My 20 Favorite Singer/Songwriters (at the moment)

I have nothing against Gordon Lightfoot. I really like a number of his compositions. But I recently ran across this list compiled by the so-called music mavens at L.A. Weekly, which they touted as the definitive ranking of the world’s 20 best singer/songwriters. Gordon Lightfoot was No. 20 on that list, which was OK as far as it goes. But as I scanned the list I noticed the name Jackson Browne was nowhere to be found. Give me a break. I’ll give you Lightfoot’s Sundown and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and raise you Browne’s For Everyman, Rock Me on the Water, Something Fine, These Days, Take It Easy, The Pretender, just to name a handful.

So I thought to myself what would my list of 20 best singer/songwriters look. Then I decided I don’t want to compile a list that will stand for all-time, but one that reflected which ones I preferred right now. With apologies to Gordon Lightfoot and the L.A. Weekly, here’s how that list turned out:

1. Bob Dylan
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Neil Young
4. Paul Simon
5. Lucinda Williams
6. Van Morrison
7. John Prine
8. John Hiatt
9. Boz Scaggs
10. Ryan Adams
11. Jackson Browne
12. Willie Nelson
13. Patty Griffin
14. Mark Knopfler
15. Dave Alvin
16. Joe Ely
17. Lyle Lovett
18. Guy Clark
19. Tom Petty
20. Robert Earl Keen

That's, like I said, the list for right now. It might all change by this time next week, next month, next year.