THE SIXTIES
1. BOB DYLAN—"Like a Rolling Stone," "Don't Think Twice, It's ll Right," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," "Quinn the Eskimo," "Girl from the North Country," "The Times They Are A-Changin'," "All Along the Watch-tower," "My Back Pages," "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," plus such albums as The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changin', Another Side of Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding The best credentials here before you start talking about influ­ence.
2. BRIAN HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, AND EDDIE HOLLAND—"Where Did Our Love Go," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "Heat Wave," "Berna-dette," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "You Keep Me Hangin' On." "I Can't Help Myself," "Back in My Arms Again," "Nowhere to Run," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," "Please Mr. Postman," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Wonderful One." A deeper catalogue than Lennon and McCartney's and with an effect nearly as revolutionary as Dylan's,
3. JOHN LENNON AND PAUL McCARTNEY—"She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Please Please Me," "Love Me Do," "A Hard Day's Night," "Help!," "Yesterday," and a couple dozen others—all before they created Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Abbey Road. Their tandem supremacy works to the detriment of their solo work but John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, and Band on the Run are rife with songs for which other songwriters would sell their careers.
4. MICK JAGGER AND KEITH RICHARDS—"Satisfac­tion," "Get Off of My Cloud," "Jumping Jack Flash," "Street fighting Man," "As Tears Go By," "Honky Tonk Woman," "Gimme Shelter," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Sym­pathy for the Devil," "Tumbling Dice," plus albums like Aftermath, Between the Buttons, Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, and Exile on Main Street.
5. SMOKEY ROBINSON—"My Girl," "My Guy," "The [racks of My Tears," "Don't Look Back," "I Second That Emo­tion," "My Girl Has Gone," "I'll Be Doggone," "Ain't That Pecu-liar'" "Get Ready," "Tears of a Clown," "Ooo Baby Baby," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Cruisin." Also the 1965 LP The Temptations Sing Smokey, That's why Bob Dylan called him "America's greatest living poet."
6. CURTIS MAYFIELD—"For Your Precious Love," "He Will Break Your Heart," "Gypsy Woman," "It's All Right," "l'm So Proud," "Keep on Pushing," "People Get Ready," "Choice of Colors," "This Is My Country," "We the People Who Are Darker than Blue," "Monkey Time." Also composed the soundtracks to Superfly and Aretha Franklin's Sparkle, including "Something He Can Feel."
7. JEFF BARRY AND ELLIE GREENWICH—"Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "Baby I Love You," "I Can Hear Music," "River Deep Mountain High," "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," "What A Guy," "Chapel of Love," "The Leader of the Pack," "Hanky Panky," "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts."
B. ISAAC HAYES AND DAVID PORTER—All of Sam and Dave's hits, including "Hold On, I'm Comin'," "Soul Man," "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," "I Thank You," "Wrap It Up." Also Carla Thomas's "B-A-B-Y" and Mabel John's "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)." On his own, Hayes created "Theme from Shaft," followed by excellent scores for Truck Turner and Tough Guys.
9. GERRY GOFFIN AND CAROLE KING—"Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Who Put the Bomp," "Take Good Care of My Baby," "The Loco-Motion," "Up on the Roof," "Chains," "One Fine Day," "I'm Into Something Good." King wrote some of the best singer-songwriter hits, notably on the massive Tapestry, which in­cluded "You've Got a Friend" and "It's Too Late." Goffin, the lyricist, cowrote Gladys Knight's "I've Got to Use My Imagination," Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You," and more.
10. PETE TOWNSHEND—Adolescent anthems—"My Gen­eration," "Substitute," "Pictures of Lily," "I'm a Boy," and other early Who singles—gave way to concept albums like The Who Sell Out, then "rock operas" Tommy and Quadrophema. Also composed fine songs for his numerous solo albums.
1 l . BRIAN WILSON—"Shut Down," "Surfer Girl," "In My Room," "Don't Worry Baby," "I Get Around," "Wendy," "Help Me Rhonda," "California Girls," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," "Good Vibrations," Pet Sounds, "Wild Honey," "Do It Again."
12. NICKOLAS ASHFORD AND VALARIE SIMPSON— "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Let's Go Get Stoned,' "Solid," "I Don't Need No Doctor," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By," "Your Precious Love," "I'm Every Woman," "Who's Gonna Take the Blame," "Some Things You Never Get Used To."
