List of singer-songwriters
Traditional singer-songwriters
This list enumerates people who record and perform in the traditional singer-songwriter approach. These performers write their own material, accompany themselves on guitar or keyboards, usually perform solo or with limited and understated accompaniment, and are known as much or more for their songwriting skills as for their performance abilities.
- Susan Aglukark
- Paul Anka
- Jann Arden
- Moe Berg
- Art Bergmann
- Riley Byrne
- Meryn Cadell
- Andrew Cash
- Tom Cochrane
- Bruce Cockburn
- Leonard Cohen
- Holly Cole
- Stompin' Tom Connors
- Allison Crowe
- Lori Cullen
- Melanie Doane
- Fefe Dobson
- Julie Doiron
- Damhnait Doyle
- Che Dorval
- Fred J. Eaglesmith
- Kathleen Edwards
- Stephen Fearing
- Jeremy Fisher
- Nelly Furtado
- Joel Gibb
- Matthew Good
- Emm Gryner
- Sarah Harmer
- Dan Hill
- Veda Hille
- Terry Jacks
- Sass Jordan
- Chantal Kreviazuk
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Tara MacLean
- Dayna Manning
- Amanda Marshall
- Kate and Anna McGarrigle
- Sarah McLachlan
- Melissa McLelland
- Holly McNarland
- Joni Mitchell
- Bif Naked
- Mary Margaret O'Hara
- Oh Susanna
- Maren Ord
- Carole Pope
- Jimmy Rankin
- Sam Roberts
- Stan Rogers
- John K. Samson
- Lorraine Segato
- Jay Semko
- Ron Sexsmith
- Jane Siberry
- Sarah Slean
- Hank Snow
- Martina Sorbara
- Andy Stochansky
- Kim Stockwood
- Skye Sweetnam
- Ember Swift
- Tegan and Sara
- David Usher
- Martha Wainwright
- Rufus Wainwright
- Hawksley Workman
- Neil Young
- Joel Zifkin
- Charles Aznavour
- Barbara
- Michel Berger
- Bourvil
- Georges Brassens
- Jacques Dutronc
- Léo Ferré
- Claude François
- Jann Halexander
- Françoise Hardy
- Bernard Lavilliers
- Edith Piaf
- Alain Souchon
- Charles Trenet
- Laurent Voulzy
- Gerhard Gundermann
- Reinhard Mey
- Tobias Sammet (Edguy)
- Barbara Thalheim
- Hannes Wader
- Konstantin Wecker
- De Plattfööt
- Hans-Eckhardt Wenzel
- Annette Buckley
- Paddy Casey
- Damien Dempsey
- Margaret Healy
- Dawn Kenny
- Mundy
- Sinéad O'Connor
- Damien Rice
- Andy White
- Pete Teo
- Rafique Rashid
- Meor Yusof Aziddin
- Kit Leee
- Azmyl Yunor
- Shelley Leong
- Jerome Kugan
- Shanon Shah
- Mei Chern
- Tan Sei Hon
- Sharon den Adel
- Anouk Teeuwe
- Floor Jansen
- Robert Westerholt
- Halfhide
- Robin Block
- Reaganesk
- Arthur ten Cate
- Pien Feith
- Selma Peelen
- Thomas Dybdahl
- Thom Hell
- William Hut
- Sissel Kyrkjebo
- Maria Mena
- Magnet (musician) (Even Johansen)
- Alexander Gorodnitsky
- Andrey Makarevich
- Bulat Okudzhava
- Vladimir Vysotsky
- Yuri Vizbor
- Alexander Galich
- Tomas Andersson Wij
- Isabelle Arnfjell
- Christian Kjellvander
- Cornelis Vreeswijk
- Lars Winnerbäck
- Kristofer Åström
- Joan Armatrading
- Gary Barlow
- Billy Bragg
- Patrick Beverley
- Beverley Craven
- Gareth Davies
- Nick Drake
- Marianne Faithfull
- Pete Ham
- George Harrison
- Imogen Heap
- Boo Hewerdine
- Donovan Leitch
- Adam Leonard
- Ewan MacColl
- Kirsty MacColl
- Tim McGowan
- Tom McRae
- Ralph McTell
- Graham Nash
- Anthony Newley
- Heather Nova
- Ivor Novello
- Beth Orton
- Alex Parks
