Your Favorite Song of the Past 25 Years: Anniversary Contest

Updated:

January 28, 2010 11:54 am

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To celebrate the magazine’s 25th anniversary, American Songwriter invited our readers to weigh in on what they thought was the #1 song written, recorded or released from 1984 to 2009.

After reading through thousands of entries, we felt that Paul Kimball’s 100 words about Richard Thompson’s “Vincent Black Lightning 1952” captured what we felt was a very strong argument for a very worthy song. Here’s what Paul wrote:

“1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” from Richard Thompson’s 1991 album Rumor and Sigh, is the finest song composed in the last 25 years. James is a romantic, an outlaw, and a man of refined tastes. He loses his life in a robbery gone wrong, but not before having the opportunity to bequeath his passion, his morality, and his motorcycle to the redheaded girl of his dreams. The song is a modern folk ballad that’s as close to perfection as any I’ve heard. Powerfully played and originally sung, its frequency as a cover tune testifies to its appeal and durability.

For Pauls’ effort, our friends at Gibson Acoustic (in Bozeman, Montana) sent Paul a brand new Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Standard Acoustic Guitar. Paul will be playing his Gibson live with his band Careless Hearts and also at home, with his kids.