The 22 Greatest Singer-Songwriters of All-Time

All Singing / By

Did you know that the world’s most famous singer-songwriter is a man named Bob Dylan?

I didn’t either.

And yet, he has written more than 500 songs in his lifetime and won 11 Grammy awards for his work.

He also wrote a song called “Blowin’ In The Wind” which became an anthem of the 1960s anti-war movement.

Pretty impressive, right?

If you’re looking to become a better singer-songwriter yourself, then this article will show you how to get started!

Table of Contents

Singer-Songwriter Definition

A person who writes, composes and sings their own songs.

Very important.

One of the best ways to do this is to learn about other singer-songwriters who have written great songs.

Therefore, this article will highlight 22 of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.

The only rule is that they must have been active after 1950

1. Bob Dylan.

He’s the greatest lyricist and musical innovator of his generation.

He truly took folk, blues, rock’n’roll, country music, gospel music and infuses it in a way that made each one of these genres better.

Many are already aware of his career resurgence with ‘Love & Theft’.

But, here’s a secret.

Bob Dylan had a long career. The media only pays attention to the ‘greatest hits’.

If you want to hear some amazing Dylan tunes, go back and listen to his last few albums (‘Time Out of Mind’, ‘Love & Theft’ and most recently, ‘Modern Times’).

2. Ray Charles.

Soul music was born with this man in the middle fifties.

Whether it was R&B or pop (or soul), he managed to keep that deep spirit alive on all these songs.

Makes me think about how when Elvis came out of nowhere singing hillbilly stuff, everyone just dismissed him as a gimmick, but now people praise him for creating rock’n’roll

Maybe we should give Ray more credit.

3. Willie Nelson.

The genre of “outlaw country” was born with this man.

He introduced America to the concept of “high-pitch nasal voice singing”.

(I am grateful for that).

In addition, he also is an amazing songwriter and a great guitar player (where did he learn how to play?!?!)

Here’s another secret

All those hits you’re listening to on his classic albums were composed by others.

I say it doesn’t matter at all!

It’s just like Elvis covering songs.

4. Louis Armstrong.

Even if you are not into jazz music, you gotta check out some Louis Armstrong tunes – especially those from the thirties and mid forties (when he was with his big band).

Incredible performances that made him arguably the most influential artist of the 20th century.

5. Neil Young.

Where would rock music be without Neil!?!

The guy was a member in more than 50 bands during his career and played on about 1000 albums!

I don’t think there’s anyone else as prolific as this man, not even close to it!

In addition, he is a great songwriter (I’ll give him that), but also an amazing performer.

I could go on for hours, singing praises about Young.

For example, one night this guy played for three hours straight (and with only two chords!) at Woodstock ’99 and did an amazing job!!!

How many singers do this now?

If he’s not the most influential artist of the twentieth century (and he’s certainly in contention for that title), then there has to be someone else who is even more influential than him!

6. The Beatles.

I am sure you’ve heard a couple of Beatles tunes by now.

but have you ever listened to their albums start-to-end?

While it goes without saying, they had a great songwriting and singing ability, they were also incredible performers!

Their music embodies everything that was exciting about rock’n’roll in our era

spontaneity, energy and creativity!

They just made it look too easy.

Personally, I believe Paul McCartney is the greatest musician of all time . . .

7. Bob Marley.

When you were a kid, someone probably told you: “Bob Marley is God”.

When you grew up and got to know his music – that might have been true!

This guy was so good (and famous) in the seventies.

He would mix reggae with rock, soul or even dancehall styles. Yet no matter what he did, it sounded great.

Like many musicians in this list, Bob Marley died too young, but managed to leave behind an amazing body of work and a legacy that will continue forever!

8. John Lennon.

Some people could find him obnoxious, others scary or strange.

Still others found him funny and charming (even though we all know that most of those qualities were only for show).

But, I think you can also agree that John Lennon was one of the most influential artists of our time!

9. Stevie Wonder.

He is in a category all by himself and it’s not just because he is blind (even though that makes him perhaps the greatest musician since Beethoven).

This guy started out singing soul music in the sixties and he has released a string of impressive albums ever since then.

What’s more?

