Intro
As a songwriter, I sit at the feet of some amazing artists who inspire me. These are my musical heroes and their influence continues to leave an indelible mark on my songwriting. I listen to these musicians much of the time throughout the day. Some are amazingly gifted songwriters, some are incredible storytellers, and all of them are truly creative musicians. These are the artists who shape me as a songwriter. I hope you will take the time to listen to these artists. You might even find a new favorite!
Tom T. Hall
https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/tom-t-hall
The man who was known as The Storyteller. He wrote songs about his experience and about everyday life in a way that connects to the listener immediately. I like his conversational style in his lyrics and how he sings about common, even mundane things, in such a poetic way. Hall was a storyteller and a poet. He told simple songs in a poetic way that sound laidback and relatable. This is much harder to do than it first appears. Tom T. Hall was a master songwriter and storyteller!
Favorite Songs:
* Homecoming
* A Week in a Country Jail
* Ballad of Forty Dollars
* Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine
* The Year That Clayton Delaney Died
* Salute to a Switchblade Knife
* Me and Jesus
* Bill Monroe for Breakfast
* Ravishing Ruby
* Your Man Loves You Honey
* Somewhere in Kentucky
* Harper Valley, PTA
* Legend of the Lady Bear
* Royal Annie
* The Way I’ve Always Been
* Tulsa Telephone Book
John Denver
https://johndenver.com/
His down-home style music and lyrics really speak to me. John was truly an artist who wore his heart on his sleeve and was willing to put himself into his lyrics and songs. They are personal stories of highs and lows, struggles and successes, and some fun. I got to see John Denver one afternoon as he led the crowd after the 7th Inning Stretch singing his song, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” I love his music.
Favorite Songs:
* Thank God I’m a Country Boy
* Shanghai Breezes
* The Road
* Take Me Home, Country Roads
* Sunshine on My Shoulders
* Rocky Mountain High
* Back Home Again
* A Country Girl in Paris
* Annie’s Song
* Looking for Space
* This Old Guitar
* Dancing with the Mountains
* The Cowboy and the Lady
Merle Haggard
https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/merle-haggard
His true-to-life story is inspiring itself. While in prison, he heard and saw Johnny Cash perform. The Man in Black so influenced Haggard, that he straightened out his life and began an incredibly inspiring career with his guitar and his voice. His ballads and stories were down to earth, and he listened to Cash about not shying away from his past. In fact, his time in prison were a major topic in his early songs. Throughout his long musical career, Merle Haggard poured out his life in song.
Favorite Songs:
* Branded Man
* Sing Me Back Home
* Okie from Muskogee
* Mama Tried
* If We Make it Through December
* I’m Always on a Mountain When I Fall
* Let’s Chase Each Other Around the Room
* That’s the Way Loves Goes
* Chicago Wind
Paul Overstreet
https://www.pauloverstreet.com/
He is perhaps not as well known as others on this list but the songs he wrote sure are familiar with a lot of people! He has written some classic hits, including some #1 songs on the charts, including Randy Travis’ “On the Other Hand” #1, “Forever and Ever, Amen” #1, “Diggin’ Up Bones” #1, and “Deeper than the Holler” #1. Keith Whitely’s “When You Say Nothing at All” #1. Blake Shelton’s “Some Beach” #1. He also wrote Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Overstreet overachieved in his songwriting and he is a master at creating lyrics that are memorable and meaningful. I cannot overstate how influential his own music and his songwriting have both influenced me!
Favorite Songs:
* Sowin’ Love
* Seein’ My Father in Me
* Heroes
* Billy Can’t Read
* Daddy’s Come Around
* Saltwater Cowboys
* Makin’ Some Waves
* Bad on the Beach
* Makes Me Wanna Beach
* Takes a Whole Lot of Liquor to Like Her
* She Only Likes Me for My Willie
Clint Black
https://www.clintblack.com/
I saw Clint Black in concert last October and he is a great entertainer. I’ve listened to his music for many years and enjoy the depth of the lyrics in his songs. There are so many of his songs I connect with and many lines in his lyrics that touch me right where I am in my life, like, “I still comb my hair the same, Still like the same cologne, And I still drive that pickup truck, That the same old bank still owns.” Many times an entire album speaks to me, too. Black’s album, “Killin’ Time,” is one of my all-time favorites. I listen to it over and over again. Clint is also an accomplished guitarist and also play harmonica incredibly well!
