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.
Often overlaps with Folk Music and Country Music. Singer-songwriters may or may not write Protest Songs.
Notable singer-songwriters include:
AustraliaBelgium
- Jacques Brel
- Raymond Van Het Groenewoud
Britain
- Adele
- Joan Armatrading
- Ken Ashcorp
- David Bowie
- Billy Bragg
- Kate Bush
- Melanie C
- Charlotte Church
- Hamilton Camp
- Phil Collins
- Elvis Costello
- Olivia D Abo
- Nick Drake
- Minnie Driver
- Cynthia Erivo
- Peter Frampton
- George Harrison
- Douglas Hodge
- Eric Idle
- Joe Jackson
- Mick Jagger
- Elton John
- John Lennon
- Pixie Lott
- Nick Lowe
- John Martyn
- Brian May
- Paul McCartney
- Freddie Mercury
- Van Morrison
- Nerina Pallot
- Iwan Rheon
- Ed Sheeran
- John Spowage
- Ringo Starr
- Cat Stevens
- Al Stewart
- Rod Stewart
- Sting
- Joss Stone
- Harry Styles
- David Sylvian
- Tanita Tikaram
- KT Tunstall
- FKA Twigs
- Amy Winehouse
- Victoria Wood
- Zayn
Canada
- Allie X
- Bryan Adams
- Bruce Cockburn
- Tom Cochrane
- Leonard Cohen
- Xavier Dolan
- Nelly Furtado
- Jeff Healey
- Janyse Jaud
- Avril Lavigne
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Sarah McLachlan
- Joni Mitchell
- Alanis Morissette
- Stan Rogers
- Kinnie Starr
- The Weeknd
- Neil Young
China
Finland
France
Germany
- Franz-Josef Degenhardt
- Herbert Grönemeyer
- Reinhard Mey
- Marius Müller-Westernhagen
- Hannes Wader
- Konstantin Wecker
Ireland
Japan
- Yoko Ono
- 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.
- Utada Hikaru
Korea
The Netherlands
- Jaap Fischer
- Boudewijn de Groot
- Drs. P
New Zealand
Russia
- The entire bard music (authors' song) genre.
- Díma Bilán
Sweden
Ukraine
United States
- Tori Amos
- Fiona Apple
- Gene Autry
- Penn Badgley
- Michelle Branch
- Bobby Brown
- Jackson Browne
- Jeff Buckley
- Tim Buckley
- Jimmy Buffett
- Camila Cabello
- Mariah Carey
- Lynda Carter
- Johnny Cash
- Harry Chapin
- Tracy Chapman
- Kelly Clarkson
- Kurt Cobain
- Sean Combs
- Miranda Cosgrove
- Jim Croce
- Billy Ray Cyrus
- Miley Cyrus
- John Denver
- Zooey Deschanel
- Neil Diamond
- Colton Dixon
- Hilary Duff
- Bob Dylan
- Steve Earle
- Clint Eastwood
- Billie Eilish
- Jamie Foxx
- Ariana Grande
- Scott Grimes
- Dave Grohl
- Woody Guthrie
- Isaac Hayes
- John Hiatt
- Jimi Hendrix
- Julia Holter
- Iron and Wine
- Cheyenne Jackson
- Janet Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Jewel
- Billy Joel
- Nick Jonas
- Rickie Lee Jones
- Janis Joplin
- Malese Jow
- Michael Keaton
- Carole King
- Emily Kinney
- Hayley Kiyoko
- Lenny Kravitz
- Lady Gaga
- Leadbelly
- John Legend
- Tom Lehrer
- Bethany Joy Lenz
- Lindsay Lohan
- Demi Lovato
- Courtney Love
- Madonna
- Bruno Mars
- Charlotte Martin
- Melanie Martinez
- Jennette McCurdy
- Don McLean
- Katharine McPhee
- Leighton Meester
- Idina Menzel
- AJ Michalka
- Alyson Michalka
- Bette Midler
- Nicki Minaj
- Taylor Momsen
- Matthew Morrison
- Ne-Yo
- Willie Nelson
- Michael Nesmith
- Laura Nyro
- Conor Oberst
- Phil Ochs
- Emily Osment
- Katy Perry
- Jada Pinkett
- John Prine
- Amy Ray
- Raven-Symoné
- Emmy Rossum
- Katey Sagal
- Rachael Sage
- Emily Saliers
- Jill Scott
- Neil Sedaka
- Pete Seeger
- Bob Seger
- Carly Simon
- Paul Simon
- Helen Slater
- Elliott Smith
- Jaden Smith
- Patti Smith
- Solange
- Bruce Springsteen
- Sufjan Stevens
- John Stewart
- Alison Sudol
- Taylor Swift
- James Taylor
- Steve Taylor
- Hannah Telle
- Vienna Teng
- Tinashe
- Carrie Underwood
- Donnie Wahlberg
- Mark Wahlberg
- will.i.am
- Lucinda Williams
- Paul Williams
