His fast-paced rap style and innovative lyrics have made him one of the best-selling best singer songwriters of the 21 st century. He has an incredible talent for creating memorable sing-along choruses, as well as mastering his intricate rhymes. S,o get out there and start observing – you never know when inspiration will strike! EminemĮminem has a talent for wordplay and lyrics like no other. He has described songwriting as “laying yourself bare,” and sometimes “coming out with ideas that might be quite embarrassing.” The artist said that it works as a therapeutic process for him, and that he has stopped himself “going mad by writing songs.” He is also known for taking inspiration from the world around him. Sheeran takes inspiration from his life, and you would be hard pressed to find a song of his that doesn’t have a deeper meaning behind the lyrics.

He wrote Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”, One Direction’s “Little Things”, Hilary Duff’s “Tattoo” and too many more to list! But what you may not know is that he has written for many other artists (primarily in the pop genre).

I have no doubt that you will recognise many of Ed Sheeran’s songs that he has written and performed. Bob Dylan called him “the greatest living poet”, and Paul McCartney said “Smokey Robinson was like God in our eyes.” Smokey told Rolling Stone that his “theory of writing is to write a song that has a complete idea, and tells a story in the time allotted for a record,” and “it has to be something that really means something, not just a bunch of words on music.” It is not only easier to write lyrics when they mean something to you, but also the music will be more meaningful, and your fans will be able to connect more. Lyrics like these have led other famous artists to reign praise upon him. Take his distinctive lyrics “ Sweetness was only heartache’s camouflage / The love I saw in you was just a mirage”, for example. He also penned Marvin Gaye’s famous “Ain’t That Peculiar”, and had huge success writing for the Miracles, gaining a number of Top 20 chart hits. Robinson landed his first hit song with the Miracles’ “Shop Around”, and went on to great success. His innovative lyrical ideas combined with his unique melodies make his writing easy to spot. Smokey Robinson has gone down in history as one of the greatest songwriters, particularly in the Motown and R&B genre. Dylan wrote that “A song is like a dream, and you try to make it come true,” saying that “they’re like strange countries that you have to enter.” Smokey Robinson Politics influenced his songwriting immensely, and Dylan educated himself on the past to create lyrics that have resonated through the years. You want to say something about strange things that have happened to you, strange things you have seen.” Rolling Stone wrote that “No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time, for all time.” Dylan wrote in his memoir ‘Chronicles’ that “You want to write songs that are bigger than life. He didn’t bow to traditional conventions, and this is epitomised by the six minute single “Like a Rolling Stone” (1965). Dylan also had success himself with songs like Rainy Day Women and Subterranean Homesick Blues. For example, “Blowin’ in the Wind” (performed by Stevie Wonder) reached number 9 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. The American singer-songwriter’s early songs became huge hits for others. So let’s take a look at some of the best songwriters of all time… Bob Dylanīob Dylan has had an incredible impact on popular music as we know it today. Put simply, they can look outside their own world view and put themselves in someone else’s shoes in order to achieve lyrical depth. Finally, great songwriters can appreciate different perspectives and opinions. After all, that is where the emotion lies. Ask yourself why, what, when and how when you are considering a situation and get to the root of it. Having an innately curious nature is encouraged in creative types, especially writers and songwriters. You never know what inspiring situation you could stumble upon! This applies to observing the world around you, as you can garner inspiration from people in the park or coffee shop all day. Plus, we are at our most creative when we are exploring new things. After all, just applying what you already know could halt your creativity. The answer to that question is a number of things! A great songwriter is always willing to learn and try different techniques.

Songwriters who have done time