Favorite Songs:
* Nobody’s Home
* Nothing’s News
* Killin’ Time
* A Better Man
* Nothin’ But the Taillights
* Ode to Chet
* Something That We Do
* Untanglin’ My Mind
* Summer’s Comin’
* The Old Man
* Untitled (guitar solo)
* Who I Used to Be
Vince Gill
https://www.vincegill.com/
I love Vince Gill’s story, how he left home and bought a guitar with his college money and started living out his passion for music! He obviously made the right choice. His career has spanned decades and his songs still communicate strong feelings and emotions that connect to us. His songwriting is incredible. He just has a way with words and put them down as a song that sings beautifully. Both as a songwriter and a gifted guitarist, Vince has inspired me beyond belief!
Favorite Songs:
* Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away
* One More Last Chance
* I Still Believe in You
* High Lonesome Sound
* Pretty Little Adriana
* The Hills of Caroline
* The Key to Life
* This Old Guitar and Me
* You and You Alone
* Jenny Dreamed of Trains
* I Gave You Everything I Had
* Go Rest High on That Mountain
* Brown’s Diner Bar
Midland
https://www.midlandofficial.com/
This band is connecting with audiences all over the place. Their music even appeared in the movie, The Brick Layer, which is where I first heard about them. I love the lyrics in their songs and how they connect to every day things through descriptive and evocative lines. They are smooth, tight, and creative in their presentation musically and vocally. Their documentary on The Sonic Ranch is very worthily watching. I keep going back to it and discovering new things I didn’t see or hear before. Their music is awesome!
Favorite Songs:
* Barely Blue
* Better Than a Memory
* Vegas
* Halfway to Heaven
* Lonely for You Only
* Drinkin’ Problem
* Burn Out
* More Than a Fever
* Nothin’ New Under the Neon
* Altitude Adjustment
* Electric Rodeo
* Runnin’ Wild
El Wencho
https://elwencho.com/
I found this local Bozeman, MT band from watching a hunting show I enjoy, “Into High Country.” One season, the opening theme song changed for this television show, and I liked it. I did a little digging and found out that El Wencho wrote and performed this song for Jason Matzinger, the host of the show. I liked the song very much and found out that El Wencho had a couple albums out. I immediately purchased these albums and have been listening to them ever since.
Favorite Songs:
* Live by the Gun
* Rocks and Wood
* Troubadours
* Never Be That High
* Fightin’ For
* Fifty Dollars and a Flask of Crown
* Mirage
* Casaulties
* This Time Around
* Ragged as the Road
* Carolina Morning
* American Blood
* Crazy Eddie’s Last Hurrah
* 17
George Strait
https://www.georgestrait.com/
I started listening to George Strait back in the early 80’s. I was dating the girl who would become my wife and we played Strait cassettes in my truck all the time. I was struck by his simple, straightforward sound and the depth of the lyrics he sang. In fact, I dubbed up one of his songs so it would play first in the truck: “Ocean Front Property,” with these lyrics: “If you leave me, I won’t miss you, And I won’t ever take you back, Girl your memory won’t ever haunt me, Cause I don’t love you, And now if you’ll buy that, I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona!” I still remember Denise’s face as I sang those opening lines to her that night! George Strait has the most #1 songs of any genre in music history! HIs legacy in country music is marked by this title: “King of Country Music.” He and his son, Bubba, have started writing songs that appear over his last several albums. Strait brings country music into the world one song at a time and one song after the other after the other!
Favorite Songs:
* Amarillo by Morning
* Ocean Front Property
* The Chair
* Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart
* I Get Along with You
* Marina Del Ray
* Baby’s Gotten Good at Goodbye
* Love Without End, Amen
* Troubadour
* Living for the Night
* She Let Herself Go
* What Do You Say to That
* Peace of Mind
* Blue Clear Sky
* I Can Still Make Cheyenne
* One Night at a Time
* That’s Me (Every Chance Get)
* The Chill of an Early Fall
* If I Know Me
* Cold Beer Conversation
* Let It Go
* Something Going Down
* Stop and Drink
* Wish You Well
* Cowboys and Dreamers
* Wish I Could Say
* The Book
* The Cowboy Rides Away
* Easy Come, Easy Go
* Without Me Around
* Love’s Gonna Make It Alright
* House Across the Bay
* Three Nails and a Cross
* Blue Marlin Blues
* I’ll Always Remember You
* Holding My Own
* So Much Like My Dad
* Two More Wishes
* Some Nights
* God and Country Music
* Blue Water
* The Weight of the Badge
* Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa
* My Infinite Love
* Heaven is Missing an Angel
Don Williams
https://don-williams.com
Just a guitar, a rhythm, and some thoughtful lyrics, but Don Williams put them together like no one else. His love songs are full of emotion, but then, so were all of his songs. Listening to Don Williams is a joy for me because he has a way of putting lyrics together that make them connect with me and my life’s experiences, and my relationships. I listen to his songs over and over and every time I do I hear something refreshing and new in his loving, deep-thinking lyrics. He just had a way of putting emotions down on paper and then singing these emotions out in his songs. If you listen to his music you will hear what I’m talking about.
