# 3 Songwriters Paul Simon Thinks Are His Equals

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/3-songwriters-paul-simon-thinks-are-his-equals/
- Published: 2026-07-27T17:00:00+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/3-songwriters-paul-simon-thinks-are-his-equals/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Music, World

## Key points

- Paul Simon rates Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and John Lennon as his equals
- He ranks McCartney with Gershwin, Berlin and Hank Williams
- Simon admits he always feels he "comes in second" to Dylan

## Summary

American Songwriter has compiled a list of three songwriters that Paul Simon himself has named as being on a par with his own talents. The piece draws on Simon's own public comments and lyrics over the years, offering an insight into which of his peers the folk-rock veteran holds in the highest regard, rather than the publication's own ranking.

The three named are Paul McCartney, whom Simon has placed alongside Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Hank Williams as one of the all-time greats; Bob Dylan, whom Simon has said he always "comes in second" to, admiring Dylan's ability to sound both sincere and ironic at once; and John Lennon, whose talent Simon acknowledged despite their sometimes fractious relationship, notably in his 1980s song "The Late Great Johnny Ace", written after Lennon's death.

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