The Greatest Country Songwriters Of All Time Revealed

Quick: name the two greatest country songwriters in history. Did you say Willie Nelson? Dolly Parton? Hank Williams? Kris Kristofferson? Congratulations, you are wrong! Billboard has exclusively revealed the rankings from a first-ever comprehensive study by Record Research, published in the new book Joel Whitburn's Top Country Singles 1944-2025, and the top two names are not legends of the classic era. They are two modern Nashville hitmakers most country fans will know from the parentheses on album credits. Ashley Gorley, co-writer of "I Had Some Help" for Morgan Wallen and "I Am Not Okay" for Jelly Roll, ranks No. 1. Shane McAnally, co-writer of "Body Like a Back Road" for Sam Hunt and "Mama's Broken Heart" for Miranda Lambert, ranks No. 2. Both have been placing their names on country hits for more than 15 years and both benefited from the streaming era, which allows songs to reach audiences faster and more broadly than the old radio-only model ever allowed. "Because of streaming services, there tends to be less curation than in the 20th century," said Record Research partner Vinnie Freda. "The consumer has a little bit more of a say."

Rounding out the top 10: Bob McDill at No. 3, Bill Anderson at No. 4, Harlan Howard at No. 5, Billy Sherrill at No. 6, Craig Wiseman at No. 7, Tom Shapiro at No. 8, Rhett Akins at No. 9, and Merle Haggard at No. 10. Songwriters are, as Freda put it, the unsung heroes of country music. This list is a celebration long overdue. The full top 40 is in the new Record Research book, published this week to coincide with CMA Fest in Nashville.

Source:https://www.billboard.com/music/country/top-all-time-country-songwriters-revealed-1236261402/