who do you think is the best song writer ever?

Question

or of this generation

Answer 1

Bob Dylan
Roger Waters
Pete Townshend

Answer 2

Bob Dylan
Billy Joe Shaver
Townes Van Zandt

Answer 3

Freddie Mercury
Roger Waters
Elton John

Answer 4

Carole King
Stevie Nicks

Answer 5

Depends what you mean by "song writer"...

Far as lyrics, I'd say the Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan) and Pearl Jam (Eddie Vedder).
They are both as intellectual and politically charged as many of the other contenders (including Bob Dylan, The Byrds, The Beatles)...and, at the same time, very poetic (lots of great use of metaphors, creative intonations, and cultural messages that define and shape how we live). Songwriters like Bob Marley have similar impact, though, and for a completely different mood/genre, it's not as if one artist or group of artists has a monopoly on this.

Far as the instrumental side of music, I'd say either Pat Metheny (jazz guitarist) or Way Out West (electronica)...they both combine the creativity of other excellent cutting-edge instrumentalists (Leo Kottke, Joe Satriani, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock, Joe Pass...just to name a few)...with an incredible sense of emotion and incredible use of layers in their songs...stretching the limits of tonality and emotional diversity.

On a side note, you have to give credit to groups that started entire musical movements, some of who include
1) Run DMC who started the entire hip-hop movement,
2) Frankie Knuckles who created the House music movement that also introduced the use of drum machines and sampling crucial to the start of the hip-hop movement
3) Brian Transeau (IE BT) who invented the trance genre
4) Robert Johnson who created blues music which was the foundation of rock, metal, and several other genres.
5) Bach, who began using 12 tone equal temperment scales instead of mean-tone
6) Several musicians from India and other countries who have pioneered use of 24-note scales
7) Virtually anyone working on and with microtonallity, including classical musicians: there is no one inventor, but many, and, in the same way Bach changed music forever by using 12 tone equal temperment (which now virtually every western musician uses), they are changing things by making completely different scales and emotions possible.
One name to note as a leader in this field: Bill Sethares; he has invented ways to play scales with special instruments in any temperment (12,17,31...) that sound as consonant as pop music (one slap in the face to people who think microtonality has to sound brutally atonal and odd...and one heck of an accomplishment toward the future of music).

Answer 6

Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and Paul McCarthy.

Answer 7

John Lennon and Paul McCartney of course

Cobain for this generation

Answer 8

Tori Amos
Gordon Downe
Kurt Cobain
Trent Reznor

Just for a few of the 1990ish era on

Answer 9

of this generation, i would have to say is brian micheal cox, of the r&b genre, he is up for 4 grammys, and has colaborated with artist like mary j blidge, usher,mariah carey, fergie and omarion. every time he wrote at least one single on an r&b album it went platinum. all of his music is wonderful and ear catching

Answer 10

Bruce Springsteen, he's the boss for a reason :)
bob dylan's pretty cool too