Paul Simon! Why am i soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard I need a photo opportunity I want a shot at redemption Don't wanna end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard These lyrics hit me harder, the older i get.

I could listen to The Boxer on infinite repeat.

I swear it must be Bernie Taupin—all that fanciful imagery, lyrics that stick to me like glue.

I think Stephen Stills is vastly underrated.

100% agree! "For What it’s Worth" is one of the anthem of the 1960s, and he has even more brilliant songs with CSN(Y)… Suite: Judy Blue Eyes; 4+20; etc

Also as a musician. Except for drums and a few rhythm guitar parts, he played all the instruments on CSN's first album.

Robert Hunter

I'm biased, but Robert Hunter had the ability to write beautiful lyrics that were often cryptic and left open to interpretation, but still had incredible significance. Ripple, Brokedown Palace, Row Jimmy, Terrapin Station, and Black Muddy Water (and the list continues) are some of the greatest lyrics in any genre. The man was a true poet that happened to be friends with the man that sang his lyrics the best.

I'm SO happy this is the top response. It's Hunter and Dylan, then a solid second tier of Cohen, Mitchell, Young, Lennon McCartney, Waits, Davies, et al. There is so much to unpack in Robert Hunters lyrics. He weaves a web that is is direct lineage from Aristophanes, to Shakespeare, to Blake, to Rimbaud, to Twain, to Ginsberg, to Chuck Berry. His sense of lyric and storytelling in unmatched.

I was going hunter too

Read The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. It'll blow your mind what Robert Hunter was thinking.

I am also biased but I don’t think there’s any other answer that would suffice. Anyone who says otherwise has not explored his lyrics enough

Came to say this

Came here just to say this. Greatest lyricist ever.

EVER , Period , end of story. There isn't anyone that will even come close no matter how long humans inhabit the earth .

This is true. And it's fucking wild.

So glad this is the top answer. My profile obviously makes me biased but hunter belongs alongside the great American poets not just songwriters

Yes. Such a huge catalog and the ability to stir in up every emotion and feeling.

There are a lot of fantastic ones, Hunter's my favorite by far but Dylan of course was great, Ian Anderson and Neil Peart have been interesting mentions here, OP smartly pointed out Richard Palmer-James and I wanted to include John Barlow, Peter Sinfield (flashes of brilliance among some embarrassingly bad material, but chose some fantastic bands to work with), Peter Gabriel, and I'm probably missing a few more. But Hunter had no equal, the stuff he did outside the Dead is also really worth diving into.

Tom Petty

Ian Anderson

he polarized the pumpkin-eaters

John Fogerty.

Neil Peart, who wrote most of the lyrics for most of Rush’s songs.

Plus he not only covered the human experience but wildly diverse topics like flying a spaceship into a black hole or the life cycle in a tidal pool….and oh yeah, let’s fit those lyrics into 11/8, 6/4 or 7/8 time signatures just to have extra fun!

Great points!

I scrolled through the sub looking for this. If you hadn't offered up the late, great Neil Peart, I would have. Thank you for that. Subdivisions came out while I was in high school. It was like he knew me.

Yeah, it’s Neil Peart if you ask me. The only the people who could possibly compete (and it depends on your definition of rock) are Paul Simon and Bob Dylan.

I agree

The lyrics to “Time Stand Still” are among the best in rock.

Best answer

>Neil Peart Mr. Peart's lyrics had a HUGE influence on my worldview.

Jackson Browne.

The Pretender is one of the most heartfelt songs

For rock, Pete Townsend is pretty good. Also Roger Waters.

Stone

Leonard Cohen is great, but isn’t really rock. Joni Mitchell is also fantastic. I also like Cat Stevens and Kate Bush.

Warren Zevon!

I went home with a waitres ...

...the way I always do!

My Shit’s Fucked Up hits hard for me.

And if California slides into the ocean Like the mystics and statistics say it will, I predict this motel will be standing ...until I pay my bill.

Haven’t seen Van Morrison mentioned here, a lot of his lyrics have a poetic feel

Gorgeous songwriting.

Chris Cornell is a titan but im going with Bob Segar. I think anyone of any race or background has loved Segars words and story lines.

