10 of the Greatest Songwriters Who Shaped Music Forever

Music is a universal language, deeply woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We’re naturally drawn to its rhythms and melodies. Throughout history, musical geniuses like Beethoven and Mozart captivated audiences from all walks of life. Modern music, too, boasts an incredible array of talented individuals who craft both unforgettable tunes and poignant lyrics. Pinpointing the absolute best songwriters is a challenging feat, yet some stand out as true legends. Let’s dive into a list of ten such iconic figures.

10 Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney’s songwriting prowess is truly remarkable. An astounding 129 songs he penned or co-wrote have graced the UK Official Singles Chart. This incredible count includes 32 hits with The Beatles, 21 with Wings, and 36 from his solo career or various collaborations. His most recent chart entry, a 2015 track with Kanye West and Rihanna, climbed to No. 18. Out of these, 33 songs soared to the No. 1 spot in the UK, featuring beloved classics like “Mull of Kintyre” and “Ebony and Ivory.” McCartney’s partnership with fellow Beatle John Lennon still holds the record for the most No. 1 songs on both UK and U.S. charts.

A fun fact: Sir Paul McCartney made history on November 13, 2005. He became the first entertainer to broadcast live music to the International Space Station. Astronauts Bill McArthur and Valery Tokarev were treated to “Good Day Sunshine” and “English Tea.”

9 Andrew Lloyd Webber

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is a name synonymous with musical theater. He composed 82 phenomenal pieces that played a huge role in revitalizing British and American musical theater in the late 20th century. His collaborations with Tim Rice produced iconic shows like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968) and Evita (1978). Many of his stage successes were also adapted into popular films. His groundbreaking production, Jesus Christ Superstar (which began in 1971), holds the title for the longest-running musical in British theatrical history.

Lloyd Webber’s trophy cabinet is so full that he’s one of the elite few to achieve an “EGOT” – winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award. In a testament to his enduring popularity, 2019 saw five of his musicals running at the same time in London theaters.

8 John Lennon

John Lennon, the creative mind behind the hopeful anthem “Imagine,” boasts an incredible chart record. He had 32 U.S. No. 1 hits and 29 UK No. 1s, just a bit more than his Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney. As a group, The Beatles – Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr – still hold the record for the most No. 1 hits in both the U.S. (19) and the UK (15). Their debut album, Please Please Me (1963), spent 30 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the UK albums chart, a record that still stands. The band also leads in total weeks at No. 1 on both U.S. (132 weeks) and UK charts (174 weeks).

Tragically, on December 8, 1980, Lennon was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman. Chapman, a disillusioned fan, received a sentence of 20 years to life and remains imprisoned after multiple parole denials. One can only imagine the additional masterpieces Lennon might have created had his life not been cut short.

7 Benny Andersson

Benny Andersson, one half of the iconic ABBA songwriting duo with Björn Ulvaeus, crafted numerous unforgettable tunes. Their songs secured two No. 1 spots in the US and an impressive nine in the UK, where they dominated the charts for 31 non-consecutive weeks. Even fifty years later, their 1970s hits continue to be radio and TV staples. This is true even after ABBA disbanded in 1982 and their music briefly faded from the spotlight.

Andersson and ABBA’s music experienced a massive resurgence with the launch of the stage play Mamma Mia!. It premiered on London’s West End in 1999 and on Broadway in 2001. This success led to two star-studded movies, further cementing ABBA’s global popularity. In 2017, Andersson released a solo instrumental album titled Piano. Proving their timeless appeal, ABBA released a new album, Voyage, in 2021, featuring 10 songs that topped album charts in 18 countries. Quite an achievement for a Swedish band that first gained fame winning the Eurovision song contest in 1974! Thank you for the music, Mr. Andersson.

6 Bob Marley

Jamaican singer and songwriter Bob Marley introduced reggae music to a wider American audience. He showed the world that the genre offered just as much depth and power as rock and roll. Marley often used his lyrics, like those in “Buffalo Soldier,” to highlight the struggles of third-world countries and to uplift people facing hardship. Singer-songwriter Bono has said he takes Marley’s “Redemption Song” with him to every meeting with politicians. Fittingly, Bono inducted Marley into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Bob Marley’s lyrical themes weren’t confined to protest. He also penned deeply spiritual lyrics and beautiful love songs, such as “Is This Love?” His accolades include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame, Black Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, and ASCAP Songwriters Hall of Fame. Despite his passing in 1981, his album Legend holds the record for the longest-charting album in Billboard Magazine Catalog Albums chart history and remains the world’s bestselling reggae album.

5 Prince

The debate among fans about who was better, Prince or Michael Jackson, has always been passionate. Born Prince Rogers Nelson, he was also known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, or simply The Artist. Prince was an incredibly talented composer who could play nearly every instrument on his recordings. His music initially focused on funk and soul, targeting black audiences. However, it evolved to embrace jazz-funk, heavy metal, hip-hop, and soulful ballads like the iconic “Purple Rain” (1984). Prince’s prolific songwriting and creativity often clashed with his record company’s policy of releasing only one album per year. As a result, many of his songs became hits for other artists, like The Bangles’ “Manic Monday.”

