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Music may look like a bunch of guitars, rocking singers and greasy bums beating on pots and pans, but without a great lyricist, it’s just a bunch of noise and girls riding shoulder-back tossing their sweaty undies on stage. When you put it that way, it doesn’t sound all that bad. But just in case, we’ve rounded up the 12 greatest living lyricists in music (not just rock ‘n roll), anywhere from the Slim Shady to the big papa of hip hop.
While we’d love to give some comeuppance to people like John Lennon and Joni Mitchell, Cornell and Cobain, it was hard enough to knock it down to 12 with just living legends alone. Take a look at some music GIFs of our favorite frontmen who can pen a good lyric, helping turn a memorable melody into a song that strikes a chord in people.
Whether you’re a fan of Sir McCartney and ’90s rock ‘n roll stars or hip hop and choir music, we’ve got a little bit of everyone at the party (except the choir boys).
Music’s 12 Greatest Living Lyricists Are Getting Their Comeuppance Right Here Right Now
More music truths: Songs of Sex: 10 Songs You Could Have Likely Lost Your Virginity to
Lyricists
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Sir Paul McCartney
The Beatles were notorious for creating timeless classics, but the real genius is the simplicity of their early songs like "Love Me Do" and "Twist & Shout" getting people moving and grooving all the time.
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Paul Simon
One great Paul deserves another, and Paul Simon has been widely considered one of the best songwriters of all time. Songs like "The Sound of Silence" are constantly recurring in pop culture today, while Simon continues to write today. Louis C.K. understands this, which is why he asked him to write the theme song for his under-the-radar series, Horace & Pete.
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Eminem
He's been running his mouth all his life, but for nearly 20 years millions of people have been listening. While his early singles like "My Name Is" garnered the attention, heavy songs like "Stan," "Rap God" and "Lose Yourself" show very explicitly just what he's capable of.
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Thom Yorke
When Radiohead was just another great Brit rock band, his lyrics carried the way in songs like "Creep" and "Karma Police." Now that the instrumentation can carry the weight, as clearly seen with Moon-Shaped Pools, Yorke still somehow manages to get his genius in there as one of the best vocalists out there.
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Anthony Kiedis
The man can rhyme like no other, words that don't even exist, and has been for nearly 35 years. The Chili Peppers frontman has somehow managed to produce thousands of red hot lines across a number of albums in spite of a crippling drug habit in the band's first couple decades.
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Roger Waters
Roger Waters is far from another brick in the wall, as his words can lull you into being comfortably numb with ease. The Pink Floyd bassist is currently touring those timeless tunes now, if you're lucky enough to catch him.
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Brandon Boyd
While Incubus remains one of the last true rock bands of the '90s, some might attribute that to lead singer Brandon Boyd's ability to articulate the times and still look youthful in his 40s. Then again, maybe it's the lack of quality guitar bands in modern American festival scenes. Songs like "In the Company of Wolves" vividly illustrate his writing prowess, in addition to being a kick ass visual artist and activist.
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Zack de la Rocha
Politically, he could burn a room down with his words, which makes us which Rage Against the Machine was around now more than ever. "Renegades of Funk" is a solid representation of great music fused with great lyrics, but songs like "Bulls on Parade" and "Guerrilla Radio" show just how fierce and opinionated Rocha's brain truly is.
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Jay Z
A hard-knocked life tends to inspire some worthwhile lines, especially for Jay-Z, who retains his status as one of the best hip hop lyricists in our book, spanning a couple decades. His new album 4:44 is said to be his most personal yet.
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PJ Harvey
While not enough people know her, PJ Harvey can be easily linked to another one of rock's best, Nick Cave. If you don't know these things, go listen to them both now immediately, simultaneously.
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Morrissey
His words were bold back in the time of The Smiths, but still to this day Morrissey is a very sophisticated and opinionated fellow. Check out the new biopic on him, England Is Mine, or just search for his political protests to get a taste.
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Stephan Jenkins
Although his political diva side can be a bit nauseating in the live forum, Jenkins is currently touring behind the 20th anniversary of Third Eye Blind's debut, which to this day holds strong some of the best '90s hits about love, loss, narcolepsy and drug abuse.
