Readers Crown Bob Dylan King of American Songwriters in 25,000-Ballot Poll

A massive reader poll asking voters to name the greatest living American songwriters drew more than 25,000 ballots and nearly 12,000 distinct names — a sprawling, passionate exercise that both confirmed some critical consensus and upended it in telling ways. Bob Dylan dominated with 8,265 votes, meaning a full third of all participants put him on their ballot. Paul Simon came second (roughly a quarter of ballots), followed by Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, and — most controversially — Billy Joel at number five, despite being absent from the critics' own list. Readers made their fury about Joel's omission known within minutes of the critics' list going live.

The poll's most striking tension was between critical taste and popular affection. James Taylor landed at number nine, Jason Isbell at 19, and Neil Diamond at 23 — none of whom appeared on the critics' list. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar was the highest-ranked rapper at 17, and Taylor Swift, the youngest person in the top 30, appeared on 16 percent of ballots, with nearly half of her voters also picking Dylan. Joni Mitchell, excluded on the grounds that her career began in Canada, would have placed roughly seventh had she been eligible — readers submitted more than 4,000 votes for her anyway, many with pointed arguments about the eligibility rules.

The data revealed fascinating micro-patterns in listener identity. Tom Waits voters overlapped heavily with fans of Randy Newman, Jonathan Richman, and Public Enemy — a very specific type of listener. Dolly Parton appeared on nearly half of all ballots that also included Missy Elliott. Billy Joel fans were disproportionately likely to also vote for Garth Brooks, Don McLean, and Barry Manilow. Stevie Nicks supporters skewed toward Madonna, Paramore, Jack Antonoff, and SZA. David Byrne drew from a punk-indie bloc that also favored Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and Beck.

Perhaps most revealing was the long tail. Fewer than 200 eligible songwriters received more than 100 votes, while thousands received exactly one. The 'ten votes or fewer' tier still contained figures like jazz pianist Robert Glasper, Slipknot's Corey Taylor, rapper Del the Funky Homosapien, and Meredith Monk. Ron Mael of Sparks and Desmond Child — who co-wrote both 'Livin' on a Prayer' and 'Livin' la Vida Loca' — landed in the 25-to-50 vote bracket. The poll's lone vote for Bhad Bhabie appeared on what looked like an earnest ballot that also included Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.