It’s estimated that Prince wrote between 500 and 1,500 songs, releasing over 40 albums. He cleverly bypassed restrictive album release policies by switching record labels and using the internet to share his music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the same year he released the highly acclaimed album Musicology. Prince sadly passed away in 2016 due to a drug overdose.

4 Leonard Cohen

Canadian artist Leonard Cohen was a novelist and poet before he gained fame as a singer-songwriter. Unlike some other great songwriters, he wasn’t driven by collecting awards. He was a lifelong seeker of something deeper, a “something higher.” Though born Jewish, he explored various spiritual paths and even spent a short time as a Buddhist monk.

Cohen’s songs are truly iconic. “Suzanne” (1967), originally a poem, was inspired by his friendship with a friend’s wife. The masterpiece “Hallelujah” (1984) took some time to gain recognition, as his record label initially dismissed it. However, covers by Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley helped it achieve legendary status. The first version of “Lover, Lover, Lover” (1974) was improvised on the spot when he performed for Israeli soldiers in the Sinai Desert during the Yom Kippur War. “Bird on a Wire” (1969) originated from his time living on the Greek island of Hydra with his muse, Marianne, who also inspired “So Long, Marianne.” Their love story was captured in the 2019 documentary, Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love.

Did his questing spirit ever find contentment? His later songs suggest he found peace with himself and perhaps his creator. One of his final songs, “You Want It Darker” (2016), included the powerful Hebrew words: “Hineni, hineni, I’m ready, my Lord.”

7 Ed Sheeran

Though he hasn’t been in the music industry for two full decades, Ed Sheeran has already amassed a lifetime’s worth of achievements. He joined the National Youth Music Theatre at 15, received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), and has made cameo appearances and taken roles in numerous TV shows and films, including Game of Thrones and Danny Boyle’s Beatles-themed movie, Yesterday.

Sheeran has penned over fifty songs, performed by himself and other major artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and One Direction. He already has six U.S. No. 1 hits and twelve UK No. 1s, consistently topping charts worldwide. The UK Official Charts Company named him the UK’s artist of the decade. This was after he achieved a combined run of 12 number one singles and albums between 2010 and 2019—more than any other artist during that period. In 2017, all 16 tracks from his album Divide debuted in the Top 40 on the UK charts, leading to a rule change limiting chart entries to three per lead artist.

Most of Sheeran’s albums are named after mathematical symbols. Explaining the equals (=) symbol for his 2021 album, he said: “I saw the symbol ‘equals’ as it symbolizes life, not just new life, it symbolizes life and whether that’s the end of life or start of life.” It seems certain that Ed Sheeran will continue to top the charts for far more than “1000 Nights.”

2 Max Martin

The saying “no man is an island” perfectly describes Karl Martin Sandberg, professionally known as Max Martin, and his contributions to music. While his name might not be instantly recognizable to everyone, his music certainly is. He co-wrote Ed Sheeran’s “I Don’t Care” (a duet with Justin Bieber) and “Beautiful People” (featuring Khalid). His impressive catalog also includes hits like “That’s the Way It Is” (Céline Dion), “…Baby One More Time” (Britney Spears), “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” (Justin Timberlake), “So What” (Pink), “I Want It That Way” (Backstreet Boys), “Since U Been Gone” (Kelly Clarkson), and “All You Had to Do Was Stay” (Taylor Swift).

Since emerging in the late ’90s, the Swedish songwriter-producer has co-written an astounding 23 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits. This places him third, only behind John Lennon (26) and Paul McCartney (32). Thirty of his songs are featured in the London West End show & Juliet, a musical that re-imagines Shakespeare’s classic play with Juliet choosing a different fate. Martin is known as the master of “hooks,” believing that both the verse and chorus must be catchy. His collaborative nature and ability to adapt to changing musical trends are likely key to his sustained success, even serving as Sesame Street’s musical director.

1 Bob Dylan

Often hailed as the Shakespeare of his generation, Bob Dylan is a songwriter and performer whose influence is hard to overstate. A prolific writer, Dylan made history by becoming the first songwriter to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. He has written over 500 recorded songs, which have been covered by more than 2,000 artists over the years. Beyond music, Dylan is also a recognized painter with exhibitions worldwide.

Dylan’s numerous accolades include a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1988, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, and 10 Grammys. In 2014, Simon & Schuster published his lyrics in a massive book, spanning 960 pages and weighing an impressive 13.5 pounds (3.12 kilograms). By April 2019, Dylan and his band had performed over 3,000 shows on their Never Ending Tour. In December 2020, Universal Music Publishing Group announced the acquisition of his entire song catalog.

Dylan expressed humility upon winning the Nobel Prize. In his laureate lecture, he highlighted the connection between literature and songwriting. He referenced three books that greatly influenced his life: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, and The Odyssey by Homer. He concluded his lecture with the evocative words: “Sing in me, oh Muse, and through me tell the story.” Bob Dylan’s music continues to do just that.

These songwriters, with their unique voices and incredible talents, have not only topped charts but have also provided the soundtrack to countless lives. Their music continues to inspire, move, and entertain generations.