gabriel
Tom Waits
John Prine
Robert Hunter
Graham Gouldman
David Wilcox
+1 on Andy Partridge

and that's just off the top of my head.

 

[Gluvhand]

Derek William Dick aka Fish, formerly of Marillion
Phil Lynott
Midge Ure

 

[Richland123]

Kerry Livgren and Steve Walsh

 

[vmabus]

John Hiatt is an absolutely terrific songwriter. His singing tends to make them all sound the same, but the songs are wonderfully crafted.

 

[Gorn]

Ian Anderson.

 

[GregC]

Elvis Costello.
Bob Dylan.

 

[sprag]

the Finn brothers

 

[nukes_da_bass]

Donald Fagan
Walter Becker

 

[Crazy_Jake]

Hey

I think it is an art to be able to write great songs, no matter the genre.
People often laugh at me for liking Bacharach, or Peter Allen, but I point out to them that I'm not listening to the cheesy pop recording, but the craft of writing a good pop song.

Who can you point at and say, "that person can really write?"

Desmond Child? Dianne Warren? Etc.

For cheesy pop recordings let me submit Mutt Lange of Shania Twain and Def Leppard fame among others

 

[tbasstreble11]

Chris Ballew/Jason Finn/Dave Dederer

Stevie Wonder

Andrew farris

 

[Hamlet7768]

Benjamin Burnley is a pretty good songwriter, as is Stefani Germanotta (better known as Lady Gaga). Germanotta has one of my favorite aphorisms about songwriting—"all good music can be played at a piano and still sound like a hit."