Singers or songwriters, who do you give higher ratings

@ronnyb (6113)
Jamaica
January 9, 2009 11:25am CST
I personally like to know the writers of a really great song and not just the singers. Consequently I like to buy the albums so I can read the sleeve notes. If I am unable to buy the album then I go on the internet and check out the lyrics and writers. My reasons for saying this is that in this day and age anyone can become a singer because of the advent of autotune (look at Tpain ,prime example) however writing a song comes form a special place. Also there are many singers out there who don’t write their own music ,in fact the current pop music industry seems to be made of persons who just add a voice to other persons thoughts . For me I give higher rating to the songwriters than the singers ,what about you ? .In additions should persons who can sing but cannot write have a career in music?.
4 people like this
15 responses
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I think that a songwriter that plays his own songs is truly locked into the art that is making music. When you write the songs and play them then you are truly making the song yours. I don't know how I would feel about singing something that someone else wrote because it most likely wouldn't be about me. T-Pain is a prime example of someone who probably can't sing worth crap but he's still making millions of dollars because of that autotone thing that you said. Some of my favorite songwriters are the Mars Volta, Tool, and The Deftones.
2 people like this
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
9 Jan 09
Yes that is the ideal situation to be able to sing what you write and I still cant unsderstand how someone can sing an album written by someone else without amking any contributtion to the process.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I hadn't given this much thought before but you make some valid points. It does take a great deal of talent to create the music. Putting the melody and words together to tell a story or cause an emotional response is a true talent and gift. So I think that the songwriters should get a lions share of the credit for the music. I do believe that persons with a good voice should be allowed a musical career even if they can't write their own music. I have a good voice and was well trained but I have never tried to write music. I am a performer only. And there are some music writers that don't have the voice to perform the music that they can hear in their head.
1 person likes this
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
14 Jan 09
Good points we need both types to make the music work.Tahnk you for responding
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I wouldn't necessarily give higher ratings to a songwriter than a singer. I think many singers can sing and not write and it's perfectly acceptable. My father was a good example of a talented man who could sing but didn't write. I also had an uncle who could sing and write but never did anything with it. He wrote one particular song but it was never recorded. I come from a very musical family but it skipped my brother and myself.
1 person likes this
@insulin (2479)
• Philippines
9 Jan 09
Hi there ronny...:-0 I can say that both singer song writers is important and If you will ask me,I will give them high ratings both.Your song will be useless if no one will sing it and it is useless too if you will not a sing a song so everyone needs everyone but yeah songwriters is a little important at all.I am a singer songwriter and I will be releasing my first hit single by february 15,2009 in itunes and I hope you will buy it.you can check it out in www.myspace.com/flodawny God bless and have a nice day..;-0
1 person likes this
@suzzy3 (8342)
9 Jan 09
I quite agree with you ronny,some of the singers have their voices enhanced with all these machines and computers, abit like the models they are air brushed and made up,on the tv the other day they had this woman with her horses and she looked the same as anyone else ,until it turned out she was a model and at the studio they transformed her into someone else,they even changed her body shape with cameras and to be quite honest they changed her completely.So it is the same with some singers espeically the ones who do not sing live,the song writer is the one with the talent in most cases ,to write some of those words they must reach down into the dephes of their soul,Elton John is a very talented song writer and many song writers do not get the recognition they deserve.
1 person likes this
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
9 Jan 09
And it is such a pity too that songwriters are underated.I would prefer someone with average voice singing his own songs than someone with a great voice singing other persons song.Well not to say I cannot apppreciate that not all great singers cant write but I would appreciate taht singers write their songs every now and then
• Philippines
14 Jan 09
I would give higher ratings to the songwriter rather than the singer. I perform a little as a singer from time to time, and for me, I can't imagine doing a good performance without being equipped with a killer song. For me, more often than not, voices are replaceable, while the quality of the song is not. This is discounting the marketability of the artist, of course. :)
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
10 Jan 09
both require hard work so to choose between the two is hard to do.i think both are good in their own right.
• United States
10 Jan 09
I happen to agree look at milli vanilli. great songs but they lip sinced it. the song writer did a great job.
@vicky30 (4766)
• India
10 Jan 09
I will give higher ratings to the song writers.They spend most of the time to make the song.It takes a week or even a month.The singer just sings the song with his good voice.Persons who can sing should have a career in music.Because of their voice the album is sold to many people.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
9 Jan 09
well sure, i think they should. the songwriters are great but they might not be able to get on stage & sing.
@jaffna (778)
• India
10 Jan 09
i will always give ma first preference to the singers.When i hear songs,the first thing that i admire is the voice ,so i vote for singers first and song-writers next
@gunagohan (3414)
• India
10 Jan 09
i support the musician who gives life to the song...u cant sing without a music...u can write any song,,,but the music plays the major rule....in my country this is the fact...music director is the main cause for the victory of one song......
• Bangladesh
9 Jan 09
well if u r not a good song writer u won't be able to produce a good song wheather it is sung by a good singer it won't make appeal towards people.And if u don't have a good voice u won't be able to make justice to a good song.
• United States
9 Jan 09
I'm a writer and a singer as well as a musician. I would say that because I can't really sing as well as I want to, I give more credit to those who can sing beautifully. I also know that writing can be very difficult if there is no inspiration. It's really whatever a person can't do, that's what they are envious of. The general rule is you want what you can't have (or in this case, can't do).
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I think that songwriters should get the most kudos when it comes to great singers singing them. Sometimes the singer them self has written their own song. But most of them just sing what someone else has written. As a matter of fact I think some song writers can fall too much into obscurity and don't get the praise that they deserve. I do think that persons that can sing but can't write still have a good shot at fame in the music industry.