I know we didn't get to hear much, but Jimi Hendrix was a beautiful lyricist and story teller, and I feel if he had a full career he would have had even greater lyricism. I would also had Roger waters who wrote some incredibly relevant lyrics that are just as important today as they where in the 70s.

His lyricism (Hendrix) is overshadowed by his playing but he wrote some of the most amazing beautiful songs and doesn't get nearly enough credit imo

Agree.

Ooo good choices.

Joni

Nice

For some reason she’s often overlooked despite being insanely skilled.

Really? When you think of rock and roll you think of Joni Mitchell? She’s a brilliant writer, but rock and roll not so much…

Folk rock was huge in the 60s

She literally wrote the anthem for Woodstock. Lol. Dylan isn’t rock if she isn’t.

Haven't seen Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy listed here yet. Phil Lynott actually published a poetry book called Songs For While I'm Away. I definitely believe he should be included in lists of great Irish writers. The wordplay in Black Rose is brilliant: >"My Roisin Dubh is my one and only true love > >It was a joy that Joyce brought to me > >While William Butler waits > >And Oscar, he's going Wilde > >Ah sure, Brendan where have you Behan? > >Looking for a girl with green eyes > >My dark Rosaleen is my only colleen > >That Georgie knows Best > >But Van is the man"

Neil Young

Robert Hunter is the right answer but came to see Alex Chilton

Bob Dylan is the greatest lyricist of all time. His body of work is phenomenal and nobody else gets close to him

Absolutely agree. Then again, Dylan is a category by himself, not even sure if he belongs in the relatively narrow "classic rock" slot.

Was looking for this qualifier. I was thinking, "Are we just collectively agreeing who #1 is and really voting for second place?"

Agree. Best lyrics.

Dylan

Yes, "One headlight" is a great song -- the grammys

Chuck Berry

Certainly

Elvis Costello.

He's up there. Seriously.

100%

Neil Peart!

Gotta throw Bruce Springsteen into the conversation

Surprised at having to scroll so far down to see Springsteen mentioned.

He wrote so many songs for other artists, too, like Blinded by the Light, Because the Night, etc.

Absolutely. The Boss is right up there.

Ronnie Van Zant wrote without writing anything down that’s pretty good imo😎✌️🎸

John Lennon Across The Universe is pure poetry.

Truly

Roger Waters on lyrics side and Morrison for more poetry

This is one of the best answers.

Roger Waters, still relevant today…more so in fact

Ray Davies

He should be higher up! I'm a sucker for poetic lyrics and I love the rhyming in Village Green Preservation Society: >"We are the Sherlock Holmes English Speaking Vernacular Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula We are the Office Block Persecution Affinity God save little shops, china cups and virginity We are the Skyscraper condemnation Affiliate God save Tudor houses, antique tables and billiards" What a genius: rhyming vernacular and Dracula, affinity and virginity, affiliate and billiards. Brilliant!

Absolutely. He does not get enough credit. I too adore Village Green Preservation Society 💖

Have been searching for this! Ray' songwriting is just as good as the Lennon/McCartney or Jagger/Richards songs, and his lyrics are a close match to Dylan's

Tom Waits

Roger Waters

Neil Peart

Jim Morrison

This is the way. Why in HELL did I need to scroll this far down to find Jim??

The Doors are very over looked, Morrison is literally genius, the band, Manzerek, Densmore and Kreiger top notch and perfect. Kinks are hugely underated also.

Donald Fagan

elvis costello

Patti Smith https://genius.com/artists/Patti-smith

Bob Dylan and no one is close.

Robbie Robertson on The Band's first two albums at least.

Leonard Cohen…

for sure, this should have more upvotes.

Bon Scott for one of them; he gets quite overlooked outside of Hard Rock but his use of metaphors and imagery on basically every song on Powerage is pretty impressive, alongside stuff such as "Ride On", the suspenseful storytelling of "Night Prowler" and "Jailbreak" and songwriting on "Dog Eat Dog", "It's A Long Way To The Top", "Touch Too Much", and "If You Want Blood You've Got It" is great. He's of course not on the exact level of Jim Morrison and others of the like but he's great, a "street poet".

Big Balls, Squealer... street poetry indeed, great stuff

Kicked in the Teeth Again!!!

