41 Best Songwriters

Songwriters are often the people behind the scenes in the music industry. Sure, some also sing and get in front of the spotlight. But many are never known to listeners, instead simply being credited in the small print and other places most don’t look.

So today, we’ve decided to showcase the best songwriters ever.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is one of the most famous and talented songwriters of our time. Many singers/songwriters never reach the point where they have enough popular songs to fill an entire concert, but she has enough and more!

With dozens of impactful and heartfelt songs, she has at least one hit that can resonate with anyone. From breakup songs to songs about friendships and all the different feelings one experiences throughout life, Swift has a song about it. The best part is that she masterfully ties many of her songs together.

Stevie Nicks

Stevie Nicks might be best known for her songwriting for the band Fleetwood Mac, but she also wrote plenty of songs for herself to perform. Some of the most notable songs she's written throughout her legendary career include “Landslide,” “Rhiannon,” and “Gold Dust Woman.”

All of the songs she writes have a strong meaning, and you can tell that she pours herself entirely into the songwriting process, regardless of the song's topic. Even though she started writing music when she got her first guitar at 16, she's grown exponentially and is still creating great music today.

Paul McCartney

Often known as pop music's greatest melodist, Paul McCartney is one of the best songwriters to grace the top twenty charts. You probably know him best as a member of the iconic Beatles.

His lyrics are witty, complex, and ooze passion. Even after leaving the Beatles, he continued to write amazing songs. He's been asked about his writing style many times, and he has to say that when you write something you love, others will love it because they know you do.

John Lennon

Another member of the Beatles that was an iconic songwriter is none other than John Lennon. We can say many things about Lennon, but if there's one thing we choose to say, it's how original he always was. He had his songwriting style, and even when he collaborated with artists like Paul McCartney, his style was still apparent.

Lennon was known to write songs with deep and dark meanings juxtaposed against lighthearted tunes. You can tell he loved the creative process- he had stated that he enjoyed writing things that meant something to people.

The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G. is one of the most famous rappers and songwriters of the 1990s. Even though he was only largely recognized for his works for a few years before his unfortunate death, his music still lives on, and people know how much he loved writing his own raps and songs.

Many of the songs he wrote told stories about growing up in Brooklyn, being poor and how music was his gift, and it's the gift that keeps on giving in more than one way. Whether you were a fan of his or not, you can't deny that he was a passionate songwriter who just wanted to show people he was more than just a “gangsta.”

Eminem

Eminem might just be one of the most iconic rappers and songwriters. Not only is this songwriter known for great beats and creating raps with plays on words and impactful statements, but he's known for his intricate rhymes.

This songwriter grew up in Detroit and honed his rapping skills by freestyling in the streets with others, and that's where he found the type of rap and writing he preferred. He has dozens of memorable songs and even some that are years old that people still blast now, like “The Monster.”

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus has been in the spotlight since she was a little girl, thanks to her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, but she's made a name for herself as Miley and Hannah Montana. When she was Hannah, she didn't write her own songs, but Miley's music is hers. She's been writing music since she was ten years old.

Throughout her career, you can see her music mature, but whenever she wrote, she always wrote about relevant things. Some of the best songs she's written include “See You Again,” “Malibu,” “Flowers,” and “Jaded.”

Meghan Trainor

Meghan Trainor is one of the hottest pop artists right now, and before she saw fame as a singer, she was a songwriter. Don't get us wrong, though. She still writes songs for herself, but her career started by writing masterful hits for other artists like Rascal Flatts and Jennifer Lopez.

Her songs are fun pop hits, but almost all have significant meaning behind them. Some of her best ones are “Me Too” and “Mother.”

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has made quite the name for herself in the music industry throughout the years. With more than 3,000 songs with her name tagged, she's easily one of the best songwriters in the industry.

With her Tennessee upbringing, unique voice, and vibrant sense of style, Dolly has written some of the most fun songs in country music but also some of the most touching. Some of her most notable songs she's written include “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “Coat of Many Colors.”

Johnny Cash

Say what you want about Johnny Cash, but his voice can bring you to tears when you hear his music. He had an air of authority about him, which showed through the songs he sang and wrote. His songs were stories that only he could tell in the moving ways he did.

Johnny Cash was known for being the perfect mix between country, gospel, and blues music and even verged into rock and roll at some points. Songs Johnny Cash wrote throughout his career that people still enjoy today include “Ring of Fire” and “I Walk the Line.”

Tom Petty

If you know anything about songwriting in the 1960s, it's that many songwriters were able to bust out hit song after hit song for some reason. Tom Petty was one of those people.

His first hit song, “American Girl,” is still widely popular today for its fun beat and catchy lyrics. As he grew up, his lyrics took on more mature roles like exploring relationships, the dark side of the American dream, and more.

Stevie Wonder

If there were a singer/songwriter that embodied what sunshine would sound like, many people would agree it's Stevie Wonder. His deep and powerful voice comes from his upbringing as a Motown prodigy in the 1960s. This was where he first started writing his own songs.

Most of Stevie Wonder's vibrant songs make you want to sing and dance, but his more powerful ballads can bring your eyes to tears. All love his songs, and are often covered by other artists, the Backstreet Boys and Frank Sinatra, to name a few.

Prince

Prince was one of the most talented musicians and performers. He was a producer, bandleader, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. There wasn’t much Prince couldn’t do in the music industry.

His songs sound uniquely his own, whether he's channeling pop, rock, soul, or funk music during the writing process. He's had 30 Top 40 singles, like “Little Red Corvette.”