100 Greatest Songs from 2003

From Bob Marley To Stevie Wonder, The Best Songwriters Of All Time Deserve To Be Celebrated

Aretha FranklinFred A. Sabine/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

In the history of music, thousands of talented musicians have come and gone, with modern artists standing on the shoulders of giants to produce radio hits that we know and love today. However, there is a revered lineage of songwriters whose words and melodies echo throughout generations, touching the hearts and souls of music fans decades or even centuries after their careers have come to a close. Only a select few can be named among the list of the best songwriters of all time, with luminary artists such as Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin offering unflinching snapshots into the essence of humanity with their inspired tunes.

While fans could surely make a compelling argument for many of their Spotify wrapped favorites to top this list, we've constructed a comprehensive guide to the songwriters who left behind iconic legacies which deserve to be celebrated and uplifted. Here are our picks for the best songwriters of all time.

Ella Fitzgerald's inherent mastery of jazz and vocal tenor makes her an obvious choice for the list of best songwriters of all time. While the First Lady of Swing may not have been known for penning many of her own original tunes, her mastery of interpretation and improvisation elevated classic material to heights never-before seen.

Fitzgerald's uncanny ability to imbue her tunes with soul-stopping emotion and enchanting vocal passages allows her timeless music to continue reaching new fans to this day, nearly a full century since she made her recording debut. Fitzgerald set a powerful standard for all vocalists who came after her, with an impeccable penchant for lyrical storytelling. Today, her legacy stands as one of the most powerful musicians of the 20th century.

6. Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye's historic contribution to music is noted in the annals of history with numerous prestigious awards, including NAACP Image awards, American Music awards, and 3 Grammys. Gaye's catalog of hits transcends simple entertainment, and reflects the very foundation of the human condition.

His politically charged anthem "What's Going On" ranked number 4 on The Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time," while sensual jams like "Let's Get It On" continue to rock clubs and playlists to this very day. Gaye's ability to blend soulful melody and thought-provoking introspection makes him a certain contender for best songwriter of all time, and cements his place as a legend among popular musicians of his day.

5. Prince

Today, Prince is widely regarded as an enigmatic songwriter, who was far ahead of his time both culturally and in terms of his contribution to the world of music and entertainment. The Minneapolis-born singer-songwriter earned his position on this list with a wide array of genre-blending hits which make his catalog one of the most fascinating in all of music history. Prince was frequently known to blend influences of funk, pop, R&B, and rock, to create a harmonious style all his own. His hits such as "Purple Rain," "When Doves Cry," and "Kiss" offer a fearless exploration of human sexuality, spirituality, and social conventions.

For many years, Prince kept his discography scrubbed from the internet, retaining an aura of mystique around his experimental legacy. Because of this, young audiences are still just discovering many of his album cuts and boundary-pushing tracks, making Prince's legacy as powerful today as it was when he first hit the scene in the late 1970s.

Bob Marley's laid-back and soulful music transcends borders, cultures, and time, with a potent blend of socially conscious lyrics and peaceful reggae melodies. Through his songwriting, Marley brought about real social change, using his platform to call for peace, love, justice, and equality for all. Bob Marley's greatest anthems such as "One Love," "Sun Is Shining," and "Get Up, Stand Up" showcase his proficiency as a writer, marking him as one of the best songwriters of all time. Though many of Marley's lyrics relied on a simple, heartfelt refrain, his musical sincerity and undeniable charisma have left audiences from around the world to flock to his music for decades.

Like many artists on this list, Bob Marley's music continues to resonate to this day. However, unlike many other aforementioned songwriters, Marley started a family legacy which continues to launch music to the masses in 2024. Bob Marley's expansive family has produced over half a dozen prolific music acts, including Damien Marley, Ziggy Marley, and most recently YG Marley, who's first major release "Praise Jah In The Moonlight" has been making waves on social media lately.

3. Smokey Robinson

Unlike many of the prolific writers and performers on this list, Smokey Robinson is still alive and feeding the streets with sultry slow-jams today. Though his most recent album, 2023's Gasms, lacks some of the inherent charm and range of his greatest hits, Robinson's longevity demands to be celebrated. Smokey's incredible work served as a foundation for the Motown sound of the 1960s and 1970s, with timeless love tunes such as "You've Really Got A Hold On Me," "Just To See Her," and "The Tears of a Clown" still rounding out modern playlists today. As a founder of modern music, it cannot be doubted that Smokey Robinson is among the best songwriters of all time.

2. Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is known as the Queen of Soul, and for good reason. Through her unmatched songwriting talent and incredible voice, she has garnered the love and respect of music fans across multiple generations. While Franklin is best recognized for her breathtaking vocal performances on tracks such as "Natural Woman" and "Respect," her technical ability as a songwriter is equally stunning. Aretha Franklin's spectacular ability to infuse raw, unwavering emotion into her soulful melodies has earned her worldwide recognition and accolades, cementing her status as a seminal artist for any aspiring vocalists.

When discussing the best songwriters of all time, it is impossible not to bring up the one, the only, Stevie Wonder. Stevie Wonder is undeniably the greatest songwriter of all time, with an unparalleled music genius that has consistently pushed boundaries and defied expectations for decades within the music industry.

