6 All-Time Brilliant Rock Songwriters Who Are Slept On

Most of the world’s greatest songwriters are well-known, even decades after their heyday in rock and roll. However, there are also plenty of unsung heroes when it comes to stellar rock songwriting. These six underrated rock songwriters are some of the best in the industry, but they rarely get their flowers for how good they are.

1. Paul Westerberg

Paul Westerberg was the frontman of the iconic rock band The Replacements. His contributions to punk rock throughout the 1980s were truly incredible, with memorable tracks like “I Will Dare” and “Swinging Party” still playing in grungy punk basement bars today. 

In a way, his songwriting influenced and inspired countless punk rock bands that followed, including the likes of Kurt Cobain and Billie Joe Armstrong (who also happens to be on this list).

2. Billie Joe Armstrong

Green Day is far from underrated, but we believe Billie Joe Armstrong is one of many incredible rock songwriters who deserves more credit for his work. While writing Dookie, he said that he wanted to write songs he could be proud of. He’s certainly done that throughout several decades as the frontman and main songwriter of Green Day.

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3. Chrissie Hynde

Chrissie Hynde is the iconic leader of The Pretenders, and she really doesn’t get enough credit for her contributions to post-punk and heartland rock. She knew how to write songs that catered to a mainstream audience without losing any of the energy and ideals of her specific genres.

4. Robbie Robertson

Robbie Robertson was at his peak with The Band during an era when everybody was writing psychedelic rock music. He opted to go a different route and thus penned some of the best Americana hits of all time. “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “The Weight” are just a couple of tracks that are essential listening for the unfamiliar.

5. and 6. Joe Strummer + Mick Jones

We’re going to combine these two into one entry, simply because both Joe Strummer and Mick Jones were at their very best when they were writing together. Strummer and Jones are often compared to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and for good reason. This dynamic duo wrote most of the music for The Clash and contributed so much to the UK punk movement. “London Calling” is just one of their biggest songs.

Photo by Terry Wyatt

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