The more I learn on this journey, the more songwriters impress me. Specifically, Brian Wilson. And more specifically, Good Vibrations. I am just, wow, this dude is a genius.
Personally, I think he is above, don’t kill me, above John Lennon, maybe even above Paul McCartney though I can’t say for sure. Still thinking about Paul’s material. I’m feeling like for rock and pop, he’s probably in my top 5. Fight me. lol. Ok, just kidding. Who do you consider musical geniuses from rock and pop?
Brian was certainly a wonderful songwriter - the Beatles cited the Beach Boys as an influence. Musical geniuses … there are so many, Bob Dylan would have to feature in a list for for me. Interestingly some of the top songwriters you may have never heard of. Max Martin has written or co-written 29 number 1 hits, a number bettered only by Mr. McCartney.
A song has many dimensions and we all weigh them differently.
I totally get why you would rate Wilson over Beatles, just as Dylan wouldn’t reach my top 10 
Good Vibrations IS a genius song indeed.
Paul Simon is the greatest for me and I always thought Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) should rate higher in these kind of charts. He can punch you in the face with nostalgia in the most indirect way.
It is indeed fascinating how we unwrap the layers of the onions as the years pass, even after hundreds of listens. Sometimes certain life experiences and insights shed a new light on those lines and woosh…they shine bright again, yet in a completely different color!
No no no … not Boy in the bubble 
I definitely agree on Paul Simon. And heck, David Bowie and Elton John are way up there too.
There are so many incredibly good songwriters out there. Besides some of the mentions above, Billy Joel is also definitely among my Top 5. Maybe not top 5, but also one of my favourites (at least currently) is Carole King.
Very true, Paul. I’m also a little guilty of not doing research on who wrote some of the songs I like in case of acts that are not writing their own stuff. Time to change that, it seems. 
I struggle with listing any top 5 type of list because I would have like 30 entries for it. Clearly the Beatles, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Mark Knopfler, Carol King, James Taylor the list goes on and on. We are fortunate in this part of our country to have a very active folk / roots / blues acoustic community with regular camping weekends and festivals.
To me the local talent of songwriters we’ve seen is just as amazing as the luminaries listed above. One in particular, John Thompson, who sadly passed away from cancer a few years back, wrote some of the funniest most irreverent music I’ve listened to. I so fondly remember sitting in the audience with tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks while I physically had to hold my belly. Can’t beat that sort of talent.
Yes, Paul Kelly would have to be up there.
Yeah, 100%. Watched the Spics and Specs episode where Paul Kelly played his follow up to how to make gravy called rita wrote a letter. As follow ups go I was a bit disappointed in it.
Elton sprung to mind initially for me, but I’m a lyric guy, so he didn’t make the cut for me, perhaps I should add Bernie.
Hah, i never thought of that, to be honest.
For me, if i like a song, it doesn’t really matter all that much who wrote it.
I can’t say that i have a favourite songwriter. For many of the songs that i like, it seemed that many people were involved in the creation of the lyrics.
I’m guessing that it partially boils down to who you identify with the most?