# Who is the best singer and songwriter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469 "2014-01-10T20:57:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/41 "2014-01-12T00:46:15Z")
Brian Wilson was very good, once upon a time. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/42 "2014-01-12T01:17:35Z")
Lyle Lovett deserves a mention as well. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/43 "2014-01-12T02:07:30Z")
Warren Zevon ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/44 "2014-01-12T03:07:54Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Wait…do we mean greatest singer, or singer whose voice fits their style of music the best? I mean, Kurt Cobain wasn’t a great singer, but his voice was perfect for the songs he wrote. And Bob Dylan. I don’t know how much of other people’s songs he’s done, but he’d have to totally revise it to match his voice. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/45 "2014-01-12T04:05:35Z")
Roy Orbison. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/46 "2014-01-12T06:23:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Jimmy Buffett is another example of a Paul Simon, maybe more so - the guy can write fabulous songs all day but his own range and capabilities are very limited. I guess that’s why he’s only worth $4-500 million. Just think if he’d been able to really sing… People like Buffett, Simon, Bob Dylan & Kurt Cobain have proven that if you can write good enough songs, you don’t _need_ to know how to sing. As for Freddie Mercury, he definitely counts but keep in mind he only wrote 1/4th of Queen’s material. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/47 "2014-01-12T06:30:36Z")
How about Van Morrison? He may not be the world’s greatest songwriter, though he can be pretty good, but he is an absolutely amazing singer. I don’t think he has a peer. Not a conventionally good voice (and an acquired taste, I guess), but it is incredible how much he can express with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/48 "2014-01-12T06:34:40Z")
Brad Paisley. Great songwriter, great guitarist, pretty good singer. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/49 "2014-01-12T06:56:24Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > People like Buffett, Simon, Bob Dylan & Kurt Cobain have proven that if you can write good enough songs, you don’t _need_ to know how to sing. Add Neil Young to that list of great songwriters who aren’t very adept at singing. I’m a huge NY fan BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/50 "2014-01-12T19:00:22Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > Joni Mitchell. My vote is also for Joni Mitchell. Not only is she a fantastic song writer, but she’s a great guitarist and vocalist. IMO she has never received the recognition she deserves. Too much Dylan, not enough Mitchell. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/51 "2014-01-12T19:35:55Z")
Laura Nyro. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/52 "2014-01-12T20:13:16Z")
While on neither mine nor most others’ ‘best’ list, I always had certain amount of respect for Mariah Carey for singing/writing/co-writing/producing etc. all those gazillion-selling hit singles and albums in the '90s. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/53 "2014-01-12T21:09:44Z")
Jeez, bunch of olds in here. Ones I like: Adele, Dido, Imogen Heap, Kate Nash, Beth Orton, Vanessa Carlton. Norah Jones. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/54 "2014-01-12T21:32:04Z")
Hoagy Carmichael was one of the best for his generation. Johnny Mercer too, though he usually just wrote the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/55 "2014-01-13T15:54:19Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > How about Van Morrison? He may not be the world’s greatest songwriter, though he can be pretty good, but he is an absolutely amazing singer. I don’t think he has a peer. Not a conventionally good voice (and an acquired taste, I guess), but it is incredible how much he can express with it. Seconded. Lots of honorable mentions already covered here, but I’ll add Doug Sahm, Jesse Winchester, and J.D. Souther. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/56 "2014-01-13T16:38:15Z")
Jesse Colin Young ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/57 "2014-01-13T18:40:41Z")
Not my personal favorite but I think James Taylor fits this bill, too. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/58 "2014-01-13T18:51:54Z")
Another vote for Joni Mitchell. ---
**Author:** ![Madison\_Avenue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Madison\_Avenue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madison_Avenue)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/59 "2014-01-22T07:31:39Z")
12 Points for Gordon Lightfoot… and 2nd: Joe Henry ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-singer-and-songwriter/678469/60 "2014-01-22T13:37:29Z")
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