One of the universal pieces of wisdom for writers of all genres is that for one to write, one must read. And this makes sense, as this allows the writer to learn their craft from those that came before and further fueling the creative reserves from which the aspiring writer can draw. Therefore, it stands to reason that in order to write good songs, one must listen to good songs. So here are some of my favorites. These songs are not in any particular order, and they were all chosen for both their masterful displays of some aspect or technique of songwriting and for their impact on my understanding and abilities in the songwriting craft.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

This song pretty much breaks all conventional rules of songwriting and yet still is one of the biggest and most important songs ever written. I don’t know anyone that isn’t able to sing the entire thing from memory at the slightest of prompting, all without having a traditional hook or verses or even a chorus (but it does have a great guitar solo). This song is through-composed, one of the most difficult and complex songwriting structures. Usually musical pieces that use this structure either suck or are from the Romantic period of music, the fact that a modern Rock song uses this structure and makes it work pretty much automatically makes it something that needs to be studied and understood so that we can learn what makes certain structural decisions work.

Blood by The Middle East

This song proves you don’t need a chorus to write an amazing song. Having only three verses, this song explores three different members of a family, all of different generations, that are experiencing some form of anguish and grief. And it is heartbreaking. This is a great resource to understand the power of verses and dynamic crescendos in creating an emotionally potent masterpiece. Plus, there’s a children’s choir that doesn’t make my ears bleed and for that alone this song should be considered a work of genius.

Just Like Heaven by The Cure

Probably the most straightforward song on this list, this song is a perfect example of the power of simplicity in songwriting. Only containing two different chord patterns in the whole thing, Robert Smith proves that you don’t need to make things complicated, it just needs to be good. Furthermore, the lyrics contain some of the most beautiful lines about a guy being in love with a girl that exist in all of Rock music. This song makes me want to be in love. But more importantly, this song made me realize that it is indeed possible to write a good love song that wasn’t painfully cringey. 

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right by Bob Dylan

Completely shifting in tone both musically and thematically, this song is only a love song to the extent that the love in question has ended. Again very straightforward structurally, Dylan showcases his poetic mastery in a song that’s only hook is the repeated last line of each of the four verses. Dylan was a student of poetry (another thing that all songwriters should be as well), but also understood traditional folk structures by way of his contemporaries in the Folk Revival movement of the 1960s and predecessors like Woody Guthrie. While all of Dylan should be studied in its own right, we can take from his example and turn to the greats of poetry and folk music to learn great and endlessly recyclable songwriting forms and themes for our own works.

Lithium by Nirvana

It’s pretty well known by now that Kurt Cobain had a love of pop music, particularly that of John Lennon, and this greatly influenced his writing. All throughout Nirvana’s discography, we can see amazing examples of pop forms and melodies packaged together in an angsty, rage-fueled, grunge tune. Beyond all that, Cobain was a master of poetic tone. While his lyrics typically don’t contain a discernible narrative, anybody that listens to Nirvana knows exactly what Cobain means and is feeling in every line. Nirvana, but particularly this song, is a great source for understanding how to write amazing melodies and how certain subtlety word choices have a big impact on overall tone and effect. Plus everything Dave Grohl touches is pretty much just amazing.

Dancing Queen by ABBA

If anyone says they don’t like ABBA, I immediately don’t like them. This song is partly why. Beyond making use of a simple and straightforward songwriting structure, this song is my favorite example of a melodic concept that is sadly not well known about but central to understanding how melodies work and how to write them successfully. Listen carefully to what your ear pays attention to. You’ll notice that it isn’t always the singers, even when they are singing. Other instruments take over the melody and then pass it back to the vocals who then pass it back to the instruments. This was an important approach to melodic writing that the Classical era composers such as Mozart and Haydn understood very well but, unfortunately, few people seem to be aware of now. Learning how to pass melodies between instruments will help give your melodies more interest and direction.

Toxicity by System of a Down

System of a Down were masters of many aspects of songwriting, but there is one thing these guys do better than everyone else. This band knows how to change dynamics. This song is a great example. Every section seems to change between super big, fast, and loud to slow and soft. These changes often happen suddenly with no warning and it works every time. Creating this sense of dynamic whiplash sound so good is not easy and absolutely not necessary to make a great song, but these guys are a great place to start learning this important songwriting concept.

HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar

Again, Kendrick Lamar is a songwriting genius that has mastered many aspects of songwriting. However, in the vein of Bob Dylan, Lamar has studied poetry and applied those lessons to Hip Hop instead of folk and rock music to monstrous success. Not only is he a great rapper from both technical flow points of view, Lamar is able to carve out powerful narratives with great and beautiful lyrics. If you want to learn how to master the English language, traditionally you read Shakespeare. Now, you read Kendrick. 

Lover by Taylor Swift

No list of songs to study songwriting would be complete without mentioning Taylor Swift. While I have long said that Taylor Swift is a rather inconsistent lyricist, she has some genuine gems. One thing that she consistently does well, arguably better than any other modern pop songwriter, is her use of structure. She seems to have this genius inherent sense of form and structure that makes her songs flow so naturally and powerfully. She always knows exactly where to take the song and it always ends up exactly where it needs to go. 

Passenger Seat by Death Cab for Cutie

Of course there is a Benjamin Gibbard song on this list. He is my favorite songwriter after all. And that’s mostly because, just like in this song, Gibbard takes normal, ordinary experiences and writes songs about them with such depth and sensitivity and power. This song is one of my favorite examples of this ability. Using only two verses and lyrical bridge, this song is a simple love song about two people driving in a car together. Another great thing about Gibbard’s songwriting is his use of imagery. Listening to this song, it’s as if I’m right there in the car with them. That’s the sign of great writing. 

The great thing about reading for writing (and in this case listening for writing), is that it doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you think it’s good and you critically analyze it. While these songs are my recommendations for great songs to listen to and learn from, any songs that you like will be even better. So let me know what songs you think are great to learn the songwriting craft from down below!