Are there any recent songs that will forever as classics?

The editor and publisher of "Performing Songwriter", Lydia Hutchinson, had a question that is really quite difficult to answer. She shares this question after catching Jimmy Webb win the ASCAP Voice of Music Award at The Ryman in Nashville this past Monday evening:

"In the middle of the evening—nestled between songs that sounded pretty much the same, sung by artists who looked pretty much the same—Jimmy sat down at the piano and sang “Galveston,” “By the Time I Get To Phoenix,” and then was joined by Glen Campbell on “Witchita Lineman.” Really, nothing else needed to happen that night. Those three songs were a complete lesson in writing. In poetry. In chord changes. In genre-busting. And in longevity. They touch everyone. And they make writers want to be better.

Maybe that’s what I’m craving: hearing those songs that I know will be around forever. What are the last songs you’ve heard that you know are destined to become classics? “I Can’t Make You Love Me” came out of Nashville and I know it will last forever, but that was almost a decade ago. They’re the songs that cross all genres and can’t be labeled. They don’t fall for formulas or depend on glitzy videos or TV-made stars. They're simply great works of art that are universal and inclusive.

So what songs, written in the last few years, do you think will become classics? Now that I've posed the question, I’m stumped…"


Maui musician Dave Carroll adds:



Man, that's scarey idnit? - There's got to be one, right? - for the life of Me; I can't think of one either. A perfect, timeless marriage of melody , verse and concept. - Am I that jaded? or has it really been that long? Somebody please come up with one. - Have you read Jimmy Webb's book TUNESMITH? Talk about a master class in songcraft! The man is a certifible genius! Your I.Q. goes up just listening to his songs. - I'll keep thinking about (and praying for) a modern classic.


Posted by Dave Carroll

Be sure to catch Dave Carroll perform every Monday and Friday on Maui at Cool Cats and on Saturday nights at Kimo's in Lahaina.