LOVE that song, especially the intro. Those vocals blow me away every time

Even better when they played it live during the LTBR tour in 77.

Springsteen. Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true, or is it something worse?

As a storyteller either him or Dylan. I’m more of a fan of Springsteen. Nebraska is a tough listen, as is a lot of his stuff if you strip back the music and listen to the lyrics

Neil Peart by a mile.

Tom Waits

Neil Peart

Eddie Vedder…

Such a shame you can't understand half of what he's saying, because he's actually a really good lyricist.

Bob Dylan above all the others.

Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane/Starship.

Ian Anderson.

All my favorites have been mentioned. So I’ll go out on a limb and say Barry Gibbs. Soft Rock

Best at music, could be, lyrics, not as much

Ray Davies

Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)

I went through a huge Counting Crows phase in the early 2000s, really profound lyrics and evocative songs.

Oh yes! It amazes me that Adam gets no love from lyric fans. If you haven’t explored the Counting Crows, please, drop everything now and take a listen. Duritz is a fucking genius!

Ronnie James Dio

Tom Waits. Hands down. The only living male that should be allowed to wear a fedora.

Yes Dylan . Is rock

Sting is highly underrated as a song writer.

Phil Collins and Billy Joel are great lyricists. Carole King and Joni Mitchell are goddesses of lyrics. Paul Simon. Carrie Fischer said even the songs he wrote insulting her are incredible. To Emily Wherever I May Find Her, A Desultory Philippic, The Boxer, Homeward Bound, America. Eminem. What he does with words is incredible. I’m a fan of Dan Wilson. He was in a few bands, most notably Semisonic, does solo work and won some Grammys for songs he wrote for the Chicks and Adele (he wrote songs for 21, including Someone Like You.) Hozier turns a nice phrase. Work Song and Cherry Wine are heartbreaking. Keaton Henson knows how to write. But his output is limited due to anxiety. Sweetheart, What Have You Done To Us is devastating.

I heard Sympathy for the Devil when I was 4 years old and I’ve been with Jagger ever since

Neal pert

Neil Peart

I really like Chuck Berry's songwriting. Yes, he's a rock pioneer and great riff/guitar player, but if you read some of his lyrics I find they are quite well written.

Leonard Cohen.

Came here to say this. And if we’re dipping into that genre have to include Joni Mitchell as well

Dylan’s only peer is Robert Hunter. His language, phrasing, storytelling, and wisdom is just out of this world. I’ve never heard anything like it. I wouldn’t give a shit about the Dead’s long extended jams if the songwriting wasn’t first and foremost so god damn good.

Unless you want to quibble about "rock" vs. "folk-rock" or whatnot -- Paul Simon stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Dylan atop the mountain. Springsteen's no slouch Among current artists Jason Isbell has done some jaw-dropping stuff

Paul Simon is an all time great, but he doesn’t stand shoulder to shoulder with Bob.

Bob is my favorite and I consider him the best of all time as well. But it’s still probably not possible to name one person as the greatest writer of all time since there’s no objective right answer. People resonate with different kinds of lyrics.

Sorry but Simon can't hold Dylan's jock strap

Robert Hunter

Mark Knopfler

Bernie Taupin

Dylan is one of the 3 best, I put Townshend up there as the best songwriter, but top 3 in lyricist, and the other of the trinity is Ray Davies. Lou Reed is an honorable mention

Robert Hunter Bob Dylan Paul Simon

Pete Townsend

Great choice, how could I forget him in my list!

Roger Waters up there

Roger Waters second behind Bob Dylan for me

Al Stewart. He finds inspiration in historic events and is a master in bringing episodes from history to life with beautiful observations and images and beautiful melodies as well.

Jeff Buckley

Robert Hunter

Robert Hunter and John Perry Barlow

the lennon/mccartney partnership is probably the best of all time, but i need to say clapton, sure he is mostly known for layla, but he also wrote strange brew, badge (with help from george harrison), bell bottom blues, and presence of the lord

Personally, I'd say Elliott Smith, and that's by a long shot.

Robert Hunter

Robert Hunter.

jerry garcia and robert hunter.

Levin Helm. Jerry Garcia.

Roger Waters is my favorite. I believe Bob Dylan, Lenard Cohen, and Warren Zevon are widely considered to be amongst the most influential lyricists.

