The New York Times magazine’s attempt to name the 30 greatest living American songwriters was an attempt to kill the myth of the lone genius. Its lead editor, Sasha Weiss, wanted a list that reflected actual architects of sound, not just solo folk-poets. To build it, a panel of critics used ballots from 700 experts and then fought in a room, playing songs and arguing over who represented American traditions.
The most heated battle was over an exclusion. Critics clashed over Billy Joel. Some called him the poet laureate of New York. But, according to the panel, his lyrics ultimately didn't meet the technical bar set by peers like Bruce Springsteen. They decided to honor the 'piano man' tradition without including the man himself.
“The argument was that while he was the poet laureate of New York, he was too schlocky lyrically, and his catalog doesn't hold up under the scrutiny that you would give someone like Bruce Springsteen.”
- Joe Coscarelli, The Daily
For Taylor Swift, a central figure on the list, songwriting is a defense mechanism. She told the Times she wrote her album Speak Now entirely alone at 18 to silence critics who doubted her authorship after her Grammy win for Fearless. She treats the craft as a technical puzzle, following self-imposed rules like avoiding consecutive words that end and start with the same letter. She sees the bridge of a song as a cinematic reveal and uses external criticism as a creative prompt for hits like 'Blank Space'.
The process varies wildly across genres. Jay-Z told the Times he finds the rhythmic 'pocket' first, acting like a 'Rain Man' in the studio before filling it with intricate wordplay. In Nashville, writers like Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally treat songwriting as a 9-to-5 desk job, collaborating in offices on Music Row to subvert country norms. Nile Rodgers conceived 'I'm Coming Out' for Diana Ross in a flash of commercial insight in a club bathroom. The list frames all these approaches as part of a single, pluralistic American tradition.
