A singer-songwriter is a person who writes songs and then sings them. There's more to it than that, however: the "singer-songwriter" label is associated with certain styles of music. Traditionally, the label refers to Three Chords and the Truth music in which a single singer accompanies themself with only an acoustic guitar or a piano, but you'll also find singer-songwriters in pop and rock. The defining characteristics of a singer-songwriter is that they are billed individually rather than as part of a band, that they write their own songs, and that the emphasis is on the lyrics rather than on complex music (this is why you don't call Jimi Hendrix or Frank Zappa "singer-songwriters", even though they did sing and write songs). Singer-songwriter music was especially popular in The '70s and in The '90s on adult alternative radio.
Often overlaps with Folk Music and Country Music. Singer-songwriters may or may not write Protest Songs.
Notable singer-songwriters include:
ArgentinaAustralia
- Jon English
- Dean Geyer
- Giulietta
- Delta Goodrem
- Darren Hayes
- Missy Higgins
- Natalie Imbruglia
- Jessica Mauboy
- Kate Miller Heidke
- Kylie Minogue
- Olivia Newton-John
- Guy Sebastian
- Sia
- Rick Springfield
- Tones And I
- Vance Joy
Belgium
- Jacques Brel
- Raymond Van Het Groenewoud
Brazil
Canada
- Bryan Adams
- Allie X
- Paul Anka
- Geoff Berner
- Justin Bieber
- Tom Cochrane
- Bruce Cockburn
- Leonard Cohen
- Michelle Creber
- Xavier Dolan
- Drake
- Feist
- Nelly Furtado
- Jeff Healey
- Janyse Jaud
- Carly Rae Jepsen
- Chris Jericho
- Avril Lavigne
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Jessica Lowndes
- Sarah McLachlan
- Joni Mitchell
- Alanis Morissette
- Daniel Powter
- Stan Rogers
- Sofia Shinas
- Kinnie Starr
- Manuel Tadros
- Shania Twain
- The Weeknd
- Neil Young
China
Cuba
Denmark
Finland
France
- Charles Aznavour
- Maya Barsony
- Daniel Beretta
- Georges Brassens
- Louis Chedid
- Claude François
- Serge Gainsbourg
- Françoise Hardy
- Kumisolo
- Clara Luciani
- Germain Muller
- Pi Ja Ma
- Éric Serra
- Soko
Germany
- Franz-Josef Degenhardt
- Herbert Grönemeyer
- Reinhard Mey
- Marius Müller-Westernhagen
- Kim Petras
- Matthias Schweighöfer
- Hannes Wader
- Konstantin Wecker
Ireland
Italy
Japan
- Rie fu
- GACKT
- Ayumi Hamasaki
- Megumi Hayashibara
- Kumisolo
- Minami Kuribayashi
- Mafumafu
- Rica Matsumoto
- Yumi Matsutoya
- Miyavi
- Megumi Ogata
- Yoko Ono
- Yui Sakakibara
- Rina Sawayama
- T.M.Revolution
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga - yes, the voice actor. In addition to that - and singing in about five different boy band anime - he also does this style of music. He wrote and performed the second opening of Durarara X2, "Day You Laugh", and he wrote the song that the singer character in the show performs, as well.
- Hikaru Utada
Mexico
The Netherlands
- Blanks
- Douwe Bob
- Jaap Fischer
- Boudewijn de Groot
- Floor Jansen
- Drs. P
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Philippines
Poland
Russia
- The entire bard music (authors' song) genre.
- Dima Bilan
- Monetochka
Scotland
South Korea
Sweden
- Neneh Cherry
- Agnetha Fältskog
- Benjamin Ingrosso
- Joel Berghult a.k.a. RoomieOfficial
- Robyn
Ukraine
United Kingdom
- Adele
- Lily Allen
- Joan Armatrading
- Ken Ashcorp
- Rick Astley
- Adrian Baker
- Gary Barlow
- Jane Birkin
- Emma Blackery
- David Bowie
- Billy Bragg
- Mutya Buena
- Kate Bush
- Melanie C
- Charlotte Church
- Hamilton Camp
- Phil Collins
- Elvis Costello
- Olivia D Abo
- Daisy Dares You
- Chris de Burgh
- Siobhán Donaghy
- Nick Drake
- Minnie Driver
- Sheena Easton
- Cynthia Erivo
- Peter Frampton
- Ellie Goulding
- David Gray
- George Harrison
- Douglas Hodge
- Eric Idle
- Joe Jackson
- Mick Jagger
- Elton John
- Tom Jones
- King Charles
- John Lennon
- Pixie Lott
- Nick Lowe
- Clare Maguire
- Laura Marling
- John Martyn
- Brian May
- Paul McCartney
- Freddie Mercury
- Mika
- Van Morrison
- Anthony Newley
- Nerina Pallot
- Iwan Rheon
- Ed Sheeran
- Nathan Sykes
- John Spowage
- Ringo Starr
- Cat Stevens
- Al Stewart
- Rod Stewart
- Sting
- Joss Stone
- Harry Styles
- David Sylvian
- Tanita Tikaram
- Dominique Tipper
- Louis Tomlinson
- KT Tunstall
