10 Great Songs for Songwriters to Study

Hey everyone! There are SO many great songs out there to learn from, but here are a few that I think exemplify what it means to write a great song. These songs line up musically, lyrically, and emotionally to convey a story which impacts the listeners in profound ways. Listen to them, check out what’s happening lyrically and musically, and see if you can bring some of those elements into your own songwriting :) 

1. Let it Be - The Beatles 

The Beatles have SO many incredible songs, but this one is definitely one of my favorites! It’s a song that continues to be relatable to people across generations, not only in the time it was written, but also in today’s times. I think the reason so many people love this song is its universal message. It’s something that everyone can really connect to in their own life or personal circumstances. I also love the simplicity of this song, the chords and the form especially. Your song doesn’t have to be super complex or use fancy chords to be great. 

2. Blowin' in the Wind - Bob Dylan 

Bob Dylan is another amazing songwriter with so many great songs. He’s sort of a genius when it comes to using the song form of Verse/Refrain. “The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.” It’s an extended two-line refrain, not quite enough to be considered a chorus, but even in its simplicity, it captures the feeling he’s trying to convey. Each time he sings it, it almost takes on a new or deeper meaning, depending on the verse that came before it. 

3. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

This is an epic masterpiece of a song. If you haven’t heard it yet, I would be quite surprised. How did this song, which is so complex in its musical form, become such a hit? There’s a genius in this writing, in this storytelling. I love how the music and form are unconventional, yet still relatable. I suggest if you have the time going in depth on analyzing especially what’s happening musically in this one, as there is SO much to look at. 

4. Fire and Rain - James Taylor 

“Fire and Rain” is one of those songs that makes you feel something. I always experience a sort of beautiful melancholy when I hear this one.  The song has three verses: one is about a friend who committed suicide, another is about Taylor's addiction to heroin, the third refers to a mental hospital and a band Taylor started called The Flying Machine. Somehow, the chorus connects with all three of those verses to create an incredibly memorable song that millions still listen to.

5. Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell

A very creative and talented songwriter, Big Yellow Tax is one of Joni Mitchell’s most memorable songs. “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got til it’s gone. They paid paradise and put up a parking lot.” Those two lines alone say so much, and the melody always hooks you and brings you in, as well as the lovely alliteration of the ‘p’ sound there as well. (Alliteration - the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.)

6. Thriller - Michael Jackson

This is one of the most unique and popular songs of all time, not to mention the video that goes with it! Again, not your typical song, but yet somehow still super catchy and memorable. Fantastic melodies, song development, and the production also just so perfectly captures the mood of the lyrics. And of course, there’s Michael Jackson :P

7. Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley ft. Allison Krauss

I love this song for so many reasons. The story that it tells and the mood that it creates, so heartbreaking and beautiful. I also love that the first verse is about a man and sung by a man, the second verse is about a woman and sung by a woman. Something that makes this song really interesting is the perspective it’s told from. At first, it seems like it’s just a 3rd person perspective (he, she, they), but then, there’s a we. This means that it’s actually told from the perspective of first person plural, which is not the norm for mainstream radio. It also makes the story and song feel even more personal and relatable. 

8. Rupert Holmes - Escape (The Piña Colada Song)

I had to put this one on the list! I think this song is just SO creative and clever in its storytelling. How did this guy ever come up with this story? The way that each chorus takes on a new meaning and develops is so entertaining and witty. The first verse a man puts an ad in a paper asking if they like piña coladas etc… The second verse he gets a response from a woman… the third verse he finds out the woman is his wife. How he got all of that into a catchy song is genius! 

9. Sara Barielles - Eden

“Let me paint a picture for you then I’ll have to teach you to see it. 

Illustrate the remnants of the life I used to live here in Eden. 

Rolled a lucky pair of dice, ended up in paradise, 

landed on a snake’s eyes took a bite and ended up bleeding.” 

Sara Bareilles is definitely one of my all-time favorite songwriters. She writes incredibly well-crafted songs using metaphor and allegory in plenitude. Her lyrics and the way they rhyme combined with the creativity of her music create worlds and atmospheres unlike any other songwriter I’ve listened to. I also find her songs to be compelling, intelligent, and relatable. I think this song in particular shows the genius of her writing. 

10. I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You - Colin Hay

This song always makes me cry. Every time I listen to it. Even though I’ve heard it a million times, it continues to make me feel. To me, that is the sign of a great song. The way that the melody and music support the content of the lyrics, how they both reflect each other perfectly, creates this undeniable atmosphere of a sweet, beautiful melancholy, the type of sadness that comes from still loving a person even when they’re gone. 

Here are a few more songs you might want to check out…

Hotel California - The Eagles

John Mayer - Stop This Train

Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen ( the version by Jeff Buckley is amazing!) 

Piano Man - Billy Joel 

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot

Hey Jude - Beatles

Changes - 2pac ft. Talent

The Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels Band

Firework - Katy Perry

Lose Yourself - Eminem