Gilbert and Sullivan would certainly be on the list. "Pirates of Penzance" and "Mikado" are still being performed almost 120 years after they were written.
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So many great songwriters in the 80s that were also writing great songs in the 60s, 70s, 90s, and now (e.g. David Bowie). For songwriters generally associated with the 80s, however, I might also add in no particular order:
-Andy Partridge (XTC)
-Chris Difford/Glenn Tillbrook (Squeeze)
-Mark Hollis (Talk Talk)
-Bryan Ferry
-Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo) |
dont forget Don Henley, Mark Knoephler, Sting, Bruce Hornsbey, and Milli Vanilli (just kidding). |
Dawgbyte,
Check this thread out:
http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17484
Eslaudio: Spot-on list!!!!
Brad |
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Tom Waits, Sam Phillips, Prince, Dylan, Costello |
Mark Knopfler
Noel Brazil
Paul Simon
David Byrne
Neil Young |
Agree completely with Springsteen, Prince, Byrne, and Westerberg.
Others I would nominate, in no particular order:
Elvis Costello
Marshall Crenshaw
Tom Waits
Grant McLennan/Robert Forster (Go-Betweens)
Bob Mould/Grant Hart (Husker Du)
d boon (Minutemen)
Lou Reed (his best solo work was done in the 80s, IMO)
Finally, Lucinda Williams first came on the scene in the 80s, but did not produce her best work until the 90s. She is at or near the top of my list of top songwriters of the 90s.
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Some very good choices above. I'd agree with a bunch o' 'em. And I'd like to add: Roddy Frame (of Aztec Camera), Mike Scott (the Waterboys), Paul Buchanan (the first two -- and best two Blue Nile discs, I believe, were released in the '80s), Paul Weller (with the Style Council), and the great songwriter and guitarist Tom Verlaine. That's five, but I don't feel good about having left out Thomas Dolby, a terribly good songwriter who I was lucky enough to see a few months back. Seen from this decade, the '80s don't look too bad, do they? I'm gonna go play an Aztec Camera disc. Thanks for putting the notion in my head. |
Peter Prescott (Mission of Burma, Volcano Suns) - incredible intelligence and perspective, timeless observations on life. Artful and honest. |
suzanne vega
peter gabriel
david byrne
steve winwood
tim flynn
elvis costello
dylan (Oh Mercy)
Robbie Robertson
Bono
donald fagen - pre writer's block nightfly |
I agree with many of the above. I'll ad a few that I think may be over looked...
Peter Case - (Blue Guitar album is one of the best ever IMHO)
Richard Thompson
John Hiatt
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Gregg Brown
Brian Setzer (wrote some classic rockabilly)
CHris |
Sting
Peter Gabriel
Rickie Lee Jones
Mark Knopfler
Tom Petty |
My first impuse numbers one through four have already been identified;
Hiatt, Thompson, Westerberg, and Crenshaw.
Number 5, however, could go a lot of ways;
Graham Parker or David Byrne or Allen Toussaint or Elvis Costello or Todd Rundgren or Karl Wallinger (World Party, The Waterboys) or August Darnell (Kid Creole) or etc., etc.....
Lots of good songwriters out there |
David Byrne
Joe Jackson
Danny Elfman
Bono
Elvis Costello |
Nanci Griffith
Lyle Lovett
Dylan of course
Elvis Costello
Lucy kaplansky |
Bob Dylan
Roy Orbison
Tom Petty
Jeff Lynne
George Harrison... |
Nrchy
why didnt you just say the Traveling Wilburys |
Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Peter Gabriel certainly deserve to be mentioned with the others on my list. |
I was waiting for someone to notice...
:o |
Hey, Tweeter and the Monkey man....I remember those days! |
Springsteen: The River, Nebraska, BUSA, and Tunnel of Love were all released in the 80s. |
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Michael Been
Joe Jackson
Mark Knopfler
Van Morrison
Gerry Rafferty |
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elvis costello graham parker paul westerberg tommy keene john hiatt richard thompson bob mould and grant hart difford/tilbrook |
Can't believe no one has mentioned Stevie Wonder. |
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Michael Jackson
Huey Lewis
Tina Turner
Cyndi Lauper
Sade |
Glad to see the boys from Husker Du getting some recognition for their good work. Always thought "Warehoues" was an overlooked gem.
Btw, do you find yourself humming along with "Land speed record", or is it just me?;) |
Dhl93449-This thread is about songwriters not record sales! |
Dayglo
So which of my suggestions is not a song writer in the 80's? Do they all have to be no names like Micheal Been (who the *** is that)?
Agree with Mark Knofler, Joe Jackson. By 1980 Van Morrison's voice was shot. His best stuff was in the 70's, not the 80's.
I also should have added Phil Collins. Or Al Stewart.
Just because someone sell records, does not make them a poor song writer. |
Different strokes guys.
Michael Been was mostly known for his work with the Call. |
Huey Lewis? I'd put Stevie Winwood or Bruce Hornsby in front of him. Brian Eno. |
