Singer From Maplewood Lists 5 Tunes Every Songwriter Should Know

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Few things can inspire as much debate as a list of best (or worst) songs, but there is a special category of "songs that every songwriter should know" — tunes that are sublime both in sound and lyrics — that's fodder for a worthwhile discussion all its own. Rebecca Turner, described as a country-folk-rock singer/songwriter, has lived in Los Angeles and New York in the past, and now resides in Maplewood. For her fellow artists in that creative town, and for those beyond, she published a list on Thursday of "Top 5 Songs Every Songwriter Should Know" in American Songwriter Magazine.

Rebecca Turner's list:

1. It's Too Late, by Carole King and Toni Stern.
2. Free Man in Paris, by Joni Mitchell.
3. Here Comes My Girl, by Tom Petty.
4. Jesus, Take the Wheel, by Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, and Brett James.
5. The Next Messiah, by Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice.

The story provides her thoughts about each song, some about politics and some about language and meaning. She calls the first song, released on the hit 1971 album Tapestry, "feminist, sexy, wistful, smart, and so well-structured." For the Petty song, she says, in part, "It’s about his girl who is walking towards him, and the beat of the song mimics walking along with his talking. I love songwriting twists like that."

Turner released her third album in November and will participate in a musical charity event in February, along with Jill Sobule and other singer/songwriters, at the Bowery Electric in New York City. Details on that event are here.

To read more about her list in American Songwriter, click here.