"The 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time" is a feature published by the American magazineRolling Stone in August 2015.[1] The list presented was compiled based on the magazine'smusic critics, and unlike previous lists the votes came entirely from the magazine's staff. It predominantly features American and English songwriters of the rock era.[2]
| Rank | Image | Name | Lifetime | First single written |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Bob Dylan | May 24, 1941 – present | "Mixed-Up Confusion" (1962), performed by himself |
| 2 |  | Paul McCartney | June 18, 1942 – present | "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You" (1962), performed bythe Beatles |
| 3 |  | John Lennon | October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980 | |
| 4 |  | Chuck Berry | October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017 | "Maybellene" (1955), performed by himself |
| 5 |  | Smokey Robinson | February 19, 1940 – present | "Got a Job" (1958), performed bythe Miracles |
| 6 |  | Mick Jagger / Keith Richards | July 26, 1943 – present / December 18, 1943 – present | "Tell Me" (1964), performed bythe Rolling Stones |
| 7 |  | Carole King /Gerry Goffin | February 9, 1942 – present / February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014 | "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (1960), performed bythe Shirelles |
| 8 | .jpg) | Paul Simon | October 13, 1941 – present | "Hey Schoolgirl" (1957), performed bySimon & Garfunkel (then known as Tom & Jerry) |
| 9 |  | Joni Mitchell | November 7, 1943 – present | "Urge For Going" (1966), performed byTom Rush |
| 10 |  | Stevie Wonder | May 13, 1950 – present | "Kiss Me Baby" (1968), performed by himself |
The list received mixed response from fellow publications. Writing forFlavorwire, Judy Berman criticized the selection of the songwriters, saying "Predictably, it's over 70% white and features only nine solo female songwriters (five other women are included as part of mixed-gender writing teams). Classic rock is overrepresented; every other genre and subgenre of popular music is underrepresented."[3] Geeta Dayal fromThe Guardian accused the list's sponsorship byApple Music of determining the selection.[4]Tom Moon wrote forNPR, "This list represents another trip through the hagiographic, hermetically sealedrock hall of fame, with the same stars you've been reading about inRolling Stone since the dinosaur age."[5]The Daily Telegraph culture editor Martin Chilton responded with a list of 100 best songwriters neglected byRolling Stone, includingCole Porter,Townes Van Zandt,Ewan MacColl,Kate Bush, andRay Charles.[6]
Jacqueline Cutler fromNew York Daily News agreed with the magazine for rankingBob Dylan as the top songwriter.[7] Jon Bream fromMinnesota-based newspaperStar Tribune praised the inclusion of songwriters from Minnesota and said that Dylan as a number-one songwriter is not surprising.[8] Lori Melton from ticketing companyAXS wrote that the list "reads like an iconic student body in a songwriting master class" and complimented the inclusion of female songwriters Carole King, Joni Mitchell,Dolly Parton,Stevie Nicks,Madonna,Chrissie Hynde,Loretta Lynn,Lucinda Williams, andBjörk, as well asTaylor Swift, who is the youngest person on the list.[9]