I would LOVE to vote Prince best songwriter of all time except that, in my opinion, Lennon and McCartney, Elvis Costello and Joni Mitchell are superior writers. Prince can FUNK, though, unlike the others, which, in addition to his (formerly) great sonwriting ability, makes him a special talent. Greatest one-man band in pop/rock history? Easily. Ya huuuuuurd?

[Edited 4/29/14 10:18am]

Militant said:

Prince is a million times a better songwriter than either Lennon or McCartney. Hell, there's two of them. And they still don't have the pure songwriting range than Prince does. He's written fantastic songs in the styles of rock, pop, soul, funk, hip-hop, jazz, new age, electro, rockabilly, new wave, reggae, latin jazz/funk, country.......

The following might sound like I'm trying to be harsh, but I'm not at all. I just sound like that in written form.

While art in general is subjective, Prince's songs have touched and affected a pretty small fraction of the people the Beatles have. Lennon and McCartney both have some of the most covered songs in history. He might be YOUR favorite songwriter of all time, but to be the greatest in this way requires a much larger consensus and there is so much love for the Beatles/Lennon/McCartney because their songs touched so many in a VERY profound way. It's not strictly about numbers, though. There have been some truly awful records that have far outsold some of Prince's stuff that is clearly superior. It's the fact that the Beatles/Lennon/McCartney have reached so many different kinds of people. Beer-chugging idiots love the Beatles as much as some serious intellectuals and often for different reasons. When Prince writes a Hey Jude, Imagine, Yesterday or even A Day In The Life then you'll have something the world will agree with you.

Prince is a amazing, no doubt. He's pretty much untouchable as a musician and singer and he's written some great songs. I don't think anyone would disagree that he's a legend and pretty easily belongs in the top 10 at least.

You're confusing songwriting with arranging. He's written songs that he's arranged in-the-style-of rock. pop, etc...

His songs are what hey are and they're very cool, but if I take one of Prince's songs, (like Take Me With You - great song) and arrange it in the style of a country song that doesn't mean Prince wrote a country song.

Prince cannot even begin to approach Paul McCartney musically, and I don't even like Paul McCartney. Paul puts pen to paper and writes for a legit orchestra. Prince comes up with a melody and chord progression and passes it off to someone who does all the heavy lifting including conducting. The same for horn parts.

I'm not saying I like Paul McCartney's songs better than Prince's because I don't.

Polls like this are highly inaccurate at best. They are a real reflection only of the small but loud minority that bothers to take them.

I'm sure ranker is enjoying the ad revenue, which is the only reason this poll exists.

I love Prince but I have to give the upvote to Joni Mitchell... I think she pisses (..a tequila anaconda) all over everyone else.

Militant wants to juice a poll, shame on him.

2freaky4church1 said:

Militant wants to juice a poll, shame on him.

Shame on a Prince fan for wanting to see Prince get some recognition as a songwriter???

This ain't a political election...It ain't that serious...This place has become so fucking joyless...Damn shame...

murph said:

2freaky4church1 said:

Militant wants to juice a poll, shame on him.

Shame on a Prince fan for wanting to see Prince get some recognition as a songwriter???

This ain't a political election...It ain't that serious...This place has become so fucking joyless...Damn shame...

I know, right? Sometimes it's as if this place isn't.... you know... a forum for Prince fans.

As for juicing anything, Prince himself tweeted the link, too. So maybe we should all go and say "shame on him" too. FFS.....

I'll vote for him as best pop musician of all time, but not best songwriter

Militant said:

murph said:

Shame on a Prince fan for wanting to see Prince get some recognition as a songwriter???

This ain't a political election...It ain't that serious...This place has become so fucking joyless...Damn shame...

I know, right? Sometimes it's as if this place isn't.... you know... a forum for Prince fans.

As for juicing anything, Prince himself tweeted the link, too. So maybe we should all go and say "shame on him" too. FFS.....

Militant said:

Shawy89 said:

This list is bullshit even with Prince being number one. You tell me that Prince is better than Bob Dylan lyrically?

Songwriting = music AND lyrics.

You can perhaps argue that Dylan is a better lyricist. I don't agree, because I don't think he has the range. But musically, no fucking way. He does one genre well. Prince does at least half a dozen to a VERY high standard. That's why he's #1. Hip-Hop fans don't fuck with Dylan. Funk fans don't fuck with Dylan. Soul fans don't fuck with Dylan. Those genres have just as much validity in their songwriting as folk.

And personally, when it comes to folk, I'd take Joni over Bob any day of the week. In fact, let's hear from the great woman herself on the subject:

Mitchell added, "Musically he's not very gifted. He's borrowed his voice from old hillbillies. He's got a lot of borrowed things. He's not a great guitar player. He's invented a character to deliver his songs."