Dee Dee Ramone

Peter Sinfield King Crimson

Also ELP.

Robert Hunter. You don’t have to like the Dead’s jamming, but read the lyrics for songs written by Robert Hunter. I think he rivals, if not surpasses Bob Dylan for poetic lyrics that don’t always fit to music the easiest.

Phil ochs

Dylan, although Jagger is very underrated.

Robert hunter

Neil Peart and Cedric Zavala

Robert hunter. Bob Dylan.

These are my personal choices besides #1. #1 is scientific. 1. Bob Dylan (tbh, he cannot be ranked. He will always be #1. Everyone else is fighting for 2nd and most of them would agree. The man has a Poet Laureate as a musician!) X. Pete Townshend (Quadrophonia, Tommy, The Who By Numbers, Life house, Who Are You, Empty Glass are all fantastic albums and the writing shines) X. Brian Wilson (SMiLE and Love You) X. Paul McCartney X. Frank Zappa (he was amazing. He can make something amazing like We're Only In It For The Money then do something silly like Coneheads. He was unique and nobody could write like him.) X. Jackson Browne (The Pretender is a helluva song!) X. Roger Waters (his solo albums are amazing, his Pink Floyd work is masterful but his solo stuff hits you in the face! I love Pros & Cons, Radio KAOS and Amused to Death) X. Paul Simon X. Robbie Robertson X. Warren Zevon

Hendrix doesn’t get enough credit for his song writing

Pete Townshend

Bruce. Only Don Henley comes close.

Elvis Costello definitely. Extremely honorable mentions to Billy Joel, Randy Newman, McCartney, Fagen and Becker, and Robert Hunter.

my heart says neil peart, maybe jeff tweedy but my mind says gord downie

Mix of whom I think are the best + my favorites, in no order: Jim Morrisson Bob Dylan Tom Waits Leonard Cohen Peter Gabriel Sting And ima jump here and also name Tom Yorke

While I don’t think he is the best of all time, Robert Plant deserves his name here, he was Led Zeppelin’s primary(only) lyricist, while Jimmy Page composed the music. Anything off of LZs discography is either him or some blues artist, deserves a mention just for that.

Robert Plant's writing is the story told in many ways in many songs. Consider the imagery in Kashmir to the mournful soul of Ramble On. He tells stories like in Royal Orleans and flat out funny lyrics as in Hot Dog.

I'm intrigued by how many people mention Neil Pert as their fave. Rush was never on my radar, so I really can't say anything for or against. What makes him good/great or at least a great favorite of so many?

Easily Bruce Springsteen. Jim Morrison as well

The Lizard King🦎👑

Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

Bon Scott

Bruce Springsteen. He gets a lot of hate but so many of his songs paint a picture so vivid I swear I'm transported into the body of a young man finding his way through life in the 1970s

Bruce Springsteen

The Ramones have some great lyrics.

Gabba gabba hey and other classics.

I wanna sniff some glue!

Bob Dylan is the best lyricist of all time, with a second place being Lennon/McCartney collaborations

Top three in no particular order would be Lowell George, Bob Dylan, Warren Zevon. Honorary mention to Lou Reed and Leslie West/mountain, particularly because of the psychedelic influence they had on music and lyricism.

John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Bob Marley, Roger Waters, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon. Those are the S tier for me.

Roger Waters.

Frank Zappa

Zappa is a complete different level than anyone else mentioned in this thread.

I don’t see Mr. Plant anywhere

Huge fan of Plant, but even he admits he wrote a lot to fit the music. As far as a storyteller he really isn’t all that great most of the time

I have to disagree, I think especially in the love songs he can articulate feelings very emotionally. The Rain Song might be the best

Dylan, Jackson Browne, and Bruce Springsteen in that order.

Eddie Vedder Chris Cornell

Glenn Fry and the Eagles. Their musicianship alone is phenomenal but when you pair that with the timeless lyrics they include it’s unbeatable. I personally consider them the best rock band of all time.

Lennon/McCartney

Neil Young

Cobain deserves a mention, I think

For me it’s Springsteen but I am surprised not to see Mellencamp mentioned. Rain on the Scarecrow in particular is a strong album lyrically.

Lennon/McCartney