His devotion to composing songs over the last twenty years proves how this man never stopped being creative.

Plus, his ability to play multiple instruments gives us hope for future generations

Imagine if kids these days grow up listening to some new technology interfaces or even about futuristic technologies like driverless cars and their minds are so open to creativity that they’ll be able to play like Stevie Wonder!

10. Jimi Hendrix.

Here’s a guy who was truly one-of-a-kind

(not just because he played the electric guitar left handed, but also for how he performed!).

When I first saw his live performance at Woodstock in 1969.

It blew my mind!

How could someone do this?!?

There is no doubt that artists such as Prince and Santana took an enormous amount of inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and still do!

While he only made about 5 albums during his career, each one has several hits on it!

Fact, he never even wrote down lyrics or chord progressions.

They were all in his head!

11. U2.

This Irish band became a sensation in the eighties and as they evolved with each album, their music became more and more relevant in today’s culture.

One of the things I like about U2 is that they continually challenge themselves to take risks.

Instead of just churning out albums for the sake of doing it!

12. Prince.

While he may not be the most talented musician on this list

(I’m sure there are better guitarists or piano players), one thing that makes him so great is his ability to write songs and transform himself into an icon at will (he would wear different costumes – change his voice – even perform using pseudonyms; all just for fun).

He also brought soul music back after Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder faded from the spotlight.

13. Bob Dylan.

I’m not sure how many people actually listened to his early work (before he became a star).

But, throughout his career there were always songs that resonated with a younger generation.

Perhaps because they captured the frustration or anger of an entire generation!

It’s hard to imagine how someone can be so influential but then again, not everyone has access to some portal into another dimension like this guy does!

14. Paul Simon.

I believe Paul Simon is probably one of the few artists who could write a hit song for literally any genre!

He once said

“I was in Nashville recently and watched them record a new song about 1-800 numbers!!!”

15. Marvin Gaye.

He’s a smooth operator in the business of love.

That’s for sure!

If you listen to his lyrics, he could talk about the various phases of a relationship and still make it sound seductive or suggestive.

Amazing how he was able to capture so many different emotions in such simple words!

16. Elvis Presley.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “the king” before.

But, where did that come from?

You have to give credit to this guy. He came out of nowhere with a crazy haircut and dressed like a thug but his music was so strong that it literally rocked the world!

Fact: Elvis Presley became THE first rock star.

Even though there were other singers who performed before him… none had the same impact as Elvis.

And yes.

I do believe that without him, we would not have gotten Michael Jackson or Prince

(at least not during their heyday)

17. Curtis Mayfield.

Whenever people talk about soul music, Curtis Mayfield comes up in the conversation somewhere!

This songwriter/musician made some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard in my life.

And his voice, it’s as smooth as silk!

18. Billy Joel.

This guy is as down to earth and relaxed as you can get! But, don’t be fooled by that laid-back demeanor.

This man is a BLAST on stage!

He’s been around for so long too, yet he still performs like he did when he was 21 years old!!

19. Barry White.

There are a lot of people who think he was just doing the same thing over and over again.

But I don’t really see it that way.

He had his fans, for sure, but each album that came out showed progress to some degree! And, when you look at his lyrics (I mean REALLY listen) they are GENIUS!!!

20. Sly Stone.

What can I say about this guy?

He’s one of the most soulful musicians on this list! His music isn’t as easy to digest as some

But it is certainly worth your time!

21. Prince.

I’ll see if I can find some other material later, but even so, he still deserves a spot on the list!! While perhaps not the greatest musician in history.

What he did with rock music was nothing short of amazing!

22. Janet Jackson.

Her brother, Michael Jackson (who we talked about earlier) may have more talent, but he never would’ve gotten where he was without her help!

She created entire dance routines for his stage shows and has had an extremely successful solo career too!

Conclusion

Musicians are often the driving force behind cultural and societal change.

They have a way of capturing what’s going on in society, reflecting our thoughts back to us, and making it seem like we’re not alone.

So here is our list of 20 Greatest Singer-Songwriters of All-Time – which ones do you think should be higher or lower?

What did they say that resonated with your soul?

Let us know which musicians made an impact on your life by leaving their own unique mark on history!