Lol, you've obviously heard 3 or 4 songs from Bob... you should already know that most of Bob Dylan albums are trademarks in rock, folk, blues, rockabilly, gospel and country music.. (Love and Left album explored even jazz music -- Apart from his other musical journeys when he delivered songs in Irish & Scottich music style). If you think music is only funk and R&B and rock then you should know there are folks who fuck with the other genres, the genres people like Bob Dylan do... Those are probably the hippies, or the countrymen.. or those type of people who live naked by the river, or live isolated from the urban community, earth is one big place, dude... and I'm sure not everyone fucks with Prince or pop music in general.

Well, I also like Joni over Bob because her voice is a better voice (for me) and Bob's voice sounds like a choking frog..... It's just that one should take into consideration the facts, and one fact is that Bob Dylan invented the songwriting formula everybody followed years later.... and btw, what Joni meant from borrowing is that he borrowed words & little sentences, that's normal in any case of art, film, music, painting, you always take from the best... probably Joni was mad Bob was getting all the props for founding folk rock music...

PRINCE FAN BASE HIJACKS ONLINE POLL

call TMZ

[Edited 4/29/14 12:32pm]

controversy99 said:

Carole King is all the way down at 66. This list is ridiculous.

Exactly.

Glad to see that Stevie and Joni have both made their way up into the Top 10.

Are you guys, really, really itching for a list topped by Prince?

Fuck a list if it's voted by only fans.... Y'all ain't satisifed with Rolling Stone rankings?

go to a forum called ATRL and there are 1664545154 members who argue about who's a better songwriter: Britney Spears or Katy Perry... and Britney wins, and the votes surpass 4665 votes for each..

Polls like these ain't nothing, they're just for delusional satisfaction, and based upon fast, childish & superficial decisions.. Music lists are made either solely or by a number of experts.

The opinions of so called "experts" are no more or less valid than anyone else's.

Does the list have no merit simply because it's topped by Prince? He IS a great songwriter...one of the best to write analogies and metaphors. Dylan, Mitchell and the rest have had their day...Prince is writing great lyrics TODAY (except for the pretzel song, wtf?).

Prince is the greatest, no doubt about it.

Bogus poll. There's no such thing as "Greatest" this or that. There is only your favorite.

Just voted, Prince#1 with Stevie Wonder in at 2nd

Oh dear..... this is silly, edit: this is a response to the headline on the front page:

"Prince ranked as the Greatest Songwriter of All Time"...

Silly, because every one in their right mind knows that Lennon - McCartney they are FAR better & beats Prince a million times.

wake up..... Prince is good -- but not that good.

.

[Edited 4/29/14 15:22pm]

Just like in Grafitti Bridge.... "The Kid won, and with a battle!

Prince shall now be acknowledged by the whole Universe as: The Greatest Songwriter ever known to man. YES!

thedance said:

Oh dear..... this is silly, edit: this is a response to the headline on the front page:

"Prince ranked as the Greatest Songwriter of All Time"...

Silly, because every one in their right mind knows that Lennon - McCartney they are FAR better & beats Prince a million times.

wake up..... Prince is good -- but not that good.

I'm sorry but the truth has been told. Prince is the Greatest. Everyone else is beneath him. It is now written.

romeo77090 said:

thedance said:

Oh dear..... this is silly, edit: this is a response to the headline on the front page:

"Prince ranked as the Greatest Songwriter of All Time"...

Silly, because every one in their right mind knows that Lennon - McCartney they are FAR better & beats Prince a million times.

wake up..... Prince is good -- but not that good.

I'm sorry but the truth has been told. Prince is the Greatest. Everyone else is beneath him. It is now written.

^ haha......


sure... "the truth has been told"...

Great song writing:
FixUrLifeUp

PretzelBodyWhatever
Rock N Roll Love Affair
Screwdriver


yeah "the truth" has been told.

romeo77090 said:

Genesia said:

iZsaZsa said:

romeo77090 said:

Just like in Grafitti Bridge.... "The Kid won, and with a battle!

Prince shall now be acknowledged by the whole Universe as: The Greatest Songwriter ever known to man. YES!

Ballad. He won with a ballad.

Wow! All these years I thought it was battle. Well the Kid still won with a ballad: "The BreakDown"

romeo77090 said:

thedance said:

Oh dear..... this is silly, edit: this is a response to the headline on the front page:

"Prince ranked as the Greatest Songwriter of All Time"...

Silly, because every one in their right mind knows that Lennon - McCartney they are FAR better & beats Prince a million times.

wake up..... Prince is good -- but not that good.

.

[Edited 4/29/14 15:22pm]

According to who? You?

All these songwriters are great and wrote many classic songs...

Prince is one of these people....our #1

Lennon/McCartney did not write songs in that many styles as Prince does...

[Edited 4/29/14 16:57pm]

if it asked to give examples to prove worthiness...u couldve said ...."ivw been playing with my toy so much im gonna go blind"

DONE

http://www.ranker.com/lis...mp;page=14

THIS is more disturbing....