IN MY OPINION: 15 Most Influential Songwriters

Here's a list of the 10 most influential songwriters on me and my music. This is mostly coming out of boredom, but I'm also doing this to share with some people who may not be as well educated on these great songwriters and great musicians.

15. Amy Ray [Indigo Girls, solo]: Amy Ray has been half of the Indigo Girls for a long time, yet I feel that most of her IG songs go unnoticed by the general public, of course excluding big IG fans like myself. Her three solo records include some of the best rock songs ever, with a hint of punk. Aggressive and catchy are the best words to describe.
KEY TRACK: "Put it Out for Good" (a perfect example of the punk/pop punk element to her solo work. This song is really upbeat and the guitars sound excellent. I've seen her live show and it almost seems like an anthem for Amy Ray fans. Everyone in the audience knew the chorus)

14. Seth Lakeman [Equation, solo]: Seth Lakeman is known in the UK now as a rising solo artist, but his work with Equation is some of my favorite. I never knew he was such a talented songwriter until I heard his latest solo album Poor Man's Heaven.
KEY TRACK: "Crimson Dawn" (this song is from his latest. The arrangement is great and the tone of the song is very somber. Background vocals by Equation singer Kathryn Roberts are the icing on the cake for me)

13. Bruce Springsteen: "The Boss" is an understatement. So many great songs and so many great albums here. It seems like he never runs out of steam. The key track for this one is one that's from his latest release because I feel like more people should appreciate this one.
KEY TRACK: "Queen of the Supermarket" (a wonderfully clever song from the Working on a Dream record. The fact that he went into a supermarket and created an entire story out of one grocery trip amazes me. The melody is great and the the way the vocals express the lyrics are heartbreaking. Beautiful song)

12. John Lennon: Don't be mad because I put Lennon as #12. To me he's in a completely different league than most of my favorite writers. I bet his songs influenced most of the artists on this list.
KEY TRACK: "Happiness is a Warm Gun" (I can't get over how brilliant this song is. The melody, the tempo changes, the guitars, harmonies. It's everything you expect and more in a Beatles tune)

11. Neil Finn [Crowded House]: The first time I heard Crowded House I was blown away. Neil Finn has remained one of my favorite songwriters for a long time because of the structure of his songs and the melodies he creates. A true genius in a brilliant band.
KEY TRACK: "Even a Child" (my favorite from their wonderful comback album Time on Earth. The lyrics stand out to me, as well as the production and instrumentation. One line that really grabs me is "Dream of a holy state in a nightmare time". It's all there)

10. Dave Pirner [Soul Asylum]: Dave Pirner is definitely one of the best songwriters to come out of the 80's. His band Soul Asylum has been a major influence on me from the start.
KEY SONG: "Somebody to Shove" (aggressive and loud with big guitars and one of my favorite opening guitar licks ever)

9. Justin Currie [Del Amitri]: Great Scottish pop-rock from the 90's. Many people don't go past their hit "Roll to Me", but there's much more there. Don't get me wrong..."Roll to Me" is a great song, but there's an entire catalog of brilliant songs from Justin and the Dels that are worth checking out
KEY SONG: "Always the Last to Know" (upbeat with a great melody yet the lyrics are filled with a bit of anger and sadness)

8. Brian Wilson [The Beach Boys]: Brian Wilson writes the best pop songs ever. He's the kind of songwriter I strive to be like. He knows his hooks, he knows his melodies, and he knows how to keep everything original. He's a true legend
KEY TRACK: "God Only Knows" (this song blew me away the first time I heard it. It's really like nothing that came before it, and definitely not like anything that came after it. A standout in popular music)

7. Willie Nile: My dad introduced me to Willie Nile's music a long time ago, and I was hooked ever since. Great rock songs with a hint of folk and sometimes a little twang.
KEY TRACK: "Asking Annie Out" (a wonderful pop song with a great melody. The fiddle and mandolin are great additions to the recording)

6. Danielle Howle: Danielle is a friend of mine from South Carolina who's been doing her thing since the late 80's. She writes everything from pop to rock to punk to country and everything in between. She may not know it but her music has influenced me greatly for a long time.
KEY TRACK: "Could Be Here" (great tune from her 2002 album Skorborealis. The vocals are spot on and the gutiars are beautiful. My favorite DH song ever)

5. Bob Dylan: Where to begin? He's one of a kind. The Highway 61 Revisited album has been one of my favorite albums for a long time.
KEY TRACK: "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" (my favorite song from Highway 61. It's rootsy, it's folksy, and overall it's a great song)

4. Peter Holsapple [The dB's/Continental Drifters]: I first heard the Continental Drifters about 7 years ago. Soon after I discovered the dB's and I was hooked. I've known Peter for 4 or so years, and I don't think I've ever told him what his songs have done for me. He's another writer that seems like he can write just about anything
KEY TRACK: "Black and White" (a dB's song from their debut album Stands for Decibels. This is the first song from The dB's I heard, and it may very well be my favorite)

3. Glen Phillips [Toad the Wet Sprocket]: Glen Phillips can write a pop song. Yes he can. BUT, they're so much deeper than that. I've heard Toad the Wet Sprocket categorized as "Thinking Man's music" and you really won't know why until you hear them.
KEY TRACK: "Amnesia" (this song is off their great album Coil, and it's my favorite from that besides the great song "Crazy Life". "Amnesia" is so different than a lot of their stuff...it's really dark and big

2. Hootie and the Blowfish: Why, you ask, would I put a band as a whole as my favorite songwriter? This is because I couldn't possibly pick one member. Hootie will not only hold a place in my heart as 1. My favorite band and biggest influence altogether and 2. The most underrated band in America, but they hold a place because they write some of the best songs ever. People who haven't heard much past the huge smash Cracked Rear View need to listen to the Fairweather Johnson album in it's entirety. It's rootsy and it's what made me want to be a songwriter.
KEY TRACK: "She Crawls Away" (written by Darius, if I'm not mistaken. This is such a great pop song and it'll be stuck in your head for days. Enough said!)

1. Gene Clark [The Byrds, solo]: Gene Clark is by far the best songwriter who walked the earth. Perfectly crafted pop songs that unfortunately went mostly unnoticed by the general public throughout his great career. His work with The Byrds is great, and his solo work is even better.
KEY TRACK: "Polly" (beautifully written and wonderfully performed. This is one of the best examples of his great talent and legendary legacy. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss do a haunting version on their brilliant album Raising Sand. God bless Gene Clark)

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my list and I hope you'll check out all of these great writers.

Till next time.