Nina Simone, Sade Adu and Lauryn Hill.

Being a great artist is much than than simply singing songs. Rather, the very best acts of our time do much more than perform the tracks delivered to them or purchase a slot in the credits; they write those tunes for themselves. Hence, Way Back Wednesday will focus on the work these legendary singer-songwriters.

Composing melodies and lyrics that they perform, the singer-songwriters are literally the tailors of popular culture’s fabric and have earned a place among the most respected persons in the music industry. Indeed, singer-songwriters are so highly regarded that many people lie, cheat and steal to claim the title.

Who exactly are some of the most talented singer-songwriters of our time? Watch some of them in action below:

Bob Marley – ‘Redemption Song’

Carol King – ‘It’s Too Late’

Elton John – ‘Something About the Way You Look Tonight’

Lauryn Hill – ‘Ex-Factor’

Mariah Carey – ‘Petals’/'Rainbow’

Michael Jackson – ‘Earth Song’

Nina Simone – ‘Four Women’

Prince – ‘Purple Rain’

R. Kelly – ‘I Believe I Can Fly’

Sade Adu – ‘The Sweetest Taboo’

Stevie Wonder – ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’

Singer-songwriters are so well respected because they understand the essence of music and are completely involved in the development of their material. These people are responsible for making us think, question and understand our lives beyond the scope of a range of pretty high notes.

Yet, we all know that there are several frauds in the field of entertainment; shameless individuals who could barely use proper grammar and have sorely limited vocabularies yet somehow expect us to believe that they write the dramatic ballads on their albums. Remember, they can buy writer’s credits but the truth always surfaces eventually.

Who is your favourite singer-songwriter? Is anybody missing from this list? Also, name some artists who you think are complete frauds. Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Thoughts?

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[Edited 5/30/12 18:47pm]

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