who is the greatest song writer ever?
474436
Ever?? Wow that's a tough one. I'd probably have to go with Carl Orff, the composer best known for "Carmina Burana."\n\nGreatest contemporary songwriter would have to be Paul McCartney. Runner ups include Paul Simon, Sting, Pete Townshend, and Tom Petty. Of course, you can't forget older musical greats like Cole Porter, Perry Como, or Bobby Darin.
356698
I love them all but my favourite would have to be Billie Joe.  I really love them all. They are the best band ever and no one can ever bet them that's for sure.
40176
Jimi Hendrix, hands down.  Eric Clapton is also great, and I also really like Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Queen's Brian May, but Hendrix is definitely the all-time best.
33709
Sam Cooke.\nHere are the lyrics:\nhttp://lirama.net/song.plp/2217/2217
861227
John Lennon,Elvis,George Michael could you imagine the music that could be written\nPrincess Diana,Marilyn Monroe,Rachael Hunter, kylie some gorgeous women
1108747
eric clapton\n\ncarlos santana\n\nB B King\n\nStevie Ray Vaughan\n\nit's not who is the fastest, or loudest,  or who can make the strangest noises, it's who is consistant, accurate, creative, timeless..\n\n\nOH, YEA , i almost forgot....ESTEBAN!
579922
Van Halen is the greatest!!! Although I have to disagree with you on their best song... "Hot For Teacher" is the most incredible song ever. Just listen to the drum intro...sounds like a finely tuned motorcycle engine. Eddie is the KING!!!
377011
My vote is for the terrific singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.
377082
Oh he is my favorite, too.  I love most of his songs.  Bed of Roses, Always, Just Older, It's My Life, and Who Says You Can't Go Home.  I CAN'T pick just one.
454959
Ne-Yo iz best known 4 co-writing Let Me Love You By Mario but he also wrote songs 4 Mary J. Blige, Ruben Studdard, Marques Houston, Faith Hill, Christina Millian, B2K, Nivea, Tyrese, Jamie Foxx and Heather Headley. i cant believe people didnt know ne-yo was a artists, where have they been the past few months.\nplease vote me as best :)
513129
The White Album or Sgt. Pepper -both are masterpieces. As for a song-impossible to choose one best song
694691
What can i say about Cat Stevens??all i can say is that i'm his biggest fan alive and he is the best singer-songwriter ever lived, All the songs by the legendary "Cat" are timeless
863391
i can't believe nobody has even mentioned jimmy page, but i'd have to say eddie van halen
1033999
Yoko Ono\n\nhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000009UM/ref=pd_cp_m_title/103-8386940-6808636?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=5174\n\nListen to track #4 ... I think you may agree!
154514
Came to mind instantly: Trent Reznor & Jim Morrison. David Bowie is up there, too.
235321
"The greatest American writer of free verse is probably Walt Whitman. His great collection of free verse was titled Leaves of Grass and it was published in 1855" - first link below.\n\n"Free verse (also at times referred to as vers libre) is a term describing various styles of poetry that are not written using strict meter or rhyme, but that still are recognizable as 'poetry' by virtue of complex patterns of one sort or another that readers can perceive to be part of a coherent whole."\n\n"American poet, journalist and essayist, best known for LEAVES OF GRASS (1855), which was occasionally banned, and the poems 'I Sing the Body Electric' and 'Song of Myself.' Whitman incorporated natural speech rhythms into poetry. He disregarded metre, but the overall effect has a melodic character. Harold Bloom has stated in The Western Canon (1994) that "no Western poet, in the past century and half, not even Browning, or Leopardi or Baudelaire, overshadows Walt Whitman or Emily Dickinson." - last link\n\nHope this helps. Was constrained by your time limit.
427142
Clapton all the way. He basically reinvented rock as we know it. From his power rock-esque songs like 'Sunshine of Your Love', to the deep and meaningful tones of the incredibly famous 'Layla', Clapton was, simply put, the greatest rock musician to ever live.