- Mal Pope
- Gerry Rafferty
- Labi Siffre
- Cat Stevens
- Al Stewart
- Sting
- Tanita Tikaram
- KT Tunstall
- Judie Tzuke
- Clifford T. Ward
- Tori Amos
- Joseph Arthur
- John Austin
- Joan Baez
- Samm Bennett
- Matraca Berg
- Jackson Browne
- Jeff Buckley
- Taylor Carson
- Harry Chapin
- Tracy Chapman
- Paula Cole
- David Crosby
- Catie Curtis
- Jim Croce
- John Denver
- Lynsey De Paul
- Ani DiFranco
- Mike Doughty
- Bob Dylan
- Dean Friedman
- Lefty Frizzell
- Gordon Gano
- John Gorka
- Arlo Guthrie
- Woody Guthrie
- Gwendolyn
- Sophie B. Hawkins
- Ted Hawkins
- Don Henley
- Ari Hest
- John Hoeffleur (The Beauty Shop)
- Zeke Hoskin (also Canada)
- Robert Hunter (best known for the Grateful Dead's adaptations of his songs)
- Jewel
- Carolyn Dawn Johnson
- Jack Johnson
- Matt Costa
- Tim Jones
- Lucy Kaplansky
- Stephen Kellogg
- Carole King
- Kris Kristofferson
- Amos Lee
- Tom Lehrer
- Adam Leonard
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Lisa Loeb
- Bob Lind
- Sananda Maitreya
- Chan Marshall
- John Mayer
- Fergus McCormick
- Reba McEntire
- Bonnie McKee
- Don McLean
- Stephin Merritt
- Jason Mraz
- Matt Nathanson
- Holly Near
- Mickey Newbury
- Randy Newman
- Harry Nilsson
- Laura Nyro
- Conor Oberst
- Phil Ochs
- Joan Osborne
- Liz Phair
- Gene Pitney
- Doc Pomus
- Jimmy Pop
- Steve Poltz
- Eddie Rabbitt
- Lou Reed
- Kim Richey
- Todd Rundgren
- Melanie Safka
- Duncan Sheik
- Michelle Shocked
- Carly Simon
- Paul Simon
- Elliott Smith
- Patti Smith
- Wynn Stewart
- Stephen Stills
- Matthew Sweet
- James Taylor
- Livingston Taylor
- Suzanne Vega
- Karl Wallinger
- Cheryl Wheeler
- Dar Williams
- Keller Williams
- Brian Wilson
- Dwight Yoakam
Others who both write songs and sing
This list includes performers who are not singer-songwriters in the traditional sense, but who both write and perform songs in other genres. Other performers may have done some work as traditional singer-songwriters, but are best known for work in other genres.
- Bryan Adams
- Melissa Auf der Maur
- k.d. lang
- Daniel Lanois
- Avril Lavigne
- Alanis Morissette
- Alannah Myles
- Robbie Robertson
- Buffy Sainte-Marie
- Shania Twain
- Aiko
- Cocco
- Masaharu Fukuyama
- Ken Hirai
- Shigeru Izumiya
- Keisuke Kuwata
- Noriyuki Makihara
- Yumi Matsutoya
- Tamio Okuda
- Ai Otsuka
- Ringo Shiina
- Jun Shibata
- Shikao Suga
- Mariya Takeuchi
- Hitomi Yaida
- Tatsuro Yamashita
- Takuro Yoshida
- Kate Bush
- Elton John
- Elvis Costello
- Al Stewart
- Sting
- Paul Weller
- Patrick Beverley
- George Michael
- Tim Rice
- Bill Owen
- Ryan Adams
- Beck
- Jonathan Byrd
- David Byrne
- Neko Case
- Johnny Cash
- Mama Cass
- Bruce Cockburn
- David Crosby
- Sheryl Crow
- Ani DiFranco
- Geoff Farina
- John Fogerty
- David Gates
- Lauryn Hill
- Alan Jackson
- Anais Mitchell
- Willie Nelson
- Michael Nesmith
- Stevie Nicks
- Roy Orbison
- Buck Owens
- Linda Perry
- Rakim
- Bonnie Raitt
- Damien Rice
- John Rzeznik (from the Goo Goo Dolls)
- Richard Shindell
- Paul Westerberg (from The Replacements)
- Dar Williams
- Hank Williams
- Brian Wilson
- Stevie Wonder
- Juliet Wyers