Wonder's seamless ability to blend influences of funk, soul, jazz, and pop into a stunning arrangement continues to resonate deeply with listeners across the globe, while his lyrics touch on timeless themes of spirituality, love, and social justice. Stevie Wonder is essentially a savant on any instrument he touches, having composed multiple arrangements for his hit tracks all by himself. He is an unparalleled talent, who's enduring spirit easily cements his legacy as history's greatest songwriter.

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How Old Is Stevie Wonder And Who Are His Children?

STEVIE Wonder is one of the all-time great singer-songwriter-musicians with a monumental career spanning over 60 years.

Here's everything you need to know about the seminal multi-talented artist whose once-in-a-generation talent redefined the music industry.

1

Stevie Wonder's first album was released when he was just 11 years old Who is Stevie wonder and how old is he?

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stevie Wonder, real name Stevland Hardaway Morris, was born in Saginaw, Michigan on May 13, 1950, making him 73 years old at the time of writing.

He was the third of six children, and his parents — songwriter Lula Mae Hardaway and Calvin Judkins — divorced when he was four.

Stevie began making music from a young age by playing instruments including the piano, drums and harmonica.

He performed his own song Lonely Boy at the age of 11 in 1961 to Ronnie White from The Miracles, which led to him bagging a record contract with Motown as "Little Stevie Wonder".

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His first album came out when Stevie was just 11 years old and mainly consisted of Ray Charles covers.

Stevie then started releasing original tracks by songwriter Clarence Paul, with his first single Mother Thank You released in 1962, before he embarked on his first theatre tour with other artists.

He scored a Number One aged 13 with track Fingertips, but faced criticism from his label as his voice was beginning to change.

However his first famous songs Upright (Everything Is Alright) and The Tears Of A Clown were written towards the end of the 60s, when Stevie dropped "little" from his name.

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He wrote The Tears Of A Clown when he was just 20 years old along with Smokey Robinson and Henry Crosby, which just goes to show how highly respected the musical genius was even at this relatively early stage of his career.

How did Stevie Wonder become blind?

Stevie's blindness occurred shortly after birth.

He was born six weeks premature and vulnerable to retinopathy of prematurity while in his oxygen-rich incubator.

The rapid development of his eye blood vessels caused his retinas to detach, leading him to lose his sight.

Is Stevie Wonder married?

Stevie's first marriage was to fellow singer and collaborator Syreeta Wright.

The two walked down the aisle in September 1970 and split sometime in 1972.

In 2001, Stevie married his second wife Kai Millard Morris.

Following the end of his marriage to Millard, the Grammy Award winner tied the knot with Tomeeka Bracy.

Bracy was born in 1975 in Virginia.

She married Stevie in July 2017, becoming his third wife.

The pair held their ceremony at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.

John Legend, Usher, Babyface, and Pharrell Williams all attended and performed in honor of the then-newlyweds.

An insider from the wedding told The Sun: "It was a very lavish, romantic, and star-studded affair.

"Stevie's musical pals each got up on stage to take turns serenading the couple, much to the delight of the other guests."

"Then Stevie got up to sing for his new bride," the source further observed.

Who are Stevie Wonder's children?

Stevie and Tomeeka have two children together, daughters named Zaiah, 11, and Nia, 9.

Zaiah and Nia are the youngest of Stevie's nine children.

From his marriage to Kai Millard he has two sons named Kailand, 22, and Mandla, 18.

His five older kids are daughters Aisha, 48, Sophia, 38, and sons Keita, 46, Mumtaz, 40, and Kwame, 35.

Is Stevie Wonder playing at Glastonbury?

Glastonbury bosses were dealt a massive blow after talks collapsed with potential 2024 headliner Stevie Wonder.

Festival organiser Emily Eavis spent weeks wooing the US megastar to play the Pyramid Stage this coming June.

Stevie was even added to a draft of the official line-up poster.

However The Sun understands negotiations hit the rocks after Stevie's team struggled to make his schedule work alongside a yet-to-be-announced string of summer shows.

It leaves a gaping hole in the biggest festival in the world's line-up, which has usually been announced by now.

Stevie Wonder to headline Glastonbury What is Stevie Wonder's net worth and what awards has he won?

Having such a huge roster of hits, Stevie is worth a pretty penny as he approaches his seventies.

The vegan musician and father-of-nine is estimated to be worth $110m or around £83m in British sterling.

Stevie has also won 25 Grammys and received their Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

He and Frank Sinatra are the only artists to have ever won Album Of The Year three times.

Also hailed as a civil rights hero, Stevie earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2014 after becoming a United Nations Messenger Of Peace.

What are Stevie Wonder's most famous hits?

Stevie's first major hits came out towards the end of the 60s — For Once In My Life, Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours) and My Cherie Amour.

But his distinctive sound came into its own in the 70s with his tracks Superstition, As, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Living For The City, Sir Duke, I Wish and Isn't She Lovely?.

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In the 80s and 90s Stevie's music became much more commercial and he released songs like Happy Birthday - to help establish Martin Luther King's birthday as a national holiday - Part-Time Lover, Do I Do, Ebony And Ivory wit Paul McCartney and I Just Called To Say I Love You.

The prolific composer has also written hits for the likes of Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond and Roberta Flack.

Beyoncé Reveals Stevie Wonder Played Harmonica On 'Jolene,' Thanks Him During IHeartRadio Music Awards

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