# What are the best popular songs with lyrics written by guitar gods/virtuosos? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429 "2013-01-08T01:22:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/41 "2013-01-09T16:35:39Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Her work in alternate tunings is respected. Yeah, well she’s Canuckian, and they do all kinds of crazy things up there! Some of 'em don’t even like to speak English!!! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/42 "2013-01-10T21:30:56Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Joni Mitchell I guess. Rolling Stone rate her one of the top 10 songwriters of all time. And every guitarist I know that plays a range wider than just rock music thinks that she is a great guitarist. She plays in 50 different tunings, mostly invented herself to overcome the effects of childhood polio on her left hand. Pretty awesome ask of a guitarist. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > As for Joni Mitchell… she’s a wonderful lyricists, but she’s basically a guitar strummer. Paul Green, the guy who founded the School of Rock (and the model for Jack Black’s character in the movie) said, of one of his female students “She’s going to be a success. But is she going to succeed as Sheryl Crowe, or as Joni Mitchell? …who can really fucking play guitar.” This is not someone who bestows praise easily. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I was wondering whether guitarists who were also known as songwriters (or singers, or band members, or producers) might have escaped your notice: you were less likely to think of them as “guitar gods” because they weren’t _just_ guitarists. **Adrian Belew** , Brian May, and Lindsey Buckingham spring to mind as highly-regarded guitarists who are also great popular-style songwriters. Belew is a definite guitar god, but he also wrote the hit pop tune “Oh Daddy”. By the way, the other two thirds of the Adrian Belew Power Trio are two of Paul Green’s students that Belew met when he taught a workshop at the School of Rock. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/43 "2013-01-10T21:43:31Z")
Double post ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/44 "2013-01-11T00:22:33Z")
I am going to throw in some old school country greats Hank Thompson Les Paul Chet Atkins(I believe he was mentioned upthread) More recently Willie Nelson All of these guys played country Jazz although Les Paul played some rock. All of them wrote great songs,all of them shread BTW Vince Gill is a world renowned Bluegrass player, shreadder as well **Capt** ETA sorry my spelling sucks having trouble typing on glass today ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/45 "2013-01-11T16:53:50Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Stevie Ray Vaughn, maybe? Took 23 posts. Pity. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/46 "2013-01-11T17:34:17Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Paul Green, the guy who founded the School of Rock (and the model for Jack Black’s character in the movie) said, of one of his female students “She’s going to be a success. But is she going to succeed as Sheryl Crowe, or as Joni Mitchell? …who can really fucking play guitar.” This is not someone who bestows praise easily. > Belew is a definite guitar god, but he also wrote the hit pop tune “Oh Daddy”. By the way, the other two thirds of the Adrian Belew Power Trio are two of Paul Green’s students that Belew met when he taught a workshop at the School of Rock. I immediately thought of Adrian Belew… for anyone familiar with his work with King Crimson or David Bowie, check out his solo work… You can listed to brief samples of his tracks from [Salad Days](http://www.amazon.com/Salad-Days-Adrian-Belew/dp/B00000I13S) which is sort of a “greatest hits” ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/47 "2013-01-11T18:10:45Z")
I would put Glen Campbell up there. He was a very important session man, a lot of his work was never credited. He released a couple of instrumental albums. Although his big hits were written by others, his contribution was usually critical in adding licks, fills and riffs - so such an extent that they turned competent enough songs into huge hits ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429/48 "2013-01-12T00:46:58Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Took 23 posts. Pity. Why a pity? His legend is huge. An interesting twist on this thread is the word “virtuoso” - how does that word apply? Steve Cropper is a great example - the dude’s _essential_ and better than most out there, but I would _never_ use that word with him. I think he’d find it offensive - Cropper’s _efficient_ like a ninja. Now, someone like Chet Atkins, who forgot more about the guitar than 90% of the players listed have learned - he’s a virtuoso; not humble at all and deservedly so. He puts some flaunt in his playing. Some players are gunslingers and others are knife fighters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-popular-songs-with-lyrics-written-by-guitar-gods-virtuosos/646429.md?page=2)