While the thought of great American songwriters may bring names like Cole Porter or Louis Armstrong to mind, a new list out on Tuesday just put a current twist on who is deemed “the greatest” at their craft.
Compiled by The New York Times, the list, that was published in no particular order, was constructed by the outlet’s critics along with 250 music industry insiders. Consisting of only living songwriters, each artist has made their impact on entertainment, whether their songs were released in the 1960s like Bob Dylan or their music was a soundtrack to a recent Super Bowl half time show like Bad Bunny or Kendrick Lamar.
Some of the celebrated songwriters, including Nile Rogers, were featured in a video interview, where they explained their approach to coming up with a hit.
“I can have a terrific idea, in my mind, to start with, by the time I finish with it, I’ve rewritten it three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 times,” he said. “So that’s how I think of myself, that I’m an arranger, and because of my arrangements they become the foundation of the song.”
Taylor Swift, for her part, said in her interview that her songwriting process is essentially a new venture every time.
“It’s still such a mystery to me,” she said of her music coming together. “I’ve been writing songs for so long and they never quite happen the same way and I still don’t understand how it works.”
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The list spanned genres from folk to hip hop and classic rock and was complete with mentions notable songs from each artist that made the cut.
See below for the full list.
Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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