Favorite Songs:
* Come Early Morning
* You’re My Best Friend
* (Turn Out the Lights and) Love Me Tonight
* Till the Rivers All Run Dry
* Say It Again
* Some Broken Hearts Never Mend
* I’m Just a Country Boy
* I’ve Got a Winner in You
* Rake and Ramblin’ Man
* It Must Be Love
* Love Me Over Again
* Good Ole Boys Like Me
* Lord, I Hope This Day is Good
* Listen to the Radio
* If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey, I Still Do)
* Love is On a Roll
* Nobody But You
* That’s the Thing About Love
* Heartbeat in the Darkness
* Fallin’ Again
* I Want You Back Again
* Simple Song
* Ain’t It Amazing
* Someone Like You
* Tempted
* You’re the Only One
* Reason to Be
The Eagles
https://eagles.com/pages/home
I grew up on the Eagles’ music. I remember listening to their songs on the radio as I was learning how to drive a car. Their harmonies and guitar playing always was amazing to me. Their sound was just so rich and full for this young teenager. I might have been easily impressed back then, but the Eagles music has more than stood the test of time and I love their music even more today than when I was sixteen! “Lyin’ Eyes” is my favorite Eagle’s song because it is a song that tells a vivid and sad story. I think it is a song that most people can identify with on some level. This is true of many if not most of their songs. Listen to just one Eagles’ song… listen carefully to the lyrics… do you hear something you identify with in your life?
Favorite Songs:
* Lyin’ Eyes
* Tequila Sunrise
* Desperado
* Saturday Night
* Take It Easy
* Witchy Woman
* Nightingale
* Peaceful Easy Feeling
* Tryin’
* Hotel California
* New Kid in Town
* Life in the Fast Lane
* The Long Run
* I Can’t Tell You Why
* Already Gone
* Midnight Flyer
* My Man
* Ol’ 55
* The Best of My Love
* One of These Nights
* After the Thrill is Gone
* Please Come Home for Christmas
Bob Dylan
https://www.bobdylan.com
Bob Dylan’s songwriting skills are amazing and refreshing. The way he puts words to music and speaks to the people is breathtaking. His impact early on was with an acoustic guitar. He also plays the harmonica, and he plays it extremely well. He accompanies his stellar lyrics with music that helps to tell this stories with feeling and meaning. Later he went to an electric guitar and his songwriting skills stayed at a high level. I have his Basement Tapes and thoroughly enjoy listening to these songs, too. The first Bob Dylan song I heard was “Blowin’ in the Wind.” I really enjoy the thoughtfulness of Dylan’s music.
Favorite Songs:
* Blowin’ in the Wind
* Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
* The Times They Are A-Chagin’
* It Ain’t Me Babe
* Maggie’s Farm
* Mr. Tambourine Man
* Like a Rolling Stone
* Positively 4th Street
* Lay Lady Lay
* You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
* Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
* Tangled Up in Blue
* Things Have Changed
* Ballad of Hollis Brown
* Visions of Johanna
* Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
* He Was a Friend of Mine
* Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence
* If Not for You
* Blind Willie McTell
The Beatles
https://www.thebeatles.com/albums
The Fab Four were a hit all over the world and their songs and performances were legendary. Their music and entertainment qualities made them the sensation of the time, but their songwriting craft is absolutely stunning. Paul McCartney and John Lennon teamed up to write many of The Beatles’ songs and they were not only incredibly good, but they are memorable and everlasting! I enjoy listening to The Beatles for two reasons: first, I really like their music, and, second, I listen carefully to the lyrics and try to learn how to be a better songwriter myself. There is a lifetime of songwriting study here with The Beatles
Favorite Songs:
* Love Me Do
* Please Please Me
* She Loves You
* I Want to Hold Your Hand
* Can’t Buy Me Love
* A Hard Day’s Night
* And I Love Her
* Eight Days a Week
* I Feel Fine
* Ticket to Ride
* Yesterday
* Help!
* We Can Work It Out
* Day Tripper
* Nowhere Man
* Michelle
* In My Life
* Eleanor Rigby
* Yellow Submarine
* Penny Land
* With a Little Help from My Friends
* A Day in the Life
* Hello, Goodbye
* Lady Madonna
* Hey Jude
* While My Guitar Gently Weeps
* Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
* Get Back
* Don’t Let Me Down
* Here Comes the Sun
* Come Together
* Something
* Octopus’s Garden
* Let It Be
* The Long and Winding Road