Nashville is one of the songwriting capitals of the world, so it makes sense that some of our neighbors made it onto the New York Times' list of the 30 greatest living songwriters.
So did Music Row hitmakers Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
Zoom in: The Times saluted Swift's two decades of durability, which "has given us an unprecedented combination of musical auteurism and commercial success."
They praised Parton's singular blend of starry glitz and mountain soul. Nelson was noted as "the crafter of some of the most beloved entries in [country's] golden songbook."
Clark, McAnally and Osborne were included as a group. The Times trumpeted the trio's "time-honored tradecraft: crisp hooks, witty wordplay, brisk storytelling, songs that click and whir like little machines."
💭 Adam's thought bubble: Swift's 30-minute video interview, where she talks about learning about song structure in the houses along Music Row, will be catnip for Swifties.
My favorite nugget from the list was Emmylou Harris' quote on Parton's songwriting.
"I've watched Dolly writing one song while she's singing another," Harris said. "I've never seen anyone so spontaneously creative."