1 3. BURT BACHARACH AND HAL DAVID—"Don't Make Me Over," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "Baby It's You," "One Less Bell to Answer," "What the World Needs Now is Love," "Wishin'and Hopin'," "I Just Don't Know What to Do with jvJvself." "Anyone Who Had a Heart," "Only Love Can Break a Heart," "Walk On By," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," "I Say a Little Prayer." Bacharach also wrote Chuck Jackson's "Any Day Now" and Gene McDaniels's "Tower of Strength' With Bob Hilliard.
14. SLY STONE (SYLVESTER STEWERT) "Dance to the Music," "Everyday People," "Hot Fun in the Summertime," "C'mon and Swim," "Family Affair," "I Want to Take You Higher," "Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Again)," "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," "You Can Make It If You Try," "Stand," "Everybody Is a Star." Sly wrote all the music on the Sly and the Family Stone albums, except for "Que Sera Sera."
l5. JOHN FOGARTY—All Credence Clearwater Revival's hits, most of their albums. "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Fortunate Son," "Lodi," "Green River," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Centerfield," "Run Through the Jungle," "The Old Man Down the Road," "Sweet Hitchhiker," "Travelin' Band," "Down on the Corner," "Rockin' All Over the World."
16. PAUL SIMON—"Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Graceland," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "America," "Sounds of Silence," "My Little Town," "The Boxer," "Kodachrome," "American Tune," "Loves Me Like a Rock," "Mother and Child Reunion," "Mrs. Robinson."
17. ALLEN TOUSSAINT (NAOMI NEVILLE) "Mother-Jn-Law," "Holy Cow," "I Like It Like That," "Java," "Southern Nights," "Working in the Coal Mine," "Yes We Can Can," "Ruler of My Heart" (melody became Otis Redding's "Pain in My Heart"), "Ride Your Pony," "Get Out of My Life, Woman," "It's Raining."
18. OTIS REDDING—Often with collaborators, notably Steve Cropper and Jerry Butler. "Dock of the Bay," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Respect," "Mr. Pitiful," "Sweet Soul Music," "These Arms of Mine," "I Can't Turn You Loose," "My Lover's Prayer," "Hard to Handle," "I've Got Dreams to Remem­ber," "Direct Me," "Chained and Bound," "Love Man," "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)."
19. BERT BERNS (BERT RUSSELL) Usually with collab­orators, notably Jerry Ragavoy and Phil Medley. "Twist and Shouc," "Piece of My Heart," "Hang On Sloopy," "Cry Baby," "Time Is On My Side," "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," "Here Comes the Night," "I Want Candy," "Down in the Valley," "Cry to Me," "Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)," "I'll Take Good Care ofYou"
2O. ROBBIE ROBERTSON, RICK DANKO, RICHARD MANUEL (THE BAND)—Composed virtually all of the material, separately or in various collaborations (including some with BobDylan) on the first Band album. After that, Robertson wrote almost everything. "Tears of Rage," "The Weight," "Chest Fever," "Up on Cripple Creek," "Rag Mama Rag," "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "The Shape I'm In," "Stage Fright," "This Wheel's on Fire," "It Makes No Difference," "Life is a Carnival," "Get Up Jake."
21. NORMAN WHITFIELD AND BARRETT STRONG "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Just My Imagination," "War," "(I Know) I'm Losing You," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "I Can't Get Next to You," "Ball of Confu­sion," "Friendship Train," "Beauty's Only Skin Deep," "Psyche­delic Shack," "I Wish It Would Rain."
22. RAY DAVIES—All the Kinks' various albums and sin­gles. "You Really Got Me," "Waterloo Sunset," "All Day and All of the Night," "A Well Respected Man," "Rock and Roll Fantasy," "Dedicated Follower of Fashion," "Lola," "Come Dancing."
23. DON COVAY—"Chain of Fools," "See-saw," "Pony Time," "Lights Out," "Mercy Mercy," "Sookie Sookie," "Letter Full of Tears," "I'm Hanging Up My Heart for You," "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)," "I Was Checkin' Out, She Was Checkin' In."
24. JERRY RAGAVOY—Mainly with collaborators. "Time Is on My Side," "Cry Baby," "Stay with Me," "Mecca," "I'll Take Good Care of You," "Piece of My Heart," "What's It Gonna Be," "This Silver Ring," "A Wonderful Dream," "Tra La La."
25. JAMES BROWN—Remodeled the idea of a "song" al­most as much as Dylan by virtually abolishing most components of the category. "Cold Sweat," "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World," "Get on the Good Foot," "Licking Stick Licking Stick," "I Can't Stand Myself," "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Sex Machine," "Say It Loud—I'm Black and I'm Proud."

(Source-New Book of Rock Lists)