[shadesofblack]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/c...ngwriters.html

I support this list.

[embryo]

If the list is in a particular order then I definitely disagree with a lot of the rankings, but in terms of the names themselves I think it's a pretty good list overall.

That said, Fiona Apple and Suzanne Vega are two people who didn't make the list that I'd rank above a lot of the others mentioned.

[Randy Gibbons]

Not sure what criteria they're being judged by in this poll, but no Jackie DeShannon & no Kristin Hersh? Hmm.

[Anika Hanson]

No Mariah Carey.

[JohnnyForget]

Adele higher than Joni Mitchell?

Kate Bush only at no. 18?

Carol King only at no. 30?

No Laura Nyro?

No Judy Collins?

[ashtray88]

I'm sure Madonna has written some of her own songs, but surely not as many as Mariah???

I think the list is quite good though, but not sure about the order.

[markmc2k5]

Originally Posted by embryo

If the list is in a particular order then I definitely disagree with a lot of the rankings, but in terms of the names themselves I think it's a pretty good list overall.

I'm with you here, if this list is in some sort of order then it is one of the worst lists I've seen in a while. Adele number 1 but has pretty much written only one album as a whole solo? What a total joke.

[indie.star]

PJ Harvey should have been way higher than a tokenistic 49. Tori Amos should have been higher too. I also think it is an absolute joke that Adele was at number 1, I'm not saying she isn't any good because I don't think that at all but she's hardly the best female singer songwriter of all time is she?

I also think that Regina Spektor (who was higher than PJ) is a terrible writer. Well maybe terrible is a bit strong but I listened to all her albums a few months ago and wasn't impressed with them at all. Some of her songs were positively cringeworthy.

[Middleotroad]

Originally Posted by Anika Hanson

No Mariah Carey.

I did a thread a while back, trying to figure out which songwriters actually write their own music. Mariah's name came up quite a lot as someone not given enough credit for her songwriting skills.

It seems image plays a big part in how highly rated artists are for songwriting. This list is not much different in that respect.

According to FM's, other underrated (female) songwriters were: Laura Marling, Amy MacDonald, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Natasha Kahn (Bat For Lashes). Despite these ladies making more current music than many of the songwriters mentioned on this list, none AFAICS, made it on to the Telegraph list. Rubbish list!

[indie.star]

^ Laura Marling and Lady Gaga are on there.

[GeorginaPL]

Originally Posted by ashtray88

I'm sure Madonna has written some of her own songs, but surely not as many as Mariah???

Maybe the number/percentage of own songs were not a major criterion in making this list. the list was to be be numeric like this, then one could relatively easily make a somewhat acurate list.

[GeorginaPL]

Originally Posted by indie.star

I also think it is an absolute joke that Adele was at number 1, I'm not saying she isn't any good because I don't think that at all but she's hardly the best female singer songwriter of all time is she?

They do not say who made the list or what where the criteria, so one can agree or disagree all one likes based on different factors. They should give us more info.

As for the "all-time", I don't think that's what the list is about. If it was about the all-time list, then you are right. I don't think she earned the top spot, although imo she has the potential to get there in the future.

But if you think of her as a top selling, influential singer/songwriter at the moment, I think she's got that top spot. Of course, then one could argue with some other choices made by the authors of the list.

[konebyvax]

Is Barbra Streisand a singer-songwriter? Genuinely didn't know she wrote her own stuff.

[GeorginaPL]

Originally Posted by konebyvax

Is Barbra Streisand a singer-songwriter? Genuinely didn't know she wrote her own stuff.

I had a look at her discography on Wikipedia, checked out her albums from 1980 onwards, that means 14 albums. On these 14 albums she is credited as one of songwriters on 3 songs. One of the songs she composed, "Evergreen", written for the movie "The Star Is Born", won Academy Award for Best Original Song.

So it would seem that it was rare, but she did compose sometimes. Maybe it was more often on her earlier albums, dunno. There are plenty of them to be checked.

[GGzSux]

The fact that Gaga is amongst some of the worlds greatest songwriters is a joke in itself.

[JohnnyForget]

Originally Posted by GeorginaPL

I had a look at her discography on Wikipedia, checked out her albums from 1980 onwards, that means 14 albums. On these 14 albums she is credited as one of songwriters on 3 songs. One of the songs she composed, "Evergreen", written for the movie "The Star Is Born", won Academy Award for Best Original Song.

So it would seem that it was rare, but she did compose sometimes. Maybe it was more often on her earlier albums, dunno. There are plenty of them to be checked.

On most of Barbra Streisand's earlier (sixties) albums she recorded just old standards - nothing very contemporary and nothing self-penned. The first album on which she started recording contemporary (or near-contemporary) material was 1971's "Stoney End", where the songs were written by such acclaimed songwriters as Laura Nyro, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Harry Nilsson, Gordon Lightfoot, Gerry Goffin & Carol King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. None of the songs on the album were written by Streisand herself.

She may have been included in the list merely because her composition, "Evergreen", won an Academy Award.

[Littlegreen42]

The fact Adele is even in the top 10 makes that list laughable!

[HandsClean]

No Natalie Merchant?
No Alanis Morissette?
No Dido?

What a stupid list.

[konebyvax]

Originally Posted by JohnnyForget

On most of Barbra Streisand's earlier (sixties) albums she recorded just old standards - nothing very contemporary and nothing self-penned. The first album on which she started recording contemporary (or near-contemporary) material was 1971's "Stoney End", where the songs were written by such acclaimed songwriters as Laura Nyro, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Harry Nilsson, Gordon Lightfoot, Gerry Goffin & Carol King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. None of the songs on the album were written by Streisand herself.

She may have been included in the list merely because her composition, "Evergreen", won an Academy Award.

But she's at #10 in the list. A bit silly...

[spaceoddity]

It doesn't say it's in order, does it? I didn't think it was in any particular order, anyway.

[little-monster]

Great list but a few others should of been mentioned

Mariah, Alanis, Dido, Lisa Lopez, Pink, Nelly Furtado, Amy Lee (from Evanescence) and Gwen Stefani,

[kyresa]

Originally Posted by konebyvax

Is Barbra Streisand a singer-songwriter? Genuinely didn't know she wrote her own stuff.

She joked on her 2007 tour that in x number of years, she'd written 7 songs, of which one won an academy award.

It's not something she does as routine!

[soundstory]

It's a list of female singer/songwriters, that's all

Pointless

[Imperfect Angel]

No Mariah Carey? this is ridiculous.

[lewiep93]

Kate Bush should've been in the top 5 at least! Adele number 1? What a joke!