- FKA twigs
- Roger Waters
- Amy Winehouse
- Victoria Wood
- Zayn
United States
- Susie Abromeit
- Jensen Ackles
- Jhené Aiko
- Jimmie Allen
- Tori Amos
- Fiona Apple
- David Archuleta
- Ashanti
- Nicole Atkins
- Gene Autry
- Penn Badgley
- Joan Baez
- Azealia Banks
- Sara Bareilles
- Drake Bell
- Rob Benedict
- Crystal Bernard
- Beyoncé
- Andrew Bird
- Ronee Blakley
- Lola Blanc
- Sonny Bono
- Michelle Branch
- Toni Braxton
- Phoebe Bridgers
- Jeff Bridges
- Blanco Brown
- Bobby Brown
- Gabriel C. Brown a.k.a. Black Gryph0n
- Julie Brown
- Kane Brown
- Jackson Browne
- Jeff Buckley
- Tim Buckley
- Jimmy Buffett
- Colbie Caillat
- Rob Cantor
- Mariah Carey
- Vanessa Carlton
- Lynda Carter
- Joseph Castanon
- Johnny Cash
- Harry Chapin
- Tracy Chapman
- JC Chasez
- Cher
- Ciara
- Kelly Clarkson
- Kurt Cobain
- Paula Cole
- Sean Combs
- Connie Converse
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Dylan Conrique
- Miranda Cosgrove
- Ronny Cox
- Gavin Creel
- Jim Croce
- David Crosby
- Sheryl Crow
- Jackie Cruz
- Billy Ray Cyrus
- Miley Cyrus
- Madison Davenport
- Kimya Dawson
- Grey DeLisle
- Lana Del Rey
- John Denver
- Cleavant Derricks
- Jason Derulo
- Zooey Deschanel
- Kaitlyn Dever
- Neil Diamond
- Ani DiFranco
- Colton Dixon
- Hilary Duff
- Bob Dylan
- Steve Earle
- Clint Eastwood
- Billie Eilish
- Danny Elfman
- Tennessee Ernie Ford
- Briana Evigan
- Sky Ferreira
- Ben Folds
- Jamie Foxx
- Hannah Fury
- Leif Garrett
- Lesley Gore
- Ariana Grande
- Scott Grimes
- Dave Grohl
- Woody Guthrie
- Halsey
- Jeff Hardy
- Isaac Hayes
- H.E.R.
- LO Hess
- John Hiatt
- Jimi Hendrix
- Brendan Hines
- Julia Holter
- Julianne Hough
- Whitney Houston
- Caleb Hyles
- Enrique Iglesias
- Iron and Wine
- Jason Isbell
- Cheyenne Jackson
- Janet Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Paris Jackson
- Luke James
- Jewel
- Billy Joel
- Nick Jonas
- Rickie Lee Jones
- Janis Joplin
- Malese Jow
- Christian Kane
- Michael Keaton
- Malcolm David Kelley
- Carole King
- Emily Kinney
- Chris Kirkpatrick
- Hayley Kiyoko
- Lenny Kravitz
- Lady Gaga
- Lady Lamb
- Charlotte Lawrence
- Joey Lawrence
- Vicki Lawrence
- Leadbelly
- Amanda Lee
- John Legend
- Tom Lehrer
- Katrina Lenk
- Bethany Joy Lenz
- Jared Leto
- Adam Levine
- Lil Aaron
- Maggie Lindemann
- Little Richard
- Lisa Loeb
- Lindsay Lohan
- Demi Lovato
- Courtney Love
- Madonna
- Bruno Mars
- Charlotte Martin
- Melanie Martinez
- Jesse Mc Cartney
- Daisy McCrackin
- Jennette McCurdy
- Reba McEntire
- Tim McGraw
- Don McLean
- Katharine McPhee
- Leighton Meester
- John Mellencamp
- Bridgit Mendler
- Idina Menzel
- AJ Michalka
- Alyson Michalka
- Bette Midler
- Vic Mignogna
- Christina Milian
- Nicki Minaj
- Moby
- Taylor Momsen
- Janelle Monáe
- Victoria Monét
- Mandy Moore
- Matthew Morrison
- Rob Morrow
- Jason Mraz
- Meg Myers
- Anna Nalick
- Ne-Yo
- Willie Nelson
- Michael Nesmith
- Stevie Nicks
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Laura Nyro
- Conor Oberst
- Finneas O'Connell
- Phil Ochs
- Oliver!
- Emily Osment
- Charlie Peacock
- Katy Perry
- Michelle Phillips
- Rebecca Pidgeon
- P!nk
- Jada Pinkett Smith
- Elvis Presley
- Prince
- John Prine
- Amy Ray
- Raven-Symoné
- Malinda Kathleen Reese
- Jeremy Renner
- Rihanna
- Emmy Rossum
- David Rovics
- Darius Rucker
- Katey Sagal
- Rachael Sage
- Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Emily Saliers
- Kendall Schmidt
- Jill Scott
- Dan Seals
- Neil Sedaka
- Pete Seeger
- Bob Seger
- Amanda Seyfried
- Blake Shelton
- Carly Simon
- Paul Simon
- Helen Slater
- Elliott Smith
- Jaden Smith
- Patti Smith
- Will Smith
- Willow Smith
- Solange
- Regina Spektor
- Bruce Springsteen
- Frank Stallone
- Sufjan Stevens
- John Stewart
- Alison Sudol
- Taylor Swift
- James Taylor
- Steve Taylor
- Hannah Telle
- Vienna Teng
- Daniel Thrasher
- Justin Timberlake
- Tinashe
- Meghan Trainor
- Carrie Underwood
- Usher
- Mat Vairo
- Cristina Valenzuela
- Jessika Van
- Sharon Van Etten
- Zach Villa
- Donnie Wahlberg
- Mark Wahlberg
- Tom Waits
- Amy Walker
- Aria Wallace
- Jake Weary
- David Wilcox
- will.i.am
- Lucinda Williams
- Paul Williams
- Pharrell Williams
- Mare Winningham
- Fay Wolf
- Stevie Wonder
- Jonathan Young
