Gary Barlow Is 'Britain's Greatest Songwriter' | Take That Star Beats John Lennon To Title

The UK has produced an inordinate number of talented songwriters over the past 50 years, especially when you consider the small size of the population. But who are the best of the best? Who are the people whose songs have shaped and defined Britain through music?

Artists come and go all the time, one bad album and that can be it. But the ones that endure, either staying together for years (Oasis, Rolling Stones) or whose music lives on for generations (The Beatles) are the ones who are capable of pumping out magical song after magical song.

Songwriting is a special talent that generally cannot be taught. Which is why those manufactured stars from reality shows such as The X Factor have to rely on dedicated word smiths and musicians to write their songs for them.

According to Digital Spy, OnePoll recently carried out a survey to find people’s opinion as to Britain’s greatest songwriter. The results stand up as a testament to the incredible range of talented songwriters the UK possesses, but the winner may be a surprise to some.

1. Gary Barlow
2. John Lennon
3. Paul McCartney
4. Chris Martin
5. George Michael
6. Bee Gees
7. Noel Gallagher
8. Robbie Williams
9. Sting
10. Kate Bush

I’d agree that all ten deserve their place in the line-up but I have to wonder whether Gary Barlow really is a better songwriter than John Lennon. And certainly in terms of worldwide success, Lennon can not be beaten.

Seemingly realizing the reaction from some as to the result, a OnePoll spokesperson said:

“Gary Barlow has been responsible for some of the biggest hits of the past decade, and now this poll proves that,”

“A lot of people aren’t aware that he has also written songs that have done well in the charts for other artists.”

Barlow has done better than maybe he should have in the poll because Take That are current and in the ascendancy. If this poll had been held five years ago then I suspect Barlow would have been much lower down the list.

Interestingly, I think Paul McCartney and John Lennon needed each other to bring out their best. As a songwriting duo for The Beatles, they produced a much greater wealth of material than either could manage as a solo artist.

As for the rest, I’d say only Robbie Williams at eight is a dubious addition. Although obviously capable of writing good songs, he needed Guy Chambers by his side to really achieve huge success. When he writes on his own, the result is Rudebox. I think that says it all.

[Photo Source: From Newscom with permission]