AW's Top 100 Storytellers (music)

III · Jan 28, 2009

This is similar to our AW's Top 100 Singers project, but this time we're voting for our favorite musical storytellers.

Any AW member can vote. Post your top 20 in order in this thread. I'll compile the final results. Let's say any songwriter from around 1950's forward. You can post additional comments in this thread, but only one vote per AW'er.

Here's the tricky part. You can vote for individuals and / or combinations of storytellers. For example, you can vote Lennon / McCartney as #1 and just John Lennon as #3.

Deadline is end of day Sunday, 1/31. You can post your votes and edit them until the deadline without PM'ing me.

Don Allen · Jan 28, 2009

I'm going to depart from the norm here and go with "Rogers and Hammerstein" From a story telling perspective their music and lyrics put you into the minds of the characters who sang them. Also they did it over and over, not one hit wonders, not implying that Lennon and McCartney were, or are.
If we're strickly talking Rock and Roll, then I vote for Harry Nielson

SirOtter · Jan 28, 2009

John Prine
Lennon/McCarney - far greater together than either separately
Janis Ian
Pete Seeger
Al Stewart
Joan Baez
Arlo Guthrie
Pete Townsend
Smoky Robinson
Harry Chapin
Harry Nillson
Bill Withers
Carol King
Michael Nesmith
Jimmy Buffett

III · Jan 28, 2009

Don Allen said:
I'm going to depart from the norm here and go with "Rogers and Hammerstein" From a story telling perspective their music and lyrics put you into the minds of the characters who sang them. Also they did it over and over, not one hit wonders, not implying that Lennon and McCartney were, or are.
If we're strickly talking Rock and Roll, then I vote for Harry Nielson

Just to clarify, you can list your top 20 in order and we'll compile an overall list based on points.

Priene · Jan 30, 2009

1 Bob Dylan
2 Harry Chapin
3 Kate Bush
4 James Russell Mercer (the Shins)
5 Michael Stipe (R.E.M.)
6 Sufjan Stevens
7 John Roderick (the Long Winters)
8 Walter Becker/Donald Fagen (Steely Dan)
9 Gerard Langley (the Blue Aeroplanes)
10 Elvis Costello
11 Neil Young
12 Chris Difford (Squeeze)
13 Elliott Smith
14 Ed Fletcher/Melle Mel (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five)
15 Mike Skinner (the Streets)
16 Joni Mitchell
17 Warren Zevon
18 Ben Folds
19 Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys)
20 Thea Gilmore

(that was a lot of fun, btw)

Edit 1 - bumped Gerry Rafferty for Elliott Smith

poetinahat · Jan 30, 2009

I wish I hadn't followed Priene here - what a list!

Paul Simon
The Smiths (Morrissey/Marr)
Grateful Dead
Randy Newman
Simon and Garfunkel
Bob Dylan
Lyle Lovett
Johnny Cash
Stan Ridgway (frontman for Wall of Voodoo, also solo)
Prince
Suzanne Vega
Neko Case
Jim Croce
Arlo Guthrie
Big Bill Broonzy
The Fall
Alex Chilton
The Minutemen
Dead Kennedys
Public Enemy
Grandmaster Flash

III · Jan 30, 2009

Excellent. I was afraid this idea was just gonna die. Thanks for adding to your list, Sir Otter. Great lists, Priene and PiaH. I'm still working on mine so it helps to be able to steal from yours.

Pagey's_Girl · Jan 30, 2009

Mine, in no particular order:

Leonard Cohen
Tom Petty
Johnny Cash
Robert Plant
Roy Orbison
Nick Cave
Mike Peters (the Alarm)

I'm sure I'll think of others, but those are the ones who come to mind right now.

SirOtter · Jan 30, 2009

III said:
Thanks for adding to your list, Sir Otter.

Always happy to assist in any way I can. :{) I just can't believe I forgot Dylan, Cash and Orbison. Not to mention Gordon Lightfoot. Doh!

rhymegirl · Feb 1, 2009

Dan Fogelberg
Bob Dylan
Woody Guthrie
Joan Baez
John Lennon
Arlo Guthrie
Don McLean
Joni Mitchell
Janis Ian
Judy Collins
Paul Simon
Jim Croce
John Mellencamp
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Bruce Springsteen
James Taylor
Carly Simon
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Bernie Taupin
John Denver

rhymegirl · Feb 1, 2009

III said:
Deadline is end of day Sunday, 1/31. You can post your votes and edit them until the deadline without PM'ing me.

Isn't Sunday February 1st?

skyscrape32 · Feb 1, 2009

I would go for Joni Mitchell. I like her song Big Yellow Taxi.

III · Feb 3, 2009

I apologize I'm late getting to this. I went through a computer reformat and upgrade so I'm way behind. Since we don't have that many participants I'll leave this thread open until Friday so if anyone's still interested they can participate.

William Haskins · Feb 5, 2009

jim croce
elvis costello
nick cave
woody guthrie
roger waters

SirOtter · Feb 5, 2009

Kris Kristofferson

Dawnstorm · Feb 7, 2009

I don't see a count. Are we still voting?

Anyway, top 15 of what I could think of.

Kevin Ayers
David Bowie
Jaques Brel
Gary Brooker/Keith Reid (Procul Harum)
John Cale
Bob Calvert
Nick Cave
Ray Davies
Chris DeBurgh
Peter Gabriel
Ian Hunter
Jimmy Page/Robert Plant
Lou Reed
Pete Townsend
Tom Waits

AW's Top 100 Storytellers (music)

III

rockin the suburbs

Don Allen

Seeking a Sanctuary of Intelligence

SirOtter

Il Cavaliere Marino

III

rockin the suburbs

Priene

Out to lunch

poetinahat

Numbers are beautiful

III

rockin the suburbs

Pagey's_Girl

Still plays with dolls

SirOtter

Il Cavaliere Marino

rhymegirl

It's a New Year!

rhymegirl

It's a New Year!

skyscrape32

III

rockin the suburbs

William Haskins

poet

SirOtter

Il Cavaliere Marino

Dawnstorm

punny user title, here